History of The Dreddwulf


This history of The Dreddwulf can be traced back as far as before the destruction of Istar, existing for only a few decades and then disappearing again only to reappear as suddenly as it disappeared. The blade, a curved bastard sword with a hand crafted edge designed to never lose it's sharpness, was blessed with it's own mind after it's creation. Though it is only semi-sentient, it can reach into conscious minds nearby for brief communication, but it is incapable of influence on anyone other than the wielder.

The wielder, referred to as Dreddwulf since the first bearer of the blade, is chosen by the blade itself and will not accept any forceful use of the blade. Most sentient blades will attempt to dominate the mind of the wielder if they do not accept them as their bearer, but the Dreddwulf is different. Rather than dominating the mind, it actively works against the wielder, denying the magical and mysterious benefits it offers, effectively becoming a basic and bare sword. At this point, subtle influences press the mind of the wielder, attempting to convince them that the blade is worthless and should be cast aside or handed off to another. It may take time, but the blade has proven that it will eventually succeed.

The first bearer is the only one that, as far as rumors passed down in the Dreddwulf line, had attained full mastery of the blade and had melded their consciousnesses together to become a force unlike any has ever known. However, there is a spiritual necessity to this, which The Dreddwulf imposes upon it's wielder. I am only to be drawn if absolutely necessary, not because you wish to display your power. A bit ironic for such a powerful blade, but with the semi-sentience comes a degree of wisdom that leads the wielder down the path of the warrior, eventually attaining the highest degree if the wielder survives long enough: The Peaceful Warrior; One who knows how to be just as devastating without a weapon as they do with it, relying on their ability to defuse situations rather than their blade.

With the mastery of the blade comes great skill and that skill is to be used wisely because of the thirst of battle grips the bearer of The Dreddwulf, the blade will forsake the wielder. The first wielder was able to use just The Dreddwulf alone to deflect arrows incoming from every direction, never being stuck once by an arrow as he slew each archer that fired upon him, or so the story passed on with The Dreddwulf says. The same was true when the first Dreddwulf found himself completely surrounded by swordsmen of great caliber in their own right. Using only the blade he was able to parry, deflect and even alter the direction of each incoming blow to avoid being struck and slay each of his attackers. The greatest rumor however, is one that apparently happened just before The Dreddwulf disappeared for the first time; Mastering the twin sword style that The Dreddwulf offers, the first Dreddwulf was able to combat a great Red Dragon, using the blades to disperse the flames that erupted from it's mouth, after which the Dragon bowed to the warrior and admitted he would never be able to best someone who used his blades as if they were born into him.

With carrying The Dreddwulf however, there comes a price. Once you have chosen to take The Dreddwulf as your blade and The Dreddwulf accepts you as it's wielder, all memories of your past life are locked away until the blade is passed on or in the final moments before your death. Each Dreddwulf that accepted the blade and was accepted by the blade died in battle, save for three, which is how this truth is known. The first was the original Dreddwulf, but he said nothing to the man he passed the blade onto, figuring it was destiny for him to figure out the blade for himself. The next was the Dreddwulf that fought in the Third Dragon War as a Knight of the Crown. He passed the blade down to his son upon his retiring from active duty and whispered some of the secrets of the blade to him so that he might be a better wielder than he. The last who knew of such a thing has no documented timeline, but it is assumed he served as Dreddwulf somewhere between the Third Dragonwar and before the eruption of the War of the Lance. Upon his passing of the blade, he retreated to a sacred place known only to him where he documented everything he remembered from bearing the blade. The documents have yet to be found by anyone, save for perhaps Astinus himself.



The Current Dreddwulf


There is no documented history on the current Dreddwulf, Kael Thalassian Macleod, but assumed history and rumors suggest that he was born in Goodbay, which is where he found the blade. The look of his face suggests that he is still very young, perhaps because of when he was chosen by The Dreddwulf to be his bearer. Those who have met him know that his is both snarky and humble, a balance that The Dreddwulf enjoys, knowing that such quirks will serve Kael well in the future.