The Caedea

A Caedea is a thin black cloth glove. They never come in pairs, and the glove is invariably a left handed, or sinister glove. There are few of these dark trinkets still wandering around, and the secret of their creation is a hotly hunted commodity. Many a thief or dark mage would give much for the powers of a Caedea.

The Caedea is evil both in intent and in it's ease of creation. The teeth of a wolf are required, with those of either a rabid, or wolf that died of starvation being preferred. The blood of a murderer is also required, though a few drops from a sadistic serial butcher are as effective as a gallon of blood from a man who accidently killed another man in a brawl. Finally, the black shroud of a false saint, or charlatan is used to make the physical glove. The teeth are placed in the fingers, and the blood is poured into the glove while recitations of black liturgies are repeated under the shadow of the New Moon.

The glove at first appears to simply be a thin black cloth glove. Once donned, the wearer becomes aware of his surroundings with the instincts of a predator, a human hunter. While there is no increase in the abilty to sense smells, or supernaturally divine the emotions of others, the wearer becomes attuned to what their senses can detail. Characters that are not of evil, or chaotis bent will find wearing the glove disconcerting and unpleasant. The longer the glove is worn, the stronger the urge to kill becomes.

The real power of the Caedea becomes most obvious when an opponent is strunk with a barehanded strike in combat. The glove easily seeks out weak points in armor, and in defences. The fingertips bite into flesh with the ease of a wolf taking a deer by the throat, tearing deep into delicate flesh. The glove consumes the blood gluttonously, passing some of the victims' vitality to the wearer and retaining what it needs to maintain itself.

The wounds inflicted by the Caedea are vicious and take twice as long to heal and almost always leave disturbing scars. Those wearers who regularly wear the Caedea become addicted to the altered perception granted by the glove and the steady boosts of vitality gained through murder.

Plot Hooks
A Taste of Evil - A PC gains a Caedea and is able to use the altered animalistic perception to their advantage for a few days before succumbing to the base desire to kill. If the PC engages in combat, the rush of vitality given by a solid strike might draw them into more and more combat. Standard remove cursed item plot follows with the problem that the item isn't cursed, the wearer just doesnt want to be rid of it. Dispel curse - It didn't work...Damn, this must be a potent cursed item.

Hidden Killer - An assassin or thief has found a Caedea and is using it to kill his victims in a brutal Jack the Ripper fashion. The PCs have been brought in to end the string of murders that leave the bodies of the dead in the worst contortions. Who would suspect the elderly gentleman with the immaculate black gloves. (C'mon, no one says you cant find another glove to match a Caedea in appearance.)

Yardsale from Hell - An unwitting person has acquired the Caedea and has accidently killed someone with it. It becomes even more interesting when the person is either a powerful and important person, or an ally of the PCs. They have to find a way to destroy the glove, exonerate their ally, and keep themselves from being caught up in the carnage.