Brightblade, sometimes called Bright Blade, was the bastard sword of the Brightblade Family. The sword was long with a silvery blade engraved with dwarven runes for friendship and peace. It had a golden handle and crosspiece with a red gem on the blade held by twin twirling strips of gold. There was a kingfisher and rose, and the blade did not show any nicks, scratches or rust. The legend behind the blade was that the sword would never break until the man wielding it broke first. The sword could only be wielded by one of pure heart, or it will injure the person who touches it. The sword would also resist dishonorable acts of grievous enormity, and if it was used in this way it would shatter, cursing the person who wielded it.
History of Brightblade[]
Brightblade was created sometime after 1775 PC in the Age of Dreams, for the Brightblade Family founder, and Knight of Solamnia, Berthel Brightblade. Berthel had defended the village Jansburg and the Dwarf Romgar Firesteel against a horde of Goblins and Hobgoblins. In gratitude, the dwarf crafted the sword for him and presented it to him at his knighting ceremony. Some said that the family name came from the name of the sword, rather than the sword gaining its name from the Brightblade Family. Upon Berthel's death, he passed the sword to his son Bedal Brightblade.
Over the years, the blade passed from ruler of the house to ruler, always a Knight of Solamnia, until it was in the possession of Oren Brightblade when the Cataclysm struck Krynn. The sword was lost following this destruction, and wouldn't be found until Bayard Brightblade went on his Knight's Quest for the blade. Bayard then passed the sword on to his adopted son Galen Pathwarden di Caela Brightblade, and when Emelin Brightblade came of age he received the sword from Galen.
Eventually the sword came into the hands of Angriff Brightblade, who would have it until The Rebellion took place. When the rebel peasants overtook the lands of Angriff, he hid his armor and sword for his son to find. Years passed, and eventually Sturm Brightblade did hunt down and find the armor and Brightblade. He would keep them with him until the he was killed at the Battle of the High Clerist's Tower in the War of the Lance. Sturm would be buried with the sword in the catacombs beneath the fortress.
Brightblade would lie in state with Sturm until his son Steel Brightblade came down to see his father. Sturm's spirit gave Brightblade to his son to use honorably. Steel would use and train with this new sword, never using it to kill an innocent. Steel and Brightblade would journey into the Abyss to fight Chaos, and were even able to draw a single drop of blood from the god. Steel was killed during this battle, and he was buried in the Tomb of the Last Heroes, along with Brightblade, in Solace.
Kender Tales[]
One source puts Brightblade at 2900 years old in 362 AC, when it was really about 2000 years old. There is also some confusion on when the Brightblade was given to Berthel. One source said it was a year after the attack at Castle Brightblade. It also has been referenced as a two-handed sword wrongly.
References[]
- Issue #3 – 'Nightwatch', 'Nightwatch', p. 16
- Dragons of Summer Flame (HC), p. 280, 285, 505, 538
- The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Autumn Twilight, p. 42
- The Oath and the Measure, p. 46, 53
- Darkness and Light, p. 363, 368
- DLQ1: Knight's Sword, p. 29-30
- Knightly Orders of Ansalon (Sourcebook), p. 112
- Lost Leaves From the Inn of the Last Home p. 37-39
- War of the Lance (Sourcebook), p. 51