Category:The Griffin Sword War

The Griffin Sword War, sometimes called the First Griffin Sword War, was a storyline that ran in Wehnimer's Landing in 1996. It inspired another quest many years later, the Griffin Sword Saga. The Griffin Sword was a relic of Lorminstra, bestowed in the past unto her warrior-priest Morfell Destrieder. However, Morfell fell from Lorminstra's grace and caused the sword to shatter.

During the storyline, adventurers defended the Landing from a series of invasions by the followers of Luukos, Mularos, Sheru and V'tull, who intended to desecrate the Temple of Lorminstra within the town. Those followers had acquired the four pieces of the shattered Griffin Sword, which they planned to use as part of their acts of desecration. Each follower sect attacked the town, one by one, and after each invading force was repelled, one piece of the Griffin Sword was recovered by the defending adventurers. At the storyline's conclusion, all four pieces were reforged, and the sword was affixed within a stone outside of the Temple of Lorminstra.

Summary

The following summary is taken from the Elanthian Journal #08, which was published in November 2002:

In the spring of 5096, a prophet of Lorminstra came to Wehnimer's Landing with the tale of a sword made and broken. The pommel was of a single great sapphire, grasped within platinum griffin talons. The hilt was of alabaster, wrapped with platinum and gold braid and enchanted to never grow cold or hot and always fit the hand of the wielder. The blade was forged by master smiths on Teras Isle and folded to an unbelievably keen edge. The quillions were made of gold and like the hilt and pommel, were encrusted with fine gems. Both sides of the quillions spread wide, like a pair of griffin wings.

Once complete, the sword was enchanted by powerful mages. It glowed like flame in the sun, a moonbeam at night and as a beacon in the darkest storm. The blade was presented to Morfell, a warrior-priest who served Lorminstra. He performed great ceremonies upon the Griffin Sword and it is said that Lorminstra personally blessed it. But he fell from her and performed a dark ritual in secret. He gave the blade over to what would be known as the Dark Alliance, V'tull, Sheru, Mularos and Luukos. All through the night and the next day, a great storm arose that blotted out the sun. At the height of the tempest, the Sword was broken and four pieces scattered through the lands.

The prophet told those assembled at Hearthstone Manor that the Sword's pieces were in the possession of the Alliance and that now, many years later, they planned to desecrate her temple in Wehnimer's Landing. They would use her own power contained within each piece of the Sword and defile the temple for all time by their actions. When the prophet fell silent, the people of the town began to ready themselves, hoarding magical items and ensuring Lorminstra knew of their deeds.

V'tull came first, nine days later. His legions were led by feral animals bearing disease of many kinds. This first attack was fodder for the defender's swords, as was the second wave. Outposts were set up along the approaches to Wehnimer's Landing and those who got past the first line fell to a second or third. Skirmishers ranged ahead and those who could not fight aided the empaths and clerics. At the end, Ragni and Gillaume fought the leader, the Mouth of V'tull. After Ragni brought it low, he gave the pommel into Gillaume's safekeeping.

Sheru's invasion a week later was much like the first, but where V'tull's minions were no more difficult than a krolvin, Sheru sent his harbingers into the melee where they tore through many defenders. The chaos was great and even the knowledge of who possessed the hilt was lost.

Mularos sent his hordes in a week after Sheru had failed. Unlike the previous two, there were no lulls that the defenders could use to rest and recover their strength. But just as the minions of the Alliance had grown more powerful, so had the defenders. Organized groups were sent out and overpowered small forces loyal to Mularos before moving on to the next. Where Mularosians found their way behind the lines or caught a few unawares, the tables were turned. As the Master of Pain prepared to enter Lorminstra's temple with the quillions, having slain all in his path, Thalior arrived and brought it down with a single cast on the very steps.

Luukos came last in the first war and as with the first four times, the awful pounding of the drums was heard. The skies slowly turned blood red and then the invaders came. Vortices that would strip the spells off the defenders and lizard-warriors whose hides were thick enough to make a weapon vibrate out of a defender's hand followed the more expected animals. Meteor swarms and lightning rained from the skies and once more chaos and confusion were the only victors on the battlefield. Finally, however, Luukos's high warlock was destroyed and the blade recovered.

A month later, the four parts, pommel, hilt, quillions and blade were reunited. The blade which had been broken was made anew and placed in front of Lorminstra's temple in Wehnimer's Landing. Until recently, it was sometimes possible to rub the sword and secure Lorminstra's blessing for a weapon of your own. According to one legend, there may come someone Lorminstra deems worthy of using her Griffin Sword in combat and they will be allowed to pull the sword from the solid block that encases it. But that will never come to pass unless the sword can be reforged yet again.

Cast of Characters

• Morfell Destrieder

Additional Information

The prophet that had come to Wehnimer's Landing to share the history of the Griffin Sword turned out to be Morfell himself. His identity and memory had been taken from him by Lorminstra until he redeemed himself.

Morfell's tomb is presumed to be within Moonsedge castle.

After the Griffin Sword was reforged, it was imbedded into a stone just outside of the Temple of Lormintra in Wehnimer's Landing. It could be rubbed to bless a weapon to fight the undead.

The Griffin Sword was later taken from the stone and shattered a second time as part of a much later storyline, the Griffin Sword Saga.

See Also

• Elanthian Journal #08 - containing a summary of the storyline, as written in 2002 at the start of the Griffin Sword Saga
• The Griffin Sword creation - recounting the original creation of the Griffin Sword, leading up to the first Griffin Sword War