Gastbane

Gastbane
	; A simple wooden sword or a powerful artifact?
Abilities	Turn Undead
Classification	Sword
Material	Ghost Oak
Origin	Ekendal
Owner	Myling Frost-Song

Gastbane is the primary weapon of Myling Frost-Song. It was given to her by Riamide during her early travels around Skyrim.

Description[]

The true origin of Gastbane remains unknown, as does its intended purpose. It appears as a simple sword made out of the wood from the elusive ghost oak. Despite having a rather fragile look to it, it is actually a lot more sturdy than it appears to be. Despite its constant usage, it has never shown to age, to get worn out, or to receive the slightest scratches from the strains of battle. It is unknown whether Riamide knows more about the blade than what she tells Myling, or whether she is as clueless as her apprentice about the weapon's mysterious past.

Brave New World[]

Myling mostly uses the sword to beat up bandits and rob them off their gold. Once in a tavern and once in a camp. Although she has promised never to kill with the sword she uses the blade to ram it into the chest of the bandit leader named Cermorius in retaliation for killing her.

Later on she also uses the sword to help Rowan defeat a Frost Troll in Labyrinthian.

The House of Troubles[]

Although the sword is mentioned several times and makes an appearance, Myling never uses it in the saga. Riamide later claims that she has found the place where the sword originated from.

The Regulators of Skyrim[]

Having stayed in the settlement of Ekendal for the past two years, Riamide and Myling have yet to uncover the secrets of the mysterious ghost oak which stands in the center of the village, the same oak from which Gastbane was forged. Riamide knows that there is some sort of connection between the nature of an apparition and the mysterious ghost oak. Myling brings the sword with her as she and the smith Aldoran travels to Riften to find Folkvid, a man said to be an expert on the subject of the ghost oaks.

However, they are soon cut off track by Rowan and his wife Freja, who are in need of help to find their abducted son. Myling and Aldoran agrees to help and Myling uses Gastbane once again to knock down bandits on their quest.

Abilities[]

Apart from being used frequently as a blunt weapon, with the intention to beat its opponents into submission, rather than to stab or cut them, Gastbane seems to react heavily to supernatural forces such as the wraiths of the Shadow, causing them to disapparate when attacking.

Appearances[]

Trivia[]

The word gastbane directly translates from Swedish to "wraiths'/ghosts' bane".

Author's notes[]

“	I have always found the concept of a weapon with pacifistic or a childish look to it, to be the most appealing and dangerous. The theme of a toy and weapon combined fits with Myling's personality perfectly. She is still a child in her own way and have yet to realise that in order to survive in a dangerous world, she may need to do things even if they defy her own values, like killing. The sword is meant to reflect those feelings. An innocent appearance, yet still a weapon, no matter how you look at it.	”
	— Lazarus Grimm