Calindal, the Gleaming Blade

**Calindal**, named after its maker, the elven smith Calindal the Smith, is a legendary precursor spellblade said to be Calindal's final and best work. The greatsword was previously known as the Gleaming Blade, for its quality to shine brightly with magical light when hit, and has since served as the icon of the Blademarches to this day.

## Qualities

* Very, very sharp
* Flashes bright magical light when hit (the harder the hit, the brighter the light - the wielder is not affected) - when it is hit it beings to glow like a freshly forged blade, but returns back to a normal appearance
* Indestructible

## History

Calindal first saw its use as the Gleaming Blade of Elecast Dragonsbane, who used it to slay Alos the Copper during the Dragonwake. Elecast was quickly heralded as saviour of Escann, and many flocked to his banners and he created his own kingdom in South Castanor. The blade was wielded by the kings of the Blademarches for much of its known existence until it was lost for a time by Elecast VI, who attempted the Trials of Castan and failed, losing the blade atop Trialmount in 660. The only other time Calindal was lost was in 557 when the Blademarcher king Gowdin was thrown into Lake Silvermere and drowned, with his corpse and blade recovered weeks later.

With the blade lost in Trialmount, the Blademarches quickly lost prominence and was reduced to a vassal state known as th Marches. It was only 400 years later in 1021 during the Battle of Trialmount in the last stages of the War of the Sorcerer King that a young squire of Caylen Longlance, Clarimonde of Oldhaven, found the sword and helped defeat the Sorcerer King.

The blade was then looked after by the resurrected Order of the Blade Stewards who controlled the unique succession of the Blademarches using the Test of the Gleaming Blade, in which if the blade-claimant could withstand unsheathing the blade without being blinded, they would be fit to rule.

In 1027, Taelarian Elf-Smith, one of the only surviving practitioners of elven smithing, identified the blade as the legendary elven blade **Calindal**, forged and named after Calindal the Smith, a figure of elven legends. This was one of the defining factors in the Elvenization of Cannor, especially within the Castanor region, in which the peoples and nobility of the Blademarches were influenced by elven culture much like their cousins in the Dameshead were.

### Known Wielders

* Calindal the Smith - maker of the blade
* Elecast Dragonsbane - the first known wielder of the blade, who used the blade to kill the dragon Alos the Copper during the Dragonwake.
* Elecast the Squanderer - attempted the Trials of Castan as a way to end the War of the Blade against Castanor. He died and lost the blade in Trialmount, causing the Blademarches to be annexed by Castanor.
* Clarimonde of Oldhaven - recovered the blade during the Battle of Trialmount and later resurrected the Kingdom of the Blademarches.

## Appearance

### Original

The original blade was similar to other precursor spellblades, having a curved and ergonomic design, with the hilt, guard and pommel decorated in elvish gold centred with a teal focus stone. The blade itself was made up of precursor steel (said to be an alloy of mithril, steel and damestear), an extremely lightweight-yet-durable metal that, if touched, is said to be slightly vibrating.

### As a Royal Sword

The sword was nearly destroyed when used against the dragon Alos the Copper, with only the blade itself miraculously surviving. After the blade's remaking it has taken a more Cannorian appearance, with various pieces of the hilt created by the remains of Alos the Copper.

The blade was placed on a new hilt made of Asheniande Wood wrapped with dragonhide. The hilt was replaced with a more traditional and balanced Cannorian-style hilt made with dragonbone, while the pommel was replaced with a single small tooth of Alos the Copper.