The Sword of Accords
One of the weirder and funnier aspects of international relations in Útgarðar is the Sword of Accords. The sword itself is a intricately carved longsword encrusted with jewels and electroplated with silver. It is magical and has a few powers but it is almost never used in combat. For the sword's true purpose to act as a symbol of agreement.
When two great Jarls or other leaders need to make an agreement, treaty, or other pact they trade the sword upon completing negotiation. This came from an old tradition of the greater power in an contract giving to the lesser a weapon to show their honesty. Now, as no side wants to admit they are the lesser power, each state who initiates negotiations will give the receiving power the sword.
Now there are some problems with this. For one there is no guarantee that someone wanting to have a meeting will have the sword. That's easy one ruler can just buy it from another for some ridiculousness amount, usually something funny like a pickled herring, a twig from a tree, or a roasted mouse. It has become a competition to come up with the weirdest possible request for the sword.
Now if they don't want to buy the sword or just don't have the time to they can give a IOU along with the agreement. This has led each nation, minus the elven ones, to have a pile of IOU one Sword notes. The dwarves of Hammerdeep, who take their contracts very seriously, semi-seriously send out requests for the sword every year to the other powers.
No one knows where the sword came from. Some say it was made by the dwarves but they deny it and say the elves made it, Araqar denies it and says it was made by Hollow Oak says the opposite. Everyone can agree that its a really good sword though.
Powers wise it is enchanted and made of an unknown metal covered in pretense silver that has never chipped even after the hundreds of years of its use. The only reason people know its not made of silver is someone once casted a Detect Metal spell on it and found it was made of exotic material. The blade is able to cut through most armors, defensive spells, and materials. Anything short of tempered steel, mythril, or adamantine is dented by the blade.
The blade has shown the power to break through defensive enchantments and counter spells cast on the battlefield. It has also emitted a blinding wave of light in combat when its wielder was knocked on the ground. It has also show to stick to the wielder's hand making it virtually impossible to disarm them. People wielding it have also reported a feeling of invigoration and power holding it. The only downside is people who have used it in combat have shown a reluctance to give it away while people who have seen it used gain a desire for it.
When two great Jarls or other leaders need to make an agreement, treaty, or other pact they trade the sword upon completing negotiation. This came from an old tradition of the greater power in an contract giving to the lesser a weapon to show their honesty. Now, as no side wants to admit they are the lesser power, each state who initiates negotiations will give the receiving power the sword.
Now there are some problems with this. For one there is no guarantee that someone wanting to have a meeting will have the sword. That's easy one ruler can just buy it from another for some ridiculousness amount, usually something funny like a pickled herring, a twig from a tree, or a roasted mouse. It has become a competition to come up with the weirdest possible request for the sword.
Now if they don't want to buy the sword or just don't have the time to they can give a IOU along with the agreement. This has led each nation, minus the elven ones, to have a pile of IOU one Sword notes. The dwarves of Hammerdeep, who take their contracts very seriously, semi-seriously send out requests for the sword every year to the other powers.
No one knows where the sword came from. Some say it was made by the dwarves but they deny it and say the elves made it, Araqar denies it and says it was made by Hollow Oak says the opposite. Everyone can agree that its a really good sword though.
Powers wise it is enchanted and made of an unknown metal covered in pretense silver that has never chipped even after the hundreds of years of its use. The only reason people know its not made of silver is someone once casted a Detect Metal spell on it and found it was made of exotic material. The blade is able to cut through most armors, defensive spells, and materials. Anything short of tempered steel, mythril, or adamantine is dented by the blade.
The blade has shown the power to break through defensive enchantments and counter spells cast on the battlefield. It has also emitted a blinding wave of light in combat when its wielder was knocked on the ground. It has also show to stick to the wielder's hand making it virtually impossible to disarm them. People wielding it have also reported a feeling of invigoration and power holding it. The only downside is people who have used it in combat have shown a reluctance to give it away while people who have seen it used gain a desire for it.
Trivia
- Current owner is Heynland after a trade deal with Marsir Eyjariki.
- The blade is held in an entirely non magic, but fancy, scabbard with a warning about using it written on the side.
- It was once used by a great Jarl of ages past to decapitate a dragon.
Item type
Weapon, Melee
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