HOME | DD

Description
A personal favorite, This is La'Kausta. She's been through three incarnations before becoming this. The hilt was inspired by my personal favorite anime, Record of Lodess Wars, based on a tiara that was worn by a character. Much like that one, this sword posesses its own malevolent intelligence and can display upon it's blade, the words to any spell the sword has ever seen for study by its wielder.

La’Kausta’s origins begin long ago during the times of strife and butchery which founded and marked the area now known as the Toran Empire. A savage and brutal land at that time, it was little more than landholds of warrior chiefs and their personal armies that battled their neighbors for control of their lands. Each generation the power would shift as the sons would overpower their fathers and of those, the more power hungry would conquer the weak until another generation would pass to repeat the process. One such warlord was the one known as Gral, the Widowmaker, a vicious and bloodthirsty warrior who also had studied the Arcane arts within his lifetime as a Battlemage. Finding the burden of caring for and transporting a set of spellbooks for him to renew his spells a nuisance at best, Gral sent forth scouts to locate someone capable of crafting an item for him that would hold the knowledge of his spells within itself and allow him to view it when ever he wished. Far and wide they traveled before one, half dead from hunger and thirst, came to a desolate expanse of lightning blasted hills. Within a temple carved on the stone of the hills itself was a hooded and cloaked figure who offered the rider water and bread. Though the rider could not view the stranger’s face, he accepted in desperation. While he ate, he asked the figure the same question he had laid before all others he had met. To his surprise the figure gave a chuckle and said that they could help this warlord, if the price was right. Returning with the mysterious figure behind him, the rider presented the stranger to Gral. The figure stated that it could make a sword for him, one that would remember every spell it was taught and display the runes along its length upon command. Gral started to agree immediately to such an offer, but the figure raised a warning hand first. If this was to be his desire, he must meet the price of the weapon when it came due he was told. Not understanding, Gral angrily promised any sum of money the stranger might wish to name. The figure continued asking if this meant Gral agreed to pay the price of the sword when the time came and held out a hand wrapped in tattered linen to seal the bargain. Let this be a lesson to all who deal in haste, for Gral shook the hand of the figure and sealed his fate within that very moment. After they parted hands, the figure drew back its hood to reveal the gray scaled face of a Yuan Ti Pureblood. She spoke with a sibilant hiss to her voice, demanding the purest ores and strongest metals to forge the blade and had fashioned a weapon made from star metal, bronze, and a silvery metal she supplied herself to the smelting cauldron. This she quenched in the icy rivers of winter and took the still hissing blade to the anvil again. Trapping a feral Displacer Beast, the Pureblood plunged the unfinished sword into the creature’s throat and let its lifeblood spill down the weapons length as she skinned the beast for the leather needed to wrap the hilt with. Fashioning the crosspiece took the most time, an intricate detailing which left Gral impatient to wield his newest possession. Finally the sword was complete and the Pureblood presented the weapon to Gral but it failed to mark a single magical rune upon the blade as promised. In anger he turned and thrust the blade deep within the Pureblood’s chest. At that moment the eyepieces in the mask on the crosspiece flashed and within them now rested two rubies marked with slit reptilian images. The blade began tracing the runes of a dozen spells across its length in quick succession and the body of the Pureblood had vanished without a trace. Gral looked in horror at the weapon in his hand but could not let go of it. The hissing voice of the Pureblood filled his head, chuckling and reminding him of his agreement. Thus began the bloodiest portion of the Widowmaker’s life as he carved a set of warring landholds into an empire. The weapon La’Kausta, for that was the name of the Pureblood whose life was now held within the blade, drank deep of the blood of the Empire’s enemies for years as Gral served the sword as an unwilling extension. But in the final years of his life Gral seized what was left of his strength and cast the weapon deep into the waters of the Syren Coasts. There it laid within the current swirled sands for many a year until it was found by a Triton lord and taken to the aquatic realm of his court. Though the surface does not have records of the bloody warfare that resulted in its presence, none the less it was a cause of discord and turmoil for generations. Many years later it was taken as spoils by a pirate vessel during a season chasing caravels down the Money Run and from there it fell into the hands of a mercenary who brought it into the newly formed mercenary kingdom of Skarsla where it only stayed for a few short years. After a mysterious assassination of the prior owner, the sword began its service to the Drow of the Underdark at the hand of a Battlemage known as H’Kyra Sha’Karnn, the Peacock Princess. Possessing a foreordained destiny of greatness, the young Drow princess had heard tales of the weapon and sent her deadliest and most trusted agent, an assassin of the Ilbari clan, to claim the sword for herself. With it firmly in hand, she beat the will of La’Kausta into submission and used the weapon to lead a host of Drow to the lands above to conquer their surface kindred. This battle was almost totally waged within the shadows of history, few of any race, even the dwarves who dwelt within the earth near the tunnels of the Drow, knew of the battles that were fought as once again elf killed elf in bitter savagery. Though they were eventually beaten, the Drow still put forth a presence into the surface world again after several millennia of obscurity. When the Peacock Princess disappeared only a handful of years later, the sword, and its tremendous power likewise vanished. Where it lays now is a mystery, but if the blade were to ever resurface no doubt the bloodletting and suffering that trails the weapon like a shadow will begin again.

