Calare

Calare, also called Calinor, Calaril, the Sword of San Calior, and the Eventide Blade is an ornate Cavellanese spadone (a longer variant of the greatsword) dating back to medieval Volscina, and the foremost cultural artifact of Cavellan. Measuring just under 210 centimeters in length, the sword's gleaming blade is forged from marbled steel, an ancient technique that leaves the metal crossed with rippling patterns. The parrying hooks are the most distinctive part of the weapon, for they are plated in pure gold and worked into a semicircular depiction of the setting sun, with the crossguard of the cruciform hilt forming the horizon line. The hilt itself is plated with yet more gold, wrought into patterns of power and royalty, and wrapped in rich, scarlet leather. It culminates in a sunburst ring pommel, to which is affixed a a thin ribbon-banner of red and gold, the heraldic colors of the Elector-Kings of old Cavellan. It is currently on display in the Museo Reale Cavellano, a prominent historical museum in central Nervino.

Since its creation in the 13th century by an unknown smith (though its creator is suspected to be the Smith-Lord Fortebraccio, later Emperor Fortebraccio I of Volscina) Calare has served as the royal house of Valeran's greatest symbol of authority. As indicated by the sunburst symbols it is adorned with, Calare was believed to be one of the blessed blades of Lucera, the Volscine goddess of the sun, therefor imbuing its wielder with a form of divine right to rule. Additionally, the sword seemed to possess some form of individuality in various myths, never serving those it deemed unworthy. An example of this can be found in the legend of King Luzio the Sainted, in which the blade was seized by his arch-rival Altarico, first Grandmaster of the Knights Vuoto. Just as Altarico raised Calare to slay the king, he was temporarily blinded by a flash of sun caught on the polished blade, giving Luzio the second of action in which he infamously severed his rival's sword arm, yet spared his life once he had reclaimed the Eventide Blade.

Aside from the myths surrounding the blade, and its role as a symbol of royal power, it served as the blade under which all Cardinal Knights of the Golden Order of Cavellan swore fealty to the crown, a rule that persisted until Calare was briefly seized by Cadrigrano, after which the rules of induction were altered so that it simply had to be a member of the Cavellanese royal family to which the inductee swore fealty, regardless of the sword they bore.

History

Forging

Though it has no smith's mark denoting its maker, modern historians and experts on period smithing suspect Calare to have been forged by Fortebraccio I of Cadrigrano, second Emperor of Volscina, the so-called 'Smith-Lord'. The bladework especially is similar to a number of other weapons confirmed as being forged by him, two of which were also blessed blades in Luceric myth. The largest piece of evidence to support his notion is the third name of the blade, Calaril, which is a name listed in the journals of Emperor Fortebraccio as his "...most wondrous and holy creation...". If this is indeed the case, then Calaril may be the sword's oldest—and therefore truest—name.

No exact date can be marked for the forging of Calare, but it is likely that it was made in 1270 specifically for San Calior, who at the time had been christened a living saint only a matter of months before.

The Blade of San Calior

The Luceric saint Aren Calior, better known by the name San Calior, was an Alvettine knight in the thirteenth century. Famous throughout greater Volscina for his unparalleled swordsmanship, San Calior was the first Paladin of the Cardinal Knights, serving as the Paladin of the West. Under this role he embarked on a series of holy wars in peninsular Volscina known as the Calinor Crusades, from which it is believed the second name of the sword Calare is derived, despite San Calior wielding a different blade during the crusades themselves, a longsword called 'Azimere'. Forced to end the third and final crusade prematurely as a war host formed from allied Volscine lords approached the recently-unified Kingdom of Cavellan, San Calior gathered his forces and pushed back eastwards. As the garrison of Nervino sallied out to meet the oncoming enemy, San Calior's knights arrived from the west, appearing to charge out from the setting sun as they beset the allied army. It is in this charge that Calare is first mentioned in historical texts, as San Calior was reputed to have signaled the charge with this very blade. This engagement went on to give Calare the moniker 'Eventide Blade', as well as San Calior's own title, 'Duskbringer'.

Notable Wielders

Early Imperial Era

• San Calior, Cardinal Knight, Paladin of the West, Duskbringer (~1270-1299)
• King-Elector Luzio I of Cavellan, later canonized as San Luzio (1352-1385)
• Grandmaster Altarico Correvaci of the Knights Vuoto (briefly in 1366)
• King-Elector Zago Andrea I of Cavellan (1385-1412)

High Imperial Era

• King-Elector Celso Ilario II of Cavellan (1513-1530, lost upon his death in the Battle of Tramonto)
• King-Elector Orazio IV of Cadrigrano (1530-1536, passed to his daughter Lucrezia after his death in battle)
• Empress Lucrezia Sordamor I "the Great" of Cadrigrano, Duchess of Videnza (1536-1538, returned to Cavellan as a sign of good will)

Late Imperial Era

• King-Elector Luzio XVII "the Old" of Cavellan, Cardinal Knight, Paladin of the East (1701-1754)
• Queen-Elector Caterina Diamonte I of Cavellan (1754-1777)

Modern Era

• King Adelchi IV of Cavellan
• Principe Dante Celso I of Cavellan