Zhupang the Sunsword

Zhupang the Sunsword is a long-sword perpetually wreathed in flame. It lets off light and heat so intense that it can only be wielded by someone who has been chosen by Pitelion, the God of Warriors, to represent him on the mortal plane.
It was created by one of the Five Heroes with the guidance of Pitelion and Dorelion, the Goddess of Creation, and was passed down through generations of Pitelion representatives. When Ratsuik, the 14th representative of Pitelion, was the first representative to be slain in battle, Zhupang was lost on the battle field and has been missing ever since.

Summary

It was forged by the first settlers during their conflict with the original Underdwellers. In the spring time of their first year in the new land, their settlement was assaulted nightly for weeks on end. In order fend off the countless attacks, Zhurhan the Knight - the first representative of Pitelion and one of the Five Heroes - prayed for guidance and was granted a vision of her wielding Zhupang in battle as she pushed the Underdweller forces back.
She went to another one of the Five Heroes, Shilaieth the Smith, to request that he forge the blade. He prayed to Dorelion, Goddess of Creation, for guidance and she told him of a great fire lake at the center of the earth where he could create a sword like Zhurhan requested. He found a cave deep within the Wailing Peaks that lead down to the Sea of Flames, where he managed to forge Zhupang after a few failed attempts in a tide pool along the edge of the sea. When he returned later to forge in the sea again, the cave entrance he had used was gone, so Zhupang was the only one of its kind that was ever created.
After that, it was used by Zhurhan to force the Underdwellers into the caves beneath the valley. It remained in her possession for the rest of her life and after she passed away, it was passed down to her successors whenever Pitelion chose a new representative. However, it was rarely used in combat and was mostly reserved for ceremonial purposes because of its oppressive presence and destructive power.
It was held in the vaults beneath the Grand Castle in Lukrar, the capitol city of the Shindus empire, until it was removed by Ratsuik, the 14th representative of Pitelion, to confront an army from the nation of Sengeg marching over the eastern mountains of the Shindus valley. He was able to break the enemy lines and slay the commander along with the majority of their forces, but fell in battle separated from his allies. When the Shindusian army caught up and found his body, Zhupang was missing.
Assuming that the invading army had claimed Zhupang as a spoil of war and retreated back within their own borders, the Shindusian army pursued them and ambushed them in the night. They slaughtered the camping army, but did not find Zhupang among the army and the nobility from Sengeg denied being in possession of the sword. It has not been used in any major conflict since then.
That was the first major military defeat faced by the Shindusian army and, more importantly, the first major loss involving a representative of Pitelion. From that day on, a new representative was not appointed, so many believe that Shindus disgraced itself in that battle and Pitelion himself reclaimed the sword when Ratsuik fell. Others still believe that it was stolen by a member of the Sengegian army or some other mortal being and hidden away.

Historical Basis

According to all historical records made by the representatives of Bamalion, God of Wisdom, Zhupang the Sunsword was real. There are detailed records kept in the libraries of Lukrar describing its history of Zhupang, the occasions in which it was used, and the hands of everybody it passed through before it was lost, so it is believed to be real.
Although many of the great works originally created by Shilaieth have been lost to time, a small collection of them is still held in the Grand Castle of Lukrar and many of them are similar in quality and power to Zhupang in the legends, so the legends are generally thought to be genuine descriptions.

Spread

The stories of Zhupang are most prominent all over Shindus and are frequently told with near religious reverence. Most commonly, they are told in a limited or vague capacity, about specific instances where it was used or as a part of a larger story about the representatives of Pitelion. However, these versions of the story frequently blur or misrepresent details. The full, detailed and accurate versions of the legend are only known to Scholars and servants to Bamalion.
However, stories of Zhupang are also present in the nations that neighbor Shindus, particularly those that were involved in military conflict with them.

Variations & Mutation

Inside of Shindus, stories of Zhupang are particularly common in towns near to the locations of important battles where it was used, as there are some places where the damage it inflicted is still visible. Usually, when told in those locations, the legends will focus almost exclusively on those conflicts.
Outside of SHindus, stories are usually told as cautionary tales, speaking of a great evil beyond their borders that burns anybody who steps outside of them alive. Zhupang is sometimes used as part of a boogie-man story to scare children into line, but are more frequently used as a campfire story for young soldiers.