Gardeblanche

THE FLORAL SWORD OF AURORIEL

Gardeblanche was the name of the floral sword of Auroriel, the premier swordstress of Auld Lochnora. She carefully crafted the blade from the razor sharp stems of the gladiolus, also known as the swordlily. Its hilt was adorned with a bloom of the bright orange flowers and it exuded a sweet, soothing aroma. Despite its beauty, it was a fearsome weapon and Auroriel proved herself in battle with it many a time, including saving the life of the Sotaherra himself during a pitched battle against their rivals outside the walls of Balabrelock. For that heroic feat, she was showered in praise (and awarded a hefty sum of clades) and elevated to the rank of Caerwen, second only to the Sotaherra. She had a fiery romance with the heir to the September & Company fortune, Voskamp, when he offered his mercenary services to Auld Lochnora. It was this devotion that led her to accompany him on their campaign against the forces of the Drow pretenders to the Rookery of the Crowlands at Ninestone Ring. She was slain in battle by the pretenders, defending her beloved. This act spurred Voskamp’s resentment of the Drow, a hatred he carried with him in his tenure as Lord Director of September & Company. Gardeblanche would be enshrined in Voskamp’s summer retreat on the shores of Lake Abernathy, its vibrant fire-orange petals never wilting over the centuries.

The barbed and briery stem of the gladiolus is as strong and sharp as steel, which has lended it the monicker, the “swordlily”. The brightly colored petals of its flower belies its deadly touch, leading many children to inadvertently prick their fingers on its sharp-edged stem. As such, swordlilies are mostly grown only by expert horticulturists, or rather eccentric swordsmiths.

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