The Blade of Ten-Crowns
The Blade of ten Crowns is a Legendary artifact that is said to hold the wisdom and teachings of past kings from the Shisubeki Kingdom of the Crane Basin. Given to the Mortal Kings of old by a Fey Goddess of Spring, Rebirth, and New Beginnings, the legends foretell of a Young King of the ancient bloodline returning to take up the blade and lead his people to a new age.
The blade, unfortunately has been lost to the people it was bestowed upon as well as time. Many claim a reason of varying quality towards it's disappearance, but only the fact that the blade is lost runs consistently through all of the tales. Many people within the Shisubeki Kingdom have begun to accept that the blade was truly only legends, but others cling to the hope that one day, the blade will return and their lives will be forever changed for the better.
Summary
It is said within the borders of the small Shisubeki Kingdom of the Crane Basin, that a king would rise up in order to carry his people to righteous power among the rival Great Yokai clans of the Basin. That man would wield a sacred blade carrying upon it's hilt the spirits and crowns of the king's fore bearers. This king would come when the Crane Basin stood on the precipice of change, requiring a learned and wizened hand to guide it into the brave new age. This king would be descended from the ancient bloodline of the first Mortal Kings and carry with him the legendary Blade of Ten-Crowns.
The Blade is said to have been forged from the ancient crowns of the Mortal Kings and carry within it's forging their spirits who will guide and teach the young king of their past glories and misfortunes so that he may succeed where they had not. The Forge master's name rings in the court of the Goddess, Vivien, a Fey Goddess of Spring, Rebirth, and New Beginnings, whom had taken pity and an interest in the Mortal Kings of old and bestowed upon them a blade that would carry with it the knowledge of those who had carried it prior.
For centuries, the blade was passed down from Mortal King to Mortal King, dynasty to dynasty within the Crane Basin, until it was said to have been lost, swept away by the Ancient Blue River that flowed into the Basin from the sea. Legends say that the blade was carried away by the spirit of that river to hinder and oppose the progress of the Mortal Kings. Others say that the sword is kept in the horde of the Great Wyrm of the Basin. No matter the tale told around the hearths of the homes, all say the blade is lost, until the Young King would arrive to rest it from it's forgotten plinth and forge a new destiny for the Shisubeki Kingdom.
Historical Basis
Throughout the dynasties of the Mortal Kings, there was bestowed upon and passed down an heirloom blade that many claimed or believed to have been the Blade of Ten-Crowns. The Blade represented the height of power within the Mortal Kingdoms, for whosoever carried the blade, carried the will of the Mortal Crown with them. So even as the throne changed hands over the generations and centuries, the blade was recovered and served as a mark to the ruling dynasty as their divine right to rule.
In Art
Artists depictions of the blade are not very well varied, save for one. Within the Crane Basin, the blade is often depicted as the traditional sword carried by warriors of the Basin, with wind whipping about it. The traditional depiction of the blade was that of a single edge sword with a slight curve and an ornamented pommel. However, one Rossi artist depicted the blade quite differently in a 4th age piece entitled "The Mortal King". The blade was double edged with a cross-guard hilt, held alot by a striking figure in ornate and battle-worn robes. Hung about the hilt were ten crowns of various styles and grandeur.
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