Pitchfork

From MU Wiki

Mackenzie's pitchfork, often referred to as Pitchy in the Comments and as Stabby by Forumites, is a magical artifact she obtained in the Labyrinth. She found it in the Farm, the first challenge she stumbled across. Though far from the first to obtain the pitchfork, Mack was the first person to successfully remove it from the Farm.

Rumor has it that the pitchfork is cursed, instilling whoever holds it with a boundless killing rage. Its effect on Mack appears to be less dramatic than that, but Mack has noticed an increased tendency toward violent thoughts and murderous impulses while holding it. She suspects that its effect on her may grow incrementally the more she carries it around with her.

Despite this concern and her initial reluctance to let anyone else hold it because of the alleged curse, Mack has grown increasingly casual about carrying it around with her. Since her knife was lost in the incident that left her trapped in the Labyrinth the pitchfork has become her primary weapon for her Mixed Melee class. More notably, she took it with her on her second date with Ian on the walk over to the dance, seeming almost surprised that she had to justify bringing it with her. Then she left it at the coat check without any concern for what might happen when the coat check girl went to pick it up.

In the chapters since Mack first acquired the pitchfork it has shown an odd tendency to move around, seemingly of its own volition, to appear either under her bed or in her closet, depending on which place she happens to be looking at the moment and regardless of where she last left it or even whether she is looking for it or not. In fact it seems to be intentionally getting in Mack's way whenever she looks in either place, forcing her to move it aside to get at whatever she really wants. As this forces her to keep touching the cursed thing over and over again this is quite likely an aspect of the curse designed to increase her exposure to the weapon and thus the cumulative effects of the curse.

[edit] Chapters the Pitchfork appears in

• How she got it, what the delvers know about it, how it feels, first reactions to Mack having it: 177-184
• Placed in the closet by Mack: 187
• Under the bed without anybody having moved it: 227
• Just mentioned, not appearing: 233
• Fight with Gloria: 235, 236
• In closet again without being recovered or moved there in story: 238
• Moving to under the bed again: 247
• The second dance date with Ian: 248-249