This sword was first made by the famous rogue, gambler and womanizer Crayfan Azazian. Crayfan, before becoming an outlaw in most lands, had been a very respected and powerful mage. His sword, originally named Blood Terror, was a masterpiece of weaponry and much sought after. When a man attacked Crayfan attempting to attain the Blood Terror, Crayfan killed him. He was judged guilty of murder and exiled from all his lands and titles. Becoming a traveler, Crayfan went on to live a long and eventful life, with many adventures along the way. His end came, however, when a strange contingency activated in the sword, one that Crayfan had not known about. Crayfan was battling a lich, and winning, until the lich cast a death spell. Crayfan had been wounded and thus he had activated the magical shield. However, since the blade absorbed the spells cast upon it and diverted the power of the spell through the wielder's body, the death spell channeled far too much energy through Crayfan and he was vaporized instantly, along with the lich and 2 miles of countryside in every direction. The sword, however, was resistant to any and all attempts at destruction and sat in the ruined field for a long while, until the mage Gershul Pailn discovered it. He used a spell to discern how Crayfan had met his end, and thus renamed the sword Gambler's Ruin. It now belongs to Skandra Tyullis Pailn.
The sword is roughly 100cm long, with a thin, double sided blade. The blade is made of magically forged adamantite, lending strength to the outer casing of sparkling ruby. The adamantite is not visible beneath the ruby, but at the edge of the sword the adamantite functions as the edge, magically imbued so that it never grows dull. The guard is a row of dice with no gaps between them, with all sixes showing. The hilt is made of wood, with blood red lacquer coating it and giving it a very fine shine that never dulls, and provides a solid grip. The pommel of the sword is a miniature roulette wheel made of gold, with the spire in the middle longer than normal and poisoned.
It is a +5 vorpal weapon of speed, wounding and it has vampiric properties. If the owner is wounded it becomes a +7 weapon and can summon a magical shield (deflects the first four magical attacks directed at the wielder). It can also summon a suit of armor that consists of breastplates, shoulder bangles, upper arm guards and gauntlets (the gauntlets and upper arm guards are bladed). The blades are all +3 and can cut through most armors (any but adamantite). It gives total immunity to energy-based attacks or anything that affects the mind. It can cast all known wizard and priest spells a certain number of times depending on the level. 9 times a week for 1st level spells, 8 times for 2nd... It does x4 damage against the living, x5 against the unliving, and x6 against the immortal. It is also enchanted so that the person who finds this sword must perform a rite that ends with the prospective owner cutting his arm and allowing his blood to spill onto the blade. The blade then forms a bond of sorts with the person, and if another attempts to wield it, his or her hand is burned, and the entire arm numbed. The sword has a contingency spell so that if stolen by magical means it needs only to be summoned by the owner to break free of the bonds and return to its owner. The blade also has a contingency spell so that if the wielder is killed, the sword traps the wielder's soul at the instant of death and travels to a person that the wielder designates for safekeeping. There is a one in ten chance that, when the magical shields are activated, a successfully executed death spell will vaporize the owner, his opponent and everything for 2 miles in all direction, leaving the land barren and unable to grow any plants or support any life for a period of 1,000 years. The sword will only work with those of Chaotic Nuetral alignment, since these types are the most likely to become thieves, rogues, or gamblers.