The baneblades of Demron are six individual swords of various types all linked by their creator’s name. While considered a collective group of weapons by history, the baneblades were merely six separate commissions over 300 years for magical swords to be made by this great enchanter. While Demron gets all the credit for these swords, all of them were a collaborative effort: Dwarves forged and shaped the blades; elves crafted the ornate, elongated hilts; halflings created the finely-tooled leather and metal scabbards for all; and the human Demron laid the enchantments.
Demron received the commission for the first three swords from Arms-Major Pirphal Faerondaryl for his newest lieutenants. After serious misgivings about elf military conduct, the Major wanted a sword for each of his new non-elf officers. Thus, in the Year of the Battle Talons (358 DR), a great military ceremony presented Evaelathil, Mhaorathil, and Morvian to their respective halfling, dwarf, and human wielders, all Akh’Velahr officers. More than a century later, Demron created Faervian, a blade for the use of the senior officers of the Akh’Faer in the Year of the Empty Helm (462 DR). While a special baneblade was ordered for Major Pirphal of the Akh’Velahr in the Year of the Gored Griffon (574 DR), it was lost a mere 16 years later in battle against the black wyrm Crinabnahor.
By the Year of Chasms (633 DR), Demron had spent the last three years creating his final baneblade as the symbolic weapon for the leader of the Akh’Velahr. The human wizard was found dead, slumped over his worktable and the flickering magic of his greatest work. It was later rumored that some thief used this last baneblade to kill him (a rumor spread by one who did not know the true origin for the blades’ names), but most believe he died of overexertion and the exhaustion of casting such deep enchantments.
Another misconception and curiosity about the baneblades are this collective and human name for them. While some still believe an old wives’ tale that they were so named because they proved to be the bane of their creator, it is the loose and liberal translation of their elvish that give them their collective name. As Demron explained to the elves carving the hilts of these weapons, each sword was for a certain type of wielder, and it would have certain powers along certain themes to be reflected in the hilts. In fact, the elf whitesmiths were often the ones to name the blades before enchanting had even begun, thus their elvish names. Since the first two swords were named with “-athil,” an elvish suffix meaning Evaelathil “bane,” the dwarves and many of Demron’s assistants took to calling the swords “baneblades”. Even before the third blade was finished and its suffix of “-vian” (“boon”) countered the others, too much word of mouth saw the baneblades adopted as their semiofficial collective name. Though their truenames sometimes mean otherwise, all the swords have a “bane” name by which they are most commonly known to humans and other non-elves.
For some reason, these swords have generated far more than the usual mantle of rumors and speculations, and even now apparently have some great hidden secret. A popular myth created by a bard from Myth Drannor a century after the Fall claims “Demron and the Coronal had an intricate and secret plan, whereas six swords would be made, one each for life, love, Art, death, hate, and war. The magic of each sword would be mighty, but were ever all six united, a great lost secret of Myth Drannor would be revealed, and elf and N’Tel’Quess alike would understand the truth of the Coronal’s and Demron’s dreams.”
All of Demron’s created blades share these powers and abilities.
It is unknown if Demron built the swords this way at someone’s
(the Coronal’s?) direction or if he had a number of standard
enchantments when creating items. It is known that he made a
set of daggers keyed only for him with some of these powers and
the ability to constantly dance about, as if having the combined
powers of dancing swords but moving more like ioun stones,
their orbits continually weaving around him.
Alignment: All baneblades are of good alignment, and the
swords’ powers are tied to their wielders’ alignments. If an
evil person grasps a baneblade and tries to use it, the sword’s
magic goes dormant, and its ever-present flames flicker out
and die. The magic can be restored only by the touch of a
good assigned wielder (see below).
Fire Control and Resistance: When the sword and its wielder
are within 20 feet of an open flame, they can manipulate
flames by will as if using an affect normal fires spell. If the
sword is thrown into a fire without being held by its wielder,
it simply snuffs the fire automatically (though magical fires
get a saving throw against this effect).
