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The Sword of Leah is an ancient weapon belonging to and used by the House of Leah. Originally just a family heirloom, the sword became a Druid talisman effective against creatures of magic when the Druid Allanon imbued the weapon with the magic of the Hadeshorn.

History[]

The first documented carrier of the Sword of Leah was Menion Leah, who used it to protect Shea Ohmsford during the search for the Sword of Shannara. In Menion's time the sword was merely a regular sword, one that had been a long-standing family heirloom.

Seventy years later, Menion's great-grandson Rone Leah carried the sword when he accompanied Brin Ohmsford on Allanon's quest to destroy the Ildatch. Rone didn't trust the Druid and what he intended with Brin, and after repeated arguments between the Druid and the Highlander Allanon decided to make Rone his equal as Brin's protector. Allanon had Rone dip the blade of the sword into the waters of the Hadeshorn, changing its color to a deep black and infusing it with the magic of the lake. Allanon then sealed the magic into the sword using his Druid fire, creating a weapon that could cut through magic.

Rone was able to use the sword successfully, but it soon became apparent that the sword, while a powerful talisman, drew power from its user, who would become more dependent on it with every use. Rone became obsessed with recovering the sword when it was lost, even leaving Brin to fend for herself in the Wolfsktaag Mountains when he recovered the sword from a tribe of Spider Gnomes.

After the Ildatch was destroyed, the sword remained in the Leah family, its magic going dormant. However, the power came alive centuries later when Morgan Leah used it against a Shadowen that had come upon him, Par Ohmsford, and Coll Ohmsford. When Morgan later used the sword to break down a magically sealed door down in the Pit in Tyrsis to escape from a horde of Shadowen, the sword shattered, leaving only a foot-long remnant attached to the hilt. Due to his connection to the sword, Morgan himself felt broken and bereft, but he discovered there was still magic in the broken sword, which he used to kill Teel, a Shadowen, and to injure Uhl Belk, the Stone King. The sword was restored in its entirety by the King of the Silver River's daughter Quickening, who was in love with Morgan, and the Highlander used the sword in the final battle against the Shadowen in Southwatch.

The sword's magic lay dormant for another 130 years until Walker Boh came in search of Quentin Leah, the new heir to the sword. Quentin carried the sword to the land of Parkasia, where he used it to protect himself and others and became one of the few people to survive the voyage, although he was deeply affected by the experience.

The sword is currently in the hands of Paxon Leah, a descendant of Mirai Leah and Railing Ohmsford. Paxon serves the Druids of Paranor as the Blade of the Ard Rhys, using the sword in his role as protector.

Appearance and Properties[]

The blade of the sword is a deep, opaque black, with ribbons and ripples of incandescent green fire pulsing within the surface of the blade. The blade's appearance mirrors that of the Hadeshorn's black waters, which glimmer and ripple with green light.

While the hilt of the sword is not magical and has been replaced multiple times over the centuries, the blade itself never ages or loses its luster. It was only broken once, in the time of Morgan Leah, and it was repaired soon after by Faerie magic.

The sword cuts through magic, harming creatures of magic that can't be harmed with normal weapons. It also deflects and shields against magical attacks. Morgan Leah is able to use the sword to break down a magically sealed door, while Paxon Leah is able to use the sword to turn an opaque magical prison transparent so that he can look inside it.

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