Durza's sword

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[edit] Description

Durza's weapon was a sword of unspecified type and size. The blade was "long, pale, with a wire-thin scratch winding down it". The scratch had been put there by Ajihad in a duel with Durza some years ago. The sword must have been incredibly durable to withstand the force a Shade could put into a blow. It was not, however, equal of the Riders' swords forged by Rhunön, as those, among other properties they might or might not have shared with this blade, never scratched. The blade was also realtively narrow, narrow enough to slip between ribs, a testament to the strength of the metal considering the savage blows a Shade was capable of landing. On one occasion, an angered Durza threw the blade at a tree, which did nothing to harm it, even though it had been thrown with enough force to pass halfway through.

[edit] Origin

No specifics are given as to when, where or how Durza came by his sword. Its earliest known appearance in Alagaësia's history was in the duel between Durza and Ajihad which took place at an unspecified time before the events of Book I, but presumably not before Ajihad joined the Varden some sixteen years earlier. It is possible the sword was of elven make because of the strength of the blade. If so, however, Durza was likely not the original owner, as no elf would forge or give a blade to a Shade (at least not willingly). Also, the sword could have been forged by some other smith of superhuman skill, possibly even Durza himself using his black arts. Whatever its origin, the sword was certainly an exceptional weapon.

[edit] Appearances

Durza is first mentioned wielding his sword in the duel with Ajihad some sixteen years ago. Later, he had it with him in his ambush of Arya in a bid to capture Saphira's egg (at the time Eragon found Saphira's egg in the Spine). When Eragon rescued Arya from Durza's clutches in Gil'ead some months later, he encountered the Shade for the first time, along with his blade. They then clashed their weapons at the Battle of Farthen Dur where Eragon destroyed Durza once and for all, but not before receiving a grievous slashing wound across his back from the sword. It is unknown whether it was the property of the sword to bestow the curse Eragon suffered from greatly during the following months (until his change at the Agaetí Blödhren), or if this was rather the result of Durza wielding it. The fate of the sword is not revealed. It is not mentioned again in and it is not known whether or not it survived Durza's demise. If it did, then it was probably destroyed or buried after the battle, as it is not likely any of the Varden would be willing to use a Shade's sword, no matter how fine a weapon it might be.

Weapons
Standard weapons	Ascûdgamln | Axe | Bow and Arrow | Broadsword | Dagger | Falchion | Flamberge | Halberd | Hammer | Hand-and-a-half sword
	Hûthvír | Poison dart | Rapier | Spear | Sword
Siege engines	Ballista | Catapult | Trebuchet
Unique weapons	Brisingr | Durza's sword | Naegling | Rider's sword | Roran's hammer | Tamerlein
	Undbitr | Volund | Zar'roc