Friendflames: Any intelligent creatures that enter the radius of light
emitted by Flamebane suffer the identical effects of a friends spell (reaction
check against enhanced Charisma, 9th-level THAC0). Any creatures of animal or
lower Intelligence automatically become docile and do not attack the wielder
unless wounded or controlled by magic or psionics.
Assigned Welders: Each baneblade was created either for a
particular race or type of character (warrior, wizard). In the hands of its
correct wielder, the baneblade grants its wielder
the THAC0 of his next XP level (i.e., an 8th-level fighter uses etc.).
If a baneblade wielder is not among its
assigned users (i.e., a thief swinging a warrior’s blade), that
person fights with a THAC0 of one level lower (an 8th-level
PC uses a 7th-level THAC0).
Combat Bonuses: All the baneblades apply a +4 bonus to
attack and damage rolls. This bonus also applies for saving
throw rolls when the sword is in hand.
Light/Corona of Flames: All baneblades flicker with magical fire along the blade whenever drawn. The flames “burn” things that Demron deemed “wrong’‘—any undead creatures, beings not native to the Prime Material Plane, or evil-aligned creatures. These targets suffer double the base damage of the weapon (i.e., a 1d8+4 long sword deals 2d8+4 damage vs. undead, and so on). These magical fires are also equivalent to torchlight for lighting purposes (30’-radius).
Each of the baneblades has at least three other powers beyond the above abilities. While some have parallel abilities even there, each has one power all its own that serves its primary theme, purpose, or wielder. While powerful and unique, these swords are not hereditary or keyed to a specific person or bloodline, like moonblades.
While all of the powers (both standard and individual)
respond to spoken command words, an assigned wielder who has
wielded the blade for more than a month can mentally will and
command the blade’s powers. As they were created for the military
of Cormanthyr, most (if not lost) remain in the service of the
Akh’Velahr or Akh’Faer long after the Fall of Myth Drannor. The
swords are fully detailed below in order of their creation.
A.K.A.: “Flamebane”; the Blade of Hate; the Scoutblade; the
Halfling’s Blade.
Assigned Welders: Halfling (any class); implied wielder was
second-in-command of the Akh’Velahr scouts.
Sword Type: Short sword.
Flame Corona: Green.
Description: This short sword is a clean piece of dwarf forge
art, and the hilt is the shortest of all the baneblades, fitted
exclusively for halflings. The entire hilt is shaped like a miniature
shadowtop tree, with the leafy crown as the seat of the
blade. Its emerald-green blade flames are cool to the touch.
History: Evaelathil means “nemesis of intensity” or “enemy of affection,” but it was not created to be a powerful weapon of darkness and abhorrence. Demron created this to be an equalizer between its wielder and any aggressive foe, more in terms of using an enemy’s hate against itself than fueling a wielder with it. Always created with the halflings in mind, the sword is as they are, at balance with nature, where there is no excess of emotion, only contentment or lack thereof.
This weapon saw 29 wielders in the 35 decades between its creation and the Fall, since either the halflings’ natures drove them to retire from their posts and allow another to succeed them or they died in the line of duty. At the time of the Weeping War, the Akh’Velahr scout Ellidor Snowtoes (NG halfm T9) bore Evaelathil proudly throughout the war until his death at the Honorsgate War in Myth Drannor. Someone stole the blade from his corpse and secreted it out of Myth Drannor.
Sense of Nature: Within a 200-yard radius of Evaeathil, the
wielder can sense the emotions and feelings of intelligent
beings (Intelligence 3 and up), including some animals. In general,
this power is nonspecific and only allows the wielder to
sense emotions from a compass point direction. Stronger emotions
and responses (including pain) allow the wielder to gauge
approximate numbers and approximate distance (in terms of
up to 50 yards, 100 yards, or 200 yards away from the wielder).
A.K.A.: “Plaguebane”; the Blade of Life; the Trooper’s Blade;
Dwarfblade.
Assigned Welders: Dwarf (any class); implied wielder was in
command of Akh’Velahr shock troops under the Arms-Captain
(Akh’Velahr’s second-in-command).
