Axe of Bazantot

The fable of the Axe of Bazantot is often told to Ice Dwarf youth by their parents. Most Ice Dwarves utterly believe in the truth of this legend, skeptics from abroad belittle this tale incredibly. The idea that one axe could turn the tide of a continent-spanning war seems farcical. Still, there is a large population of dwarves who look for this axe, with not one appropriator yet.

Summary

Thousands of years ago, in the windswept peaks of Stoketou, a young dwarf found a gleaming axe on the ground. This was after a skirmish with the Yasa during the war between the ice dwarves and the Yasas and everything was covered in soot. But this axe was gleaming in the rubble and the snow. This young dwarf's name was Banmor, and he was the future saviour of the ice dwarves. Banmor originally picked up this axe for self-defence, but soon found everything going his way. Any enemy touched by this blade was instantly slain, and this one axe helped turn the tide in the war between the Ice Dwarves and the Yasas. Eventually, Banmor perished, and with no kin to inherit the axe, it was given to the tribe leader. After passing hands many times, it was lost, and no one has ever seen it since. however, hopefuls still believe that it is still out there, somewhere in northern Blei, waiting for the next worthy Ice Dwarf to come and claim it.

Historical Basis

This is a hotly debated myth throughout a lot of Blei and northern Orune, and the consensus is that Banmor was probably a real dwarf. The axe is the element no one can agree with. Around a third of people, mainly dwarves and people who live near them, believe that the entirety of the legend is true. The other side, comprised of human scholars, elf historians, and pretty much all Yasas say that even if Banmor did have an axe, it was an ordinary one, and Banmor was most likely just an adept warrior.

Spread

People outside of Blei typically do not know of this myth's existence. The exemption is the northern end of Orune, such as Xarnonia, with large dwarf settlements. All ice dwarves, no matter location, know of this tale.

Variations & Mutation

Rather a lot of this story has been metamorphosed over the millennia. Everything for Banmor's name(some other names are Bonmor, Bongod, Bankad, Bannur, Damdok, Karman, Bannyl, and Rotdam). The axe's title is Bazantot(the dwarvish word for luck). This widely accepted as true, but is sometimes changed to Bloth(the dwarvish word for blood).

Cultural Reception

The myth of the axe of Bazantot is paramount to Ice Dwarf culture. It is taught to children at a young age, and Banmor is almost deified in their narrative. This myth is paradoxical to the Yasa. It represents their loss to the Ice Dwarves and as such is hidden away. Most young Yasas are completely uneducated in this legend and it would be completely gone if it was not referenced by every Ice Dwarf whenever they are conversing with Yasa.

In Literature

Many novels have been written about this topic. Dwarvish books tend to be more fairy-tale-like and stuff as much drama, real or invented, into the novel as they can. On the other end of the spectrum are the textbooks that break down the legend, normally concluding that it is complete fiction, maybe inspired by some actual historic event.

Date of First Recording

Not known

Date of Setting

Around 5000 years ago.

Related Ethnicities