Star Razor

The Star Razor, known in Elvish as Dwueth'var, is a longsword and a Vestige of Divergence, a powerful magical item forged during the Age of Arcanum. Created by two followers of Melora and Sehanine, it is described by Legend Lore as carrying "the blessing of fiercest full moon and starlit night".

The Star Razor survived The Calamity and was apparently lost in undescribed circumstances. After 585 PD, it was recovered by Uthodurnians, then reforged and strengthened by Dulgrim Smeltborne at the Cinderrest Sanctum, a temple of Melora. During a "terrible" battle in the ruins of Molaesmyr, it was broken in two pieces: blade and hilt. The pieces were recovered, separated, and changed hands until their significance was forgotten. Caduceus Clay and the Mighty Nein acquired them during their adventures in 835 and 836 PD, and the sword was reforged again at the Cinderrest Sanctum by Dulgrim's son Umagorn Smeltborne. Afterward, Fjord, a warlock and paladin of Melora, wielded the Star Razor as his warlock pact blade.

Like all Vestiges of Divergence, the Star Razor has three stages of progression: dormant, awakened, and exalted. These stages cumulatively affect its current properties. In reflection of Fjord simultaneously becoming a paladin, the sword was reforged into its awakened state in. He exalted the Star Razor in upon killing Avantika and preventing her from escaping with the final Cloven Crystal.

The sword allows an attuned wielder to cast Faerie Fire (dormant), See Invisibility (awakened), and Fly (exalted) once a day each. In its awakened state, it can also deal radiant damage to a creature that makes a successful melee attack against the wielder; its exalted state additionally allows the wielder to teleport up to 15 feet when struck by this attack.

Appearance
The Star Razor is a silver longsword with a fuller down its center. The metal shimmers a slight blue, similar to the color of the iceflex used in its reforging, and it casts a pale blue glow when its command word Galas-var is spoken. The blade is thick and of a broadsword blade length; in its exalted state, the blade is an inch and a half longer than in its awakened state. In official art for Fjord's character portraits and Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, the Star Razor is depicted with a ricasso. After its latest reforging, the break in the blade is still visible, but the lines are continued to create a marbled look, creating an effect that Jester Lavorre felt made the blade almost look like water. When broken, the blade retained a very faint magical essence.

The runes along the fuller are both etched and inlaid. The original runes are in an Elvish-based script. These runes and its accompanying scrollwork are lightly etched into the metal. Dwarven runes were placed into the blade afterward and contain black-blue veins of iceflex. Additional runes appeared on outer edge of the base the blade when it entered its exalted state. Like the metal, the runes shimmer in the light and glow pale blue when the sword's command word is spoken.

The hilt is silver with a silver loop at the pommel. The grip is wrapped in red leather, and a fine filigree runs across the hilt and base of the sword. When the Star Razor was broken, the hilt had about an inch of remaining blade. In official art for Fjord's character portrait and Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, the Star Razor is depicted as having least one emerald is set into the center of the hilt. Though the Star Razor's hilt was narratively confirmed to have come from The Invulnerable Vagrant, The Mighty Nein found an old broken sword hilt of similar description in the Labenda Swamp: silver, inset emerald, and a remaining inch of blade; this hilt was beautifully smithed sword with two acorn-sized emeralds on either side and runes carved throughout.

Properties
As a Vestige of Divergence, the Star Razor progresses through three states, each granting more power to a worthy wielder. Properties in each state are cumulative; abilities granted by the sword in its awakened state are granted also by its exalted state. Unless otherwise stated, its properties are as played in Critical Role Campaign 2.

Dormant state
Fjord first wielded the Star Razor in its awakened state, so its properties in its dormant state are from Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn. Additional citations are to instances of these properties in Campaign 2.
 * As a bonus action, it can invoked using its command word "Galas-var". This lasts until the command word is spoken again or when the sword is sheathed or dropped. When invoked, it gains the following properties:
 * Its weapon bonus is +1.
 * It grants resistance to radiant damage to the wielder. This was not among its properties during Campaign 2.
 * It sheds blue torchlight: bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.
 * The wielder can cast Faerie Fire (save DC 13) without requiring components. A spell can be cast from the sword only once per day until the next dawn.