Sword Type: Short sword.
Flame Corona: Orange.
Description: This blade is gripped by a wide, heavy hilt wellsuited
for a dwarf and the blade itself is thicker and heavier
than Evaeathil, well suited for a dwarf’s heavier swing and
slash. The blade’s seat is a head, split along the line of the
blood groove with one half as an exposed skull and the other
a smiling face (though not one specifically of any race). The
quillons under the healthy face are entangled ivy, while the
quillons under the skull-side of the blade are a morass of
skeletal bones and limbs. The blade’s flames are isolated on
the upper two-thirds of the blade, though orange flames frequently
flash within the eyes of the pommel head/skull and
flash up the blade into the corona.
History: While undead were not often a major concern among the central woods around Myth Drannor, there were a number of areas to the north and east where skeletons and other abominations roamed far more commonly than was normal
Demron, believing correctly that dwarves are notorious undead-haters, crafted this blade as ordered for a dwarf officer, but imbued its special undead-battling talents to complement dwarf attitudes and the task at hand. Thus, Mhaorathil is the baneblade most focused against a particular type of foe; thus, the name of “Corruption’s Bane” is fitting for its cleansing flames and singlemindedness against abominations.
Mhaorathil has rested in only one wielder’s hand throughout its entire existence: Battlemaster Vuth Steelire (CG dm F11). The mastermind behind the Northdark Skirmishes and the hero of the Mythal’s Mettle Campaign, Vuth was a loud, brash, arrogant dwarf with no patience for politics or prejudices. Despite the many faults the elves (especially the nobles) tried to lay at his feet, Vuth’s honor and ability to inspire troops of all creeds outshone any reproof or conspiracies until long after the Fall.
Curing Flames: When placed in the hands of any good-aligned
creature, the flames of the sword can flare up and burn away
any disease (including mummy rot) within the holder and cure
1d6 hit points of damage. This power can be used twice per
day, but only once per person, including its wielder.
Flare: Mhaorathil can project a burst of flame into a 5’-radius
from the sword and its wielder. The flames are harmless to all
things except undead. The fireflare itself acts to repel undead
as if the dwarf were a 5th-level priest; if the wielder is actually
a priest, this effect (if used while turning undead) adds
five levels to the priest’s normal effectiveness against undead.
Any undead that actually contact the flames incur 1d4 points
of damage (save vs. spell for half), though these flames only
last for one round.
Undead Wounding: Mhaorathil acts similar to a sword of
wounding when used against undead. Successful hits on an
undead creature inflict the standard baneblade damage
(2d6+4+Str bonus), but Mhaorathil leaves small flickering
flames in the wounds. These flames inflict an automatic 1d3
hit points of damage in each successive round for the next ten
rounds. These cannot be extinguished by any normal means
(such as water, sand, smothering, etc.), though dispel magic
does cancel them. Damage inflicted by Mhaorathil on undead
creatures also must be healed normally, rather than by
potions or spells, since it feeds on and depletes the Negative
Plane energy that fuels the undead.
Description: Easily the most impressive and flashy of the baneblades,
Morvian also is the largest at six feet in length. The
blade itself is a single forged piece of mithral, its honed edges
carved to appear as flames. Most believe the blade is also
gold-plated, though that may come from its constant goldenyellow
flame corona. The hilt is a masterwork of elf whitesmithing;
from a core of steel, gold and bronze wirework
entwine and alternate with the dark gray steel work to make
the elongated hilt appear to be a snake with scales of three
different metals. Its tail wraps around to form the seat of the
blade, and the quillons are carved bands of the three metals
shaped like licking flames.
