Wrath of Trog
This was the favourite weapon of the old god Trog, before it was lost one day. It induces a bloodthirsty berserker rage in anyone who uses it to strike another. |
+3, +11 battleaxe
Antimagic brand
Forces Berserk (on 50% of attacks)
Desirability
Not that much. Berserkers can just wait for Trog to give them a decent antimagic weapon that doesn't come with berserkitis, and other melee specialists may wish to use a weapon with a more useful brand and go berserk using potions or the amulet. Both the weapon's properties will also cause problems for any character with skills that would allow them to get around engaging things in melee. It's possible to nerf the berserkitis with an amulet of clarity or by worshipping Ashenzari (or by being undead, but none of the undead races are particularly good with axes), but that amulet slot could be much better filled with conservation or resist mutation, and Ashenzari-ites may wish to be stuck with a better weapon than this.
The artifact's main selling point is its high damage enchantment, which makes it a pretty decent mage-killer (both in terms of the antimagic and the chopping things into little pieces), but anyone who could comfortably use it would probably be better off waiting until they found an executioner's axe.
Trivia
This is one of the oldest artefacts in the game, which perhaps explains its continued existence. In fact, it predates Trog himself, existing before gods were implemented, and it is very likely the inspiration for the god. Of the five original artefacts (Wrath of Trog, Scythe of Curses, Glaive of Prune, Singing Sword, and Mace of Variability), this one has probably changed the least.
True to the weapon's description, Trog will never gift it, since he can't seem to find it.