Amun's Sword
Excerpt from Egan Nassow's 'Curios of Shahar'
"It was the other night that I met an intriguing fellow at the bar of an inn–a location where one most often meets these kinds of folk–and I felt that he might have wonderful stories to share. I was sitting in the corner of the inn–I believe it was the Platinum Dragon Inn in Ras-Amra–when he entered the main room. He was a large figure, indeed, with arms at least twice the width of my own and hulking metal shoulder spaulders adorning the plate armor he wore. When he sat down at the bar, I joined him and paid for a spread for the two of us. Fortunately, he was delighted to have his meal paid for and was not offended at my offering. He was not surprised when I inquired about his line of work. He was a sell-sword specializing in obtaining dangerous goods. Artifacts, heirlooms, lost magic-items, he worked for people who needed something found and did not want to risk their own lives getting it. I asked him to regale me with a story of one such item. Any one from his memory that would sate the appetite of a wandering adventurer. So he told me the story, as he knew it, of Amun’s Sword. King Amun, an ancient leader of the country I now traveled. He reigned when Shahar was just a small human nation sitting, as many other smaller nations did, between two of the strongest and largest nations on the continent, Ungolheim of the Dwarves and the Elven Conglomerate. Over the course of one year, King Amun, with the help of the halflings and dragonborn, fought back against the dwarves and the elves. King Amun was said to fight on the front lines risking his life with his soldiers during every battle. Before the battle, he gave immaculate speeches to raise the morale of his men. At the end of his speeches, shortly before charging, he would unsheathe his sword and thousands of men and women saw it glow with a golden light. As they watched him charge the enemy head-on, they felt the unquenchable urge to follow him into battle for the sake of their country. Within the year, the human army had pushed the dwarves back to the Sandstone Alps and the elves retreated back through the Slatgroove Pass. With a majority of the continent conquered and the year coming to close, King Amun announced the beginning of a new era.”
"It was the other night that I met an intriguing fellow at the bar of an inn–a location where one most often meets these kinds of folk–and I felt that he might have wonderful stories to share. I was sitting in the corner of the inn–I believe it was the Platinum Dragon Inn in Ras-Amra–when he entered the main room. He was a large figure, indeed, with arms at least twice the width of my own and hulking metal shoulder spaulders adorning the plate armor he wore. When he sat down at the bar, I joined him and paid for a spread for the two of us. Fortunately, he was delighted to have his meal paid for and was not offended at my offering. He was not surprised when I inquired about his line of work. He was a sell-sword specializing in obtaining dangerous goods. Artifacts, heirlooms, lost magic-items, he worked for people who needed something found and did not want to risk their own lives getting it. I asked him to regale me with a story of one such item. Any one from his memory that would sate the appetite of a wandering adventurer. So he told me the story, as he knew it, of Amun’s Sword. King Amun, an ancient leader of the country I now traveled. He reigned when Shahar was just a small human nation sitting, as many other smaller nations did, between two of the strongest and largest nations on the continent, Ungolheim of the Dwarves and the Elven Conglomerate. Over the course of one year, King Amun, with the help of the halflings and dragonborn, fought back against the dwarves and the elves. King Amun was said to fight on the front lines risking his life with his soldiers during every battle. Before the battle, he gave immaculate speeches to raise the morale of his men. At the end of his speeches, shortly before charging, he would unsheathe his sword and thousands of men and women saw it glow with a golden light. As they watched him charge the enemy head-on, they felt the unquenchable urge to follow him into battle for the sake of their country. Within the year, the human army had pushed the dwarves back to the Sandstone Alps and the elves retreated back through the Slatgroove Pass. With a majority of the continent conquered and the year coming to close, King Amun announced the beginning of a new era.”
Summary
Amun's Sword was the fabled weapon the king used in his war against the dwarves and elves. It is said that the sword inspired the men that fought under its wielder. Amun lead soldiers into battle himself, usually at the head of the army. Military tacticians for hundreds of years have tried to make sense of how he won a war on two fronts from the elves and dwarves. Some say that even with the sword, King Amun was only one man and the human army should not have been enough. Some say that the sword guarantees victory against one's adversary. Others say it was an artifact of the gods. Since Amun's death in year 5 of the new era, the sword's whereabouts have been unknown. The royal family has made many claims of ignorance towards its final resting place, but many still remain skeptical.
Variations & Mutation
The exact abilities of the sword have never been confirmed. Historians during King Amun's time speculated that the blade enhanced his oral abilities as a way to ease the soldiers under his command. Over time the magnitude of the sword's powers increased, as did the man who wielded it. People began to talk of Amun as a man turned to god and his sword being the focus of his divine powers. In its current iteration, the sword is coveted by those seeking the power to wage war. They believe that the sword hold powers ranging from anti-infantry to sieging abilities.
In Art
Many painters of the time have left behind their renditions of King Amun leading troops into battle. It was a popular subject matter at the time as many artists created their own version to measure up to their peers.
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