History: Given the size and length of the sword, Morvian was always intended as a cavalry officers blade, its long reach most useful when the wielder is astride a mount. While most believed this blade was created for human hands only (like its two racially limited predecessors), it was to be assigned specifically to one of the cavalry’s two top officers. For strategic reasons, Demron chose to make Morvian more powerful than the others, and thus he gave it a test similar to an elfblade or a moonblade. In other words, while many might desire to wield it, few were worthy enough to do so. Thus was the fate of the three gold elf thieves who tried to steal the blade from Demron before it was presented to “a foul hairy ape of a human”. Unfortunately, it also happened to the human lieutenant chosen to draw it first, and the blade came into the grasp of Itham “the Dragonfriend,” a human paladin who had befriended the young gold dragon Haklashara from the western mountains near the old Rystall Woods. Lieutenant Itham wielded Morvian for 40 years, and then died violently in an aerial battle over Myth Drannor against two black dragons (with seven dragons assaulting the mythal, probing for weaknesses) in the Year of the Nightsun.
After the death of Itham “Dragonfriend,” his great blade Morvian and his mount and friend Haklashara the Gold fell near his second-in-command and lover Lady Ahskahala Durothil. One of few gold elves to respect (and dare to love) humans, Ahskahala was respected by her troops and their mounts far more than her noble House and clan. She retrieved Morvian from where it fell, knowing full well it might harm her, and she took to the skies and brought the battle to a close without even a mount to help her. Due to her long friendship with Haklashara and her defense of him while wounded, Ahskahala became the gold dragon’s next rider and the leader of the Wing and Horn.
In more than 300 years, only one other being besides Lady Durothil has touched this blade, let alone wielded it, and that is her dragon companion Haklashara. Some witnesses swear the gold dragon uses a polymorphed form of a male elf and wields Morvian as easily as the commander; as this is a serious breach of etiquette and both beings are known as lawful and loyal officers of the realm, these stories are dismissed as idle rumors.
Combat Bonuses: Morvian was forged as a blade to combat
chaos and evil, and specifically it was to defeat the embodiment
of chaos and evil in red dragons. Thus, if used against opponents
as noted below, the baneblades’ combat bonuses increase:
chaotic foes: +5 attack/damage
evil foes: +6 attack/damage
chaotic evil foes: +7 attack/damage
CE red dragons: +8 attack/6d6+4 damage
Bladerite: The person who draws this blade from its scabbard is immediately judged by the magic of the great sword itself. If the wielder is not of good moral alignment, the blade becomes far too heavy for the wielder to lift, and then the yellow flames erupt along the person’s arms. The wielder’s arms become withered and nigh-useless (Strength 4) for 1d10 years (treat as a curse, not a standard magic effect). If a drow should touch this drawn blade’s hilt, he needs to make a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon at a -4 penalty or the yellow flames engulf the wielder and reduce him to dust instantly. A drow of good alignment makes the saving throw without penalties, but failure to save shares the same result.
Magic Resistance: Morvian's wielder gains a 50% magic resistance
for up to 10 rounds per day, once activated by silent act
of will. At all other times, whether the sword is drawn or not
(but within five feet), the wielder gains the baneblade's standard
+4 saving throw bonus vs. magic.
Sunfires: Once per day, Morvian's yellow flame corona can be
commanded to expand visually to a radius of 60 feet around
the sword, though it takes the flames a round to spread out
that far. In effect, it often appears that the wielder and her
mount are enshrouded in translucent yellow flames, a fearsome
effect in battle! For all intents and purposes, the light is
equal to sunlight (including all harmful against undead, drow,
and other creatures), and does not hinder the visual sight of
the wielder or any creatures used to sunlight. The sunfires last
for 10 rounds and then recede back into the blade corona.
Description: The long sword, unlike the others with intricate hilts of different metals, appears as if it were forged from a single, solid piece of burnished steel. The hilt is elongated, just like all elven blades, though its smooth, simple twisted design was done merely to give a good gripping surface.
Strangely, the blade has no quillons, though the hilt obviously
stops at the rounded blade seat. The top of the hilt is a large,
perfectly spherical eye for the blade seat. The carved eye’s
pupil only appears on one side at once, though it always faces
outward away from the wielder. Some dismiss this effect as
merely how the wielder holds it, while others swear the eye
actually roves along that sphere, and when its magic are activated,
the eye flashes purple, just like the blade’s flames. The
blade itself is quite strong, though its weight seems to be
about half what a long sword normally weighs.
