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    The Sun Sword of Pelor
    Posted on Tue, August 14, 2001 by Toran
    Dargarth writes "Just as Pelor's golden orb beats back the curtain of night, so too does the fabled Sun Sword vanquish those foul creatures that seek solace in its obsidian embrace. Neither mortal nor God, living nor dead can stand against the Sun Sword of Pelor if they have embraced the darkness.
    -Ye'Cinde, from Legends of the Flan 107 CY
    Author: Dargarth




    The Sun Sword of Pelor
    by Dargarth (mitchels@MEGSINET.NET)
    Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

    Appearance:
    The Sun Sword consists of an ornate sword hilt, and nothing more. There is no physical blade. The pommel and hand-guard are made out of gold and are designed in the style of an ancient broadsword.

    The hand-guard swoops slightly forward, angling toward where a blade would be, and each tip ends in a round, five carat yellow diamond. The two gems seem to glow with an eternal light when the hilt is being held.

    The pommel itself is somewhat plain and consists of nothing more than a yellow leather wrapping that has been secured with a thin strand of gold wire wrapped around it in a crisscross pattern. On both sides of the pommel, just above where the pommel and hand-guard meet, is engraved the fiery-head of Pelor.

    When the hilt is held and the name of Pelor is spoken, an intense beam of solar light will erupt from the hilt like a blade, extending out about three feet. The blade will make a very slight humming sound when the sword is swung, but there will be no wind or weight resistance, and the hilt is incredibly easy to swing.

    When the blade is activated, the wielder becomes engulfed in a golden light. This light apparently acts as a protective barrier, giving protection equivalent to a suit of plate mail armor.

    History:
    Long ago, shortly after the Dawn Gods rose from the cosmic ooze, two brother Gods were born unto Beory and Boccob: Pelor, the Sun God, and Tharizdun, Lord of Darkness. These brothers were as different as could be, and after a short time began to quarrel over which of them should hold dominion over the Oerth.

    The assembled Dawn Gods, as well as all of those born unto them, saw that the conflict between the two would eventually lead to the destruction of all that they had created. Not wishing to see everything they had worked so hard to create destroyed, and seeing that Dark Tharizdun would eventually destroy everything if he gained dominion, they allied themselves with Pelor against his evil sibling.

    The struggle to capture Tharizdun was the stuff of legend and led to the near destruction of everything the assembled Gods were trying to protect. In the end Dark Tharizdun was encased in an outer plane in an obsidian tomb where his power could hold no dominion over the Oerth and the races that were destined to populate it. But so great was Tharizdun's power, that even while imprisoned, he could still force Pelor from the sky for half of the day.

    In time the Gods ordered the Tanar'ri from the Oerth to prepare it for the races that they had chosen to be the true masters of the air, land, and seas. The Tanar'ri Lords watched in disdain as the Olves, Dwur, Jebli, Humans, and all the other races were brought into being and given dominion. In a rage, the Tanar'ri Lords made a pact with imprisoned Tharizdun to find a means of freeing him. In return for this, the Tanar'ri were to be granted the world to do with as they wished. So angered were the Gods when they learned of the Tanar'ri's betrayal that they cast them from the heavens into the pits of Hell. There, the Tanar'ri reorganized themselves and became the Demon and Devil Lords of the lower worlds.

    In time Asmodeus, leader of the Devil Lords, came upon a plan. To free Tharizdun from his obsidian prison would require light, and light was the power of Pelor of the Sun. Asmodeus sent one of his demons to the Oerth in the guise of a profit of Pelor. There the imposter found himself in the City of Haradahagh in the Lortmil Mountains. The Flan people had only recently settled in the range, having fled from the grasp of Vecna shortly after the Suel-Bakluni war. There the imposter convinced Zarisfella, Arch-priestess of Pelor, to have created and empowered with the burning light of Pelor, a weapon that would aid her struggling people against the dark hordes of Euroz that also resided within the Lortmils at that time. Thus was created the Sun Sword of Pelor.

