Yinn's Maw

I am the embodied power of Darkness. If you kill me, I shall become Evil beyond your wildest nightmares.... Warlord Yin

Yinn's Maw is a specialized Sith blade, long ago created, and wielded by, Sith Warlord Verba Yinn. Yinn was a ruthless, vicious man, but also a pragmatist: he realized that every man he killed meant that much force would not be added to his own. He wished for a way to not only destroy his enemies, but to steal their strength and add it to his own.

After consulting with his alchemists, months of research and work gave birth to the Maw. Yinn's Maw is a vicious weapon, fully in tune with the Dark Side of the force. It can steal the force of those it kills and transfer it to its user. After Yinn's death, the Maw changed hands several times, always drawing its wielder fully into the dark side, and leaving no legacy but one of death and destruction. It has lain in an ancient Sith mausoleum for centuries, and there it should stay. There are those who would wish to find it, so that they may use it's dark powers for thier own uses, or to deliever to thier master, Palpatain.

Those who have seen it say that the Maw seems to draw you to it, with a seductive, coldly-warm sensation. The handle is smooth, and black as night seeming to have been carved from bone, human bone. There are runes carved into the handle, and they seem to glow at the touch. Out of one end of the handle extends a long blade, which shines, no matter how much light there is. The blade curves slightly, then bends sharply, forming a hook, which is for disarming an opponent, or causing a nasty wound. From the other end of the blade extends a shorter blade, this one thin and needle-like.


It feels warm...unnaturally warm. The blade calls you, commanding you to take it up, to revel in its power. It feels warm...unnaturally warm. The blade calls you, commanding you to take it up, to revel in its power. You can feel its dark side energies grasping at you...and you resist. I turned away, and rushed back out of the mausoleum. After I lift off in my ship, I wiped its memory banks of all traces of this place. No one should ever be allowed to find that blade. (Shudders) No one....

---comments made by Guywood Treesinger, Jedi scout,
concerning his encounter with the Maw.

Yinn's Maw
Scale: Character
Skill: Melee Combat
Difficulty: Difficult
Length: 2.4m
Damage: Large Blade STR+3D
Small Blade STR+2D
Notes: Indestructible: The Maw is empowered by the Dark Side; it shows no signs of age and can not, as far as is known, be destroyed.
Force Attuned: The Maw is in tune with the force, but specifically the Dark Side. Thus those characters consumed by the dark side may use the lightsaber combat force skill with the Maw.
Drains Life: The Maw drains the life force and power of its victims, transferring it to its user. Use this table:
Wound Result CP Gained FP Gained
Stunned 0 0
Wounded 2 0
2nd Wound 2 0
Incapacitated 2 1
Mortally Wounded 3 1
Killed* 3 2

*When a character kills someone with the maw, the gain +1D to all knowledge and technical skills which the victim had at at least 1D above the character. They also gain +1D to any force skills which the victim had at at least 1D above the character. The character may learn the standard 3 force powers for this 1D, but may only learn skills which the victim had learned (the victim is essentially their "teacher"). All these bonuses are lost if the character loses possession of the Maw.
Draw of the Dark Side: Any character using the maw in combat gains a Dark Side Point, they also gain a Dark Side point for each attack made with the Maw, and a Dark Side point for each life taken with the Maw. If the Maw is not possessed by anyone, any force-sensitive characters must make a difficult Willpower roll not to snatch up the Maw; non-sensitive characters must make a moderate roll.
Need to Kill: There's a reason the Maw feels warm to the touch: it's alive. The power transferred to its user is essentially a by-product of the life energies it feeds on. When the Maw goes without killing it turns to its user for sustenance. Apply penalties at GMs discretion.
Sentient: The Maw is alive and has a mind (some say that of Verba Yinn, who's body was never recovered), though it cannot express itself in any known means. It can sense whether or not its current wielder will serve its purposes to the greatest extent, and may, through subtle manipulations of the Force, guide events so that it changes hands to one who will serve it best.

At this time, it is not in the possession of the Emperor. It is being sought (along with other items) by members of the Inquisitus, as well as a number of private collectors, many who do know believe it's legends.

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The original design and background of Yinn's Maw is compliments Cris Koch (koch@nothnet.org), and is used with his permission.