Tilestras, The Earthshaker
Mechanics & Inner Workings
As the soul of a nature spirit inhabits the blade, it can invoke great winds rustling through the trees, make the earth shake if stuck into the ground and it is said that it can even make trees move but this ability hasn't been seen in so long that most believe it to be a myth, including Kishay.
Tilestras, one of the 7 sacred relics, was made with the soul of a nature spirit bound in it. When it is handed down there is a connection between the sword and the bearer that first must be established. It's a powerful and dangerous piece of magic and ritual to form that bond. In a way it's like a contract that must be formed.
Therefore, Tilestras can only be passed down to suitable people, ones that can hold their own against the will of the sword. In a ritual performed during childhood of the heir to the Estirian throne, the compatibility of heir and sword are tested. If the sword deems the heir unfit for entering a bond with the sword, the next child of the current ruler becomes the heir to the throne.
Out of all the sacred relics it's the least tamed one and the magic that runs through it is still wild and chaotic. That's also one of the reasons why the sword can only be handled by the owner. If the bond between the sword (or its soul to be more precise) and its bearer is especially strong, some kind of telepathic connection is established.
Tilestras has a will of its own and it does not care for morality or ethics. Its main drive is survival. And since the soul of the sword is bound to that of its bearer and would fade away if unbound for too long, it heightens the drive of survival in the bearer as well.
Tilestras, one of the 7 sacred relics, was made with the soul of a nature spirit bound in it. When it is handed down there is a connection between the sword and the bearer that first must be established. It's a powerful and dangerous piece of magic and ritual to form that bond. In a way it's like a contract that must be formed.
Therefore, Tilestras can only be passed down to suitable people, ones that can hold their own against the will of the sword. In a ritual performed during childhood of the heir to the Estirian throne, the compatibility of heir and sword are tested. If the sword deems the heir unfit for entering a bond with the sword, the next child of the current ruler becomes the heir to the throne.
Out of all the sacred relics it's the least tamed one and the magic that runs through it is still wild and chaotic. That's also one of the reasons why the sword can only be handled by the owner. If the bond between the sword (or its soul to be more precise) and its bearer is especially strong, some kind of telepathic connection is established.
Tilestras has a will of its own and it does not care for morality or ethics. Its main drive is survival. And since the soul of the sword is bound to that of its bearer and would fade away if unbound for too long, it heightens the drive of survival in the bearer as well.
Manufacturing process
Sword making process combined with powerful magic to bind the nature spirit to the sword. Details are not known.
History
Tilestras was Estishya Kutseirth's sword. It's unknown how exactly she got the sword, but according to legend, the spirit of the forest fell in love with Estishya, not just a spirit, but the spirit of all nature spirits of the woodlands. Her mostly incorporeal and tree-bound form, however, prevented her from being with Estishya. Upon this, Estishya used magic to give her lover an elvish body, but it was vulnerable, only a thin shell, a cage, made of magic. When Estishya and Tilestras were dancing together in the heart of the forest, one of the viscious beasts that had taken residence in the forest, attacked, and Tilestras threw herself in the beast's way to save Estishya. But her frail magical body was mortally wounded in the endeavour, and Tilestras, who had become bound to the body was dying, when Estishya saved Tilestras' soul by binding it to her sword, with which she then struck the beast down. From then on, Tilestras was always at Estishya's side, protecting her and all she deemed worthy to rule over the Woodlands. However, it is said that after Estishya's death the sword became malicious, which is seen by some as one of the major reasons Estira broke apart.
Some argue that Tilestras was a gift though, but none of the proponents of this theory seem to agree who gave it to her. Some say it was a gift of the God and Goddess, others say it was the gift of another elvish ruler, a secret lover, or even her brother Redzayth. Yet others are convinced that Estishya actually made the sword herself.
After Estishya's death, Sashri took the sword and when she stepped back, Nurfaya Eshrikhoyê took hold of it. After that, the Fracturing War started and the sword changed hand a few times and was eventually lost in a battle with no survivors, until Shian Talukhin, millennia later, heard the calling of the sword, found it and took it into possession. Ever since then the sword has determined the next user in the line of House Talukhin.
Some argue that Tilestras was a gift though, but none of the proponents of this theory seem to agree who gave it to her. Some say it was a gift of the God and Goddess, others say it was the gift of another elvish ruler, a secret lover, or even her brother Redzayth. Yet others are convinced that Estishya actually made the sword herself.
After Estishya's death, Sashri took the sword and when she stepped back, Nurfaya Eshrikhoyê took hold of it. After that, the Fracturing War started and the sword changed hand a few times and was eventually lost in a battle with no survivors, until Shian Talukhin, millennia later, heard the calling of the sword, found it and took it into possession. Ever since then the sword has determined the next user in the line of House Talukhin.
Significance
It used to be the pride of the Estirian Woodelves and their weapon to defend their lands from intruders, conquerers and enemies.
Tilestras is the sacred relic of the Realm of Estira and has been passed down the line of rulers since the beginnings of the realm until it was lost in a battle during the Fracturing War.
Only the current ruler and the heir to the throne are allowed to touch and hold it, except for maintenance, but most of that is done by the heir to the throne anyways, as soon as they're old enough to do so. There is a special training required to handle the sword as it is a magical weapon and the user needs to attune themself to the soul of the spirit. It is rumoured that in cases where sword and master are especially compatible, they can even communicate with each other.
Tilestras is the sacred relic of the Realm of Estira and has been passed down the line of rulers since the beginnings of the realm until it was lost in a battle during the Fracturing War.
Only the current ruler and the heir to the throne are allowed to touch and hold it, except for maintenance, but most of that is done by the heir to the throne anyways, as soon as they're old enough to do so. There is a special training required to handle the sword as it is a magical weapon and the user needs to attune themself to the soul of the spirit. It is rumoured that in cases where sword and master are especially compatible, they can even communicate with each other.
Item type
Unique Artifact
Current Holder
Manufacturer
Related ethnicities
Owning Organization
Rarity
There is only one sword just like this one. There are other magical/enchanted swords albeit rare, but none are as powerful as Tilestras. Also, with other swords the magic tends to wear off or go funky with time, which is not the case with Tilestras.
Weight
For a sword of this size Tilestras is incredibly light, weighing only about 600g
Dimensions
Blade length: 90cm, handle length 30cm, blade width 10 cm
Base Price
priceless
Raw materials & Components
A blade made from sacred steel, with a green handle that is adorned with leaves. The blade has a golden spiral winding around it from the bottom to the top etched in it. It is inhabited by the soul of a nature spirit, a servant of the tree god and earth goddess,.
Tools
Believed to be forged in the firey breath of a great salamander, other than that hammer and anvil and other tools used to make swords. The water to cool it is said to be molten ice from the high north.
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