Awakened state

 * The weapon bonus is +2 while glowing, possibly +1 when not glowing. Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn does not list a bonus when not glowing.
 * The wielder can additionally cast See Invisibility.
 * The save DC for Faerie Fire increases to 15.
 * If creature within 5 feet that hits the wielder with a melee attack while the sword is glowing, the Star Razor bursts in radiance and deals 1d8 radiant damage to the attacker.

Exalted state

 * The weapon bonus is +3 while glowing.
 * The wielder can additionally cast Fly.
 * The save DC for Faerie Fire increases to 17, per Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn.
 * The radiant damage inflicted to a melee attacker increases to 1d12.
 * When the wielder is hit with a melee attack from a creature within 5 feet (the same condition for the radiant damage), they can use their reaction to teleport up to half their movement speed in a direction of their choosing.

Changes in Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn
The Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting lists resistance to radiant damage while the sword is glowing among its dormant properties. This resistance was not among its demonstrated properties on stream, given Fjord took the full radiant damage of a Divine Smite in. The radiant damage dealt to a melee attacker was also changed from an effect that occurred automatically to a reaction. The teleportation can be made as part of the same reaction.

Background
The Star Razor, called Dwueth'var in Elvish, was forged during the Age of Arcanum two followers of Melora and Sehanine. It is described as carrying "the blessing of the fiercest full moon and starlit night" or as "bright with the light of the bold full moon and the enigmatic starlit night". In 547 PD, Jorum Irrelios, High Curator of the Cobalt Soul, wrote that it was forged by the acolytes out of mutual love for and determined to protect the fragile Exandria. The sword survived The Calamity and, in the Post-Divergence, became part of a class of items from the Age of Arcanum called the Vestiges of Divergence.

It was recovered by the elves and dwarves of Uthodurn after 585 PD, suggesting that it had been lost at some point before the Divergence; due to Uthodurn's interest in the ruins of Molaesmyr, it is possible that this was during the city's fall. It was reforged and strengthened by Dulgrim Smeltborne, who reinforced it using iceflex on the Underforge at Cinderrest Sanctum, a temple to Melora at Kravaraad. It was wielded into the ruins of Molaesmyr and broken in two during a "terrible" battle in its depths. The pieces were recovered as historical relics and passed between merchants and smugglers until the pieces separated from one another and their significance lost to time.

Acquiring the pieces
Pumat Sol, owner of The Invulnerable Vagrant in Zadash, bought the hilt from someone who needed money. Finding the hilt "promising and intriguing", Pumat recognized its historical significant as a formerly-enchanted item from the Age of Arcanum. He believed that he could sell it to one of various lyceums, including the Soltryce Academy. Caduceus bought it for 300 gold, saying: "I like broken things."

After The Mighty Nein returned from seeking answers about Fjord's pact with Uk'otoa, Caduceus expressed interest in having the sword repaired "as a token of appreciation for Mr. Fjord for doing such a good job taking care of himself on his own quest and not getting sidelined into some bad thoughts". Caduceus attempted to do so at a blacksmith in Nicodranas, but it was beyond the blacksmith's skill because the sword was forged in Uthodurn.

In Rosohna in Xhorhas, Caduceus asked the blacksmith Wursh if he knew who could repair the sword, and Wursh suggested he ask in Uthodurn. The same day, Beauregard Lionett and Caleb Widogast met with Tuss Waccoh of Rosohna's Marble Tomes Conservatory about a job at the Deepriver Mining Camp. Payment included the party's selection out of a group of magical items, which included the Star Razor's broken blade. Tuss had not yet determined any details about its former enchantment. Upon the party's return, while they considered their selection of items, Caleb recognized the blade was of similar make to the hilt and attempted to cast Identify on it. However, the fact that it was broken caused it to resist the spell's effects. Veth Brenatto tried to convince Tuss to not consider the blade a whole magical item, but Tuss refused on the possibility that it might be culturally significant or that she might find a way to move its enchantment to another item. They accepted the blade as part of their payment, and Beauregard gave it to Caduceus.

Now with both halves of the sword, Caduceus successfully cast Legend Lore on its pieces and learned its name and an overview of its forging, reforging by Dulgrim, and destruction at Molaesmyr. He believed that it could be reforged at the Cinderrest Sanctum, near Uthodurn; the Sancum was tended to by the Dust family, one of three ancient families in service to Melora alongside the Clay family. At the Sanctum, Khemdal Dust clarified that the base work was not Uthodurnian but that it had been further refined by Dulgrim. Beauregard later found the Star Razor's reforging among the bars and braces throughout the Sanctum documenting the fine work forged there.