    Asmodeus' plan was to have one of his servants from the Horned Society use the weapon in conjunction with great magics to crack the obsidian field that imprisoned Dark Tharizdun. Once the Dark Lord was free, the gates from hell would be opened and the Tanar'ri would join in the battle to retake the Oerth.

    Over the centuries Asmodeus' plans were foiled time and again. The Sword which was so desperately needed to free Tharizdun kept disappearing, and when it would resurface was always in the hands of one who chose to do good with it. It was as if the virtue of the Sword was guided by the divine will of Pelor into the hands of one who would use it properly.

    In time the Crook of Rao forced the gates between Oerth and Hell closed, and they could only be reopened if the demons were summoned from the lower plane by a willing servant, who usually tried to force the demon into doing his bidding. This limited Asmodeus' ability to manipulate the Sword into doing what was required by him.

    Seeing no other alternative, Asmodeus manipulated the mind of one of his summoners, a wizard in the service of the Scarlet Brotherhood, and convinced him that the Sword could be used to empower the Suel Pantheon; making them the true divine force in the cosmos. The Scarlet Brotherhood believed that once their Gods were supreme, they would make the Suel people the masters of the world again, and thus began the Scarlet Brotherhood's desire to find the fabled weapon.

    There is little information to go on as to where the Sun Sword currently is. The last known siting of the weapon was during the Battle of Emridy Meadows. The fiery blade was carried by Sir Euan of Mitrik, a paladin of Pelor that helped overthrow the evil of the Temple. After the battle, Sir Euan, supposedly at the direction of Pelor, rode south east into the Wild Coast with a small band of adventuring heroes. Sir Euan stated that there was dark evil afoot in the Suss and the Pomarj, and that it was his duty to stamp it out. Neither Sir Euan nor any of the other heroes were ever heard from again.

    Weapon Statistics:
    This weapon is designed using Fantasy Hero stats, but can easily be adapted to any other game system.

    47 Sun Sword of Pelor
    @=OAF: -1, Independent: -2, Strength Min -15: -1/4, 1-handed: -0
    #=OAF: -1, Independent: -2

    Blade @: -3¼; STR Minimum: 10
    2d6+1 HKA (Total 3d6)
    +3 level w/HTH Combat; Linked: -½
    Dark-bane #: -3; Undead or True Evil Only: -1; Linked: -½
    1½d6 HKA (Total 2d6+1)
    +2 level w/HTH Combat
    Burning Light of Pelor #: -3
    Missile Deflection (All); Bonus: +5
    CE: Light (4" rad.); Zero End
    8d6 Dispel Invisibility; AE: 4" Rad, +1; Zero End: +½; No Range: -½
    Aura of Pelor #: -3
    Force Field (8 PD/8 ED); Zero End: +½



    Note: Fantasy Hero"
     
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    Article Rating
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    Votes: 6


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    Re: The Sun Sword of Pelor (Score: 1)
    by Scottenkainen on Wed, June 26, 2002
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    That is one long, heretical background for a glorified lightsaber.



    Re: The Sun Sword of Pelor (Score: 1)
    by Abysslin on Tue, January 27, 2004
    (User Info | Send a Message | Journal) http://www.canonfire.com
    I like the ideas surrounding the sword itself. The history is well thought out although very awkward.

    I just don't think something with this kind of power belongs in Greyhawk.

    I consider platemail and similiar armors to be quite rare, let alone and item (even an artifact) that bestows similiar protection freely? Among many other powers?

    Never in my 13 years of gaming have I seen such a powerful item. My PCs would have their heads spinning.

    I just can't buy it although as I stated, I do like the ideas behind the sword itself. Perhaps a tone down is needed?



    Re: The Sun Sword of Pelor (Score: 1)
    by Onslow on Wed, February 11, 2009
    (User Info | Send a Message)




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