Item: Azlanti Diamond

Aspects celestial, mind

The Azlanti Diamond is among the most famous creations of the swordsmith (and eventual living god) Aroden. Initially forged to serve as a badge of office for the next emperor of Azlant, this plan fell apart when King Xeros failed to choose his successor from a field of fools and criminals. When he asked Aroden for aid in choosing, the Last Azlanti chose to keep the Azlanti Diamond for himself. Whether not this choice provoked the veiled masters into destroying Azlant with Earthfall or was the result of that doom forcing Aroden's hand has been lost to time—but PCs who take the Test of Aroden in this adventure have a good indication that it was a little bit of both! Following Earthfall, the Azlanti Diamond served Aroden for centuries. Now and then, he loaned the sword out to those he deemed worthy. Each time, the sword's power reset and then grew alongside its new carrier, eventually returning to Aroden's hand to begin the cycle anew. Some time after Aroden became a god and founded the city of Absalom, he bequeathed the sword to the caretakers of the Sanctum of Aroden, and for the past several thousand years it has remained therein.

The Azlanti Diamond is a +1 striking longsword. Its clear crystal blade is made of diamond, hardened to a strength equal to high-grade throneglass (although without the other qualities of high-grade throneglass). When first claimed by a character, it bonds with that character's soul, and as time passes the weapon's fundamental runes automatically grow in power, becoming a +2 greater striking longsword after 1 year and finally a +3 major striking longsword after it has been carried and wielded by the same person for 2 years. If the sword falls out of that character's possession it stops increasing in power until it is reclaimed, at which point the count begins where it left off. At your discretion, a PC can upgrade the weapon's fundamental runes normally, or they could even automatically progress not as time passes but as its wielder's level rises to match the corresponding fundamental runes.

As long as the Azlanti Diamond is carried, its wielder can speak and understand ancient Azlanti, and they gain a +1 item bonus to Arcana, Crafting, and Diplomacy checks. These item bonuses increase to +2 once the wielder is 9th level, then increase again to +3 once the wielder is 17th level.

Unlike the standard rules for a specific weapon, the Azlanti Diamond can be etched with weapon property runes. Etching a weapon property rune onto the Azlanti Diamond is free—it never costs money to etch a rune onto this artifact.

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Minor Gifts: divine retribution, recalculate

Major Gifts: psychic scream, sacred glow

Grand Gift: mental bastion

The Azlanti Diamond is never less than an 8th-level item, and as its wielder gains levels, it gains levels to match—a wielder who is higher than 8th level causes the Azlanti Diamond to automatically rise in level to match. This means it always has its two minor gifts active. It gains its first major gift at 9th level, and its second at 13th level, then gains its grand gift at 17th level. These gifts are gained automatically, without the need to achieve any additional requirement.

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Destruction The Azlanti Diamond is destroyed if it is used in an attempt to shatter the Starstone by a human who wasn't born as a human and has never heard of Aroden.