The Aery Hoard
This treasure hoard of weapons recovered from the Aery - once said to be a palace of an elezen king, but known better as the lair of the Great Wyrm Nidhogg - hearkens back to the nebulous time during the Sixth Astral Era, when dragons and men were said to live in harmony and cooperation.
OOC: The Dragonsong Lookbook
(This collection of 'characters' and glamours is presented as a speculation of that age and the individuals who may have lived and wielded such arms.)(As such, it is to be taken as a fantasy and not as canon.)(Entries are from the lorebooks, Encyclopedia Eorzea I & II where available and fan-created where not. Information on real-world name parallels also included where available)
Tyrfing and Svalin -
The Bargain of Ser Moulignauge
Halonic Scripture describes an episode in which upon defeating a voidsent prince, Ser Moulignauge - one of Thordan's Knights Twelve - commands the foul creature forge him a blade that will cut the scales of a dragon like fire through newly fallen snow. Considering recent revelations as to the Enchiridion's origins, the validity of this tale, among others, has come into question.-Tyrfing, Encyclopedia EorzeaFabled shield of Ser Moulignauge, member of Thordan's Knight's Twelve, there is no mention of the item outside the Enchiridion, its wherabouts lost to the mists of time. For many winters, the Vault actively funded searches for the shield and other so-called holy relics, but since the Church's recent reformation, these endeaors have been placed on permanent hold._Svalin, Encyclopedia Eorzea
A sword from the Tyrfing Saga.
Svafrlami was the king of Gardariki, and Odin’s grandson. He managed to trap the dwarves Dvalinn and Durinn when they had left the rock where they dwelt. Then he forced them to forge a sword with a golden hilt that would never miss a stroke, would never rust and would cut through stone and iron as easily as through clothes.
The dwarves made the sword, and it shone and gleamed like fire.However, in revenge they cursed it so that it would kill a man every time it was drawn and that it would be the cause of three great evils. They finally cursed it so that it would also kill Svafrlami himself.
In Norse mythology, Svalinn is a legendary shield.In front of the sun does Svalinn stand,The shield for the shining god;Mountains and sea would be set in flamesIf it fell from before the sun.- Grímnismál
Skeggiold - An Axe-Age
After the death of the great wyrm Ratatoskr, dragons and men each turned on the other with a ferocity , fighting a war that would overshadow the previous centuries of peace.This warrior from that time of tumult wields a weapon mighty enough to cleave dragonscales like paper.-Fan Creation
Skeggiold (Axe-Age, Big Axe) is a name of a Valkyrie as well as a poetic kenning for the time of Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods.Brothers will fight
and kill each other
sisters' children
will defile kinship.
It is harsh in the world,
whoredom rife
—an axe age, a sword age
—shields are riven—
a wind age, a wolf age—
before the world goes headlong.
No man will have
mercy on another.
_Völuspá
Dainslaif - He Who Fights Monsters
Crafted in the Churning Mists at a time when peace prevailed between Dravanian and man, this greatsword and the dragon-like design of its crossguard is representative of that harmonious age. Dainslaif’s creation predates the appearance of dark knights by some centuries and was originally comissioned for an orthodox knight of high standing. Intended for the purpose of monster slaying, the weapon’s blade was forged with sufficient resilience to endure repeated blows against thick bones and dense hide.-Encyclopedia Eorzea
Thou hast made this offer over-late, if thou wouldst make peace: for now I have drawn Dáinsleif, which the dwarves made, and which must cause a man’s death every time it is bared, nor ever fails in its stroke; moreover, the wound heals not if one be scratched with it.—Skáldskaparmál
Mistleteinn - Dravanian Druid
Despite an estimated age of over a thousand summers, the sprig of mistletoe espoused to this rod of unknown origin remains unwithered. Several theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain this remarkable phenomenon; some scholars claiming the leaves are expertly preserved by embalming techniques long forgotten, while others argue the plant’s roots were placed into a formula of dragon’s blood before applications.- Encyclopedia Eorzea