History: In the Year of the Empty Helm (462 DR), after two years of work, Demron completed Faervian, the fourth baneblade and the only one for the Akh’Faer to replace the long-lost Artblade. Josidiah Starym returned to Myth Drannor in the Year of the Nomad (674 DR) with the Spell-Major’s original blade of office, the ary’faern’kerym or Artblade in hand. The bladesinger took his rightful place as the Spell-Major of the Akh’Faer, and Faervian’s wielder—Paeris Haladar—drops to the Spell Captain’s second-in-command position. Fifteen years later, Paeris attempted to reclaim his place as Major, but the Artblade found him unworthy and stripped him of all magical power and ability.
Josidiah named Phyrra Iliathorr, a moon elf bladesinger, as Faervian’s new wielder. Phyrra wielded the blade until her ignoble death in the Battle of Fallen Flight. Acting as the point in a flying-V formation of soaring elves, Captain Phyrra was among the first to fall as the mythal’s powers corrupted under the increased presence of yugoloths in its midst. Their strategy to strafe the yugoloths engulfing the main streets shattered, the elves fell from a great height, and few rose (painfully) from where they landed. The traitor-mage Nezras, fully in the thrall of Aulmpiter and his Army of Darkness, cast dig, earthquake, and sink spells on the elves, including Phyrra, entombing the noble defenders and their equipment (including Faervian) deep beneath the crumbling Towers of Song.
Armathor's Armor Rest: If commanded, the purple flames of the blade engulf the caster; this power requires one round to activate. With only a -4 penalty to initiative in the following round, the caster can step to one side, leaving any spellcasting hindrances such as armor and the sword itself within the flames, and cast spells with a casting time of 4 or less. This power creates a flaming mannequin upon which floats the wielder’s armor; it can be stepped into as easily as removed, but if another creature other than the previous wearer touches the armor or flames, they suffer 4d6 points of damage (even if immune to fire), and the armor clatters to the ground.
This power was often used when the Spell-Major went into
major battles armored, and this power quickly divests the
armor to allow full spellcasting capabilities. The armor rest
lasts for the ten rounds, after which the armor clatters to the
ground, and the flames dissipate. This power can be activated
at will up to three times per day.
Prismatic Pyre: With a command word from its wielder once
per day, Faervian could launch itself up to 50 feet away and
balance itself point down on a surface. Then, its flames
poured along the surface in a many-colored flood and covered
all areas of the surface out to a 30’ radius around the
sword, creating a flaming surface for one turn per tenday. If
any creatures stood on the flames holding or carrying metal
weapons, they needed to make saving throws vs. magic for
each item or the weapon(s) were thrown outside the circle of
flames (magical weapons get saving throws vs. this effect).
For those creatures without innate spellcasting abilities, the
flames affect them as a slow spell. In effect, this fiery platform
clears away all nonwizardly opposition.
Spell-slashes: Thrice per day, the wielder can cast a contactrange spell and store it within the blade for up to six hours. At a later time (whether the following round or five hours after casting), the wielder can activate the spell and have its magic among the flames of the sword. Then, if the sword makes a successful hit within a round of recalling the spell, it takes effect on the target in addition to the blade’s standard damage.
Only one spell can be stored in the blade at once; if a second spell is cast into the blade, the first spell is lost, and its effects are wasted.
Description: Dragathil is an atypical long sword with a slightly
curved blade and a slim row of rubies inset along the blade’s
center length. Its basket hilt is made of an oddly-tinted rosy
steel, and the basket itself appears as a trio of harps intertwined
with roses and thorns. It is subtly crafted so humans
can wield it with hands inside the basket, while elves would
grasp the blade around the outside of the basket (and magical
solid-as-steel quillons are formed from the flame corona at the
touch of an elf to protect his hand from harm in battle). The
red-dragon-scale leather wrap on the short pommel accentuates
the red color of the hilt, as do the red flames of the blade.
