𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓮𝓻 is a mythical sword- a symbol of Avernum- that can be found in almost all Avernum games (except Avernum V), effectively appearing in both Avernum trilogies.

An exceptionally powerful and rare artifact, it can only be found/reformed once certain crucial conditions have been met. Said conditions vary in each game.

History

The Demonslayer is a powerful artifact, used by an ancient Empire Dervish to slay the creatures in Avernum not long after he arrived, along with the rest of the First Expedition Explorers, on a quest to explore Avernum for the first time.

However, the Dervish was eventually killed by the inhabitants of the land and the mythical Sword was split into three pieces, each scattered in different parts of the world. The Pommel is in possesion of Nepharim residing in a Nephar Fort in the Eastern Gallery , the Tip- the Sliths in charge of a Slith Fort north of Almaria, and the Blade- in the notorious Crypt of Drath.

(This story dates before the events of Avernum 1/Avernum: Escape From The Pit)

Avernum 1/Avernum: EFTP

The Demonslayer, after being reforged by the heroes, was used to slay the notorious demon lord Grah-Hoth, putting an end to his threat once and for all. Though this is not mandatory to defeat the demon in-game, the canon event shows that this is the case in the legends of Avernum.

Avernum 2/Avernum: CS

In Avernum 2, the Demonslayer is granted to the heroes with King Micah's permission. It is used in the final battle against the Empire Mage Garzahd, in order to exploit his half-demon blood. Likewise, it is not required to defeat Garzahd, but is used in the canon event nonetheless (as shown in the picture above).

Avernum 3/Ruined World

In "Avernum 3", Rentar-Ihrno manages to steal Demonslayer from its resting place, and take it to her keep- far into the unexplored lands on the Surface- for further analysis. It is unknown how she managed to obtain it, but it is assumed that Demonslayer was left behind by the Empire War Heroes after their final battle with Garzahd.

The Second Surface Explorers eventually recover the mighty blade in the name of Avernum. After their glorious final battle with Rentar-Ihrno (and her subsequent escape), the legendary weapon is taken back to Avernum. Eventually, it ends up in the hands of Archmage Solberg, who decides to seal it away in a safer place.

Avernum 4/Greed and Glory

In "Avernum 4", Demonslayer is taken to a secret vault, with the intention of keeping it safe from the wrong hands until the right band of heroes arrives. Its location was kept secret by Solberg, who eventually revealed it to a band of heroes- the same Avernites who defeated Rentar-Ihrno for a second (and final) time. The blade was taken away from the now-abandoned vault, and used to slay the foul shades that plagued some of Avernum's biggest cities.

Value

Demonslayer has no monetary value. Thus, it cannot be sold to a Merchant.

It also cannot be dropped from the Player's Inventory since it is a Vital Artifact for Avernum. It can still be moved to another Character's Inventory, though.

In the original Avernum games, however, the Demonslayer has a Value of 6000 Coins and can be sold. It can also be dropped from a Character's Inventory.

Effects

Demonslayer is one of the most powerful swords in both Avernum Trilogies. Although its anti-demon effect is quite devastating in the right circumstances, the damage that the sword provides against non-demon entities can still be quite powerful, if used well.

As seen in the example flavor text below, Demonslayer provides a constant 75% Damage Bonus against demonic entities, as well as a 12% increase of the wielder's elemental resistances and a 6% bonus to their Armor.

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory

In "Avernum 4: Greed and Glory", the effects of Demonslayer differ from those in the original games. While the blade's main damage input remains the same, it now provides a 150% Damage Bonus against demonic entities instead of the usual 75%. This is also the weapon's most notable new feature.

The legendary blade also grants a 15% bonus resistance to all forms of elemental damage, making it even more useful than its original form. It provides a 5% bonus to Physical Armor, and a 10% bonus to Magical Armor.

Statistics

How To Obtain

Avernum 1

(NOTE: While the stats remain the same throughout the series, the attack power of Demonslayer is determined by the user's Melee Weapons skill. Demonslayer's base amount of damage (without any points in Melee Weapons/Blademaster and the minimal 1 point of Strength) is 27-108, but, as seen in the flavor text, increases its damage proportionally to its user's stats)

In Avernum 1, it must be formed with 3 pieces- One in the Nephar Fort near Silvar, the Second- In a Slith Fort north of Almaria and the Third- in the Crypt of Drath, north of Fort Emerald.

Then, the player must take the three pieces to Boutell- The Blacksmith of Fort Draco, so he can combine the said pieces into the legendary sword.

Avernum 2

In Avernum 2, it must be obtained by being given access to it by King Micah. First, however, you must speak with Solberg and ask him about the sword.

In order to obtain the legendary sword, the player needs to retrieve at least two of the stolen Crystal Souls and speak to King Micah (after speaking with Solberg, of course). Then, they need to go to the Tower of Magi, where they will be directed toward a peculiar downstairs area, flanked by statues.

Once the sword is obtained, the player must test it by battling with several particularly nasty demonic entities, some of which might prove to challenging for a low-level party, to escape its resting place.

Avernum 3

In Avernum 3, it can be found in Rentar-Ihrno's chambers, located on the right side of Rentar-Ihrno's Keep.

In order to open the door leading to the inner characters, the party needs a total of 16 Tool Use, distributed across all characters. Thus, it is impossible to obtain by the player in a solo playthrough, due to the fact that the maximum number of Tool Use per character is 10, the Nimble Fingers perk raises Tool Use by 2 points at best, and the Tinker's Gloves only provide 1 bonus point to Tool Use.

