Blade of the Blue Rose

The Blade of the Blue Rose is a shortsword forged by Master Kento for the paladin Argirio te-Lugos in the 920s.

Specifications

The Blade of the Blue Rose is a shortsword with a 36-inch blade and a handle made primarily of elder wood. Its most distinctive feature is its pommel, a large chunk of lapis lazuli carved to look like a rose.

Lineage

Argirio disappeared in the early 1030s with the blade in his possession. Its location is unknown.
As a priest of Lugos, Argirio was permitted by his temple to marry and have chlidren. He separated from his wife during his service with the Phalanx of the Wild. His children, Amenaide and Ioquinaro, are not known to be warriors, so the blade has no obvious heir.

Swordmaker's Notes

Men of Argirio's stature do not seek me out. Those who do are often posturing, dealing with some midlife crisis, desperately clinging for something to prove. As a matter of habit, I turn them away. Argirio, to my chagrin, refused to be sent back to his cushy life of piety and praise. I couldn't so much as take a dip in the lake without the bastard accosting me. Eventually, I gave up, invited him in, and listened.
He told me of some dream he had, of Lugos and Dagda in the gardens of the gods. I know nothing of such dreams. I only dream of stones. But then he pointed to a sword upon my wall, and swore on his holy order that the Father and Son had passed it between them in a dream. He asked humbly for a blade worthy of fighting alongside it, and promised in return he would bring it to its rightful heir. I scoffed, but let him stay the night, as the windbag had talked well past dusk.
That night I dreamt of lapis lazuli, blooming in the gardens of the gods. As I plucked each stone from the bush where it sat, it carved itself, blooming into a perfect likeness of a blue rose. I like to work with lapis, though I rarely meet one worthy of it. I woke desperate to recreate that rose, whether or not it had a blade to sit upon.
I chose to test Argirio while I worked, for lack of anything better to do. I was pleasantly surprised. He fought ably, and conducted himself with grace. As we grew closer, he told me more and more of his student, the one he believed was the heir of my blade. It slowly dawned on me that the young warrior he described was the son of the man for whom that blade was forged.
The Fates are odd creatures: sometimes heavy-handed, sometimes subtle as a knife in the back. Argirio's ability to follow their lead and stand firm in his convictions brought a sword I loved dearly back to its true and rightful heir. If I am certain of one thing, it is that Argirio plays some part in a rare, impossible destiny. Don't ask me what it is. I simply make swords.

Item type

Weapon, Melee