Vhioge Blade
| Vhioge Blade | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | The Royal Smithery of Talvere |
| Production history | |
| Number built | 887 |
The Vhioge Blades are a series of ceremonial cavalry sabers produced by the Royal Smithery of Talvere in a tradition that dates back to the end of the Scouring and the founding of the Kingdom of Cryria in the 12th century.
History
The development of swordsmithing in Cryria can be traced back to the early cavalry sabers used by the Älemsi beginning in the 8th century. This style of long and slightly curved blades was later adopted by the Talveri, who referred to them as shablya. They eventually came to resemble Asendavian shashkas, and were known as such by the Cryrians.
The first Vhioge Blades were crafted by Vhioge Talva, the chief weaponsmith of the Talveri court and uncle to Queen Lielsta. When Lielsta completed her conquest of the High Places and formed the Kingdom of Cryria, Vhioge created four blades in her honor. Three of these bore engravings of scenes drawn from Talveri myths while the fourth depicted Lielsta's campaign, thus symbolizing how her victory would in time become legendary in their own right.
Vhioge Talva died shortly after the completion of the final blade, but the Royal Smithery maintained the tradition of commemorating great events through the ceremonial blades named in his honor. Each year, the Smithery would craft and engrave a single blade and scabbard illustrating the great events of the past year, and present it as a tribute to the reigning monarch - though this practice was arguably briefly disrupted by the Sorrows. Each blade also bore a unique craftsman's mark as well as its year of reference.
The House of Leidensen further established the practice of bestowing these swords as a sign of favor. Vhioge Blades were all unique required a high degree of artisanal skill to produce. As such they could not be easily replicated or counterfeited throughout much of the medieval period, making them an excellent means of designating a bearer as one under the protection of the Drifting Throne. In this manner, Vhioge Blades also became a diplomatic gift to visiting envoys, and thus proliferated beyond the Kingdom. Today, the House of Leidensen retains the four original blades crafted by Vhioge Talva, along with a collection of subsequent examples. The practice of annually forging one blade by hand remains, though the subject matter engraved has since extended beyond the Isles and to the wider world. There are a total of 887 blades theoretically in circulation as of 2022, though many have been lost and potentially destroyed over the centuries. Due to their nature, surviving Vhioge Blades also provide a valuable form of historical record, as their engravings outline events throughout Cryria's often murky history.
The Sorrowful Blades
The practice of forging Vhioge Blades continued even when the Isles fell into the civil war known as the Sorrows. However, the Duchy of Talvere declared its loyalty to the rebelling Queen Charlotte, and the blades would instead be made in her honor. Sixteen of these swords were crafted before Queen Charlotte's ultimate defeat. The blades forged in this time became known as the Sorrowful Blades, and many had been bestowed upon the Queen's supporters and ultimately lost. One such blade is known to be in the hands of the ruling Reitz family of Charlotteborg, in the Volscine Empire.
Known Blades and Owners
The House of Leidensen
The House of Leidensen maintains the largest collection of Vhioge Blades and receives the new blades produced by the Royal Smithery. Most notably, Leidenstad Castle is home to the four original swords in the series.
The House of Reitz
After the Court of Quarters, the House of Reitz retained ownership of the Blade of 1500, one of the so-called Sorrowful Blades. The blade depicts the Jaedz Campaign at the turning of the century, where members of the house fought victoriously beneath the Duchess of Karlin for the Queen's cause.
The Queendom of Iboma
The Blade of 2002 was gifted to the Queendom in 2022 following diplomatic exchanges between Cryria and Iboma. The blade depicts the beginning of the Volscine Civil War, thus underlining the importance of peace and cooperation on the Novaran continent.