Three Magic
Swords of the
Flanaess
Written by Lord Josilar
Of the many magical weapons known to exist within the lands of
the Flanaess on that world in the Prime Material Plane known as
Oerth, it is of course the swords that most excite the imagination
of both scholar and warrior alike. Whether it is because of their
ubiquity on the battlefields of the Flanaess, or their position as
symbols of authority as well as weapons of war, swords speak to
the soul more than any other type of weapon.
As such it should not be at all surprising that many magical swords
of the Flanaess are storied items, with histories and uncommon
powers befitting their exalted status. Below are several such
weapons that dungeon masters can feel free to add these
sharpened treasures to your own campaigns.
Long Fang
Long Fang is a thick broad sword, razor sharp with a dull blade
and shining silver edge and point. The cross bar is in the form of a
stylized dog’s mouth, open towards the blade, and the hilt is
wrapped with fine silver chain. The pommel is semicircular in
shape, with an engraving of an eye on both sides. It has known
several different scabbards over its history; its most recent was of
plain brown leather with light rawhide straps.
Long fang functions as a broadsword +3. In addition, it gives the
one who possesses it the ability to run for eight hours straight
without tiring. It is not intelligent, but grasping the hilt and
concentrating will reveal the presence of enemies if any are within
180’. Concentrating for another round will show the direction of
those enemies. It does not radiate light when drawn from the
scabbard, but if held in the hand it does confer infravision on its
wielder.
Long Fang was originally created for one of the chieftains of the
Rovers of the Barrens. Commissioned over a century ago from a
magic-user in what is now the Horned Society, but which was at
the time simply one of a mass of petty states, it was presented to
the Sagamore of the Red Horse clan, Miga Long-Hair, on the
occasion of his 100th slain enemy, by his third wife. The gift was
deemed so fitting that she was immediately promoted to first wife.
For twenty years Miga Long-Hair used the sword to add to his
impressive list of victories. Many rivals to the Sagamorship were
overcome, and the tribes of other clans among the Rovers felt his
sharp blade. It seemed that Miga Long-Hair had a special instinct
for sensing ambushes and sneak attacks, and this sense aided
greatly in his longevity. The sword Long Fang eventually passed
to his son, who most definitely did not follow in the footsteps of his
SUNSEBB 580
father. Kelda Bright-Knife was a wastrel, a womanizer, and a
drunk. He lost the sword in a game of knucklebones in Fellands in
the Bandit Kingdoms. History does not record whatever finally
became of Kelda Bright-Knife, but the story of the sword goes on
indeed.
From Fellands, the blade made its way to Riftcrag in CY 506,
where it remained in the collection of Rinaldo Tesh, the famed
swordmaster, fighting instructor, and duelist, who was banished
from the precincts of the Great Kingdom for certain indiscretions
perpetrated across Medegia. Although he maintained that the
charges against him were nothing more than “misunderstandings”
brought by jealous husbands and the relatives of those on the
losing end of his swordplay, Tesh nonetheless found it expedient
to relocate himself and his high style of living to Riftcrag, where he
opened up a school for swordsmanship which was well-regarded
throughout the central Flanaess. How he came into possession of
the sword Long Fang remains a mystery, but rumors swirled that
it was a gift from a certain merchant’s widow, in thanks for Tesh’s
role in changing her status from long-suffering wife to well-heeled
widow.
Tesh used the weapon in several of the small border wars that
constantly were (and are) fought between the Free Lords, as well
as those between them and the Duchy of Tenh, which resents the
constant raiding and trafficking in illegal goods just over the border.
Tesh was severely wounded in the Winter War of 520, and lost the
blade to an overwhelming force of Tenha, even though he escaped
with his life. It is said he even attempted to ransom the blade back
from its new owner as if it were a cavalier or knight of great renown,
but to no avail.
Long Fang next surfaces in the Duchy of Tenh in 532 CY, in the
hands of a captain of a border company patrolling the Trollfens,
one Captain Prendan. The foe-finding powers of the blade served
the captain and his company well, and the settlements on the edge
of the marsh protected by his troops were the envy of others in the
region, as rampaging trolls were regularly beaten back or
annihilated before they could ravage the countryside. However,
even the most skilled warrior can fall before a puissant foe, and
Prendan was overcome by a force of over a dozen two-headed
trolls. Even when the squad he commanded was completely wiped
out, he pressed the fight to the enemy, and only a single one of the
creatures remained at the end. Unfortunately, Prendan did not
survive the encounter, and it is now presumed that Long Fang is
resting in a troll-infested den somewhere deep in the swamp.
Suelfame
Suelfame is a longsword, shining silver along its entire length, with
a well-crafted cross-piece, and well-worn leather on the hilt. The
pommel is a large opal in a ring of platinum, and the scabbard is
wood covered in black leather, wrapped with silver wire. It does
not give off light when it is held, but it will radiate evil if detected
for.
