Hammer of thunderbolts

Hammers of thunderbolts were powerful enchanted dwarven warhammers.

Description
Hammers of thunderbolts varied in design. Some were heft angular dwarven warhammers, while other were powerful mauls. Generally, a hammer of thunderbolts looked like an ordinary weapon of war, albeit heavier and of a larger size. Despite that, it was perfectly balanced.

Powers
Each hammer of thunderbolts possessed a true name and the weapon's real powers were only revealed to those who knew it. When swung in battle, each hit with the weapon unleashed great noise – clap of thunder, that could render the target stunned. These hammers could also be turned at the opponent, unleashing the same stunning thunder damage. Thankfully, its enchantments returned thrown hammer of thunderbolts back into the owner's hand.

History
Unteius "Stoneshoulders" Boldenbar, one of the eight Master Masons of Sarbreen, possessed a hammer of thunderbolts that had been passed down through his clan. His particular hammer was what gave Sarbreen the moniker "The City of the Hammer." It was lost somewhere in the Underdark as Unteius led Sarbreen's refugees to safety after the realm of Roldilar fell in the 7 century DR.

One such mighty weapon was wielded in the Battle of the Drowning of Lornak. As of around the, a runestone in Delzoun written in Dethek was claimed to a give a clue to its whereabouts.

Some years before the late 14 century DR, a powerful +3 variant of a hammer of thunderbolts was forged by the dwarven smith only known as Silverblade. He created the hammer as part of a set that also included a girdle of giant strength and gauntlets of ogre power. The items were intended to be a gift to his son, an officer in dwarven military who fought the menace of giants and ogres as the time. Unfortunately, Silverblade's son perished in battle before the smith could gift the set to him. Grief-stricken, Silverblade donned the set of the powerful items himself and set out to slay the giant-kin responsible for his son's death. Silverblade the smith perished shortly after in a blaze of battle glory. In the, this hammer of thunderbolts ended up in the slimy hands of a mind flayer colony that was recently founded in secrecy in the sewers of Athkatla, underneath the Temple District. If the hammer were to be joined with the rest of the set by a talented smith – gauntlets of ogre strength, a girdle of frost giant strength, with the use of a special enchantment formula scroll, that hammer of thunderbolts could be turned into a powerful weapon known as Crom Faeyr, especially deadly to giants.

Shortly before the, a dwarven smith named Barun recreated a powerful version of a hammer of thunderbolts, leading to numerous copies and variants of these weapons appearing across the Sword Coast.

Notable Owners

 * Ahmaergo the "Horned Dwarf" was known to have a hammer of thunderbolts in his personal collection of magic items in the late 14 century DR.
 * Duke Eltan of Baldur's Gate, was said to own such a hammer, despite rarely using it in the 14 century DR.
 * Gond, the deity known as the Wonderbringer wielded a hammer of thunderbolts when his avatar stepped on the face of Toril.
 * Skarn Stonegrinder, a dwarven sage of Impiltur was known to possess a hammer of thunderbolts.
 * Stronmaus, the deity and the eldest son of Annam All-Father, carried a hammer of thunderbolts into battle.
 * Thelarn Swifthammer, a dwarven adventurer who was said to have been buried with such a hammer in a tomb beneath the Hill of Lost Souls in the Battle of Bones.
 * Tiamat's hoard included countless precious and powerful magic items, including a hammer of thunderbolts.

Notable Hammers of Thunderbolts

 * Aegis-fang, forged by Bruenor Battlehammer, was a unique "offspring" of a hammer of thunderbolts.
 * Crom Faeyr, an immensely powerful hammer of thunderbolts created using items forged by Silverblade.
 * Hammer of Ramman, a unique hammer of thunderbolts owned by Alasklerbanbastos, the Great Bone Wyrm.
 * Maryn's Maul, a legendary Calishite weapon, said to possess world-shattering powers, however, it was nothing but a hammer of thunderbolts.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Mines of Bloodstone &bull; The Throne of Bloodstone &bull; Blood Charge
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn &bull; Neverwinter Nights
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards