Namarra

Namarra, also spelled Namara and known as The Sword That Never Sleeps or simply Neversleep, was a unique enchanted sword of unknown origin. An ancient blade with a long and storied history, it once belonged to King Esmel Torlath, founder of Amn, and several of his descendants. It was also claimed by the goblins of the Valley of Khedrun and by a succession of adventurers, mercenaries, and heroes.
==Description==
Forged from a quality steel, the sword glowed a light mauve hue when drawn from its sheath and white sparks flew from it when it struck metal. Both sides of the blade were engraved, one with "Namarra" and the other with "Never Sleeps".
==Powers==
Namarra was a unique magical +2 keen longsword. Its glow was as bright as a candle.
It could be commanded by its owner to cast silence, 15' radius' or silence at any time and as often as required, but only on itself. The silence ended when the wielder let go of the sword or sheathed it. The silence was sometimes limited to thrice a day and only a brief period. With all sound cancelled around it, spellcasters were critically hampered, giving a warrior back the upper hand.
Oddly, although the sword was as heavy as any of its type, it floated on water similarly to wood, even if dropped in. It apparently floated on any liquid, having been tested on fresh water, brine, oil, and wine, among others.
Namarra was not a sentient item, nor did it have any alignment.
==History==
Nothing was known of the sword's creation, save that it was quite ancient and had been around for longer than any surviving story to name it, let alone give a date for its creation or first appearance. The sage Kumur the Skeptic undertook a study of history and legendry and could not even estimate a likely period or locale for its origin, nor uncover any stories alluding to a time "before Namarra was forged".
Yet Namarra figured in numerous myths, legends, and wild tales, with mythic heroes like Eth and Brensyl the Tall reputed to have used it. It traveled widely as well, with reports placing it in locales across Faerûn, from Chult in the far southwest to Thay in the far northeast. Moreover, it had apparently been at some of the most important battles in Faerûnian history. Strangely, reports were typically light on details—some theorized this was due to silence magic preventing any conversation after any fight it was used in.
By the 5 century DR, Namarra was a renowned weapon of great magic, when it was wielded by Esmel Torlath, a former general of the Shoon Imperium also known as Serrus the Great. In the , Esmel founded the realm of Amn from the Imperium's Western Emirate and reigned as its king. Namarra was passed down to its descendants, and they to theirs, for four generations.The original write-ups of Namarra cover events "Within the last five hundred years…" but the founding of Amn was later dated to four hundred years earlier and the Goblin Wars a hundred years earlier. As a result, the subsequent events seem spread out more than intended. This is evident with the Company of the Gryphon still being active in 1357 DR elsewhere.
Then Prince Ereskas Torlath took Namarra on an expedition north to found Mirabar in the . He had no offspring, so on his death Namarra was placed on his tomb in Mirabar and kept safe for some sixty years. 
Then, in the , a horde of goblins burst out of the Valley of Khedrun in the Spine of the World mountains and marched southward, igniting the Goblin Wars. They quickly overcame the defenders of Mirabar and looted the city. A goblin chieftain named Nethaug raided Ereskas's tomb and stole Namarra. Following the war, goblins were rendered nearly extinct in the North. However, Nethaug, with Namarra in hand, and others escaped back into the Spine of the World, into a ravine so remote that they would hold it securely well into the 14 century DR.
Nearly two hundred seasons later,The sources say the goblins had the sword "for almost two hundred seasons", but it is unknown if this is meant to be 200 years (e.g., 200 winters) or only 50 years (four seasons per year). a goblin by the name of Ghaur was wielding Namarra when he was killed by adventurers of the Company of the Gryphon. One of those adventurers, a warrior named Flar, claimed the sword.As the timeline is stretched, both presumed dates are difficult to fit—Flar may have the sword for up to ~470 or ~320 years and seems very long-lived.
Later, to pay for training in the combat arts, Flar gave Namarra to Thulmar One-Eye of Port Llast around the 1270s DR. Thulmar wielded the sword until he died in the Cold Winter. Afterward, Namarra was received by the renowned Stormraven, the Proud Queen, Mistress of Port Llast, who wielded the Sword That Never Sleeps at the head of her forces in her battles to make her settlement strong. She bestowed Namarra on her son, known as Rivenhelm, one of the greatest knights in Faerûn.
One day, Rivenhelm was commanding a small band who were assaulted by the Flaming Fist mercenary company, and was mortally wounded. Over the course of the day, the adventurer mercenary Tamper Tencoin—a former member of the Flaming Fist—stood over Rivenhelm in a valiant effort to save his life. Finally, as night fell, the Flaming Fist stepped back and sent in their tracking dogs in to savage the stricken defenders in the darkness. Then the dying Rivenhelm thrust Namarra into Tamper's hands and crawled away, shedding blood as he went. He strangled one dog before half a dozen mauled him to death, but Tamper got away.
In time, Tamper was famed as the wielder of the Sword That Never Sleeps and was an ally of the Harpers. At some point, he visited Shadowdale and showed the blade to Elminster. However, around 1353 DR, in the Whistling Wizard inn in Voonlar, Tamper was poisoned and driven mad and senseless for days. By the time he recovered, Namarra was missing. Elminster supposed it had taken by Voonlar's thieves and expected it would turn up again soon, but it had in fact been stolen by a Zhentarim agent, who'd poisoned Tamper Tencoin. Tamper Tencoin was the kind of man who would, and had, many times, waited up to a decade to get revenge on one who had wronged him, so he was sure to come seeking the Sword that Never Sleeps if it ever resurfaced.
What came of the Zhent or the sword next is unknown, but in the following years Namarra somehow made its way back to Amn and was interred with a fallen warrior in a tomb in the Grave District of Athkatla. This warrior was later disturbed from his rest and rose as an evil undead specter known only as the Crypt King, with Neversleep in hand. In the , some incautious adventurers—possibly even Abdel Adrian and his band, who were seeking the vampire Bodhi at the time—opened the tomb and disturbed the specter once more. They fought and claimed the enchanted blade as others had before them.
By the following year, Namarra had fallen into the pudgy hands of Duke Inselm Hhune of Zazesspur, Tethyr. He kept his find a secret, however, as he had plans to gift the sword to Pehllus Tanislove, lord of House Tanislove, who were direct descendants of the Torlath dynasty. Pehllus plotted to depose Amn's Council of Six, restore the monarchy, and make himself its king. Hhune knew that returning the sword of the first kings of Amn and the Tanislove's ancestors would gain him much favor in the new realm, at least if Pehllus's plans progressed. Both men were members of the secret society known as the Knights of the Shield.
==Reputation==
The only reason for its alternate name, the Sword that Never Sleeps, was the inscription on the blade. The meaning of this was unknown and, peculiarly, it did not convey any powers of alertness or sleeplessness.
==Creation & Cost==
To create the sword anew would require skill in crafting enchanted weaponry and the spells keen edge, silence, and water walk, and 15,315 gp worth of materials.
It was worth around 30,315 gold pieces to buy and 10,000 gp to sell.
==Notable Owners==
* King Esmel Torlath I, also known as Serrus the Great, former general of the Shoon Imperium, and founder of Amn.
* Prince Ereskas Torlath, founder of Mirabar.
* Stormraven, the Proud Queen, Mistress of Port Llast.
* Rivenhelm, known as one of the greatest knights in Faerûn.
* Tamper Tencoin, a former Flaming Fist soldier, adventurer, and Harper ally who was granted the blade by his commander Rivenhelm.
==Appendix==
===See Also===
* Armaukran, an enchanted sword also called "the Sword That Never Sleeps"
* Namarra, an enchanted rapier of the same name but different powers
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===External Links===
* 
===References===
FR:Namarra
Category:Longswords
Category:Plus-2 items
Category:Magic weapons
Category:Magic blades
Category:30000-39999 gold pieces
Category:Items from Amn
Category:Items from the Lands of Intrigue
Category:Items from West Faerûn
Category:Items from Faerûn
Category:Items from Toril