Mistilteinn (“Mistletoe”), also known as Misteltein or Mystletainn, is Hrómundr Gripsson’s sword in Hrómundar saga Gripssonar, a legendary saga from Iceland.Mistilteinn first belonged to Þráinn, who had been king in Valland before he retired in his burial mound with his wealth.The Danish king Óláfr and his men, among whom Hrómundr Gripsson, learnt about that and found the barrow. Þráinn, who had become a draugr (living dead) was sitting inside. No one but Hrómundr dared to enter. After a long and fierce fight, he defeated Þráinn and took his treasure, especially his sword, with which Þráinn had killed four hundred and twenty men, including the Swedish king Semingr.Hrómundr used Mistilteinn during the battle between Óláfr and two Swedish kings both named Haldingr. He killed Helgi inn frækni (the Valiant), who had slain his brothers. He then lost Mistilteinn in the water out of witchcraft. He deeply felt this loss but soon recovered his sword, which was found in the stomach of a pike. But Mistilteinn was of no help when he fought king Haldingr, whom he eventually killed with a club.In Gesta Danorum Mistiltainn is the weapon used to kill Baldr
Fagrskinna - Scholar of the Lost Landlords
The ‘Landlords’ of the Sixth Astral Era lived in harmony with the dragons of Dravania until the advent of the Dragonsong War. This styling of a scholar from a time long forgotten includes the book from the Aery - named for a real-world collection of sagas and military strategy.-Fan Created
Fagrskinna( ‘fair Skin’) is the name of of one of the extant Sagas of Kings Fagrskinna is a central text in the genre of kings’ sagas. It contains a vernacular history of Norway from the ninth to the twelfth centuries, from the career of Halfdan the Black to the Battle of Re in 1177, and includes extensive citation of skaldic verses, some of them preserved nowhere else. It has a heavy emphasis on battles, such as the Battle of Hjörungavágr and the Battle of Svolder. The book is often thought to have been written in Norway, either by an Icelander or a Norwegian.
Muspell - Envoy from the Old World
Evidence of attempts by Sharlayans to indoctrinate the remainder of Eorzea into their nations’ brand of astrology can be found as far back as the previous Astral Era’s early sixth century. Within the Holy See’s reliquary is contained an ancient astrolabe documented as having being presented to the ruling Archbishop. Information on the bearer of said gift, however, has unfortunately been lost.-Encyclopedia Eorzea
In Norse cosmology, Muspell is a realm of fire. The etymology uncertain, but may come from ’Mund-spilli’ - ‘World Destroyers’ 'Wreck of the World’In the midst of this clash and din the heavens are rent in twain,
and the sons of Muspell come riding through the opening.
Surtr rides first, and before him and after him flames burning fire.
He has a very good sword, which shines brighter than the sun.
As they ride over Bifrost it breaks to pieces, as has before been stated.
The sons of Muspel direct their course to the plain which is called Vigrid….
The sons of Muspel have there effulgent bands alone by themselves.
-Gylfaginning
Grasitha - The Final March of Thordan's Twelve
Described in the Enchiridion as one of the lost treasures of the See, Grasitha is said to have been created on the battlefield by Ser Branthuc the Meek during the final march of Thordan’s Twelve. Having shattered his sword on the scales of a mighty drake, the knight reshaped the sundered blade into a spear using naught but the warhammer of a fallen companion and the pyre upon which his brothers burned.-Encyclopedia Eorzea
In the opening chapter [of the saga of Gislaw the Outlaw]…Gisli Thorkelsson is an uncle and namesake of the saga’s title character. This Gisli avenges his elder brother Ari, defeating a berserker with a sword of assured victory named Grásiða (Grey-blade, Grey-flank,Graysteel]).But he refuses to return the sword…, and the ensuing squabble results in the death of both men and a broken sword.The thrall lays a curse against the family on this sword in the longer version.
Katayama - Azure Dragoon of the East
The masterpiece was forged by the Katayama branch of the Ichimonji school of swordsmiths. Although Kiku-ichimonji, a katana crafted by their forebears is considered superior in sharpness and beauty, Katayama (or in full - Katayama-ichimonji) is still celebrated for its exquisite workmanship. The blade changed hands many times, until one wielder carried it on a warrior’s pilgrimage to the west where it was lost for long years. It was later discovered that in his quest to find worthy opponents, the overconfident samurai had entered where no man should tread, and perished at the culmination of an epic battle.-Encyclopedia Eorzea II
Most likely named for Katayama Hōki-ryū, a Japanese swordfighting martial art.
