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Aidan was a young apprentice to the village’s blacksmith, a rather unmemorable man. When the news spread that there was an invading army on the march, a royal decree that requested one able-bodied soldier from each family soon followed. Poor Aidan was much too inexperienced for such things as war and combat, and his father, who loved him dearly, chose to enlist in his place. Aidan was so touched by this simple gesture that he felt the need to give his father a token of his gratitude. Although he was relatively new to the crafting of metal he spent days bent over the forge and anvil perfecting his gift to the best of his ability.
Two weeks later, forty men stood in the center of the village in ragtag uniforms with whatever weapons they already owned. With no time to spare, Aidan ran from the forge carrying something wrapped in oilcloth, hoping to catch his father in time. His father smiled and embraced his son after unwrapping the sword his son forged him. The sword itself is not much to behold, a simple short sword, but it was made with love, and that meant everything to Aidan’s father. As it turns out, the sword served him well and Aidan’s father returned from the battle unscathed.
Although the sword was never enchanted, it is certainly magical. Young Aidan poured his soul into his work in his attempt at making the perfect sword for his father, and as the saying goes, it’s the thought that counts. The sword truly is perfect, in a basic sense; the sword is light and it will never dull, rust or break by normal means. As such, this sword was passed through generations and lost, possibly hidden away in a dungeon or sitting on a shelf, waiting to be bought by a passing adventurer.
Magic/Cursed Properties
This sword is the pinnacle of apprentice swordsmithing skill. There are no gems embedded in the pommel or crossguard, and no runes or enchantments upon the blade, but its qualities are definitely magical in origin. This sword will not rust if it is not cleaned, nor will it break if it clashes with a stronger material. It will also never need to be sharpened, as the blade will not dull. Of course this sword is not all-powerful, strong magics would be able shatter or rust such an adequate blade.
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2011-02-11 10:10 AM
Very good, not every magic sword needs to be ultra-fancy.
2011-02-11 11:05 AM
2011-02-11 03:20 PM
An adequate tale with adequate information :)
The point being made here is a good one. You imbue an item with a simple backstory, and it becomes "special" in its own way. But not too special.
Welcome to the Citadel, Moonbeard! (great name)
2011-02-12 03:40 PM
I like it!!
Sometimes it is the simple things that make all the difference. Very much like the background on it.
2011-02-15 02:39 AM
A simple weapon perfect as a family heirloom and well suited for beginning adventurers. (Especially if the swords unique method of gaining it's magical properties still makes it appear to be a mundane weapon even when subjected to magical scrutiny and detection.)
An excellent first entry, I look forward to reading more of your subs in the future.2011-02-20 11:58 AM
Simple and straightforward item.
I'm not certain how to use it in a game, though. I think most games skip over the reality of sword care. There tend to be no penalties for not cleaning, oiling, or sharpening a weapon. This is good in one way because it ignores some of the more tedious tasks, but it does skip over the reality.
Of course, anyone who has ever owned a real high-carbon blade would kill for this weapon.
2011-02-22 08:27 AM
Why does it need to be magical? Besides that I found this interesting and well worth the read, was it your first sub? Anyway, well done, a good solid write-up. And, love your name, sounds like a finnish folk metal band.
2011-03-05 02:53 AM
Good foundation piece. It has a good backstory, a reason for its creation, existance, and purpose. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with when you have the item actually do something. ;)
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