Gold Wing
The Sword of Ander...
Comissioned by Ander's former co-captain Gage Wendell and designed as a reminder of the world they'd left behind, Gage felt the longblade would better serve Ander, who had resigned himself to living amongst the Thangiens of Bainshaebo. After Ander's death at the hands of Mal Daggur during the Battle of Banguk, young Bak Thraplek took the sword into his keeping, waiting nearly fifteen years before entrusting Ander's sword to his now-adult daughter, Chi Chi Lina, Danaetanera. Bak Thraplek insists there is no magic to the blade, that it merely acts as an extension of its wielders will, but those who wield the sword Gold Wing seem destined for greatness all the same.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
Gage Wendell ended up being flung farther into space than Ander, and thus made contact with many different, advanced races. The sword is lighter than a dererium weapon of comparative work yet feels weighty during combat. It can withstand the intense energy output required when a wielder deploys a Metra Wave. Since Gage perished protecting his crewmates, the secret of its creation remains a mystery, and Gold Wing remains one of a kind, indecipherable even to Eyurodin, Goddess of the Forge.
No artisan, not even Eyurodin herself, has ever attempted to disassemble the sword or subject it to in-depth analysis. On its surface it looks much the same as any sword with a long blade, crossguard, grip, and pommel. It is sharp and strong enough to cut through flesh, bone, and even the obsidian-clad armor of Thunthen elite troops.
History
Forging a Destiny
The same mess of Transgalactic Rifts that saw Gage Wendell and Aleksander Vanstandtvoort torn from the world they knew dropped Gage into the farthest reaches of space where Humans were thought of as curiosities best left alone. Despite arriving in the "ass-end of the Milky Way", Gage managed to quickly adapt to life among myriad intelligent races and established contacts and made friends. Hoping to eventually return to Earth, he took to the life of a privateer, earning enough to acquire a cruiser he would later name the Blue Isis. He paid a hefty sum to the finest weaponcrafter he could find into creating a blade that would have no equal. Keeping in mind his old nickname of Silver Seraph and his service in the British Royal Air Force, he requested the sword's crossguard be shaped in the likeness of the RAF insignia and the pommel patterned after the British Crown. He dubbed the sword Gold Wing as a nod to the Crown and his history as a pilot. The sword seldom saw use in his possession as the life of a smooth-talking space-pirate tended to call for the use of firearms more than swords. He spent man years assembling his crew, leapfrogging from system to system hoping to find his way back to Earth eventually.Reunions and Remembrances
Gage's journey would take him to Planet Thanged where he planned to let his loyal swabbies enjoy some well-earned shore leave before making the final jump to Earth. While most Thangiens gave the pirates a wide berth, one in particular approached him so quickly Gage's crew rushed to intercept, believing Gage in danger. The man called Gage by name and after several awkward moments Gage recognized his dear old friend Aleksander, who now went by the name of Ander. Amused at the thought of his co-captain "going native", Gage reminisced of past battles over several goblets of Moukiri and invited Ander to accompany him to Earth. Much to his shock, Ander declined and preferred to remain on Thanged. Baffled, Gage attempted to reason with Ander, arguing that he'd truly "gone native" and that it would be cruel not to return to his wife on Earth. Ander countered that he'd been so long away from Earth, for him to return out of the blue alive to the wife he'd left behind after so many years being assumed dead would be far crueller. Incredulous, Gage had no other choice but to respect Ander's wishes. Seeing how accustomed Ander had become to Thangien society with their culture of swordplay, Gage presented Ander with the sword he'd been carrying all these years, reasoning it would see far better use with Ander. Impressed by its make, Ander accepted this gift and bid his friend a fond farewell. Neither of them would know it would be for the last time, as years later Ander would perish in the Battle of Banguk and Gage would die protecting his wife Caroline Masters and his beloved swabbies.Danae Ander's-Daughter, the Protector
Not wishing the sword to be scrapped or paraded as a trophy by Mal Daggur, Bak Thraplek took the sword into safekeeping, intending to deliver it to Ander's widow Yainae only for her to refuse the sword outright. Bak noticed Ander's youngest daughter at the time, Chi Chi Lina, Danae, hiding behind Yainae's skirt. Beckoning to her, he took her hand next to his and scratched the emblem of the House of St'lur into their skin, vowing to return when she was grown and aid her in fulfilling Ander's wish. Fifteen years later, Bak would return, first soliciting Auji Lightrider for aid then being held under arrest by The Metraind. He would remain quiet under their watch until spying a now-adult Danae lingering in the background. Recounting tales of Ander and reigniting old memories, Bak broke free of his bonds upon spying the newly-arrived Yainae and greeted her warmly as an old friend. Deeming Danae worthy, Bak drew the sword from under his shell and bequeathed it to her, fulfilling the promise he'd made etched in blood. As the Protector-a sibling out of four who serves the role of Roth in a household- Danae wields the sword in battle and carries Gold Wing with her at all times. The sword has fallen dormant in use given Danae's pregnancy, though when she is fully recovered she intends to return to active combat.Significance
Despite its plain appearance, Gold Wing is considered just as iconic as the sword of Roth, after which all other swords are patterned. The often-seen banner depicting Ander portrays Gold Wing raised high, the bluish flames of a Metra Wave dancing along the edge.
“This was all I could find of him…Mal Daggur didn’t even leave a shred of his flesh behind.” Hands belonging to a very young male Thunthen Noble raised a large sheathed sword with a cross-guard shaped like a diving bird and a pommel like that of a blunt crown. A lavender-haired woman dressed in thin robes and a cowl stared at the blade with sad amethyst eyes. “Get it out of my sight. I have not the heart to look at it,” she sniffed and looked away. “As you wish,” the young Noble nodded and carefully slipped the scabbard into a gap between his shell and back. At his age, he stood at eye-level with the woman, and frowned upon seeing the pain written in her face.
“I have something for you, young Stormwalker.” Danae blinked and looked at him. Everyone watched as the Thunthen reached under his shell and began pulling. He grimaced from discomfort and his body contorted slightly as he struggled to wriggle something free. The Ronin’s eyes widened in shock upon seeing the Noble extricate a long sheathed sword from under his shell. Bak held it before him reverently with both hands. The cross-guard resembled a grand winged bird with wings folded in a dive, and the pommel a rounded crown. “Gold Wing: The sword of Ander. I’ve kept it with me all this time, waiting for the day when one of his children would come of age and take the role of Protector. I give this to you.”
Item type
Weapon, Melee
Creation Date
est. 1945-50 A.D. E.T. (Earth-Time)
Rarity
Beyond Priceless
Weight
Indeterminate
Dimensions
3'x 1 1/2" (blade) 10" (grip) 8" (crossguard) 1" (pommel)
“Hey, I heard about the little heirloom you gave to her,” Shannon spoke up and nodded towards the sword Gold Wing, which Danae had taken to carrying slung across her back almost constantly lately. “You sure it was a good idea giving that to her? She is pregnant, you know.” “Oh, there’s no one more qualified to carry it! She’s a Protector,” Tar insisted.
Yulie glanced over his shoulder when he heard a familiar yowl and saw a red-and-black form darting through the air. Lavender hair furled over the shoulders and sunlight glinted off a drawn sword. Pegasus passed close to Yulie and Chi Chi Lina, Danae threw him a friendly smile. She raised the sword Gold Wing high, ready to remind the Thunthen invaders why they feared her father’s mighty blade. Okay, two Pegasi yet remained on Earth.
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