Magistrate's Grasp

Description

The polearm is very useful for dealing with skirmishers. The superior reach it grants also makes it quite effective for neutralizing enemies armed with one-handed weapons.

It is also a common piece of equipment carried by the badgers working with the Imperial Magistrates. One of the first magistrates, the Varushkan Arnost Whitehair, focused his attention on pursuing and capturing criminals. He equipped his lieutenants with these useful polearms, and the name has since stuck. One of the Imperial Magistrates used to take custody of Arnost's artefact version of this weapon, using it as both a badge of office and as a statement that they will commit themselves to the capture of fugitives. During 383YE, the artifact polearm was cursed by Agramant; it has not been seen since although there is rumour that it was ultimately returned to Arnost himself in some fashion.

On occasions where a Magistrate's Grasp is loaned to a group of volunteers, there is often an impromptu footrace to determine who will wield the weapon - the candidate who wins this race (which often includes obstacles to leap over or duck under) in armour and carrying a polearm is usually the one who is bonded to it.

Rules

• Form: Weapon. Takes the form of a polearm. You must be wielding this weapon to use its magical properties.
• Requirement: You must have the weapon master skill to bond to this item.
• Effect: You can use a hero point to call ENTANGLE with this polearm.
• Materials: Crafting a Magistrate's Grasp requires ten ingots of ambergelt, five ingots of orichalcum and four ingots of green iron. It takes one month to make one of these items.

It was sundown and the light was a sparkling blaze on the waters of the bay of Catazar. The Lostok case had been a long and painstaking investigation, and now that it was finally concluded, Magistrate Inskipp and his officers were enjoying the afterglow of justice in the gardens of the Merrow's Marina. Several bottles of excellent Dawnish wine had already been emptied, leaving both the badgers and their master deep in their cups.

"It's good, chief, don't get me wrong, of course it's good. But we celebrate and we drink, and we all know that tomorrow or next week or next month another Lostok will take over exactly where this one finished. I just..., I sometimes wonder what the point is."

Inskipp's face took up its accustomed scowl; the badgers sighed and poured themselves another drink as they prepared for a sermon. "The point, Denarus, the bloody point is all around you! You think a city like this just happens? "Just happens" leaves you with ugly stone shitpiles like Oran, or joyless warehouse towns like Hedra."

He gestured grandly with his goblet, slopping wine onto the finely mosaicked paving stones around the taverna, "This is civilisation, this is the future of the Empire. One day, a long time from now, every city in the Empire is going to be like Sarvos. And they're going to look back on us, at this moment here and now and they're going to know that we were the first and the best."

His mood lightened somewhat as he refilled his drink, "But she's a harsh mistress, civilisation. She has to be tended to like a barbarian goddess - sacrificed to, even. From her first day to her last, the city will make its demands, and it's up to us to meet them without complaint or delay. In the end it's only our willingness to pay the cost of civilisation that separates us from the barbarians."

The sun finally set in a riot of red and gold, framed by the towers and ships of the harbour.,

"Never assume that all this cannot end in an eyeblink. It can. Lostok thought differently, and all it took was one officer of the court and her stick to teach him different."

Beyond them in the city thousands lanterns began twinkling into life as darkness fell. A chill touched the breeze and the table was silent for a moment, each person lost in their own thoughts.