Black Blade of Phaeros

The Black Blade of Phaeros was a sentient weapon who imbued its' wielders with the speed and strength of its' former owners. However, it also attempted to possess the minds of those who attempted to wield it. The blade was originally claimed by Velzix, as he raced the bladesman Heroth to through the temple.

Velzix only kept the blade for a short time though, before he was slain by Heroth. The blade eventually possessed Heroth to slaughter the inhabitants of the village of Habir. An indeterminable amount of time later, the Black Blade arrived in the possession of house Drall, a ruling family of Barrahere, dedicated to collecting ancient artifacts of Phaeros.

History
Like most artifacts of Phaeros, little is known about the Black Blade. It is known to have been passed down from wielder to wielder. The blade absorbed the skills of its' former wielder, passing them on to its' current owner. This meant that the longer the blade was passed down, its' current wielder was that much stronger than the last.

The blade was lost to time when the fabled kingdom ofIPhaeros fell the hordes of Unveiled that ravaged the landscape. Presumably, it was wielded by a champion or knight of the kingdom. It is presumed that the blade was not passed down from it's last wielder, or perhaps the last possessor of the blade placed it in the coffin of its' last owner as a form of tribute.

Whatever the case, the blade remained in the temple as around it, Phaeros fell into ruin, with the temple that housed it eventually following suit. Either by design or luck, the chamber that housed the coffin, and the blade embedded in it, survived the centuries relatively intact.