At a glance, the great phleam is a travesty of weapon design. A wretched cross between switchblade a

At a glance, the great phleam is a travesty of weapon design. A wretched cross between switchblade and glaive, it known first as a symbol of the church and second as being more trouble than its worth to master.Originally designed by and for The Embrace of Silence–the vampire extermination sect of the church–the great phleam was modeled on old notions of vampire hunting that have since been disputed. It was once believed that the source of the vampire curse was unholy blood, and therefore bleeding out a vampire would “cure” it, returning it to an honest human corpse. Once the cursed blood was removed, the ex vampire could be given a righteous burial, perhaps redeeming the departed from an afterlife in Hell.Since then, the members of the Embrace have learned that vampiric affliction does not come from the blood, but abyssal parasites. Their tactics have changed accordingly, and the great phleam has largely been abandoned as a real weapon. However, it remains a part of church iconography and tradition.One such tradition that remains is, when a Hand of Silence dies, they are buried with a great phleam in hand. Members of the Embrace claim this is to protect their fallen comrades as they ascend into the afterlife, but they know real message: “Don’t come back. You know what we’ll do to you.”The irony of a vampire wielding a great phleam is not lost on Stranger. -- source link

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