Elquillar (Magic Sword)

Also known as the sword of many faces, this unique blade has been difficult to trace but is at least 700 winters old. Although some scholars maintain that it was forged by the elves to spy upon the activities of young and rising races, it is probably the work of a Calishite illusionist named Akhir Ahad, who was forced to excel in sorcery by the power of his political enemies. Legend reports that he constructed the weapon to help him escape numerous assassins. Eventually, the night rogues caught him, but not before he had passed the blade on to his most trusted body guard, whose name has escaped the record books. The latter used it to such effect that it is impossible to locate it with certainly until some 300 winters later, when it appeared at an auction in Waterdeep. A number of murders ensued, and the sword was again lost.
Its most recent wielder is said to be an assassin who calls himself “The Rider in White.” He is a well-educated individual with an excellent reputation, working artfully rather than with cruelty. Many of the little governments surrounding the Inner Sea have at one time or another hired him to remove undesirables, the victims often (though by no means always) being of evil alignment.
Elquillar can change its shape to become any type of sword, scimitar, or dagger, though it's always +1 on attack and damage rolls. Such a transformation occurs whenever the wielder desires another weapon to appear, and it takes less than a round to complete. Multicolored runes spelling out its name appear on the blade regardless of its current shape or any efforts to conceal them.
Elquillar's master may alter his or her own shape as though wearing a hat of disguise: this requires that the sword be kept on the person, though it needn't actually be held (it can be in its scabbard). Furthermore, the bearer is protected as though by a ring of mind shielding, although in this case Elquillar must be firmly grasped in the hand. Finally, whenever this weapon touches (or strikes in combat) a creature in other than its natural form, Elquillar returns the target to its true shape. There is no saving throw against this effect. Thus, a gold dragon, a shape-changed wizard, a vampire, a polymorphed griffon, or a doppelganger might all be induced to assume their normal appearances at a touch.
Category:Encyclopedia Magica Magic Items
Category:Magic Items
Category:Magic Swords
Category:Magic Weapons