Claw of Aeternae
The Aeternae were mythical creatures in Greek mythology, that Alexander the Great supposedly encountered during his conquests in Northern India. They had saw toothed bony protrusions from their heads, that they used to attack and kill Alexander the Greats soldiers. I like the name, because it matches well to a short story I wrote for this wand, copied in after the pictures!
About 35.5Cm or 14" long, maximum diameter on the handle 30mm or 1.4".
In katalox
Lacewood
Madagascar rosewood (not available any more!)
“Approximately three years ago the town of Drathui was attacked by a beast of unknown origin. It’s form was somewhat akin to a large black lizard, but partly upstanding and of great size. The local garrison was of course quickly dispatched, but found the creature almost too great a match for them. Much was recorded of the hunt, although at times it seems unclear who was hunting who, but one particular incident bears repeating. The soldiers had succeeded in ambushing the beast, and significantly wounded it before it escaped - albeit with many arrows stuck in its hide. They let it go, thinking that it was too damaged to be any future threat, and chose instead to track the blood trail. Alas the trail soon disappeared, as did all sign, and worst still the beast attacked them later that evening. It had apparently healed in full, showing no signs of the earlier disagreement except for a severe dislike of archers. The creature was eventually taken down, for good, and the attached Zandec priest ritually burned the body for good measure (at least, as best as such types know how). After the fire was complete, all was destroyed except, curiously, what I understand to have been it's claws. The soldiery then apparently decided these would make for excellent souvenirs of the battle - and the priest, of course being little more than a magical tradesman for hire, apparently saw no great harm in this. It took only a few weeks for the worried, and later panicked reports to begin landing on my desk. By the time I arrived in Drathui, the claws had grown to considerable size, albeit some more so than others, and all were unconcerned by any attempts to damage them. We were able to collect most, but some of the soldiers were not easy to reach. Alas their houses were later found destroyed, and the occupants missing. And so the artefacts came into my care. I placed them in specially warded containers, so their rate of growth was all but arrested, and kept them for study. It is therefore with no small degree of embarrassment and more than a little concern that I must report the storehouse was broken into just 3 days ago, with the thieves taking nothing but the “claws”. I know not where they are now, nor to what purpose they have been placed. Should anyone hear word of them, I would urgently request that I be informed at once.
Archmage Dramildis Sonoroch”
