(I apologize in advance for the duplication and the disjointedness of this entry.)
Grunderkin is a powerful weapon dating from tribal times. Uln Grunder is said to have made the weapon for the leader of the Ander tribe, Yaelin Ander. The Ander tribe conquered neighboring tribes in the Seeker's Valley. During these battles, Yaelin would challenge the enemy leaders to single combat. As he killed his opponents, the legends about Yaelin's fighting prowess and the shining blade he carried grew.
Grunderkin played an important role in the War of Bostonian Unification. Yaelin Ander used the blade to conquer the Seeker's Valley, but in doing so, he fell under the influence of the pagan religion of the tribes he conquered. When missionaries from the Bost tribe came south to spread the word of Dovid's divine mission to unify humanity, Ander had them killed. When the Bost marched into his valley, Yaelin and his deadly blade were waiting for them.
Copied from
The History of the War of Unification
written by scholar Timmaeus Madelin:
'As Dovid and his warriors rested and regrouped in the hills and caves, a corps of Ander tribesmen worked their way through the mountains to cut the Bost off from their homeland. Their leader, Yaelin Ander, possessed a powerful sword called Grunderkin. The legend of this weapon dated back to the tribal period. It always struck true against the leader of the enemy group. As Dovid's men tried to escape, Yaelin charged Dovid, attacking him with the fabled weapon. Dovid was felled, but miraculously, he survived the blow and was saved by his men.
Upon return to their homeland, the armies of the unification were demoralized. Their leader had been struck down and their force defeated. The Tunderrim, heady with their victory, were planning a counterattack into the north with the Ander and their foul weapon in tow.
At this time, a Pelar mage named Fermandel entered the Zealots' camp. itm=386 Still, the blade was far from powerful and certainly no match for Grunderkin. Furthermore, the powerful leader of the Bost armies was incapacitated.
A young warrior, Rehesse Jherod took up the sword and led Fermandel and a host of fresh Pelar troops to the south to meet the Tunderrim and Yaelin Ander. Before he left the northlands, an elder from the Bost church, Telerind took the sword and begged the Mother and Father to bless it, and its bearer in the coming battles.
When the two forces met, the battle raged for days. At one point, a group of Tunderrim, led by Yaelin overran a Pelar camp where Rehesse Jherod was resting. The two leaders met in battle. Yaelin strode forward, bearing Grunderkin. Jherod prayed to the Mother and Father that they would favor him. Yaelin attacked first and true to its legend, Grunderkin struck directly at the head of young Jherod. However, with the blessing of Aestra and Stratus, the magical blade provided by Fermandel moved to parry the deathblow.
With that amazing parry, Jherod momentarily had the upper hand and struck at Yaelin, killing him. The blessed blade was damaged, so Jherod picked up Grunderkin and seeing the lieutenant of the Tunderrim. He threw the blade at this leader and the foul blade flew through the air, piercing the chest of the enemy second in command.
With their leaders killed, the Tunderrim forces were in chaos and fled the field of battle. The forces of unification held the field. Grunderkin was lost in the chaos of the retreat, and a young Ander lieutenant, Vens Ander, retrieved it. He hid the blade and returned to his homeland.'
Once Vens Ander returned home, he set about to end the hold of paganism over his tribe. Unfortunately, upon Yaelin's death, his brother Zephram took over the tribe. Zephram was also under the sway of the pagan gods. Vens knew there was no way to get to Zephram with all of his elemental magical power and bodyguards. So, he sent his wife Sophia to Zephram's court. Zephram had always coveted
the beautiful Sophia and it took little effort on her part to gain access to the leader's bed.
One night, as Vens' men closed upon the palace, Sophia hid Grunderkin under her robes and with it, killed her lover, Zephram. Vens and the rest of the resistance, on Sophia's signal, stormed the palace. With the element of suprise and the magic blade, they took control of the tribe, restored the worship of the Mother and Father, and joined Dovid in his quest to unify the tribes.
Magical Properties:
Because of its history, Grunderkin has the following powers:
Beheader: When fighting the leader of an enemy group, Grunderkin always hits. This is true even when the weapon is thrown (Grunderkin normally can be thrown only at an enemy leader. Otherwise, like most swords, Grunderkin is too clumsy to throw.). On the first such attack, Grunderkin does double damage.
Unseen Killer: Though Grunderkin is a regular-sized broadsword, it size reduces when it is hidden, allowing it to be stashed underneath a cloak or robe with ease.
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? Responses (5)
I like items in sets, but that is just me. I also like the historical and mythic feel to this piece. Two thumbs up.
The back story is certainly well done, and kudos on the names, I like them. The Unseen Killer power seems out of odds with the rest of the weapon, being widely visable and brandished frequently. I think perhaps it's sheath could have this magical property such as the sheath of Excaliber prevented it's owner from being slain in battle.
Ought to start a thread on magic sheaths for swords mundane and otherwise.
3/5
Well, one thing to realize is that in my world, all weapons tend to gain powers from their legends and from the deeds and desires of their users. The causal relationship is a little vague, so I don't know whether Sophia's desire to hide the weapon gave it that power, or whether the fact that she managed to hide it gave it the power. Nonetheless, the power comes from that story.
In any case, thanks for the comments.
Very good.
4/5.
Good background, good writing. Power level seems a trifle high to me, but that is a minor concern.