The Sword of Souls - Nagaiabala
Version 1.0
by AsteriaSennall


REQUIREMENTS
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OBSE: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/37952

INSTALLATION
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Copy the esp into the Oblivion game Data directory.

Activate the mod, the load order should not matter.


SHORT DESCRIPTION
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Adds a sword to Narfinsel that ensnares souls of those slain to grant either bonuses to magicka or exchange those bonuses for
filled black soul gems.

THANKS TO LEXX666 for the sword mesh from the Shadowrage mod!

BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION
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First of all, many thanks to Lexx666 for the beautiful sword mesh and texture. I was searching for a sword to use for the idea
I had in mind and this one was the perfect fit.

The idea for this mod came about because I started reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson and in the
series (don't worry, no real spoilers because you really should go read this fantastic series for yourself) there is a character
with a powerful sword that enslaves the souls of the slain, by all accounts, permanently. I found the character and the idea of
the sword to be particularly fascinating because he's not evil, like perhaps you'd expect for someone who wields such a blade.
Instead, he employs the sword with a stern sense of justice, believing the fate of those slain fits those who commit wrong or
attack him.

I thought it would be fun to play a character with that mindset, especially with the ability to play the Morrowind plotline in
in Morroblivion so the false gods of the Tribunal might end up in such a sword if the character deems their crimes worthy enough
for it. I finally got around to creating a sword along those lines when I saw the new version of Morroblivion was released and
would require a new save game to install. Perfect excuse to abandon my previous character partway through his story (just like
all the countless others before him :( ) and start fresh with this idea for a character!

So my idea for this sword was that it would be an Ayleid claymore with a blade made of the same material as soul gems. Through
enchantments and bargains with the Ideal Masters, the sword ensnares the souls of those slain with it and sends them to the
Soul Cairn for all eternity. In return, the wielder will begin to absorb some of the power of the souls slain. After a certain
number have been slain, the wielder gains a boost to his/her magicka, up to the capacity of the sword (explained more below).
In order to make the sword continue to be useful beyond this boost cap, and to encourage the sword owner to continue supplying
the Ideal Masters with souls, the sword can materialize a filled black soul gem by exchanging one level of magicka bonus.
The sword also has a short soul trap enchantment to allow you to fill your own gems. The enchantment of the sword requires no
recharging, as it seems to be related to the very material of the blade itself. Repairing it naturally requires a talented smith
and even then should be done carefully. Only obscure legends remain of this sword, but seem to indicate that the creator of it was
himself slain by it!


SWORD MECHANICS
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Each creature has a 'soul level' that determines what type of soul gem it would fill. The levels are from 1 (petty) to 5 (grand) or
in the case of all NPCs, 5 for black soul gems.
The sword keeps track of how many points go into the 'soul pool' for each creature or NPC slain by it. Once you reach 100 points,
your character gets a 10 point fortify magicka effect. This effect increases by 10 per 100 points up to 1000 points or 100 fortify
magicka points and is a permanent fortify effect (considered a blessing from the Soul Cairn) until a boost level (or 100 points from
the soul pool) are exchanged for a filled black soul gem. When the sword is equipped, a Lesser Power spell is added to your character
to claim a single black soul gem per casting. When the sword is unequipped, this Lesser Power is removed from your character, but
any fortify magicka bonus you've already earned does not go away, even if you decide to sell or abandon the sword.


WHERE IS IT AT?
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The sword is inside the ruins of Narfinsel; an easy Ayleid dungeon, but do all artifacts have to be guarded by a dragon in
some 30 level dungeon? I wanted a lower level character to be able to find this powerful tool (it does a little more damage than a
Daedric Claymore) and make an interesting roleplay out of what to do with it. If that's not your style and you find it too easily,
too early, maybe you can just pretend your character didn't notice the glowing purple hilt in the pile of rubble?



CREDITS
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A big thank you to Lexx666 for the fantastic sword: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/36638

Thanks to titsher for the moan portion of the custom sound the sword makes when ensnaring a soul:
https://freesound.org/people/titsher/sounds/204962/

Thanks, also, to richardemoore for the chain portion of the custom sound: https://freesound.org/people/richardemoore/sounds/362859/


Finally, Many thanks to all the Oblivion modding community, many of whom provide me with the countless other mods I thoroughly enjoy.
I hope that my little mod here can made the game experience a little better for those of you who have improved mine!