The Spear With a Soul

I fear that is not a spear, but a man.

— A forgotten Zilopnou general

The Spear of Zilopnou Is one wrapped in mystery, as there were many alive during his time, there are numerous myths and legends about the spear— none are correct. The spear was one wielded by the famous Tichan Zilopnou, the founder of the nation of Zilopnou. Despite being of great importance to the Lliaqeu— the spear went missing after the late king's death.

Many Myths

The shorn general

One of most popular myths surrounding the spear is that of Zilopnou's encounter with the Ponouli military leader known as the shorn general. The king faced the general in battle, and according to legend, he had been defeated, and left pinned to the ground beneath the general's heel— his spear just out of reach. Witnesses on the battlefield claim to have seen a verdant light flashing from the scene, and the spear standing upright— plunging itself through the general's heart of its own accord, shearing the shorn general of his flesh.

And the dreaded general fell,
though his concubines had wished him well,
the spear punctured his heart,
so that from this world,
he would depart.

— The Shorn Poem

Conception

Just as no one knows where the spear has disappeared to, none know of its origins, either.
Many assume it was forged by the famed leader himself, it's unique materials having been procured throughout his own travels.
Others believe it to have been a gift from the heavens, a sign to the Lliaqeu that Tichan Zilopnou was a great leader.

Related Ethnicities

• Lliaqeu

Related People

• Tichan Zilopnou

Related Organizations

• Zilopnou

This particular legend is shared by many, though their theories as to how this could have happened vary greatly. Some say that the spear is a man transformed, cursed to live as a weapon for some unknown slight. Others say Zilopnou possessed telekinetic powers, and allowed the general to pin him in order to gain an opening.

The Traitor

Another popular legend is that of the traitor, Cacacal. Cacacal was a military advisor to both Tichan, who was— unbeknownst to them— reporting to Ponouli. She had been advising the rulers to deploy their troops to the north, while the armies of their enemies were planning to invade from the south. On top of this, She was sharing the locations of Lliaq's scouts, supply lines, and food storage with her allies. Before the troops could be sent away, and the invasion arrived, Zilopnou would meet with the advisor one last time— during this meeting, the legend goes, the spear would plunge itself through her skull the moment she opened her mouth to speak. As if the spear itself was aware of her intentions. Afterwards, the city-state's troops would not be sent north, and would ultimately be able to defend Lliaq from the incoming invasion.
A particularly popular theory on this is that the spear could read the hearts and minds of others, and was unable to communicate this in any other way than attacking those it saw as malicious.

Without a Trace

Out of the many legends, myths, and stories about the spear— none captivate the imagination as much as that of its disappearance. None were around to witness it, no words were left behind as to where it may go, and none have seen it since. There are almost more myths surrounding its disappearance than its actual usage. Some believe it was looted from his corpse, either by an enemy soldier— or an admirer from among his own troops. Others claim that the spear sunk into the ground or turned to dust, deciding that no one else in the world was worthy of wielding it.

Perhaps it wanders the world, in search of its fallen master? A weapon without a wielder is surely no more than decoration, I could not imagine such a life to be worth living.

— A Lliaqeu historian

Some say that it was stolen away by a cult, who murdered a scout en route to return the famed weapon to Lliaq. Another myth claims that the spear flew into the sky, and split itself into pieces that fell upon the land, blessing it. And finally, the theory few want to believe— the spear was simply broken, trampled by the heavy heels of those in battle, and forgotten.