The Sword of Ril-Kamon
The tale of the sword of Ril-Kamon has no known beginning, and a sad ending, but it must be told just the same.
Before he found the Sword of Astur (see below) Ril-Kamon was an anonymous figure, only coming to fame after he found at least two parts of the sword, or so it was later speculated. While competent and courageous, Ormen Ril-Kamon was no imposing fighter or leader. With the sword's power, he became one of the most dedicated and renowned rangers of his time. His deeds for the aid of the people of Olerk were many, including the slaying of many great giants, opening up the hills at the feet of the Lendour Mts. to settlement by both Datri and Nefrdri. The folk of this area owed their homes and their lives to the protection of Ril-Kamon.
The sword of course attracted some attention, with rumored powers much greater than those now attributed to it by experts and historians. It was in the defense of the sword that perhaps Ril-Kamon had his greatest adventure.
The Overlord (Later the Overking) of Foran and Sendal, Larg the Grey, greatly desired the sword for himself, believing that with its power, he could secure the entire west to his dominion and become the greatest power of Northern Olerk. So he sent two of his best agents to waylay Ril-Kamon, and steal the sword from him.
Balastur was his personal war-champion, and Merendl a thief of great skill. Together, they did indeed manage to obtain the sword by treachery. But the sword aided Ril-Kamon, even while not in his possession, and he slew Balastur who tried to wield the sword, and Merendl found that he could not retain hold of the sword in any manner. Thus the legends of the attachment of the sword for Ril-Kamon came about, and those of its affinities for rangers were reinforced.
Ril-Kamon's possession of the sword was fated to be short, for it was near the time of the Great Migration, and of course Ril-Kamon sought to be in the forefront of those defending the Human Lands. It was here that he met his death at the hands of the accursed kaleds, and the sword was lost to all men. During a battle with a great kaled host, one larger than is their nature, Ril-Kamon was at the front of the human defenders, along with several other heroic defenders: Karam Hen, the Paladin; Averost, of the Whitestil sea elves; Rembic Thims, a fellow ranger; and Zerach Polist, a fighter. These were closest to Ormen at the time of his death. The fight had waged for many hours, with only short rests for the defenders. Many good men had been slain that day, and many more of the deranged kaleds had been killed. At one time when the fighting was thickest, and the day was at the height of its heat and madness, a group of particularly large and ferocious kaleds threw themselves at the small group of heroes, who, being in the van, had taken the brunt of the afternoon assault, and had already fought many exhausting combats. In the thick of the fighting, sometime, Ril-Kamon met his end. Whether he was overwhelmed by many of the foe at the same time, or whether he grew tired and was overmatched by one particular kaled, no one knew, but in the middle of the fighting, he was killed, and hacked almost beyond recognition. Later, during a brief respite, his comrades found four identical swords near the body of Ril-Kamon. Before they could move the body to a safe place, they were again attacked, and his body was not found again.
Whether out of ignorance or greed, the possessors of the four swords never sought to rejoin them, and so the four stayed parted, greatly reduced in power. Perhaps this was why they were never joined, if their possessors never connected these swords with the rumored powers of the sword of Ril-Kamon. The swords then passed out of sight. Their path from that day is hard to trace, especially those belonging to Averost, and Zerach Polist, neither of whom was ever reliably seen in Northern Olerk again.
Details of the sword
The sword of Astur is a plain blade, free of gems or ornamentation. The grip was a hand and half, wound with silver. The blade itself was slightly longer than a tall man's arm, and plain. The blade was much thicker than normal, although this did not effect its handling. The cross piece was a simple bar of a gold colored metal, flared at the middle to provide more than normal protection for the hand. The origin of the sword is and was unknown, although it was rumored to be of Elvish manufacture. This has been contested, due to the simplicity and lack of ornamentation of the sword. Who or what Astur may be is not known, but the name has apparently always been connected with the sword, and it was called "Astur's Sword" by Ril-Kamen himself. The sword was rumored to have many properties, but of some we are sure. It had the power of a sword of defending. It also was a fearsome weapon against giants. The blade, while thick, was also known to be tremendously sharp, similar to a sword of sharpness. It had a high intelligence and ego, with unknown abilities.
The 10th Migration was the time of death for Ormen Ril-Kamon.