Azonmut

Azonmut is not an ancient weapon, as artifacts go. Unlike its peers in sheer power (most notably Aza'azor), it was forged and enchanted both by its current user, Samael Asther - the creation of a weapon ideally crafted to his specific needs.

Azonmut with its creator and wielder, Samael Asther.

Unsurprisingly, this immensely powerful demon king created an immensely powerful blade - one that incorporated the remnants of an older artifact which he, himself, retrieved and destroyed to be used as an ingredient in his own creation.

Despite its origins, Azonmut far outstrips the abilities of its origin - the BlackSteel blade was an artifact forged from Black Magic - a life absorbing monster that could bring down small armies on its own in the right hands. Azonmut, however, is a creation of multiple spheres, of elementalism, and of psionics melded together - a vanishingly rare combination that has created a truly unique, and uniquely monstrous, sword.

While generally called Azonmut, which means "Late Hour," its full name is Azonalor va ka Mut - Lateness of the Hour.

Azonmut's parent artifact, the Blacksteel Blade, was retrieved from the ruins of a lost city by Astaroth Dracothis, Samael and their handlers Ilan and Foti. It had been lost centuries before during a battle between two high ranking Archdemon bloodlines vying for control of the Domain. Both had ultimately been wiped out, leaving no one to claim the blade at the time.

The BlackSteel Blade

The parent blade retrieved from a ruin by Samael and Astaroth, later incorporated into Azonmut.

Once retrieved, Samael kept the blade in his personal armory. His initial intent was to use it as it was - which he did a few times. But when the call of the Endless War came, he chose to dismantle the artifact and recreate it into something even more terrifying than its original self.

Forged during the height of the that war, Azonmut is considered by many scholars to be the spiritual "sister" to Aza'azor, the sword wielded by Grigorius Bieloskytes. The blades do not share the same origin, of course. However, Azonmut was conceived of and created by Samael during the height of his alliance with Grigorius... and their abilities seem to complement - and contrast - with one another in ways that reflect the ways in which Samael and Grigorius complement and contrast one another, as well.

Reputation

It's fair to say that Azonmut's reputation is deeply connected to and enmeshed within the reputation of its wielder... that is to say when it's seen on a battlefield, the tendency is to panic. The reaction stems from both Samael's presence and the presence of the sword itself, with the two enhancing the impact of one other's presence.

Appearance

Forged from 6 feet or so of black steel, Azonmut is a visually impactful weapon. Because it was created by Samael, who has power over metals, the sword is a single, uninterrupted piece of metal, rather than being pieced together by disparate parts. It is also engraved with complicated filigree textures that match those typically displayed on the clothes and architecture of the House of Asther.

Having been forced from an artifact and infused with the magic of its user, Azonmut is specially designed to enhance and complement Samael's specific powerset and combat style - its somewhat eclectic list of abilities should therefore be seen for what it is: a suite designed by Samael for Samael's use rather than a coherent themed set of powers.

Abilities

The Web of Blades: When stabbed into the ground, Azonmut can transmute portions of the ground into a web of black steel blades that wind through the area. Once in place, a full field of black blades emerge from the ground to impale and shred everything and everything in range.

Web of Blades

A demonstration of the blades created by Azonmut. These are accompanied by a web of metal beneath the ground which can move and respond as needed.

Nest of Blades: When stabbing through an enemy, Samael can cause Azonmut to spawn a series of blades runs through the enemy from the inside, shredding them from the inside out.

Black Hollow: An energy drain effect that uses stolen life force from those Samael kills to enhance him in various ways - specifically, he can use it to heal his wounds or enhance his physical abilities. The effect ends when the life force absorbed is expended. This was the original primary ability of the Blacksteel Blade.

Molten Edge: Samael channels his elemental abilities to create a lava-like effect on the edge of the blade, melting and burning anything it comes into contact with.

Weight of Darkness: Azonmut grows heavier without changing size - in other words, the material increases in density. The sword already weighs more than an average adult male, but can be increased many times over, allowing the sword to crush shields, tear through armor, and shatter the bones of anyone who tries to block a blow.

Midnight Shroud: When stabbed into the ground, it can draw a mist-like black shroud to cover the area, obscuring vision almost entirely. When the blade is withdrawn from the ground, the mist immediately begins to fade, though it still takes a minute or two to completely dissipate.

Specifics & Quirks

The sword can be used to create multiple effects at once, but they must have overlapping use conditions. Samael is known for his ability to smoothly move between functions, or use them in tandem with one another and with his personal abilities as well.

In the hands of anyone other than Samael, Azonmut behaves as a mundane enchanted sword - it can strike those who are immune to non-magical attacks, for example. However, whatever method Samael uses to unlock its special abilities is unknown, therefore it is unknown whether it can be used to its greatest effect by anyone other than himself.

One of it's most notable features is the complete lack of a visible aura, unlike most magical weapons, which emit some kind of energy effect when their unique abilities are activated. Because of this, Azonmut could easily be mistaken for a mundane sword.