Axe of the Frozen Lich - Magic Item (Premium Supplement) (Patreon)

🪓❄️💀 Amidst a grove, blanketed lightly by winter’s embrace, an elder treant stands, its form dusted with the fresh snow of the season. Its deep, creaking voice begins, each word as slow as the falling of snowflakes on a still night.

"Ah... curious one... you tread paths... seeking knowledge... of the lich queen... and her... axe?"

The treant's ancient eyes, embedded in bark lined with years, gaze at the listener with an inscrutable depth.

"In days... past but not forgotten... a queen... adept in the arcane... sought to harness... the chill... of winter's maw."

The air seems to grow colder as the treant continues, each word a drop of frost in the quiet of the grove.

"To aid her... she had... an axe forged. Crafted... not as a unique relic... but with precision and intent. Its blade, kissed... by the frost... of the northern winds... and its haft, bound... with wintry intent."

The treant's limbs sway gently, evoking the quiet dance of winter branches against the cold sky.

"While not singular... in its existence... the axe bore... a coldness, a reflection... of the lich queen's own desires. In its bite... one could feel... a hint... of her ambition."

Drawing itself up, the treant's voice grows deeper, resonating with the weight of time.

"Beyond where... the snow lays thickest... and under the gaze... of the palest winter star... in the silence... of the forgotten glades... near the lich queen's... old haunts... the axe might be found... awaiting hands... to wield its wintry edge."

With its tale spun, the treant settles back into its frozen vigil, the secrets of the past once more cloaked in the hush of the winter grove. 🪓❄️💀

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Axe of the Frozen Lich

Weapon (any axe), rare (requires attunement)

This axe is forged from enchanted ice that never melts. Its blade, eternally cold to the touch, displays an intricate carving of a lich's visage, trapped in eternal frost. A faint blue aura surrounds it, and one can sometimes hear whispers echoing from its blade when held close.

Icy Edge. When you hit with an attack using this greataxe, you deal an additional 1d8 cold damage.

Frost Reaver. Critical hits with this weapon entomb the target in ice. They become restrained and suffer 10 cold damage at the start of each of their turns. They can make a Strength saving throw (DC 16) at the end of each of their turns to break free.

Whisper of the Lich Queen’s Curse. While attuned to this axe, the wielder occasionally hears the faint whispers of the original lich owner, her voice echoing with chilling intent. These murmurs guide the wielder to always seek out the coldest environments or conditions. Whenever the wielder enters a notably warm or hot environment, they feel a compulsion to leave or find a way to cool it down. This isn't an overpowering compulsion but more of a nagging thought constantly clawing at the back of their mind. As a sign of the Lich Queen's enduring cold, the wielder's breath becomes constantly visible, as if they were in a freezing environment, regardless of the actual ambient temperature around them.