Originally posted on the Realms of Evil forums (Womb of Creation), October 31, 2001. The author posted it as a rough-draft excerpt from the Psionic Items section of his fan e-book, The Assassin's Manifesto. Shown as written, with light spelling and formatting fixes only.

Shards are often considered little better than a consumable cast off from a better creation. Many use them to gain temporary bonuses that destroy the shards when the power hidden within them is invoked. The famed Psionic Assassin Llradd Grottile always wondered if perhaps something better could be done with them, and so he began paying money covertly to have both mages and psions research into finding a way for him to harness the powers of the shards for a longer time.

The result is a Shard Blade. A synthesis of magic and psionics, difficult to forge, but rewarding to use. A shard blade has between 2 and 12 small ovals on the pommel and guard, looking like empty gem settings, the typical blade has 4, while Llradd's had 12. Each oval will cause any shard that is placed against it to adhere to it, and then will benefit the wielder of the blade with the properties of the shard. Shards can be removed by intoning the command word while pulling at the shard. Shards are not consumed while used in a shard blade.

The blades are commonly Katana's (Llradd's first blade) and a Wakizashi (It's mate), or a long sword, bastard sword, or short sword, although one Kukri was made. The blade is a strange combination of high quality steel with small threads of crystal through the metal. The guard will be an intricately worked cross, with embedded crystal in the metal, and several blank ovals. The pommel will be wrapped with the skin of a mindflayer, soaked in the blood of a Gith and dried in the sun, while the skull crusher is often carved into the shape of an Intellect Devourer, or an illithid skull. Rumor has it that Llradd's blade actually had an intellect devourer transformed into steel placed on the blade.

The blade has the following enchantments: +3 to strike and damage, ghost touch, keen. A psionically active person owning the blade must sacrifice a single power point each day or one of the shards will crumble into dust. Should the blade be shardless, it will radiate magic and psionics, but will have no psionic or magical abilities.

These blades are valued among Psionic Assassins and Psychic Warriors. While the secret of their creation is not a lost process, Llradd sold it to those who are very jealous of the knowledge, and guard it carefully.

Manifester Level: 15th; Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Psionic Weapon, Mordenkainen's lucubration, keen edge, mending, psionic weapon; Market Price: 25,650 gp + 1,400 XP; Weight: 9 lb.