Hofuds - Emissary to the Skylords
The emissary from the courts of mortal men bravely strides between the world of his patrons, the ‘Landlords’ to deliver tidings to the 'Skylords’ - the dragons of the Churning Mists. With a pair of knives named for a legendary sword - borne by a guardian of a bridge between worlds - he is ever watchful for signs of danger.(Fan created)
Hǫfuð ('Man-Head’) is the name of the sword of the Norse god Heimdallr, the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge 'Bifrost’, where he keeps watch for invaders and the coming of Ragnarok
Wargfangs - Wolfs-Headed Outlaw
Cast out from the graces of both dragons and of men, the outlaw lives a wary and dangerous life instead - like a wolf prowling in the darkness.Bereft of the weapons of honor, such as a sword or lance, he fights instead with a pair of clawlike weapons to 'honor' his status instead.(Fan created)
The fourteenth-century English legal textbook The Mirror of Justices stated that anyone who was accused of a felony, who refused three times to attend county courts, would be declared Caput lupinum or “Wolfshead”. The book added“ "Wolfshead!” shall be cried against him, for that a wolf is a beast hated of all folk; and from that time forward it is lawful for anyone to slay him like a wolf.“In Norse mythology a warg is a wolf, especially the wolf Fenrir and the wolves Sköll and Hati, that chase the sun and moon.
Astrild - The Song of Love Unending
Though its artful design suggests it to be a product of modern Ishgardian bowcraft, the bow exhibits a powerful aetherical charge that could only have been applied via a wyrm’s elemental breath, meaning that it was most likely crafted during an age where dragon and man were at peace - at least a thousand winters past.-Encyclopedia Eorzea
‘Astrild’ - ‘Love Fire’ - is a late Norse term for ‘Amor’ or ‘Cupid and a synonym for the estrild finches, the Norse lovebirds. Owing to this, I wanted to evoke the great ‘love story’ of the Heavensward expansion - the love between the great wyrm Hraesvelgr and the elezen Shiva - in form and color here.
Gjallarhorn - Defender of Two Worlds
Named for a mythical battle horn whose blast could “be heard in all worlds’ and decorated with an elaborate web of iron wyrmwings and pair of all-seeing eyes, this compact firearm is another relic from an age in which man and dragon put their differences aside to live together in harmony. Why such a powerful weapon was needed in a time of peace is a question that may never be answered-Encyclopedia Eorzea
Gjallarhorn ("hollering horn” or “the loud sounding horn”) is a horn associated with the god Heimdallr and the wise being Mímir. Heimdall will blow the horn to signify the begining of Ragnarok.
Verdun - Swordsman of the Sixth Era
In a time when men began turning their backs on their former allies, the dragons, one knight stood to defend his wyrm companion against a mob of bloodthirsty priests. while successful in his fending off the attackers, the knight eventually succumbed to his wounds and passed in the embrace of the one he swore to defend. To honor this sacrifice, the dragon breathed white-hot flames over his friend, transforming the body’s remaining aether into a crimson jewel which he then affixed to the knight’s blade.- Encyclopedia Eorzea II
Gambanteinn - Power of an Eye
If the tales of heretics are to be believed, Gambanteinn was forged in a time when the bonds betwixt man and dragon were unbreakable, and used by an ancient wyrm to teach the secrets of draconian magicks to the people of Ishgard. As to the validity of these claims, only the dragons themselves might provide reasonable confirmation- Encyclopedia Eorzea
Seest thou, maiden, this keen, bright sword
That I hold here in my hand?
Before its blade the old giant bends,—
Thy father is doomed to die.
I strike thee, maid, with my gambanteinn,
To tame thee to work my will;
There shalt thou go where never again
The sons of men shall see thee.-Skirnismal
Morkinskinna - Chronicler of Sagas
Though it is impossible to tell when exactly the tome was penned, Sharlayan scholars have concluded that the Morkinskinna was most likely compiled during the Sixth Astral Era’s fourth of fifth century. In addition to Allagan incantations and glyphs, the volume contained invaluable information n the myriad wars waged by the ancient Elezen Kings ere their arrival in Ishgard.-Encyclopedia Eorzea
Morkinskinna is an Old Norse kings’ saga, relating the history of Norwegian kings from approximately 1025 to 1157. The saga was written in Iceland around 1220, and has been preserved in a manuscript from around 1275.The name Morkinskinna means “mouldy parchment” and is originally the name of the manuscript book in which the saga has been preserved