The Shard Spike

From The World of Layonara
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When bards tell stories of great weapons now lost to time, the Shard Spike is a favorite subject. This remarkable weapon is rumored to have existed around the time the dragon gods left Layonara, approximately 500 years before the great Cataclysm. Save that it is elven in origin, almost nothing is known about the production of this weapon. Stories of the Shard Spike tell only of the deeds it performed.

The Shard Spike is said to resemble a rather simple elven spear with a solid oak handle and a lightweight metallic head. As any good illusionist can tell you, though, appearances can be deceiving. The spear head was made from several tiny pieces of adamantium, layered on top of one another and each infused with magic as the spear was built. This process is thought to have taken an elven smith an entire lifetime to finish. The identity of the elf who dedicated his centuries to molding every segment to fit seamlessly onto the last, though, has been lost to time. The means, either magical or mundane, which were used to bind the components of the spear together and produce the extraordinary weapon of legend are the subject of fierce debate, but little more than speculation exists.

While the composition of the spear has been hotly debated over the years, it is the devastating effects of the weapon that have earned it a place in tales and legends. It is said that when the spear's tip pierced its target, the spearhead would explode, sending adamantium shards in all directions to tear through the insides of whatever foe happened to be unfortunate enough to be impaled by its tip. One might assume that such a weapon could be used but once, albeit to devastating effect, but what is most remarkable is that the spear was capable of perfectly reassembling itself when it was withdrawn from the corpse. Although it was never the quickest of weapons, its impact was almost always lethal.

The last known record of this item was when the spear was in the hands of a druid, the keeper of Ulan Forest of Voltrex, known only as Teln. Teln is said to have used the spear to ensure the safety of the forest for at least two centuries. The reputation of Teln as protective guardian of the forest and the reputation of the spear itself kept many threats out of the Ulan Forest altogether, but eventually Teln was faced with a truly formidable enemy when a dragon decided to take up residence in the wood.

As soon as news of the dragon's arrival reached Teln's pointed ears, he took up arms and went to confront the beast. He arrived at a scene of devastation; the grass and trees around the dragon's lair were already blackening and withering from the dragon's presence alone. Furthermore, he found animal corpses littered across the ground as he neared the entrance to the dragon's cave.

Teln steeled himself and strode bravely into the lair. When he eventually found his foe, Teln confronted the dragon and demanded that the creature leave immediately. As an incentive, Teln told the dragon that if it did so, he would spare its life.

The dragon reeled back in laughter, giving a mocking snort of smoke towards his next meal, but Teln merely stood his ground, awaiting the beast's first move. Infuriated by the elf's defiance, the dragon lunged forward, its great claws tearing the air as it let out a terrible roar.

Teln dodged the blow, swiftly dropping to the floor and rolling towards the beast. Spear in hand; he relied on his agility to dodge the next volley of blows. The dragon, still full of his last feed, was slower than usual and barely managed to catch Teln with a glancing blow from one of his wicked, curving talons. In a desperate attempt to rid himself of his agile opponent, the dragon reared back his head and let loose his terrible breath. This time Teln was not so lucky, and caught a full blast of the dragon's breath.

Teln came to a few minutes later, half buried under a pile of rock and slag. His enemy loomed over him, a wicked sneer on its face. Knowing he faced his end, Teln took the Shard Spike and drove it deep into the floor of the cavern.

The dragon began to laugh once more. "You throw down your weapons so easily little man?" queried the dragon, his smirk growing as he hissed out the taunt.

Teln merely smiled.

The dragon grew tired of his prey and stepped forward to finish the battle. However, as he reached forward to tear out Teln's throat, the rock began to crumble beneath his weight and the cavern began to collapse. The beast began to thrash, fighting to get to the exit before the entire hillside came down upon him. A vast cave was opening below the dragon and the elven druid, collapsing the entire cave in the process, and the dragon's thrashing did nothing but worsen the situation.

Teln look up, smiling, at the dragon. The great beast lunged for one final defiant strike at the druid, only to find himself with the simple oaken handle of a spear protruding from his belly, the end still clasped by Teln's hand.

"A spear? Is that the best you have, druid?" The dragon began the sentence, but is said that it never got the chance to finish it. Myths tell that before the dragon could say anything more, the pair were plunged deep into the caverns under Voltrex and the dragon met his death.

What became of Teln has never been discovered, nor has aught of the Shard Spike ever been found. However, when some bards tell stories of the legendary spear, they say that Teln can still be glimpsed from time to time, patrolling the caves.