Albruin was an intelligent, +3 enchanted broadsword[note 1] that was particularly destructive to undead creatures.[1][2]
Description[]
The sword was forged from an alloy of steel, electrum, and silver. When drawn from its scabbard, the blade emitted an eerie blue glow 10' (3 m) out from the wielder.[2][3]
The sword had a mischievous personality and had little interest in fame or glory, preferring to be wielded by those who traveled the span of Toril. Its personality would come out more when it found itself within interesting locales such as ancient ruins or seldom-explored caverns.[3]
Powers[]
Due to the silver within the blade, Albruin was particularly damaging to undead, lycanthropes, and other creatures vulnerable to that substance.[2]
It was an intelligent blade that communicated via speech[2] and telepathy.[3] In addition to fluency in a number of languages, it could read both mundane and magical writings.[2]
The wielder of Albruin was able to, at will, concentrate the blade's power and continuously detect invisible objects 10' (3 m) out. They could also cast neutralize poison once per day, cure moderate wounds three times per day and read magic at will.[3] If Albruin's bearer was unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated, it could decide to use these powers so long as it was still in contact with them.[2]
History[]
Albruin was forged generations before the mid–13th century DR by a famous smith named Surdee of the small town of Glister within the Great Gray Land of Thar. Despite the power of this unique sword, Surdee left no forge markings, or details that would identify his craftsmanship. In fact, Albruin resisted any queries into its origin. Its history since then was long, storied, and spanned much of Faerûn.[2][4]
It was commissioned by a Dambrathan, half-drow prince who was fleeing from Queen Ausitil, headed for the lands of Thar. The prince never received the weapon as the intelligent blade mischievously convince one of Surdee's lesser smiths to steal the blade before his arrival.[3]
For many years, Albruin rested in the royal treasury of the kingdom of Cormyr in the city of Suzail. It was seldom carried, let alone used, by the lineage of kings however. It was stolen from Castle Obarskyr in the late 13th century DR by the halfling thief Nypan, who managed to pass or sell it off before being captured and killed by Cormyrian soldiers in Wheloon. Rumors of the blade's whereabouts circled around a fence by the name of Blusken Shult, who may have transported it to a buyer located along some shore of the Wyvernwater, but this was never reliably confirmed. Albruin's location remained a mystery for another 24 years.[2][4]
The next recorded appearance of Albruin was in the bedchambers of the noblewoman Shamur Karn of Selgaunt. She discovered its presence when some foreign visitor had left it behind, after charging through her quarters on the run from the city guard. She kept the sword for a year, before selling it to a merchant who worked at the behest of Prince Thaum of Telflamm.[4][note 2] Thaum bore Albruin[2] in his campaign to wrestle the throne of Impiltur from the control of his father, the crown prince Kuskur Heltharn. Although this endeavor caused many royal Impilturan deaths in 1294 DR,[5] Prince Thaum managed to reign over his own part of the kingdom before succumbing to a magically caused death[2] two years later.[6]
After Thaum's death, Albruin was seized by one of his warriors, a man named Adjuz, who traveled the roads of northern Faerûn towards the Dalelands. The soldier sought out a sage in Shadowdale in order to learn the true nature of his unique sword, but died en route at the hands of brigands. Some time in the next eight years, Albruin came into the possession of the banelich Stallac Benadi of Zhentil Keep. When Stallac recruited the mercenary general Malakar to aid in his battles with Chrinson of the Blazing Sun, his payment included an immodest amount of material wealth and the famous broadsword. Albruin's identity was authenticated, at Malakar's behest, around a year later when the two arranged a meeting in Sarbreen, the settlement that would come to be known as Ravens Bluff, in 1308 DR.[7][3]
14th century DR[]
Albruin was wielded for some years by a massive, brave man named Basalin, who was rumored to be a werebear. He protected his village from giant spiders for many years and, thanks to the sword's enchantment, their invisible Red Wizard controllers.[8]
Sometime before the year 1368 DR, Albruin came into the possession of Simmeon, a former adventuring companion of Kryll.[9] Around a year later, it was being carried a wizard named Raevilin Strathi, who had gone temporarily mad while imprisoned in the Underdark below Amn.[8]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The Magister, The Ruins of Zhentil Keep Campaign Book and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn states Albruin has a +1 enchantment, but the more recent Champions of Valor lists it as +3.
- ↑ The Ruins of Zhentil Keep Campaign Book states that Shamur kept the blade until her marriage to Thamalon Uskevren, which occured in 1348 DR according to The Shattered Mask. It also stated that Prince Thaum killed the adventurer who bought Albruin, rather than purchased it by means of a merchant.
Appearances[]
External links[]
Albruin article at the Baldur's Gate Wiki, a wiki for the Baldur's Gate games.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ed Greenwood, Steve Perrin (May 1988). The Magister. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 55. ISBN 0-88038-564-2.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Kevin Melka, John Terra (March 1995). “Campaign Book”. In Julia Martin ed. Ruins of Zhentil Keep (TSR, Inc.), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-0109-8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Thomas M. Reid, Sean K. Reynolds (Nov. 2005). Champions of Valor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 61. ISBN 0-7869-3697-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Thomas M. Reid, Sean K. Reynolds (Nov. 2005). Champions of Valor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 60. ISBN 0-7869-3697-5.
- ↑ Thomas M. Reid, Sean K. Reynolds (Nov. 2005). Champions of Valor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 89. ISBN 0-7869-3697-5.
- ↑ George Krashos (August 2006). “Impiltur: The Forgotten Kingdom”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #346 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 71.
- ↑ Kevin Melka, John Terra (March 1995). “Campaign Book”. In Julia Martin ed. Ruins of Zhentil Keep (TSR, Inc.), p. 126. ISBN 0-7869-0109-8.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 BioWare (September 2000). Designed by James Ohlen, Kevin Martens. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Black Isle Studios.
- ↑ Beamdog (November 2012). Designed by Philip Daigle, et al. Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. Beamdog.