They traveled into Uthodurn to find that Dulgrim died four years prior. His son, Umagorn Smeltborne, learned his craft and could repair it with iceflex, mythril enchanted by the breath of an ancient white dragon. Umagorn questions why they needed the sword and, after Fjord convinced him that they needed it to slay an evil, he agreed to repair it for free so long as the Nein told others that Umagorn is as skilled a blacksmith as his father. The Nein successfully enchanted the mythril in a harrowing encounter with Gelidon at Mythburrow, and Umagorn and his assistant Deilin reforged the sword at the Sanctum. As it was being reforged, Fjord (who ended his pact with Uk'otoa after first arriving at the Sanctum) separately but simultaneously became a paladin in Melora's service. The Star Razor was reforged into its awakened state as a reflection of his growth during this period of time. In the morning, Caduceus gifted it to Fjord, who was initially hesitant to receive it. Caduceus and the others in the Nein urged him to take it, feeling that it was fated for him.

As Fjord's pact weapon
Fjord made the Star Razor his new warlock pact weapon, and it remained so for the rest of his adventures with the Nein. Similar to when he summoned the Sword of Fathoms to hand using his Pact of the Blade feature, summoning the Star Razor caused a spray of ocean water. However, perhaps due to the iceflex, the water would freeze on the surface it landed on. Because of the usefulness of the light it shed when invoked, he often used the sword as a torch.

Shortly after receiving the Star Razor, he invoked the sword in combat for the first time, using its command word "Galas-var" but unable to do little else, and his first casting of See Invisibility was at the Xhorhaus, allowing him to discover a Scrying sensor watching the party. He showed the reforged sword to Pumat, who was emotional at seeing it whole. His first casting of Faerie Fire was against Jourrael, the Inevitable at The Invulnerable Vagrant, though she succeeded against the save DC; his first successful casting was on Obann underneath the Chantry of the Dawnfather. Fjord also showed the blade to Ludinus Da'leth, who was sincerely impressed by Fjord's possession of it.

While at Rumblecusp so that Jester Lavorre could host Traveler Con, the Nein were asked to make offerings to Vokodo, a morkoth ruling over Rumblecusp. Fjord, reassured that Jester wanted to host the event, gave Vokodo the Star Razor in the hopes that it would be sufficient payment for the entire group. Fjord, using his Pact of the Blade feature, retrieved the blade shortly after by summoning it to his hand. Vokodo immediately noticed the sword went missing from his hoard and became irate.

Fjord later used the sword to kill Avantika with a Divine Smite, stopping her from escaping with the final Cloven Crystal and from freeing Uk'otoa. This prompted the Star Razor to progress into its exalted state. During the expedition through Eiselcross, the Star Razor's automatic radiant damage ability broke the Polymorph spell on a frost worm while most of the party (including Fjord) was paralyzed and Fjord cast its new spell Fly for the first time on Jester at an Aeorian ruin. He first used its teleportation ability when struck by Zoran Kluthidol during a harrowing fight with the Tombtakers in an attempt to draw them away from the Nein and better ensure an escape.

Fjord asked Allura Vysoren if the sword would be affected by Lucien's anti-magic field. Recognizing it as a Vestige of Divergence, she asked to hold it and confirmed that it was a Vestige. She urged him to keep it close and cautioned that his ownership made him a target. Already by that time, rumors that the Star Razor was recovered and wielded by Fjord had begun to spread into Tal'Dorei.

Trivia

 * In the official character art by Ari, Dwueth'var is depicted as a broadsword that is five feet and four inches long, which is very lengthy for a broadsword. The runes on the sword are written in Elder Futhark, and read "Dwueth'var • Sehanine's Light • Melora's Might". The text is not canonical.
 * Though it is described in-game with a loop on its pommel, none of its depictions in official art has one.
 * The Star Razor entering its exalted state when Fjord killed Avantika matches one of the suggestions in the campaign setting guides for progressing a Vestige: "A character successfully takes vengeance against a rival who has long tormented them."
 * The Star Razor is the only Vestige in the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn that was not in the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting. It is also the only known Vestige wielded by a member of the Nein and the only known one to appear in Campaign 2.