(More information in Trivia)

Avernum 4

In Avernum 4, it can be found in the Scree Caves, beyond Fort Emerald. Its true location will only be revealed if Solberg told the party about the ritual needed to do so.

In order for Solberg to tell the party about the location of the legendary sword, one must first complete his quest to eliminate a certain powerful demon lord, found beneath the tower. Then, and only then, shall he divulge the secret of its location.

Once the party defeats Lord Bhoralon, located beneath the downstairs area where Demonslayer used to be in "Avernum 2" (now blocked by tons of rubble, but accessible via the cave system around the tower), Solberg will explain how to obtain the legendary blade- via a secret passage opened when the party approaches the sun symbol of Avernum in the Scree Caves (easier to find in "Avernum 4: Greed and Glory" due to the fact that it is marked on the minimap).

Note: It is also a good idea to tell Abbot Erlanger in Almaria that Demonslayer has been obtained. Completing his quest related to the legendary blade grants every character from the party a bonus point of Endurance.

Avernum 5

In Avernum 5, it is absent, unable to be found by the Player (Just like the Orb of Thralni).

Avernum 6

In Avernum 6, it can only be accessed after defeating the Haakai in the Upper Tower Colony. It can be looted from the deceased soldier's body next to the demon (Along with a Radiant Shield and a Hero's Necklace),

However, in this game, Demonslayer is replaced by Broken Demonslayer- a broken form of the legendary blade, as a result of the initial fight with the Haakai.

In this very case, Broken Demonslayer only has 1-3 BD (Base Damage). However, the extra damage against Demons remains unchanged.

Appearances

First Trilogy

• Avernum I/Escape From The Pit (First Appearance)
• Avernum II/Crystal Souls
• Avernum III/Ruined World

Second Trilogy

• Avernum IV
• Avernum VI (Broken Form Only)

Gallery

Art by Ahakarin. (https://www.deviantart.com/ahakarin/art/Exile-Demonslayer-519821802)

Demonslayer icon from Avernum: Escape from the Pit

Demonslayer's full stats, as shown in "Avernum: Escape from the Pit".

Demonslayer's appearance in "Avernum III: Ruined World".

The chambers of Rentar-Ihrno- the place where the player will find Demonslayer in "Avernum III: Ruined World".

Demonslayer's info, as seen in "Avernum 4: Greed and Glory".

The Demonslayer's location in "Avernum 4: Greed and Glory" (same with the original "Avernum 4").

Trivia

• The only game where Demonslayer does not appear physically is Avernum V.
• Interestingly, the Demonslayer's form in both versions of the First Avernum Trilogy is different.
  • In the original version, the Demonslayer is a Two-Handed Greatsword with a damage input of 2-26. It deals bonus damage against Demons, although it is lower than the bonus in the remake. In addition, it also has a Value of 6000 Gold- one of the biggest values in all three games. Despite being incredibly useful, however, its appearance is the same as a regular Greatsword, making it look plain and simple... at least appearance-wise.
  • In the remake, Demonslayer is a One-Handed Sword that grants a 75% Damage Bonus against Demons to its wielder, among other useful bonuses. It has also been given a unique appearance, becoming much more interesting than its original version counterpart. However, it has also lost all of its value and the ability to be dropped, due to the fact that it is a vital artifact.
• The Demonslayer can be mentioned in Avernum 1 by Efram that he keeps a Demonslayer on the wall of his shop. However, when the player asks him if it's the real Demonslayer, he responds negatively, saying that it is a simple Replica of the legendary sword (In other words, a fake Demonslayer with no special abilities whatsoever).
• Just like all weapons whose damage can be increased by a character's Melee Weapons skill, Demonslayer's damage input is also affected by it, dealing more damage with higher levels. If one does not have a high level of Melee Weapons for any of their characters when Demonslayer is obtained, the best option is to upgrade the team's sword wielder in both Level and MW until their damage input is high enough.
  • However, its 75% Bonus always remains the same, no matter if the coresponding skill that increases Demonslayer's damage is increased or not.
• It is recommended to use the Demonslayer only when there are Demonic Entities present among the foes on the battlefield. Otherwise, the player may not be able to deal enough damage against Non-Demonic Entities.
  • In the case where no Demonic Entities are present, one should use a Flaming and/or Freezing Sword (Or other weapons that deal bonus damage and/or raise the user's Stats). A weapon with a pure (and high) damage input is also recommended, should the player meet enemies with high Armor.
    • Even so, it is still a good idea to have Demonslayer equipped, due to the Armor and Elemental Resistance bonus that it provides.
• In "Avernum III", Demonslayer was intended to be stolen by the Cult of the Sacred Item sometime after the Orb of Thralni heist. However, the intervention of the Second Surface Explorers and the demise of the group's leader- Zalactar (as well as the potential disbanding of the group) completely thwarted those plans.
• If the player is unable to obtain Demonslayer in "Avernum III" during a solo playthrough, a good solution would be to create a temporary character and grant them several points of Tool Use.
  • Another good option would be to find the "a3itemschars" file (located in the main Avernum III Steam folder, after clicking on "Avernum 3 Files"), and to edit the Tinker's Gloves's skill value. If the player is unable to find the item, it is recommended for them to press Ctrl + F at the same time, and write the desired item in the displayed field.