Suelfame functions as a longsword +2/+3 vs. good creatures. It is
intelligent, with an INT of 15 and an Ego of 13 and is lawful evil in
alignment. The sword speaks the Common tongue, Oeridian,
Ancient Suloise, and Orcish. The sword will detect lies and detect
magic in a 1” radius, and once per day it can heal its wielder. When
in the possession of one of Suel blood, the sword is usually content
to serve as an advisor and confidant (and it is
unusually adept at political intrigue and
military tactics); it is only if it is in the
possession of some other human race that it
will attempt to dominate its wielder. It will flatly
refuse to obey non-humans.
Suelfame itself will tell that it was created
during the ancient Suel Imperium, although
experts whisper (out of earshot) that the
workmanship seems too modern for such to
be strictly true. It is very possible the real truth
of Suelfame’s origins will never be known.
What can be said with confidence is that the
sword is first recorded as being in the
possession of a young nobleman from
Ahlissa around CY 300, a Lord Jorno
Brightspear (the family was later renamed
Brightsword in honor of the blade), who was
reportedly of only middling ability and
intellect, but once the sword came into his
possession (through an inheritance from a
distaff uncle of whom he was only vaguely
aware in life) he seems to have acquired a
sudden talent for political and military affairs,
and risen to a high position within the court of
the Herzog of South Province.
The sword remained in possession of the
Brightsword family for nearly a century before
being stolen by Talarun Silverthumb, an elven
thief of great renown who dwells to this day in the Rieuwood. The
family’s fortunes declined soon thereafter, and their surviving
descendent runs a tavern in Solya, just north of Zelraton. The
tavern is named The Silver Sword, in honor of the family legacy.
Having no great use for a sword that obeys only humans, and then
only those of Suel extraction, Silverthumb disposed of it in Naerie,
where it was quickly acquired by the famed ranger Urias Relohar,
both in order to ensure that it did not fall into the hands of evil, and
for his own use, as he was of lawful good alignment and of mostly
Suel extraction himself. He managed to resist the temptations of
the sword, while at the same time honoring his own Suel heritage,
and finally fell in CY 409 in an expedition into the Vast Swamp.
The trail of the sword is lost at that point, but it resurfaced quite
recently (CY 570) in the possession of a curious warrior in
Medegia. This cavalier, a Sir Jordan of Skeline (a small holdfast
on a bay southeast of Pontylver) engineered the destruction of a
mutinous band of orcs formerly in the service of the Holy Censor
with a force of his own servants that was outnumbered 10-1, and
was rewarded for his efforts by a post in the Censor’s personal
guard. Since then he has risen in the ranks in the Guard, and his
star is rising in the Censor’s court. Whispers of his talents have
even made their way to the Imperial Court at Rauxes.
It is whispered that the Scarlet Brotherhood is aware of this blade
and its powers, and is eager to acquire it to serve its own ends.
Whether the blade has heard of the Scarlet Brotherhood, let alone
knows of its inner workings and goals, can only be guessed at.
Song-of-Glory
Song-of-Glory is a bastard sword, made of a reddish-hued alloy
that looks like copper but is harder than steel. The handle is made
of solid polished green malachite, and the pommel is an emerald
of at least 5,000 g.p. value. The blade shines when drawn,
providing light in a 10’ radius.
Song-of-Glory is a bastard sword +3. When
there are humanoids within a 90’ radius, it
makes an audible keening sound which will
discomfit such creatures and cause them to
fight with a -2 penalty on all “to hit” rolls if they
fail a saving throw vs. spells. The wielder of
Song-of-Glory can understand and speak the
languages of all humanoid races. Once per
day a humanoid spellcaster (witchdoctor or
shaman) of the wielder’s choice within 30’ of
the sword will lose one memorized spell at
random, at the command of its owner. If all
spells have been cast, then there is no effect.
Song-of-Glory was forged in the shadows of
the Lortmil Mountains just before the Hateful
Wars in 497 CY. It was said that Song-of-
Glory was forged specifically to fight in the
campaign to drive humanoids from the
Lortmils, and that it was created by the master
smiths of the Prince of Ulek and given as a
gift of great honor to the Duchess of Ulek to
aid her in the conquest. The Duchess used
the sword to great effect in the opening days
of the war, but was slain with it in her hands
in one of the many traps that were set by the
crafty goblinoids in abandoned dwarven
strongholds.
The blade was recovered along with the body
of the Duchess, and given to the new Duke, Grenowin. He in turn
gifted it to his cousin Mefwolin, who was commanding the army
clearing The Ulek Pass connecting the Duchy and Celene.
Mefowin was leading a squadron of heavy cavalry through the
pass to reinforce a troop of gnomish javelin troops, when they were
ambushed by a horde of bugbears in what is today known as the
Battle of the Crook, so named for the shape of the road that goes
through the pass, forming a sharp U-shaped curve. The elven
cavalry was caught in the loop of the U, pressed between
bugbears on both sides, and eventually annihilated. Too late, a
force of Celenese hippogriff riders swept down and drove away the
bugbears, but the Ulek force was already destroyed.
Once more the sword was recovered from the hand of its dead
owner, and it began to acquire an evil reputation. It was placed in
the ducal treasure vault, but was noted as missing when an
inventory was completed some years later. Its current
whereabouts are unknown.
DRAGONNE 33
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