Silver Sword of Gith

The Silver Sword of Gith was the greatest of the githyanki silver swords and an artifact sacred to the githyanki that belonged to their hero and namesake Gith.

Description
The Silver Sword of Gith appeared to have a wavy, jagged-edged silver blade and a golden hilt. It weighed. Although reformed in 1374 DR, several pieces remained missing and these appeared as gaps in the blade, with a ghostly outline to mark where they should be.

History
According to legend, the Silver Sword was originally forged by the mystic Zerthimon, who gave it to Gith, leader of the rebellion of their enslaved race against the illithids. She wielded it much in their battles against the mind flayers. But after their liberation, Gith and Zerthimon came into conflict over the future of their race, which in turn split into the githyanki and the githzerai. Gith took the Silver Sword with her.

When Gith ventured into the Nine Hells to seek an alliance with Tiamat and the red dragons and never returned, the Silver Sword was lost. It would have a number of owners in its long history.

The god of the dead Myrkul later retrieved the Silver Sword of Gith from the Nine Hells and gifted it to Akachi, his high priest and Chosen. The Silver Sword was used as the key to a portal to the Fugue Plane located in the Death God's Vault, a Myrkulyte temple on the Plane of Shadow in Mulsantir. But in time, Akachi turned against his god. He led a crusade through the portal and used the blade to try and destroy the Wall of the Faithless and free his dead love, known as the Founder, a Faithless whom Myrkul would not spare judgement. But the crusade was defeated and Akachi punished, becoming the spirit eater curse. Apparently returned to the Nine Hells, the fate of the Silver Sword of Gith is unknown.

Yet the warlock Ammon Jerro learned of Silver Sword of Gith from his dealings with the githyanki, devils including Levistus and Mephasm, and an ancient crystal dragon named Nolalothcaragascint and determined the blade to be the only weapon powerful enough to defeat the ancient, corrupted Guardian of Illefarn. He ultimately found the artifact but when he fought the King of Shadows with it in battle in West Harbor, it shattered into dozens of shards, one of which buried itself inside the body of a baby who would grow up to be called the Kalach-Cha—"shard bearer" in the Gith language.

The slaad lord Ygorl also desired the artifact to increase his own power. At the time, the sword was in the hands of Cireka, a githyanki general. The two battled over it, pitting their armies against each other until their fight spilled over into Toril and Khelben Arunsun trapped them in a magical stone. When adventurers released the two in the, their fight resumed until Cireka was slain by the red dragon Caminus. Rannek of Nesmé retrieved the blade and used it to help defeat Ygorl. He was concerned, however, that the githyanki would return to retrieve it at some point.

In the, the Kalach-Cha collected the scattered shards, whilst being pursued by the zealous githyanki led by Zeearie, and eventually reassembled them at the site where the blade originally shattered, the ruins of West Harbor, with the aid of the githzerai Zhjaeve. Though it could not be fully restored, the sword gained several new powers, owing to the fractured nature of the blade and a shard still being embedded in the Kalach-Cha's chest, forming a close bond between sword and wielder. The still-powerful blade was then used to finally defeat the King of Shadows.

When the Kalach-Cha was abducted into the land of Rashemen by the Founder shortly after vanquishing the King of Shadows, the prime shard that was buried in the Kalach-Cha's chest was torn out violently. The Founder then reformed the whole sword with the missing shard, strengthening the weapon even further, though the blade retained its previous nature of servitude to the shard bearer who'd first reformed it. The Founder then explained her reason for choosing the Kalach-Cha to defeat the spirit eater. After regaining the Blade, the Kalach-Cha then used the weapon to open the Betrayer's Gate. Upon reaching the Fugue Plane and Kelemvor's Gray City, the Kalach-Cha was given the choice of either leading Akachi's generals to lay siege to the City, or defending it against them. Whatever the Kalach-Cha decided, the Lord of the Dead, Kelemvor, arrived and the Kalach-Cha's own soul to be retrieved from the Wall of the Faithless, where the Founder and Akachi once were. The Kalach-Cha had to then battle the avatar of the spirit eater curse for control of the soul. Eventually, after battling the spirit eater curse across dreamscape versions of Crossroad Keep and West Harbor, the Kalach-Cha cornered the avatar and used the Silver Sword to defeat it.

Powers
The Silver Sword of Gith was crafted to adapt to its wielder and to intelligently develop powers appropriate to their capabilities. The below enchantments and powers were recorded for the Kalach-Cha, at least.

Partially Reformed
Following its partial reforming in 1374 DR, the Silver Sword was a +3 alchemical silver longsword, similar to a typical silver sword.

Uniquely, the Kalach-Cha, who served as its master and whose embedded shard provided the binding force holding the blade together, could control the individual shards purely through force of will, and thus break apart and reform the blade elsewhere as desired. In this way, the Kalach-Cha developed a variety of unique powers and tactics, so long as the Silver Sword was in hand. By simply swinging the sword, a hail of shards could fly at an opponent, piercing and cutting them; this could be done as often as desired. Other powers had more limited usage. In one, a storm of fast-flying shards would sweep through a group of foes or assail a single target, injuring and knocking them over. In another, the shards formed a barrier around the Kalach-Cha, striking all enemies who got close and even slowing, blinding, and deafening them.

To restore the energy needed for these powers, the Kalach-Cha had to take time after a battle to meditate and reestablish the bond. The Kalach-Cha could always reform and call the Silver Sword of Gith back, thus ending the storm or barrier powers on command. Even when separated, a basic silver sword remained in hand.

Fully Reformed
When fully reformed later in 1374 DR, it became more powerful, being an enchanted keen alchemical silver longsword. It was more damaging in battle and especially to outsiders and could inflict injurious cold or emit a damaging sonic wave. It also bestowed immunity to paralyzing magics such as hold person and to mind-affecting magic. Wielding it also generally enhanced the Kalach-Cha in mind and body.

Using a power called 'chilling wrath', the Silver Sword could fire three beams of freezing energy at a single target, and if all three struck, an icy explosion would occur, knocking down the target and harming all in range. With 'infinite resonance' it could emit a wave of intense sound in all directions, that harmed, deafened, and bowled over those who could not withstand it.

Moreover, all who beheld the blade were influence by its power and 'unity of will'. Allies of the wielder were united in their goals, their courage greater and their minds protected. Foes who lacked the will to resist were demoralized, being struck with fear and crushing despair.

The Kalach-Cha could create an 'unbroken circle' that lessened the severity of physical damage and absorbed magical assaults. With 'perfect rejuvenation', the Kalach-Cha could also heal injuries and shake off ill-effects.

Finally, the Kalach-Cha could alter the blade's edge for different advantages in battle for a short time. With a penetrating edge, the blade struck with maximum effect. With a defensive edge, the Kalach-Cha was better protected. And with an anti-magic edge, it cancelled magic on the target.

However, the energy available was limited, and of the sword's six charges, each of these special abilities consumed two. It could be recharged by casting spells on the sword, with this magic being absorbed, but it would also recharge slowly through regular use in battle.

Notable Wielders

 * Gith, leader of the gith rebellion against the illithds
 * Akachi the Betrayer, ex-Chosen of Myrkul
 * Cireka, a githyanki general
 * Rannek of Nesmé
 * Ammon Jerro, warlock
 * The Kalach-Cha, the shard bearer

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone • Neverwinter Nights 2 • Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer