Three Hearts

A shield of deep crimson, coffin-shaped and nearly five feet in length, its surface gleams like polished stone shot through with veins of molten gold. The frame is ornate; gold filigree borders every edge, rising to a flat crest at the top and tapering to a decorative finial at the base. Down the central spine, three gemstones sit in diamond-shaped settings: a red gem at the crown, an amber gem at the heart, and a blue gem near the base. Smaller green stones are set into the corners of the frame, and the metalwork between them is layered with gothic knotwork and angular flourishes. The shield does not merely protect; it declares. On its reverse, instead of simple straps, it bears small ringlike holders, shallow compartments, and fixed shelves, crafted with care and practicality; the full array of materials and tools that any good paladin would need, stored behind it with no added weight. It can be shaken, turned upside down, and nothing shifts. The mechanical design is bar none; part of the tools did the work for Kartowen during the reforging, guiding the smith's hands with purpose beyond his own. Three Hearts was forged by Kartowen alongside its counterpart blade from three ancient weapons; Hirak Gastok's sword, Amara's axe, and Ojlijen Gastok's shield; each of which had passed through the hands of legendary heroes: the Widow of Carnithar, the Sunderer of Oaths, and the Skyfire Queen. More than protection, it signifies the bond between three lives intertwined by fate, flame, and family.