Azuredge was a magical, intelligent battleaxe forged by Ahghairon the mage.[5] Its wielder was considered the greatest protector of Waterdeep.[6]
Description[]
Azuredge had a solid steel handle etched with tiny runes, wrapped in blue dragon hide with a star sapphire set into the pommel. This handle connected to a double-bladed head forged from silver, electrum, and steel alloys whose edges constantly shimmered with a deep blue luminescence and had six more runes etched into it: one beside each of the four edges and one in the center of both sides of the head. These runes glowed blue, apparently when certain of the axe's powers were activated.[1] The glowing could also be controlled by the wielder.[4]
Powers[]
The axe was unwieldy but magically balanced itself in the hands of a wielder chosen by the weapon. The axe allowed its wielders access to powers according to how worthy it judged them. Its least powerful ability was to negate the resistances of any creatures resistant to nonmagical weapons and/or weapons not made out of silver and any damage inflicted by it could not be healed with regenerative abilities like those of trolls. The wielder could potentially also command it to shed a bright blue light to illuminate their surroundings; throw it up to one hundred and eighty feet and have it return to their hand; have it flare with cold bright blue flames whenever in the presence of undead and fiends and possibly destroy such creatures with a single blow.[7]
The intelligence within Azuredge had a limited ability to detect the moral alignments of people and could stick to things with the strength of sovereign glue when she (the intelligence was female) did not wish to be wielded by someone. She could communicate with both speech and telepathy and could actively resist identification magics.[7][4]
Azuredge could pierce magical shields. It was able to dispel one set of wards around Ahghairon's Tower.[8]
Khelben Arunsun also enchanted the axe to allow him to scry on its wielder and to teleport the weapon to safety should that wielder fall.[7]
History[]
Lady Laroun was War Lord of Waterdeep until she was slain by orcish archers in 1026 DR. She was a just but violent ruler and Ahghairon did not foresee another War Lord as honorable as she taking up the mantle any time soon. He obeyed her final request "to ensure that she would always be able to aid the defense of the City of Splendors" by binding a part of her departing soul to a magical battleaxe that he was due to give her before she was slain.[1]
Sometime prior to 1479 DR, the axe was relocated to the Pellamcopse Woods, where the Nameless Haunt was tasked by the Blackstaff with protecting it.[6] It remained there until Nightal of 1479 DR, when Meloon Wardragon (a descendant of Laroun) successfully retrieved it from a stump and used it to help defeat Khondar Naomal's intrusion into Blackstaff Tower.[9]
Notable owners[]
- Kerris: A Lord of Waterdeep and the axe's first wielder, six years after its creation.[1]
- Baeron: One of the first Open Lords of Waterdeep and great grandson of Kerris.[1]
- Berrygon: A blacksmith who wielded the axe in defense of the city against the forces of Bane during the Godswar.[1]
- Meloon Wardragon: A descendant of Laroun who wielded the axe in service of the seventh Blackstaff, Vajra Safahr.[10]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
An axe by this name appears in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, but its description (a throwing axe crafted by Gulen Rockfire) makes it clear that it is not the same item.[11]
Appearances[]
- Novels
- Video games
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 slade et al (December 1994). Encyclopedia Magica Volume I. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 112–113. ISBN 1560768428.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Christopher Perkins, James Haeck, James Introcaso, Adam Lee, Matthew Sernett (September 2018). Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 189. ISBN 978-0-7869-6625-7.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Steven E. Schend (September 2008). Blackstaff Tower. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 228–229. ISBN 0-7869-4913-9.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 30. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Steven E. Schend (September 2008). Blackstaff Tower. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 168. ISBN 0-7869-4913-9.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 slade et al (December 1994). Encyclopedia Magica Volume I. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 113–114. ISBN 1560768428.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (September 2008). Blackstaff Tower. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 277–278. ISBN 0-7869-4913-9.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (September 2008). Blackstaff Tower. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 170–171. ISBN 0-7869-4913-9.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (September 2008). Blackstaff Tower. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-4913-9.
- ↑ BioWare (September 2000). Designed by James Ohlen, Kevin Martens. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Black Isle Studios.
External links[]
Azuredge article at the Baldur's Gate Wiki, a wiki for the Baldur's Gate games.