Ba’al Verzi Dagger
Added 2023-09-09 18:18:35 +0000 UTCA design for something deep in Ravenloft lore, the Ba’al Verzi were a sect of assassins with infernalist tendencies, promising that their victims would be consigned to the Pits of Baator with no chance to resurrection. Legend has it that Leo Disilnya was one of their number, and, on the fateful morning of the wedding between Tatyana and Sergei von Zarovich, Leo attempted to avenge his mother by assassinating Strahd. Would that he had succeeded - the attempt failed, Leo fled to gather aid from co-conspirators in castle guard, and Strahd was left gazing at his mortal reflection in the dagger’s mirrored surface, lost in thoughts of his own mortality and his brother’s betrayal…
I was inspired by Indonesian kris for the wavy design, to make it look more like a talisman or ritual athame than a mere weapon. The number of waves or luks is significant - there are nine in total, the number of the circles of Hell - rumor has it that a skilled Ba’al Verzi can dictate their victim’s specific damnation by how deeply they sink the blade into their heart…
