Marsha's Brick

Aura Moderate evocation and enchantment; CL 9th
Slot —; Price 18,312 gp; Weight 10 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

This heavy steel mace bears an unusual head fashioned in the shape of a weathered masonry brick rather than the traditional flanged or spiked design. Cast directly into one side of the metal brick are the simple words: "For Marsha." Though the inscription appears plain and unadorned, it carries an unmistakable sense of purpose and conviction. Marsha's Brick functions as a +1 heavy mace.

Whenever the wielder knowingly uses Marsha's Brick against a creature actively engaged in oppression, persecution, unlawful imprisonment, slavery, cruel abuse of authority, hate-motivated violence or similar acts of injustice, the mace's enchantments awaken. Against such foes, Marsha's Brick functions as a +3 heavy mace and grants its wielder a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls and saving throws against fear effects generated by the target.

The weapon's magic responds to genuine injustice rather than mere disagreement or personal rivalry. The determination of whether a target qualifies is made by the DM according to the facts of the situation. The mace cannot be deceived by false claims of righteousness, magical disguises, illusions, enchantments or propaganda.

Three times per day, when striking a qualifying target, the wielder may declare a Strike for the Forgotten as a free action after a successful hit. The attack deals an additional 2d6 points of sacred damage as the mace erupts in brilliant white-pink light. This extra damage affects only creatures whose actions meet the criteria described above.

In the hands of a creature that knowingly participates in systemic cruelty or oppression, Marsha's Brick functions only as a masterwork heavy mace and suppresses all magical abilities.

LORE

Few artifacts inspire such conflicting stories as Marsha's Brick. Some accounts claim the original brick was hurled during a riot against tyranny. Others insist it was carried by a nameless defender who stood between a violent mob and those they sought to harm. The details vary from telling to telling, yet every version agrees upon one point - someone chose to resist when remaining silent would have been safer.

The earliest surviving examples of the weapon appeared in the possession of wandering champions, reformers, rebellious clergy and unlikely heroes. These individuals rarely shared faith, nationality or even moral philosophy, yet they were united by a common belief that power exists to protect rather than dominate. To them, the brick was not a weapon of conquest. It was a reminder that courage often begins with a single act of refusal.

The inscription itself has inspired centuries of scholarly debate. Countless Marshas have been proposed as the namesake - saints, queens, revolutionaries, martyrs and common laborers among them. No definitive answer has ever emerged. Some historians believe the ambiguity is intentional. By refusing to identify the individual, the inscription transforms from a dedication to one person into a dedication to every person who has suffered beneath unjust authority.

Among secret societies devoted to civil rights, liberation movements and underground networks that shelter the persecuted, replicas of the brick symbol are frequently displayed. Most are entirely mundane. Nevertheless, those who encounter the genuine article often describe a strange sensation - not of anger, but of solidarity. It is as though thousands of unseen voices stand quietly at one's shoulder, insisting that cruelty should never go unanswered.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bull's strength, heroism, searing light; Cost 9,156 gp, 732 XP

Kelwyn's Notes

The peculiar thing about this weapon is that it does not celebrate violence. One might reasonably expect a magical brick-on-a-stick to embody righteous fury, vengeance or the simple delight of striking an unpleasant individual across the jaw. Yet the enchantment appears concerned with something altogether more fragile. It is concerned with memory. The weapon remembers that injustice is not an abstract principle but a wound inflicted upon actual people, each possessed of a name, a face and a life interrupted by another's certainty that they deserved less.

Civilizations possess an unfortunate tendency to confuse legality with morality. The distinction is often discovered only after the damage has already been done. Entire generations may suffer beneath systems that function exactly as intended, which is frequently the problem. By tying its power not to laws, governments or institutions but to the concept of injustice itself, the Brick quietly acknowledges that authority and righteousness are not synonymous companions.

I find the inscription particularly fascinating. "For Marsha." No title. No explanation. No grand proclamation of destiny. Merely a dedication. History remembers kings because they commission statues. It remembers conquerors because they leave ruins. Yet most suffering belongs to ordinary people whose names vanish within a generation. This weapon suggests that remembrance itself may be a form of resistance. Someone was hurt. Someone mattered. Someone should not be forgotten.

The brick, of course, is an inspired choice. Swords are symbols of nobility. Spears are symbols of armies. A brick is a symbol of construction, community and shelter. It belongs in walls, homes and schools. It exists to build. When transformed into a weapon, it serves as a reminder that even the most peaceful tools may eventually be lifted in defense of those who can no longer protect themselves. There is something profoundly tragic about that necessity, and profoundly admirable about the willingness to bear it.

One hopes, naturally, that Marsha's Brick spends most of its existence hanging quietly above a hearth, needed by no one. The history of our species suggests otherwise. Yet perhaps that is why the enchantment endures. So long as there remains even one person willing to stand against cruelty despite fear, inconvenience or danger, there will always be a place for a simple brick bearing a simple name. The weapon does not ask whether victory is certain. It asks only whether someone is willing to stand up and say, with all the stubborn grace civilization can muster, "No further."