Legend Lore on Briar (spoilers)

[Rune]

So my players have just finished book 5 and got Briar which has organically changed from a bastard sword to an Aldori dueling sword (the weapon favored by the queen). At the very end of the session they let me know they'll be using the legend lore spell on it as soon as possible. As a last disclaimer, I mean to fast forward 10 years from the defeat of Irovetti to the beginning of the blooms so the rulers will actually be coming out of retirement to face this last threat for their kingdom.

Question is: How much information should the spell give them? Any suggestions on how to convey that information as a "legend" instead of "this happened, followed by this"? Maybe frame it into a sort of a children's story or fairy tale (which it incidentally is)?

[Lee Hanna]

Interesting question: my group is only a little ahead of yours (Blooms started). Zuddiger's Picnic has them confused, they wonder if they are "supposed" to give the sword to Nyrissa.

I'd say give up all the information you can-- it's not doing the players any good sitting in your pocket.

As for form, I have no suggestions right now.

[Andostre]

Yeah, I agree with giving them everything about how and why the sword was formed. They could potentially find everything out sooner or later, anyway, and their proactiveness in finding out the information should be rewarded. Plus, this might deter them from giving Briar to Nyrissia.

[mourge40k]

I think I've got a little something to present to them....

Tale of Briar:

Once, there was a maiden, as lovely and as radiant as the sun and stars. One day, she attracted the attention of a powerful lord, and the two eventually fell in love. He showered her in gifts, and she eventually began to consider herself a noble herself. She soon began to boast of her connection to her love, of her new gifts. She decried other lords and ladies of the realm, calling them shabby pretenders unworthy of any respect. After all, none were as fair as her, as talented, as powerful.

But unfortunately for her, gifts and dalliances do not make one a noble, and only a fool would dare to mock those above their station. The other nobles bristled at her insolence and insults, and sent one of their champions to deal with her. The champion and the maiden fought, the battle taking its toll on the foolish girl who had thought herself superior. She managed to escape, exhausted from her efforts.

It was then that three other nobles surrounded her, and bestowed their judgement upon the upstart. The first decided since she loved her power so much, it would be allowed to remain. However, what she wouldn't have was her capacity to enjoy it, or anything else. Reaching into her spirit, she ripped out her love and joy.

The second took the maiden's love, and forged into a weapon and a promise. One day, the maiden would find her love in the hands of another, and on that day, her love would finally be returned to her. However, it would not rejoin her, but instead slay her.

The third then took the weapon, and cast it beyond the reach of the maiden, thus sealing her fate. With their punishment complete, the nobles left the maiden alone with her power, and the weapon in another realm. And so the weapon remained beyond the maiden's grasp, waiting for the day that it would fulfill its destiny and return to the maiden as promised.

[Norin d'orien]

Nice one! In my campaign I Made it so that Count Ranalc suffered something similar to his lover.. Thus forging a certain rapier..