Legendary Blades.

Oakenheart, Long Sword +3

This sword is made of magically shaped and sharpened oak (the result of a Deadwood Blade spell). Further enchantments have rendered it permanently sharp, practically unbreakable and resistant to fire, as well as giving it +3 to hit and damage. The upper part of the blade, nearest the hilt, is carved on one side with the name of the sword in the Vyalia dialect, and on the other with three stylised runes. These runes allow the bearer to cast the following spells once per day:- Haste (bearer only), Healing Sap, and Squirrel Climb (see my earlier post on Forester Spells for details of the last two spells). The sword is unintelligent and unaligned.

Oakenheart was the personal blade of Arelan of Greenheight, a high-ranking and respected Forester. Arelan was born in 920 AC to impoverished parents in Thyatis City, who sent their son, aged 13, to the Gladiatorial Training School in an attempt to improve his lot. "Improvement" involved punishing training routines, frequent whippings and bullying from older trainees. after a year of this treatment, he managed to break out of the compound and ran for his life. After several weeks of night-travel and hiding, the exhausted boy reached the western forests. His first night's sleep in the deep woods was interrupted by an elven patrol from Greenheight, who bound him and drove him, at sword-point, to their camp-site. Standard orders at that time stated that interlopers into Vyalia territories should be put to the sword; however, the patrol's leader, Simenodar, saw something in the frightened boy which caused him to take Arelan under his wing, teach him the ways of the forest and, eventually, fight to adopt him into the Clan.

Years later, Arelan had become a Forester, skilled at both the fighting arts and Elven magic - surprisingly to both his tutors and himself, he had a rare talent for sorcery, and was responsible for the creation of several unique spells now in common use by the Foresters and Vyalia Elves. Whilst camping one night on patrol, his party were ambushed by a sizeable force of Dire Wolf-riding goblins from the Dymrak Forest. With their watchman dead, and their weapons and armour captured by the goblins, Arelan instructed his scouts to run for help whilst he held off the goblins with a conjured Deadwood Blade and his small stock of spells. The Immortals were obviously with him that day, as Arelan was able to single-handedly slay dozens of goblins and their mounts, putting the rest of the army to flight. Near death, he was found by a rescue force and nursed back to health, by which time his tale had been immortalised in song and story. The wooden sword he had used was retrieved with him and, during his long convalescence, was enchanted with its permanent abilities. Arelan himself carved and enchanted the spell-runes on the blade, and named the sword Oakenheart. For the rest of his life, he used no other melee weapon, and many were the legends which sprang up about the sword and its wielder.

Since Arelan's death, the sword has mostly lain in a place of honour in Greenheight. The Foresters do not believe in leaving a working weapon to gather dust if it is needed, however. A high-level Forester PC, or an Elf-Friend of the Vyalia, might be lent Oakenheart if undertaking a vital and dangerous mission on behalf of the Foresters.

Contribution from : CQuaif@aol.com

Honour Blades:

These are longswords made of highly-polished steel, with hilts wrapped in White Dragon-hide. Each one has runic script running the length of the blade, which reveals both the name and function of the sword, legible only via use of a Read Magic spell.

The three Honour Blades - Gorias, Hemlaun and Weyva - were made by Kromyn for the brother-Paladins Justian, Dirram and Egrethar of Bettelyn. Each Blade is a Longsword +2; however, the bearer may at any time Dedicate his Blade to the slaying of a particular being, or group of beings, whom the bearer will then pursue to the exclusion of any other foe. Until the target(s) is/are slain, the sword is +5 against them. The swords may not be re-Dedicated until the chosen targets are dead, by whatever means.
Unfortunately, the Honour Blades' enchantment is somewhat stronger than anticipated; should the bearer of a Dedicated Blade die before completing the Dedication, the magic of the sword will reanimate his remains as a mindless Zombie, whose only purpose is to destroy the chosen target. No matter how many times the bearer is killed, enough of it will be reformed to continue the hunt; and until the target is slain, the soul of the bearer cannot go to its final rest. For instance, the unliving remains of Egrethar, Weyva's bearer, hunted the Huge Red Dragon Karyathrom for nearly three centuries; he was freed from the curse when another group of adventurers who, knowing nothing of him, slew the beast for its treasure.

The three Honour Blades have known various masters over the centuries. Weyva lies now within the hoard of Karyathrom's offspring, Duralamas, who discovered it only a mile from his mother's lair; Hemlaun is part of the Royal Treasury in Alphatia's Capitol, Sundsvall, now resident in the Hollow World; and Gorias, for centuries the prized possession of the Line of Justian, has been lost for two hundred years, and may turn up anywhere.

Contribution from : CQuaif@aol.com