No matter where you go, there you are.
Excerpt from the Journal of Merolen Amakiir, Father of Valon
… I feel almost lost, Though I am sure that Valon has felt that way for the past 35 years. It is a long time to hold a memory so close, but I fear he may never forgive himself. 35 years… amazing. It has been that long since I lost my eldest son. It seems like just yesterday. I suppose it must seem sooner for Valon. He knew what he had done, but he had no control.
The hunting party had come across a Drow in the woods. He had been raising the dead from the last major battle inside the Dreadwood, and at that point had a sizable force for our small hunting party to combat. We fought mercilessly and without hesitation. I know both my sons fought well, as together they had destroyed at least a dozen of the walking dead by themselves. But that damnable Wizard had other tricks up his sleeve.
Before anyone could stop him, he took control of Valon and forced him to kill his brother. We subdued Valon quickly, but the wizard managed to escape before we could deal with him.
When Valon came to he realized what he had done. Though we were not upset with him, he was furious that he had fallen under the spell. Valon said that he fought with all his might against the wizard’s spell, but could not control himself.
Valon has lived with that failure for 35 years now. This morning I received a poem in his handwriting:
With heavy heart I leave this place,
No longer able to feel at peace.
I hope one day I may earn my grace,
And my mind’s memory of the day will cease.
How long I am gone I do not know,
I may never again see this wood,
And as I turn my back to go,
I do not think I ever should.
With me I take my curse and sword.
And begin with my disheartened pace.
I ask a small request of my lord,
Never once to me give chase.
Now I fear I have lost both my sons. I hope that the Gods favor Valon…
…A messenger from the Temple of Ehlonna came to me today. Someone has stolen The Cursed Sword. I don’t understand. Could Valon have taken it? He went missing as well. I hope for his sake he didn’t take it. The Sword is more trouble than it is worth. It does make a person powerful for a little while, but eventually they are driven insane by it. It is so strange that he should disappear along with a cursed sword…
Character sheet: Valon [Elven Bard]
The Sword of Illiven
Long ago this sword was wielded by Illiven, a great defender of the Elves. At the time the sword was mundane, but Illiven refused stubbornly to use a more powerful weapon. As Illiven continued to grow in power, Corellon Larethian took notice to Illiven and blessed him, giving the sword extraordinary powers. With the help of the sword, Illiven’s power grew even more.
Many tried to take the sword, believing that they could control its amazing power if they could wrest it from Illiven’s hands. However they found that the sword was cursed as well as blessed. Those who tried to use it found that it was no better than a weaker magic sword. After Illiven’s death, the sword was eventually lost in battle and the secrets of its true power lost to all but the gods.
The sword was found again, ironically by gray elves. It was passed down over time, and many discoveries were made about it, though its origins were still unknown. The gray elves found that if a warrior was powerful enough, he could put some of his own soul into the sword and the sword would become more powerful. However, problems were also found with the sword. Anyone who used the sword had strange things happen to him. A tattoo of an elf using the sword would appear on their skin. The wielder’s hair would change color and length. Often the wielder would become possessive of the item, refusing to even sleep without it. It was also very common for an owner to refuse to use any type of weapon other than the sword. It was not uncommon for a user to be weakened by the sword instead of strengthened. More powerful warriors who used the sword were driven insane.
Unfortunately, none had any idea as to how powerful the sword really was. After encountering the curses placed upon it to discourage use, the elves resolved to only use the sword in emergencies. The sword was to be kept in a shrine to Ehlonna unless it was needed.
When Valon first took up the sword, it was a +1 longsword. To others, it looks like a stick with a few leaves on it.
When Valon reached 5th level, the sword’s magic provided “sure striking.” To others, the leafy stick appeared to blossom, and often attracted a bee or two.
When Valon reached 7th level, the longsword became +2 (with sure striking). To others, it now bears fruit in addition to leaves and blossoms, which attracts more bees. Sure to be an annoyance, the sword now hums Flight of the Bumblebee so that only Valon can hear it.
When Valon reached 11th level, the longsword added the “chaotic” special ability. This of course angers the bees, some of which now are really big bees (not to be confused with Bigby).