Artifact

Sacred Chain

CanonOfficial lore from the booksSoVp. 10, 12SSGp. 41

A sacred chain is the chain borne by a chain warden of the Order of Chain. These chains are forged in the cold forge of moonlight for countless years, and each swears allegiance to only one chain warden. More than a weapon, the chain becomes an extension of its bearer's self.1

A horned warrior in battered pale armour crouched on a rock with a curved blade and a sacred chain
A chain warden, from Shadow Over VansreikShadow Over Vansreik (Bad Badger Games, 2024), p. 10. Art by the Bad Badger Games team.

Chosen by the chain

Not every chain warden carries a sacred chain.1 A warden receives this special weapon only after a year of special training, and only if the chain chooses them; to be chosen by a chain is a great honour.2

It is said that when a chain warden falls in battle, all their comrades feel the loss, and a link falls from every chain.2

Eternal edicts

The chain carries the memory of the order. Fragments of knowledge gathered by all the chain wardens who came before, called the "eternal edicts", are infused in the sacred chain, and a warden learns to draw on the wisdom accumulated in it.3

A sacred chain is not a weapon in itself, but it can become a formidable one through a ritual called the "weapon link". The chain is wrapped around a melee weapon and absorbs it, taking on its properties and any magic it holds; when the chain strikes, a spectral, hard-to-see echo of the linked weapon strikes with it.3

Notes

  1. ↑BookShadow Over Vansreik, p. 10
  2. ↑BookLands of Exile: Starter Setting Guide, p. 41
  3. ↑BookShadow Over Vansreik, p. 12

Sources

This article draws on:

  • SoVShadow Over Vansreik(Bad Badger Games, 2024), pp. 10, 12
  • SSGLands of Exile: Starter Setting Guide(Bad Badger Games, 2024), p. 41

Images in this article

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