Value: 4,500 GS each

Looks: These are typical 8 inch long black steel spikes used in the construction of buildings. If carefully inspected, the very top of the spike can be seen to have eldritch runes engraved in it.

Effects: Once hammered into a building, it will, upon either enunciation of the command word begin to release an odorless poison gas into the room. This gas works slowly but will 15 hps/MR and drain 1 con pt every MR for up to 13 MR. If more spikes than one are used, than simply multiply the damage by the number of spikes. Each spike must be saved against separately. This gas is almost completely undetectable by normal senses. The owner commanding the spikes may either order the spike to commence dealing death immediately or up to 13 hours later. Even worse, The spike will affect the room into whose wall or ceiling it has been hammered into - either from the outside or the inside. Through some magical force - it always knows the room the owner intended to be affected. Once used, the spike is rendered into dust.

History: Created by Thadeus Deathmoon, these spikes were used as weapons of assassination frequently during the Nexus Wars onward. Thadeus is still around producing these, although they are somewhat rare since he can only make two a month. The Royal families of Arduin, Morvae and several other countries have put quite a price on Deathmoon's head - at least count it was somewhere around 125,000 GS. Further, possession of even one of these spikes is considered grounds for execution. Thadeus is thought to be living in Dread Marmachand - under that evil country's king's protection