Cursed Ice Sword of Sahn

From Valwiki

(History is well placed, said by Phantos. Gryffon approves of it.) (Approved by Mermillo)

Background

Upon the first snow fall and ice over the northern side of the planet, the recently created humanoids were in panic. Having not the knowledge of the freezing cold temperatures of their world, many began to freeze to death. But there were also those who began to adapt. They created simple weapons like sharpened sticks and stone to slay down the native animals, cutting them clean of their skin and wearing them to keep from getting cold. These weapons were crude, not exactly effective as most were used to bash against an animals skull some number of times to slay it.

Now, around the other side of this frozen land were humanoids who had also learned how to use the fur of animals as protection. This tribe saw the ice and snow as a wonder, something their gods had created to separate all those who were too weak to survive; survival of the fittest. So they began to collect ice for ritual purposes. Breaking it apart and carving it in to shapes most amusing to them. This tribe, not the smartest as they were only recently created, began to excavate underground, taking any and all ice they could find under the surface. They headed downwards into the frozen core of the mountain. The deeper they went the stranger things they began to unearth. Gems and diamonds were not a rarity, though they were mistaken for mere rock and ice back then.

Soon, they arrived in the middle of a vast cavern of strange dark blue hued ice. The cave began to shake, as it seems without any supports for the massive tunnel they created, it was going to collapse and break apart. Though, the tribe still interested in this ice, harvested two large chunks of the strange ice and hurried up their tunnel. It would be difficult, of course, trying to climb up a tunnel with a floor made of pure ice. They lost a good number of their tribe in the collapse, losing one of the blue ice chunks in the process. The rest managed to make it out alive with one of their prizes however.

The blue ice was celebrated every night at sun down, the tribe making it a symbol for the day that their tribe mates had been killed in the discovery of this strange substance. Another moment of their gods displaying the concept of survival of the fittest.

Years passed, and the old ways of the tribe began to diminish. The worshiping of the blue ice became just a meager burden as the new generations began to change things. They began to get barbaric, the generations seemed to become more and more thirsty for battle. The two largest populations on this mountain; the two ONLY separate communities on this mountain began to wage war over territory. They complained that one side had more food and refused to share, while the other had more land and refused to share.

It was soon, that the blue hued ice was desecrated by the tribe. The skilled artisans and sculptors of the tribe crafted the ice into a weapon. As this happened, however, the great goddess Sahn was furious. She was angered that these first people, after so many years of worship and peace, would dare craft her creation into a weapon for war. However, as a cunning mistress, she granted upon the newly forged ice a power, but also a curse. Granting power over the ice at the users disposal but at the cost of feeling any sort of action that was taken against any created ice. If the conjured ice was pierced; the wielder would feel such pain. If it was struck with a mallet, the wielder would feel such pain. The tribe used the power of the sword unwittingly. This new found magic needed only to be demonstrated to the other tribe, scaring them in to submission and into giving up their lands and food, allowing the wielder of the blade and his tribe to take over.

The sword was passed down through generations, all suffering from the effects of the blades curse, but not able to pass on the knowledge of it to the next of kin because of their lack of control. Conjuring ice that was so easily destroyed, they destroyed themselves. Thousands of years passed and the blade was lost to history until, a group of wandering Imkana happened upon the blade inside a frozen cavern that was riddled with prehistoric wall drawings. The walls told a story of a great power that surfaced throughout the frozen north throughout the years, but was unclear as to what that power was, exactly. Rallican Kelzonar, one of the younger council members and scholar took this sword to study it's worth and perhaps find out it's origins. Rallican, and the other council members used the blade, and it's power, only for their own research and not for battle. Which was a first, because this way, in picking up this sword without the intent to shed blood, they were able to learn about the cursed power and live to tell it's tale.

The council members decided that a blade such as this is not one without greatness. They developed a method to counteract the cursed effects of the blade; enchanting it with a spell that would disintegrate any ice that had been conjured by the sword without any repercussions at the wielders whim. In order for this effect to work, however, the wielder must use the enchanted ability a few moments after conjuring the ice. The sword was entrusted to the Kelzonar family tree, entrusting it to them for the safe keeping of this artifact, as it was a Kelzonar who discovered it's abilities.

Generations of Kelzonars passed, and who have safe guarded the sword. As a safely guarded artifact of the Imkana people, if a Kelzonar were to lose possession of this sword for any reason, they are banished from the Cavern that houses the other Imkana, until the artifact is recovered by them. To the wielder, this artifact is worth more than their own life, and any others. A fate that can not be escaped from the time a Kelzonar is born.