Part VIII: Weapon of Mass Destruction
Chapter 2: The Grim and The Ghast
Timeline: AO 287-298
I wanted a weapon of mass destruction – I got two. Now it’s time to learn more about them…
Let’s start with the blade I knew nothing about – The Grim.
The Grim’s blade was forged from the very heart of a carbon-diamond gemrock I’d gifted to Hef Fastuz – although I’d never intended him to use it to create this weapon. It was black dagger that seemed to devour the light around it, pulling shadows into its depths as if it were a void unto itself. Yet, this darkness held a secret. In complete absence of light, if one were brave enough to gaze upon its surface, they would witness something extraordinary: letters, glowing with an ethereal, diamonique flame, spelling out “G-R-I-M” along each side of its flat shanks. These letters, visible only in the deepest blackness, turned the Grim into a beacon of hope—a light in the darkness for those who dared to wield it.
But the Grim was far more than just a simple blade. Infused with a powerful magic known as The Voice of the Balkery, it held the rare ability to summon The Hand of He Who Has No Name—an ancient and mysterious force – the Drokka’s Creator God – capable of turning the tide even in the darkest of days.
Yet, this magic was elusive, its true potential unproven. For what purpose the blade was truly suited, neither The Kroniklz nor Hef Fastuz, the master craftsman himself, ever revealed. As a result, the Grim, despite its hidden power, appeared to be nothing more than a simple, outdated black dagger. Its unassuming stone blade was affixed to a plain silver hilt, the only adornment being a single ruby set into its pommel, carved in the shape of the letter “G.”
This simplicity, this lack of grandeur, rendered the Grim almost invisible to those who sought greatness in weapons. Even I, during my occassion visits to Hef’s workshop to monitor his progress on the blade I had commissioned, never noticed this ‘other’ weapon because my sole focus was entirely on the weapon that would soon be known as The Ghast.
In stark contrast to the Grim, the Ghast was a weapon of true power and undeniable presence! It was a broad axe with an iron haft, its blade forged from the same black carbon-diamond as the Grim, but tempered to a brilliance that defied its dark origin. The edge of the Ghast glowed with a brightness so intense that to look upon it directly was to risk blindness, even in the blackest of nights. This luminous edge was not merely for show; it served as a weapon in its own right, blinding foes and giving the wielder an overwhelming advantage in battle.
The haft of the Ghast was as much a work of art as it was a tool of war. Decorated with plates of gold, it was embossed with the runes of the ancient Drokka heroes, Ajax and Volzung. These runes, painstakingly crafted by Hef Fastuz, seemed to dance and shift when viewed from different angles, as though alive with the spirits of those they honored. This artistry did not end with the golden plate; opposite the blade’s cutting edge, were two hidden barbs that the bearer could extend into wickedly curved spikes that were designed to rip and tear in a surprise attack.
Yet, the Ghast’s true power lay not in its craftsmanship alone, but in the immortal gifts I had bestowed upon it: Limitless Endurance and Unmatched Power. These were not mere enhancements; they were the essence of battle itself, allowing the wielder to fight with tireless strength and overwhelming force. Unknown to me at the time, the gods Rhokii and Myndoz had also influenced the Ghast, secretly instructing Hef to imbue it with two additional powers: The Might of Rhokii and The Mind of Myndoz. These gifts were subtle, their effects hidden until the moment of battle, when they would reveal themselves with devastating effect.
The result was a weapon like no other. In the hands of its wielder, the Ghast could destroy anything it struck, its power unmatched, its presence awe-inspiring. It was a weapon to start a war with, and that was precisely what I intended to do.
Little did I know that my plans would be foiled by making the mistake of overlooking The Grim – for the blade held a power far greater than its appearance suggested—a power that, one day, would make me question every decision I had ever made. In the end, it was not the brilliance of the Ghast that would shape the future, but the quiet, unassuming darkness of the Grim. A darkness that, when fully unleashed, could consume even the brightest light.
Thankfully though that wouldn’t happen for a loooooong time. And before my downfall, I did use The Ghast to start a war – and it was glorious!
The Apocrypha of Azazel 