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Vyrboth Liss was one of the greatest sorcerors in Gaeleth's history. A vibrant enchanter, he created many magical items to further his own purposes, and as payment for services rendered.
To create his master golem, Vyrboth needed very special material components. Strapped for time by his research, he was unable to go after the components himself, and hired one of the greatest thieves in Gaeleth's history. Thaledar Rhykan spent six years tracking down all the components for the master golem, sneaking into ancient ruins, stealing long forgotten jewels, and travelling to far distant lands. Vyrboth continued to pay the master thief during the course of his adventures, equipping him for each component as needed, and paying him handsome sums of gold and gems. When at last the master golem was completed, Vyrboth sent one last payment to Thaledar -- a longsword of considerable abilities. Rhykan used the blade, which he named "Rhael", for several more years, before being slain by the ancient red wyrm Vasdarasalovich while trying to steal into his horde. Rhael, along with the rest of Thaledar Rhykan's magical items, remained inside the red wyrm's treasure horde for close to a century, before the dragon was slain during the First Crusades. Some decades later, bandits hiding in the Mule Mountains discovered the treasure horde by luck, and quickly divied it up. Ledrich of Hudea took Rhael as his own, and wore it proudly without ever realizing its true powers. Upon his death, however, the priest that administered to his funeral noted the magical nature of the sword. The priest quickly brought in Inquisitors, who found other magical baubles and items from Vasdarasalovich's treasure. Rhael and the other items were sent to the Church of Elhelin in nearby Brevit, where Yatindar's priests studied them for close to a year. After that time, the sword, along with the other items, was slated for one of the Cache Vaults. En route, however, the caravan was attacked by bandits, and all the priests slain. Taken up by the bandit king Orael, the weapon's true powers were used in a spate of attacks; the priests had included their copious notes on the sword in the caravan. Orael very nearly made himself a duke in Vridara. Orael's plans were cut short when the assassin Gregory Antirel cut him short. Antirel and his other possessions were locked away in a chest after his death, until Trevit burnt to the ground in 1320 Avard. The chest was found by a masonist Gregory Furnat, and its contents were tossed into the sewers -- save for the sword. Rhael became a wall display for Furnat until the War of the Undead, when the death knight Variss swept through the city. Seizing the weapon and leaving a trail of blood behind, Variss and his minions moved west creating a swath of destruction as they went. Finally confronted by the paladins of Yatindar out of Kur Maeth, Variss met his destruction. Rhael was taken in by the priests of Yatindar, where it was once again studied. Rare references within the Church's records, and several expeditions to Vridara by the researching priests, determined the true nature of the sword. Once its powers were known, the weapon was quickly 'lost' within the Church's archives. A mistaken archivist had the boxed-up sword sent to sea aboard a merchant vessel bound for Aboris in Al Fahim. Meeting with destruction in a ferocious storm, the vessel sunk to the bottom of the Aboriac near the coast of Al Fahim, and the sword itself was lost -- though its records live on. The longsword was beautifully crafted of mithrel and ebonite, interlaced in a sweeping pattern of dark thunderclouds and bright lightning. The lightning formed runes that travelled up the blade in alternating pairs that seemed too natural and too real. The sword functioned as a vorpal longsword +3 until the command words were spoken. The first command rune let lightning arc along the blade, making it deliver an additional 4 points of electrical damage with each successful strike. The second command rune let a wave of thunder deliver an additional 3 points of concussive damage with each successful strike. The third command rune caused a dark rolling mist to flow from the blade, as effective as a wall of fog filling a square a thousand feet on a side up to a depth of half a dozen feet in a round. Though centered on the sword, the bearer of the blade was immune to the fog's limiting visibility. Three additional command runes served to deactivate each power of the sword, for the powers could be used all at once, any two, or any one whenever the command words were spoken. Saving throws were inapplicable unless defenses specific to electrical or sonic attacks were utilized.
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