Among the other mysteries that have been alluded to within the recovered texts of the ancients, diagrams of fantastic weaponry have been discovered in many settlements. Swords, especially, have been used in artwork of all kinds that were left behind when the world’s people were lost in the Fall. But for as prevalent as the depictions of the swords have been, very few swords of that era remain. The few swords that have survived over the millennia are typically treated as heirlooms, locked away within royal vaults, not to be used in actual combat due to fears of value being lost, even if the swords have demonstrated remarkable longevity. The secret of how these swords were originally made remains lost, but some believe the answer lies within the mountain city of Vestilla, where ancient mines long sealed off from the outside world were used to extract precious metals that may have been used in the original production of the swords.
What’s strange about the ancient weaponry is that, while these swords are very prevalent within various depictions that have survived through the years, there have been few relics from that age that have been discovered. With the remarkable longevity of the swords, one would think that there would be more surviving artifacts discovered as the world was re-settled, but that was not the case. In fact, many of the swords that did turn up were not found until several years after each of the holds were re-established. Most discoveries were tucked away, deep within the rubble of the cities as they were cleaned up and made new.
The few swords that have been found have been noted for the fact that they have not succumbed to rust as modern weapons do, and they even have retained their sharpness over the ages. While the swords are prized at considerable value, this also makes public ownership of one of these blades a clear and present danger.
One of the first men to wield one of these swords was the young King Siacante of Becio, one of the royal bloodline. After clearing a portion of the city to be used as dwellings as the city grew, construction workers found the sword among the rubble. They were instructed to present the sword to the king, which they did, and the king was overjoyed by the discovery as he heard other stories about such blades being found in other settlements. He wore the blade proudly on his person any time he went out of the castle, and one day he was murdered in broad daylight along with his accompaniment of guards. The murderers were never found, and the sword was lost.
News of the tragic demise of King Siacante spread far and wide, encouraging other owners of such swords to keep the ownership hidden to the masses. However, another sword was used in the battle of Munoz, one of the first battles of the Warathi Conquest. The sword was claimed by the victorious Warathi invaders, apparently given as a gift to Emperor Wa’rath himself, who regifted it to one of his top generals.
Over time, the swords have become simply symbols of wealth, tucked away safely out of sight of greedy eyes. Still, there has been some effort in the kingdom of Vestilla to rediscover the secret to the creation of the swords. Many believe that the ancient swords all were forged there within the mountain, though the process and the exact alloy used have proven to be difficult to rediscover. What’s worse is that the mines themselves that hold the precious metals believed to be needed for the sword production have proven to be extremely dangerous. Over the years, many of the sections of the mines have completely caved in, sealing all of the miners in and dooming them.
Efforts to explore and utilize the ancient Vestillan mines have been stopped for many years, but in recent times, especially after the Battle of Gelgadongo when the Warathi Conquest came to the North, discussions have once again arisen about utilizing the mines and having the blacksmiths attempt to recreate the weapons of the ancients. However, this still remains a secret to this day and war creeps closer as the years roll by.
