Karsomyr

Owned by Sir Lymond Vickary.

Appearance
Also known as Karsomyr the Gold or the Golden Scale, Karsomyr is a magic longsword retrieved from the horde of a Hellfang host, in the Cloud Peaks. It is a weapon of approximately 200 years old, consisting of a pure steel blade, a detailed cross and a leather-and-brass cord covered hilt. The whole hilt is a single piece of work, made of solid gold magically enhanced to endure damage beyond what the material would. Other than the delicate designs carved on the cross, it also depicts a scale made of gold, in reference to Waukeen's dogma of the mercantile justice and neutrality.

Properties
The blade is a holy avenger, a type of sword valued by paladins. It fiercely enhances the combat performance of the wielder while it shines with the divine radiance of the god it serves. Wherever its light sheds, the aid is further on extended, for as he and its master fight, the allies remain protected. When Karsomyr strikes with vengeance upon infidels, it glows with a golden light.

There is a possibility that the sword has some innate personality. It appears angry and war-mongering, urging the wielder to throw himself in a valiant assault and feed on infidel lives. However, its current wielder, has not yet discerned weather the urges are his imagination or indeed the weapon itself. An unknown spirit noted that Karsomyr is the strongest of its generation, with no further explanation to the day.

In-game mechanics
Karsomyr acts both as a longsword and as a holy symbol. It is a +1 longsword (on attack and damage). On a critical hit, it deals a +1d6 radiant damage and the wielder can spend a healing surge. Also, when the wielder uses a power with the radiant keyword the sword deals an extra +1d10 of radiant damage.

Power (daily): Minor action. You and each ally within 10 squares of you gain a +5 power bonus to Fortitude, Reflex and Will defenses until the end of your next round.

Special: The sword adds its enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls and the extra damage granted by its property (if applicable) when used as a holy symbol (implement). The weapon proficiency bonus to the attack roll does not apply when used in this manner.

History
The history of Karsomyr is still in bits and pieces, partly based on what Lymond's insight revealed and partly on a few comments made by an unidentified spirit he encountered while in Arhiod, the world of dreams.

Approximately 200 years ago, around 1270 DR, the last surviving clans of shield dwarves in the country of Amn faced the possibility of extinction when their mountain homes in the Cloud Peaks were under a constant attack and siege by the armies gathered under the red dragon Ximdarmardix; a host of trolls and lesser giants. The battles were fierce for three tendays and then a dwarf messenger managed to slip past their lines via underground tunnel to reach the lands of men. Speaking with representatives of Waukeen they struck an agreement of aid and on the second coming dawn, the clergy of Waukeen along with a number of Flaming Fists marched towards the heights of the range. It took six days of bloodshed and the dwarves were free of the grip - but their numbers quite thin. The dwarves, as was agreed, moved towards the northern peaks of the Sword Coast to reunite with their lost comrades and build a home for themselves, while leaving their halls to the hands of the church. A number of weapons were forged as gifts for the help of mankind. Five weapons, forged by dwarf smiths and blessed by Waukeen's priesthood, all offered to the high ranking warriors of Waukeen, the Scale Knights. Erygen, Dorrophel, Adolin were the three great swords, while Thoramyr and Karsomyr were the longswords. Sir Gorfeld picked up Karsomyr and honored it through a life of valor until he died of old age in Esmeltaran.

His son Eldred inherited his father's blade and fought also valiantly in the name of Waukeen for three decades. While in his forties, the knight Eldred banded with a couple of warriors from the mainlands, with whom he went after the life of Ximdarmardix who still plagued the highlands. Only the warrior man survived the fight while the dragon escaped also, badly wounded. The man, named Borylf, carried Karsomyr home and kept it close. He wielded it throughout his entire career in the Fighter's Guild, up until he reached the rank of second in command in Imnescar's branch of the Guild. Borylf returned to the mountains and eventually killed the dragon after a pursuit of two days. The Borylf that came back to Imnescar was not the same and his wife's ghost haunted him for failing her on the first battle with the wyrm. The warrior became less careful and eventually gave in to anger and ale. This led to a terrible mistake of attacking a White Phoenix knight who apparently mishandled a bar fight. The knight took Borylf's life at the inn of the Fox's Run and Karsomyr was carried by the knight from that point on.

In 1373 DR, Imnescar fell to the Sothilissian Empire. The sword was claimed by an orc warlord and years later it was traded with the frost giants of the Cloud Peaks to the north, as a means of an alliance. The blade found its way to lesser beings, ending up stashed in a horde on Mount Jelegstrum that belonged to an orc shaman of the Hellfang clan. In 1479 DR Sir Lymond Vickary, a paladin of Waukeen, picked up Karsomyr after he and his companions killed most of these orcs, and it has been with him ever since.