The Story of Atha

Unicorns residing in Illantul keep mostly to the forestlands of the Eastern elves.  They are solitary creatures with little love for the humanoids that inhabit the majority of Illantul.  The rarest of these magical creatures is said to be the black horned unicorn, with only one in a generation possessing such a color variation.  The elves hold such beasts as one of the most sacred creatures in the land, designating an Elven maiden to befriend the black-horn and become its constant companion.  When a black-horn unicorn passes from the mortal world its body instantly turns to dust, but the black horn is left behind to be collected by its Elven companion.  The maiden delivers the magical horn to the elders who determine the most appropriate use for the powerful artifact.  One such horn became the handle piece of Atha, the Elven blade of comfort.  The magic of the horn bestows upon the blade’s owner an immunity to all types of poison and grants them the power to heal grievous wounds in others.  As an offensive weapon, Atha performs no differently than other Elven blades, save enhancing the wielder’s dexterity to that of a master swordsman.

Actual Design and Construction:

The original blade blank was forged by Windlass Steelcrafts using 1085 high carbon steel.  I altered the ricasso and drilled three holes through this portion of the blade.  I designed brass pieces which I hand-etched with scrollwork and peened to the ricasso.  Both sides of the blade feature hand-etched artwork depicting twin unicorns facing in opposite directions.  The guard I fashioned from solid brass and the handle is made from a male African springbok horn which is attached to the tang of the blade using hardened steel pins. 

Specifications:

Blade length: 10 inches

Overall length: 16 inches

Hand grip length: 4 inches

Blade width at widest point: 1.25 inches

Guard width: 4.5 inches

Weight: 12.3 ounces

Balance point: 0.5 inch in front of the guard

 Sheath Construction:

The Sheath is constructed of 4-5 oz premium veg tan leather cut to the exact fit of the blade and is hand stitched through a welt at the bottom.  The sheath is stained black with hand-tooled leaf work and scrollwork painted gold and then antiqued.