Umbrathar (Artifact Dossier)
Umbrathar is a Midnight Squad–classified para-artifact of disputed origin, currently bonded to field operative Grayscale. While the blade’s metallurgy suggests non-terrestrial composition, resonance studies conducted by D.A.T.A. indicate the weapon is less a forged object and more a stabilized *manifestation of condensed shadow thought*. Its properties resemble those observed in cognitive bleed phenomena—particularly those tied to extra-planar or afterimage entities.
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Physical Description
At first glance, Umbrathar appears to be a greatsword of archaic, almost ritual design. The blade’s surface absorbs more light than it reflects, producing a muted, mirrorlike luster that blurs its edges in dim environments. Fine script—half sigilic, half linguistic—crawls along the fuller, though the markings have proven mutable, rearranging themselves when observed indirectly or in reflected light.
The hilt is wrapped in darkened leather that resists analysis, with a faint tactile warmth suggestive of lingering vitality. The crossguard curves subtly forward, stylized to resemble a crescent eclipse. When drawn, the sword produces a quiet resonance described by handlers as *“the sound of distant chanting underwater.”*
Under spectral imaging, the interior of the blade reveals a network of luminous veins pulsing at a rhythm closely synchronized to its bearer’s heartbeat. In rare moments of heightened emotion, these veins brighten into a dull crimson, momentarily outlining the weapon in a chiaroscuro halo.
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Field Summary:
Recovered from the collapse of Archive Annex Theta, Umbrathar’s containment field had fractured along sigilic stress points corresponding to several **pre-First War ritual matrices**. Witness reports describe auditory hallucinations preceding its discovery: “a low recitation in languages that refuse to stay consistent.” Following recovery, subject Rhys reported recurring visual distortions and involuntary utterance in proto-Welsh during handling.
Rhys’s subsequent fusion event—classified as “Partial Resonant Bonding”—allowed him to manipulate the blade’s umbral field without immediate cognitive collapse. This relationship, though functionally symbiotic, remains poorly understood and potentially temporary.
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Observed Properties: - Emits residual energy corresponding to lunar phase flux. - Causes optical desaturation in a 3-meter radius (subjective grayscale effect). - Displays selective reactive hostility toward hostile psychic fields. - Responds to bearer’s emotional state with amplification of shadow output.
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Overbuild Hypothesis: Early researchers posited that Umbrathar was once part of a greater construct known as the **“Eclipsed Crown”**, a rumored triad of sentient relics designed to regulate planar opacity between the physical and umbral realms. This hypothesis remains unverified, though energy signature congruence supports the possibility.
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Addendum 3-A: Field Use Notes (Morgan Rhys) > “It hums when I lie. > It weeps when I bleed. > It remembers more than I do.” > —Field report fragment, Grayscale (Rhys)
Umbrathar demonstrates a low-grade empathic feedback loop with its wielder, often amplifying negative emotion while dampening sensory input. While stable under Rhys’s control, exposure beyond 72 consecutive hours results in increasing sleep deprivation and mild derealization.
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Containment Directive: Due to its partial symbiosis and apparent sentience, Umbrathar cannot be safely stored by conventional means. Artifact is to remain in field custody under monitored status until further para-academic consensus is reached. D.A.T.A. notes ongoing efforts to produce a harmonic counter-sheath utilizing pre-Cimeroran mirrorwork runes.
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