Ironbrand Thorn

Description

Sometimes called a greensteel spear, these weapons have a long history of being carried by Navarri brands. Service to the wandering nation is a difficult calling and those who hear it require a determined spirit. These spears bolster the soul bonded to them, often feeling reassuringly solid in their owner's hand. Some brands have likened their presence to that of a faithful companion, ever ready to defend and reassure their masters. While bonded to such a spear, brands find it a little easier to shrug off malicious influences which might drive them to fail in their duty to their people. These spears are sometimes decorated with patterns reflecting the wielder's tattoos and brands to strengthen the bond between them. Historians agree that it was a greensteel spear was the weapon used by Isaella to murder the mad Emperor Nicovar in 209 YE.

These spears also find favour in Urizen. They are well-suited to the precise style of battle practised in the citadels and aid the wielder in mastering themselves, encouraging mental clarity and versatility rather than providing brute force. In some spires, the spearheads are made from particularly clear pieces of tempest jade and are known as stormeye spears, reminding the wielder to maintain a calm thoughtfulness even in the chaos of battle. During their manufacture, the tempest jade is gently smoothed into shape using water from the purest mountain springs and after using their spears in battle, sentinels are encouraged to cleanse the spears with water from the same spring, removing all traces of blood and filth, to maintain both the blade's quality and their own mental purity. Naturally Cavul, the rune of purity, is worked into many of these spears.

Rules

• Form: Weapon. Takes the form of a one-handed spear. You must be wielding this weapon to use its magical properties.
• Requirement: You must have the weapon master skill to bond to this item.
• Effect: You gain one additional hero point.
• Materials: Crafting an ironbrand thorn requires ten ingots of green iron and three ingots of tempest jade. It takes one month to make one of these items.

"This spear was made for you by the smiths of the Striding. It cost time, sweat, and precious resources. Properly wielded, it will make someone into a hero, and a hero into a legend. It is fitting that the first blood it tastes should be yours, so that you shall know the marks of its thorns all your days."