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Red Blades of Wendar (the making)

by Bruce Heard

Now a brief history behind the Red Blades/War Blades, again comments or questions are welcome. Hopefully not too many glaring errors. :)

The Red Blades

In 598 AC a human named Henry was born in the town of Wendar. He was apprenticed as a mill worker at the local mill. During his free time he liked to carve. He was fascinated with the work of Galinith BlackOak (the Black Blades). Eventually he tried to imitate some of Galinith's work. It sold and eventually Henry got his own shop making carvings. He even made a couple of swords, however lacking the spell to turn them into oaksteel they were just curious trinkets. In about 647 AC a elven friend of the family stopped in and saw the blades. He liked them and the red stain that Henry used. The blades weren't as good as the Black Blades, but were better than the Green ones.
The elf, whose name is Melthar the Younger convinced the druids of one of the sacred groves that a good deal could be struck. The druids were somewhat reluctant in that Henry worked with some rare woods. In the agreement Henry would only use the nearby Red Oak for his blades, one out of ten blades would be given to the druids and Henry would hire and pay for a unit of 40 guards to help protect the sacred grove. In exchange every month a druid would come and cast oaksteel on however many swords Henry and his apprentices had completed during the month.
Melthar had an idea as well. He had several oils of sharpness that he never used. If they could be added just before the blades were changed with oaksteel it could be possible to make blades that would not need sharpening. Henry decided to stain the blades with a red preservative. This preservative mixed with the oil of sharpness had two results. One the blades never needed to be sharpened and second they never rotted. Methar's cut of the deal was one blade out of ten, and would have first pick of the remaining blades for a unit of soldiers he was recruiting to help guard his lands. Other towns soon decided to invest in some of the Red Blades for militia units. Since they didn't need to be sharpened and didn't rot the blades required less work and could be stored easier for times of need. After some experimentation they discovered that one dose of oil of sharpness could ready up to 10 blades.
Over time the deal with the druids became very profitable, as Henry's family also put up a rest stop for the guards patrolling the sacred groves. A tavern soon followed. The family eventually came to be known as RedOak as that is the only wood they use. Henry died in 676 AC but his sons carried on making the now famous Red Blades. The small village of RedOak is known for the fine blades and an interesting brew that tastes of apples.

The War Blades
These weapons are made by the RedOak family and further enchanted by Melthar the Founder of the Red Blades Company. The best blades produced by the RedOaks were selected. It seems that because of the oil and the preservative these blades may receive further enchantment up to 2 months after the oaksteel spell is cast, so long as the weapon is not used.

They vary in power from +1 to +3, depending on how much time Melthar has available (remember he also makes the oil of sharpness) and how many weapons of excellent quality are made during the month. Most of these weapons are given to experienced army commanders, and a few may be purchased by those who petition Melthar. Some of them have additional properties for war leaders.
These can powers include one of the following (only once per day all at 10th level of ability).
Haste on those nearby
Dispel Magic
Protection from Evil 10' radius