Description
A personal favorite, This is La'Kausta. She's been through three incarnations before becoming this. The hilt was inspired by my personal favorite anime, Record of Lodess Wars, based on a tiara that was worn by a character. Much like that one, this sword posesses its own malevolent intelligence and can display upon it's blade, the words to any spell the sword has ever seen for study by its wielder.

La’Kausta’s origins begin long ago during the times of strife and butchery which founded and marked the area now known as the Toran Empire. A savage and brutal land at that time, it was little more than landholds of warrior chiefs and their personal armies that battled their neighbors for control of their lands. Each generation the power would shift as the sons would overpower their fathers and of those, the more power hungry would conquer the weak until another generation would pass to repeat the process. One such warlord was the one known as Gral, the Widowmaker, a vicious and bloodthirsty warrior who also had studied the Arcane arts within his lifetime as a Battlemage. Finding the burden of caring for and transporting a set of spellbooks for him to renew his spells a nuisance at best, Gral sent forth scouts to locate someone capable of crafting an item for him that would hold the knowledge of his spells within itself and allow him to view it when ever he wished. Far and wide they traveled before one, half dead from hunger and thirst, came to a desolate expanse of lightning blasted hills. Within a temple carved on the stone of the hills itself was a hooded and cloaked figure who offered the rider water and bread. Though the rider could not view the stranger’s face, he accepted in desperation. While he ate, he asked the figure the same question he had laid before all others he had met. To his surprise the figure gave a chuckle and said that they could help this warlord, if the price was right. Returning with the mysterious figure behind him, the rider presented the stranger to Gral. The figure stated that it could make a sword for him, one that would remember every spell it was taught and display the runes along its length upon command. Gral started to agree immediately to such an offer, but the figure raised a warning hand first. If this was to be his desire, he must meet the price of the weapon when it came due he was told. Not understanding, Gral angrily promised any sum of money the stranger might wish to name. The figure continued asking if this meant Gral agreed to pay the price of the sword when the time came and held out a hand wrapped in tattered linen to seal the bargain. Let this be a lesson to all who deal in haste, for Gral shook the hand of the figure and sealed his fate within that very moment. After they parted hands, the figure drew back its hood to reveal the gray scaled face of a Yuan Ti Pureblood. She spoke with a sibilant hiss to her voice, demanding the purest ores and strongest metals to forge the blade and had fashioned a weapon made from star metal, bronze, and a silvery metal she supplied herself to the smelting cauldron. This she quenched in the icy rivers of winter and took the still hissing blade to the anvil again. Trapping a feral Displacer Beast, the Pureblood plunged the unfinished sword into the creature’s throat and let its lifeblood spill down the weapons length as she skinned the beast for the leather needed to wrap the hilt with. Fashioning the crosspiece took the most time, an intricate detailing which left Gral impatient to wield his newest possession. Finally the sword was complete and the Pureblood presented the weapon to Gral but it failed to mark a single magical rune upon the blade as promised. In anger he turned and thrust the blade deep within the Pureblood’s chest. At that moment the eyepieces in the mask on the crosspiece flashed and within them now rested two rubies marked with slit reptilian images. The blade began tracing the runes of a dozen spells across its length in quick succession and the body of the Pureblood had vanished without a trace. Gral looked in horror at the weapon in his hand but could not let go of it. The hissing voice of the Pureblood filled his head, chuckling and reminding him of his agreement. Thus began the bloodiest portion of the Widowmaker’s life as he carved a set of warring landholds into an empire. The weapon La’Kausta, for that was the name of the Pureblood whose life was now held within the blade, drank deep of the blood of the Empire’s enemies for years as Gral served the sword as an unwilling extension. But in the final years of his life Gral seized what was left of his strength and cast the weapon deep into the waters of the Syren Coasts. There it laid within the current swirled sands for many a year until it was found by a Triton lord and taken to the aquatic realm of his court. Though the surface does not have records of the bloody warfare that resulted in its presence, none the less it was a cause of discord and turmoil for generations. Many years later it was taken as spoils by a pirate vessel during a season chasing caravels down the Money Run and from there it fell into the hands of a mercenary who brought it into the newly formed mercenary kingdom of Skarsla where it only stayed for a few short years. After a mysterious assassination of the prior owner, the sword began its service to the Drow of the Underdark at the hand of a Battlemage known as H’Kyra Sha’Karnn, the Peacock Princess. Possessing a foreordained destiny of greatness, the young Drow princess had heard tales of the weapon and sent her deadliest and most trusted agent, an assassin of the Ilbari clan, to claim the sword for herself. With it firmly in hand, she beat the will of La’Kausta into submission and used the weapon to lead a host of Drow to the lands above to conquer their surface kindred. This battle was almost totally waged within the shadows of history, few of any race, even the dwarves who dwelt within the earth near the tunnels of the Drow, knew of the battles that were fought as once again elf killed elf in bitter savagery. Though they were eventually beaten, the Drow still put forth a presence into the surface world again after several millennia of obscurity. When the Peacock Princess disappeared only a handful of years later, the sword, and its tremendous power likewise vanished. Where it lays now is a mystery, but if the blade were to ever resurface no doubt the bloodletting and suffering that trails the weapon like a shadow will begin again.