Backbreaker

''"I am the cold edge of betrayal, the knife in one's back. I am the heat of passion, the lust for blood that consumes men. I am everything you fear. I...am Backbreaker." -'' Backbreaker

Backbreaker was a powerful and evil sentient weapon that existed during the Second and Third Ages in Lorian. A Profane Weapon that corrupted and absorbed the souls of its wielders, it longed to bind itself to powerful warriors to possess them and absorb their strength and talents.

Backbreaker sought out strong warriors to seduce with promises of power and victory. It would then wear down and corrupt their soul before eventually absorbing it (along with their knowledge, memories, and strength) and possessing the victim. It would then use this puppet to seek out and challenge another worthy warrior and pass itself on.

Description
Backbreaker took the form of a black metal blade, with a cruel and spiked hilt. It could take the form of various sword designs to appeal to its potential wielder. Backbreaker was originally a longsword in the hands of Shadral the Vanquisher, but took the form of a shortsword to appeal to Rhys Drouste.

When speaking into the mind of the wielder, Backbreaker spoke in a cold and imperious tone, a voice like steel clashing with stone. It had a very distant and detached view of living things, viewing even its owner as an expendable pawn in its game. It was capable of speaking through a possessed host using their voice, but still maintained its cold and domineering personality.

Creation
Backbreaker was initially forged by Kazidan of the Blackguard in the year 2402 AC. A bloodthirsty tyrant, Kazidan conquered an area in the northern Middle Kingdoms, taking the land by force. Desiring a weapon to commemorate his victory and strike fear into the conquered people, Kazidan embarked on a senseless slaughter of captured soldiers and their families. Murdering the defenseless people by the dozens, he had their blood collected and used to forge an unholy weapon...a sword fit for a conqueror. Unbeknownst to Kazidan, however, another being added its blood to the process, tainting the weapon and twisting it even further into evil. Graz'zt, the Demon Prince of Cunning, tainted the weapon with his essence, granting it a sentient spirit within that would always bring violence and misery.

Upon the completion of the vile weapon, Kazidan brandished it aloft, only to falter as a voice spoke within his mind. Backbreaker taunted Kazidan, driving him to further levels of depravity and viciousness. His reign of terror lasted only for three months, before Kazidan fell ill with a strange affliction that no physician could cure. After languishing in agony for some time, the tyrant was murdered in his bed by his chamberlain, Artyus Pinartas. Pinartas claimed Backbreaker and the throne of Kazidan's holdings. However, Backbreaker proved to be a bringer of ruin, and Artyus was killed when another warlord conquered his kingdom as Kazidan once had.

Krug the Lesser
Some time after this, Backbreaker was entombed with an unknown past wielder, seemingly being locked away for decades or centuries. The tomb was eventually raided by an Orcish warband leader named Krug the Lesser. Krug wielded Backbreaker and ascended to power, pillaging entire kingdoms and destroying any enemy who attempted to stand against him. He betrayed a number of allies during his campaign, and eventually fell in battle. He was grievously wounded and finished off by Lepidius Valcon, who would end up claiming Backbreaker.

Lepidius Valcon
Lepidius Valcon became known as a warrior of ill repute, a man so lacking in honor as to become a villain worthy of being hunted by other fighters. Lacking in mechanical skill, he instead opted for ruthless cunning to eliminate his foes. Was eventually slain in a battle he could not cheat at, and Backbreaker was passed on yet again.

Shadral the Vanquisher
The previous wielder of Backbreaker prior to Rhys Drouste. Once a warlord, he was defeated and exiled from the Orcish homelands, and instead became a wandering warrior. Likely fully possessed by Backbreaker, he wandered Lorian searching for a worthy opponent that could defeat him in single combat (Rhys Drouste later learned that Shadral was disgraced in Backbreaker's eyes following his defeat, and the blade wanted Shadral to die by a worthy warrior's hands). Shadral eventually met the Wandering Drakes amid their travels, challenging them to a duel. Rhys Drouste took the challenge, and managed to defeat Shadral in single combat. As he watched, the black sword shifted from a large greatsword down to a smaller and lighter shortsword, perfectly fitted for Rhys...

Rhys Drouste
Soon after claiming Backbreaker, Rhys began to notice some darker aspects about the weapon. It's voice whispered to him, attempting to wear down his psyche over the course of weeks. It showed him visions in his dreams, images of intense violence from its past. It offered him power, and as many others before him, Rhys obliged. Rhys gradually became corrupted by the blade, eventually becoming possessed and attacking the rest of the Wandering Drakes and their allies in Santeria.

Unlike before, Rhys was disarmed by his companions as opposed to being slain, and would soon after recover. Backbreaker was then retrieved by Frederick Lannius, who had the cursed blade locked away so that it could no longer wreak havoc.

In the Third Age
Some time during The Shatter, Santeria fell from grace amid the Great Revolt. During this time, much of the reserves of Santeria's city government were looted and lost, with Backbreaker potentially being among these lost treasures...

Abilities

 * Indestructability- As a Profane Weapon, Backbreaker was nearly impossible to destroy by normal means. Only Graz'zt himself could destroy it, as his blood was used to create the weapon. Backbreaker could pass on a semblance of this indestructibility to a wielder it bonded to, allowing them to survive even grievous wounds with no concern so long as they possessed the blade.
 * Sentience- Backbreaker had its own personality and goals, and absorbed the memories of its previous wielders. As such, it had been able to compile a vast amount of knowledge and combat prowess over its long lifetime.
 * Life Sapping- The dark power of Backbreaker caused every wound it inflicted on a creature to resist healing magic and grow worse with time, sapping the life force of the creature unlucky enough to have been wounded. Given enough time without intervention, even a small slice from Backbreaker could prove lethal.
 * Soul Absorption- Backbreaker could eventually wear down the mental resilience of its wielders, driving them to madness. Once this occurred, Backbreaker could absorb the soul of the wielder and acquire their knowledge and power.
 * Possession- Upon absorbing the soul of a wielder, Backbreaker could use their body as a dark puppet, assuming complete control of the corpse. These puppets were nothing more than dead bodies, and as such could absorb superhuman amounts of damage.