Name(s): Susk, ?The Silent Sword?
Description: Susk is a slim longsword
of fine make and good (oil-) slaked steel,
devoid of adornment or inscription. It
does not glow of itself or even reflect
light, so that it does not appear to be
metal from afar. Its nickname comes from
its magical silence: The sword never
rings, clatters, scrapes or emits any sound.
A blade struck against it may ring, but
Susk itself remains silent. This silence in
no way affects creatures, spells, objects or
any area about the blade.
Susk is +3 to hit, but does normal dam-
age (1-8/1-12). It has no apparent intelli-
gence or sentience, and only one other
magical property ? it levitates involun-
tarily. That is, it can never rise, fall, or
move in any way by itself, but always
remains stationary when released, even if
in midair. It can be moved while so float-
ing by being struck with other objects, or
by magical effects (such as telekinesis),
but will stop quickly when such force is
removed.
Susk cannot therefore be effectively
hurled at an opponent, or tossed away to
prevent its capture ? it will stop mere
inches from the point of release and hang
in midair. There is no known limit to, or
way to nullify, this power. Any creature
may grasp (and, if not a spell caster to
whom cold steel is forbidden, wield) Susk
without harm. It confers no magic resis-
tance or spell immunities upon the bearer.
Lore: Susk is a blade mentioned repeat-
edly in tales and legends of the north. Its
origin is unknown ? and curiously,
never mentioned in any folklore ? but it
seems to have always been around in the
hands of someone or another. Its present
whereabouts are a mystery; the sage
Elminster can speak of its location
with
certainty only over a short span of time
beginning some twenty winters ago,
when he recognized it in the hands of
Abadda, a northern prince of the Fallen
Kingdom, who was then a proud wan-
derer and bandit-leader.
Abadda was challenged by Distyl of
Nesme at the court of Alustriel, High
Lady of Silverymoon, in Elminster?s pres-
ence. During the fight that followed,
Elminster and at least one other ? the
adventurer Urnen of Yartar ? recognized
the blade for what it was.
Abadda was slain in combat, and Distyl
rightfully took the blade. Shortly thereaf-
ter he was found dead by his campfire on
the Trollmoors, and Urnen was seen in
Longsaddle not much afterward, bran-
dishing a blade that was demonstrably
Susk ? to Urnen?s eternal dismay: When
he let go of it involuntarily in the middle
of a tavern brawl, it hung in mid-air,
beyond his grasp, as he was dragged to
the floor and stabbed to death.
A local bully, Usk Harpell, claimed the
blade, but was found dead in a nearby
alley within the night, the blade gone. It
disappeared from view at that time, but
recent reports from Shadowdale (some six
winters back) and Mulmaster (two win-
ters ago) suggest that the strange blade is
still ?changing hands the hard way?
amongst the adventurers and caravan
merchants of the Realms.
by Ed Greenwood