History: At the behest of the elves among the Akh’Velahr, the Coronal had Dragathil created as a sword of office for the Arms-Major. A number of gold elf families tried to impress upon Demron the need for an elf-specific sword, like Evaelathil and Mhaorathil, though Demron kept his word to the Coronal never to create a divisive sword for the elves—they had the elfblades and moonblades and that was enough. Unknown to the Arms-Major, the Coronal asked Demron to enchant a sword to promote peace, alliance, and love rather than violence and dominance. And Dragathil, the “bane of hatred,” was forged and enchanted in the Year of the Gored Griffon (574 DR).
Tragically, 16 years later in the Year of the Turning Leaf, Major Pirphal died while hunting a marauding black dragon along with 24 of his patrol scouts. The black dragon Crinabnahor, due to heightened and vengeful patrols, abandoned its raids on Cormanthor and fled to its mountain hoard west of Dragon Sea with Dragathil and other items. Many a young elf warrior went in search of Dragathil over the next centuries, all to no avail.
Hold Person: Three times per day, Dragathil’s wielder can
cast hold person at his own level or as a 9th-level mage
(whichever is higher). The hold person effect leaves a light
layer of harmless flames around the character, allowing
Dragathil's owner the chance to speak peaceably
with attackers. If anyone should attempt to attack held
and helpless targets, the attack is successful, but minimal
damage (1 point per die) is done to the target while the
attacker takes the rest of the rolled damage (including all
Strength and magical bonuses) as the magical flames rush up
the weapon and cause a backlash for “breaking the peace.”
Crystal Parry: Once per day, this power can be unleashed
against nonmagical (or evil-aligned and magical) metal weapons.
The wielder must parry an oncoming hand-to-hand metal
weapon attack (i.e., forfeit attacks and add half the XP level
to her AC, and failed attack by foe meaning a successful
parry). Once the power is activated, it remains in effect until
a successful parry. The parried metal weapon suffers all the
effects of a crystalbrittle spell, and is often shattered by the
next attack by Dragathil's wielder.
Dancing Sword: Dragathil acts in all ways as a standard
sword of dancing with a +4 combat bonus.
Forgiving Fires: On an unmodified attack roll of 18 or better, the wielder can choose to unleash forgiving fires upon the head and heart of the target, twice per day. Flames snake off the blade and surround the head and the torso over the target’s heart. Within the flames, the target is unharmed, but he is subject to powerful spectral force and fire charm effects. If a successful saving throw is not made against the spectral force, the target believes he has been teleported to safety and into a very desirable situation (whatever that entails for that target). In this case, the fire charm holds him motionless for its duration or until the target is attacked again. If the first save is successful, the target character realizes he is surrounded by harmless flames but is fascinated and immobile (by the fire charm) unless this saving throw is successful. Even if both spells fail to hold a target long, they are distracting enough to incur a +3 initiative penalty to the target.
Description: This long-hilted bastard sword has a 6’-long massive kris blade (wavy edges) treated with blueshine to give it a deep azure hue and permanent shine with a resistance to acids and rust. The hilt, also treated with blueshine, appears as the body of a blue dragon, its body and tail forming the pommel while its jaws clamped firmly on the massive blade to make the blade’s seat and its outspread wings creating the great serrated quillons. The horns of the dragon are diamonds, but no other precious gems adorn the blade or hilt.
Feather Fall: Any character touching Keryvian and up to
eight characters touching him or the blade are protected by
automatic feather fall defenses when falling.
Guardian: Foebane can be commanded to “guard” whenever
held or touched by its owner. If the owner ceases to touch it
after the order is given, the blade remains vigilant; if the next
entity to physically touch the blade is not the owner, the
sword emits a very loud singing sound as it animates and
attacks that entity. The sword levitates about at MV Fl 24 (A),
strikes with a THAC0 6, and should be considered as having
77 hit points when it is striking by itself (damage just knocks
it about, and does not permanently damage to the blade). The
guarding sword attacks the entity that touched it until it does
20 hit points of damage, the entity dies, or its owner reclaims
it. This power helps guard against the theft of the blade from
a sleeping owner.
