This weapon was the creation of the wizard Urlfire, a powerful lich from the time before the Great War. He created it in return for special favors from a greedy nobleman seeking to overthrow his king. Once the nobleman took control of the throne, the magic of the bow ensured that the new king remained under Urlfire's influence.

The king was defeated some years later by a group of adventurers, and the bow went missing shortly thereafter. Urlfire also mysteriously vanished in the days after the king's defeat. Though some believe he was destroyed by the adventurers along with the king, his ultimate fate has never been discovered.

The bow is pitch black in color, with several bands of inlaid gold and 2 blood-red rubies inlaid into the front of the shaft. Except for its unusually dark color, this bow appears to be a short bow +3 when examined and identified. However, upon first use, the bow's primary power becomes evident to the user.

Base Stats (d20 / Pathfinder)

Rarity: Unique
Type: Shortbow (Piercing)
Weight: 2
Base Damage: 1d6 (critical x3)
Enhancement Bonus: +3 (-3 vs. undead)
Range Increment: 70
Special: Vampiric, Curse of Binding

Base Stats (2nd Edition)

Rarity: Unique
Type: Shortbow (Piercing)
Size: Medium
Weight: 2
Speed: 3
Attack/Damage Bonus: +3 (-3 vs. undead)
Range: 50/100/180
Special: Vampiric, Curse of Binding

Primary Power - Vampiric

On a successful hit, the target is drained an additional 1d6 hitpoints, half of which are added to the user's hitpoints (up to the user's max). The other half feeds the bow. Undead are immune to this drain effect.

Any creature or character that is slain by the bow's damage has a chance of being resurrected as an undead creature of the same level or hit-dice, 1d4 days after being slain. The chance of this is 2% for each point of damage the bow inflicted on the creature (including drained hitpoints).

Secondary Power - Curse of Binding

The bow places a curse of binding upon anyone who uses it. Those afflicted will become very possesive of the bow, using it almost exclusively when possible. They will obsessively seek to re-acquire it should it ever become lost or taken.

The bow must absorb at least 6 hitpoints each day from its Vampiric power, or it will drain the required hitpoints from any living creature under the effects of the curse. Hitpoints lost this way can only be healed using the Vampiric power, as long as the victim is afflicted by this curse.

A Remove Curse or Dispel Magic vs. a caster level of 15 will free the victim of the weapon's binding magic.