The Stiehl is one of the oldest and most feared weapons in the Four Lands. It can kill anything and cut through any substance, including magic, meaning that even creatures of magic and those who wield magic are not safe from its blade.
History[]
Forged in the time of the Old World, the Stiehl has terrible magic infused within its blade. After years of dormancy, it was found by a young Pe Ell, who used its power to kill his abusive uncle and then become an assassin for hire. He carried it until his death shortly after he had killed Quickening with the blade, at which point the weapon was recovered from his body by Walker Boh.
Walker locked the Stiehl deep inside Paranor, where it was housed for over a century before being brought out by Shadea a'Ru and given to the assassin Aphasia Wye. Aphasia Wye was ultimately captured and killed by the Tanequil, and for years it was unknown what happened to the Stiehl thereafter.
However, centuries later, the Stiehl is back in the hands of the Druids, who at the time are led by the Ard Rhys Aphenglow Elessedil. With the help of an internal spy within the Druid Order the sorcerer Arcannen managed to steal the weapon, using it to murder the Druid Starks and the Federation's Minister of Security Fashton Caeil. The Prime Minister of the Federation recovered the blade and took it back to Pararnor, where he returned it to the Ard Rhys and placed back in the vaults.
More than two hundred years later, during the Skaar invasion of Paranor, Clizia Porse stole the Stiehl from vaults unbeknownst to her rival Drisker Arc. She would go on to lend the Stiehl to Tavo Kaynin in hopes that he would use it to kill Drisker, but when that effort failed she took the Stiehl back. Running low on allies, she turns to the king of the Skaar invaders and offers to use the Stiehl to assassinate the Prime Minister of the Federation and the King of the elves. She then sneaks into Arborlon and employs the Stiehl to murder Gerrendren Elessedil, but finds that using the magic dagger drains her elderly body of most of her energy, needing to sleep for several days afterward. Clizia uses the Stiehl again to kill Tavo Kaynin at the abandoned fortress of Cleeg Hold. Later in the village of Emberen, Clizia attempts to wield the Stiehl but is disarmed and eventually killed by Tarsha Kaynin, who is the last known person to take hold of it. The Stiehl's future is unsure as Tarsha desides whether or not the druids should continue serving the Four Lands.
Appearance[]
Early descriptions of the Stiehl describe it as a silver-bladed dagger that glows bright with magic when in use. It also has its name carved into its hilt. In later descriptions, the Stiehl is described simply as a long, black knife. Later still, it is described as having runes carved into its handle.