Jump: Activated at will, Keryvian has the power to jump
with up to three beings twice per day.
Lifedrink: Once per day, Foebane can “drink” life force, when
in use and ordered to do so. After this power is activated, the
next successful attack made inflicts double its normal damage—and
these points are gained by the blade-wielder, as hit
points for healing only. The blade-wielder gains no extra hit
points in this way, and the blade cannot drain more hit points
than a target has (if zero is reached, the target dies, but is
never made undead).
Magic Reflection: Foebane reflects magic cast at it or at its wielder: Each round, roll 1d8. If a hostile magical item discharges or spell effects are of a level lower than the roll, they are completely reflected back at their source. If their levels are higher, they have their normal effect on their target. If the roll and the spell level are a tie, both the sword-wielder and the source of the hostile magic are affected (50% reflection) for half damage or half the normal results. If the nature of the spell makes this result impossible, a “wild magic” effect occurs instead.
The flame corona varies from sky blue with white highlights
to deep midnight blue with purple highlights, depending on
how light-hearted or angry the wielder is.
History: The last of the baneblades of Demron, Keryvian, the blade of Battle, was forged to become the new symbol for the Arms- Major after the loss of Dragathil after less than two decades.
While its use only graced Myth Drannor and Cormanthyr for barely more than eight decades, Keryvian, or Foebane to the humans, is the most famous and reputedly most powerful of all six baneblades. This is due to its significance to the Fall of Myth Drannor, since the legendary blade fell to Fflar, the legendary Last Captain of Myth Drannor, and it felled the Grand Commander of the Army of Darkness!
After many long years, Demron completed Keryvian, but died soon after his work on the blade was complete. Arms-Major Kelvhan Olortynnal took up the blade and wielded it well for 81 years until his fall at the Battle of Crownfrost Capture in the City. Many of his officers saw him and his Arms-Captain fall to attacks by a horde of mezzolths, though one enraged officer broke their ranks and retrieved their corpses. In the rush, the young commander had picked up Faervian with no apparent regard for his safety, and the troops recognized this as a battlefield promotion by the Seldarine. Whether the young commander wished it or not, his troops called him Captain Fflar (“Captain of True Valor”) and looked to him for direction in a hopeless battle. The Captain lifted Foebane aloft and led the retreat from the lost battle, saving 400 out of the defending forces of 1,200 allies. The Highfire Crown Captain Fflar bore Foebane for only 19 days, but his brief time saw many great accomplishments of which many still sing ballads today. He rallied the demoralized elves, commanded five more victories against the Army of Darkness, and engineered the escape of nearly 1,000 more elves trapped in the falling city by the hordes. Fflar died in heroic battle on the 15th day of Flamerule, when Foebane’s Last Strike ended the Bane Duels battle, Aulmpiter’s control of the Army of Darkness, and the nycaloth commander’s life. That saved the day and the battle for the allies, but for all its power and all Fflar’s skiIl, Foebane could not save Myth Drannor. After the death of Fflar, neither Keryvian nor the bodies of the Last Captain or Aulmpiter could be recovered; all that was found was a blast point amid a huge array of over 20 dead mezzoloths and lesser nycaloths.
With this mysterious end providing no answers, many more abilities have been rumored to be hidden within the blade Foebane since the Fall. Of course, history has forgotten the mages and bladesingers that stood with Fflar nearly to the last, and many of the blade’s rumored powers could be attributed more rightly to others’ spells than to Keryvian. Much of the lore arose from Captain Fflar’s own heroism and the stand he took. As his position was merely a battlefield promotion made in desperation, little is truly known about Captain Fflar beyond the fact that he was the last officer of the Akh’Velahr standing within Myth Drannor at the end. It can be corroborated that he alone slew no less than 12 nycaloths in the final battle, including the Grand Commander of the Darkness, Aulmpiter, even though legends have him fighting heroically atop a mound of hundreds of yugoloths!
[From Fall of Myth Drannor by Steven E. Schend; ©1998, TSR.]