“ A sword that stores the identity of the wielder. To transfuse the soul to the blade, one must first stab himself through the heart. The person will not die, but lose the freedom of the soul upon real death.”
“ A Deity of some sort has unleashed a plague of bookworms or something like that in the area. Almost all spellbooks are destroyed, along with bardic and historical books.”
“ Alchemical Gold - popular in the weapons of the nobility, this allows for gold to be used in their swords and lances without the fear of the metal bending, deforming or otherwise breaking in combat.”