Let us speak of an ancient tale, the story of the Star Axe and the Thunder Horse.
In the most ancient times, when the people of the steppe remembered still the old histories of the Demoness Gwygo, and the world was rich with magic not yet ignored into never having existed, a Star fell to the earth. The leader of the great tribe of people known as the Thunder Horse found this fallen Star and from its magical metal had forged a mighty Axe. One of a kind, was this Star Axe, and so the leader wished it blessed by the greatest workers of magic he knew of. Two southern Peoples did he know, whose magics would be worthy of his weapon: the Spirit Talkers, ancient beyond knowing, who ruled the spirits of their holy caves; and the Hill People, numerous beyond counting, who shaped the spirits of soil and stalk.
Cunning as he was, the leader of the Thunder Horse, he had hoped to pit one against the other, and so gain the greatest blessing. Only one People answered his call, however, and so the honor befell those of the Hills. Though their magics were not as suited to the blessing of a great weapon, their mastery was without question, and so the Star Axe was completed. In return, the Thunder Horse offered the Hill People a boon. In the end, they asked only for safety as they gave the Thunder Horse another gift: safe passage to the the Lowlands through their Hills.
It is said the Thunder Horse's leader bellowed a hearty laugh as, cunning as he was, he well understood the Hill People scheme to set him upon their enemies. Still, he accepted, and his own numerous kin washed through the Hill Peoples towns - that offered them all they could eat from their endless harvest - into the Lowlands, not touching a hair on their benefactors' heads.
As the Hill People had expected, and to the Thunder Horse's delight, none among the rivers knew of horses and war wagons. For a time, the Thunder Horse ran down any who would stand in their way, as well as those who didn't. But this time proved much shorter than anyone expected. Disaster struck the People of the Horse. Despite his great war wagon - almost as great a wonder as his Axe - their leader was slain, the Star Axe was lost and his People were divided amongst his heirs.
Let us now speak of the Curse, the Doom of Thunder Horse, and of all those who would wield the Star Axe in anger. Some whisper that the Hill People, descended from the ancient Demoness, despised those of the steppe and meant to bring about their demise. Others explain that it was simply because their magics rebelled against the destructive use they were put to. Still, all who held the Axe, so it is said, would suffer.
Its first wielder had already suffered defeat where he should have been victorious.
Now, the land itself held it, and the Star Plague came to infest all who lived upon it.
The heirs of Thunder Horse searched in vain for the Axe, for all would accept them as their leader if they held it. They did not find it. The Spirit Talkers did. Immediately they sought to control the Thunder Horse as they did their cave-dwelling spirits, and called a young heir to them. Wise to the Spirit Talkers' controlling magics, the young heir called to the Hill People for protection. And as for his ancestor, the Hill People responded.
This time the Hill People sent their very wisest: Blessed Bynwyn, Priest-King of the Hills.
O, Bynwyn, Greatest Priest of the Hill People, Bringer of Health, Vanquisher of the Star Plague, Tender of the Sacred Herd, Creator of the Sacred Warding that protects his People from disease forever more.
King Bynwyn fought the Spirit Talkers' spells of domination and though his magic, of life and health, could not vanquish them, neither could the Spirit Talkers ensnare the Thunder Horse. Enraged, the young heir broke through the Spirit Talkers spirit-infused warriors and slaughtered them to a man. As the Curse claimed another victim, the Spirit Talkers' cave was ravaged and sealed, the Star Axe returned to its true owners, and Blessed Bynwyn barely escaped with his life.
Here ends the part of the tale of the Star Axe that any could recount.
(This is what I remember of the Star Axe from PoC, written in a quasi-ancient legend style and including some thread speculation/memes. There's probably things I got wrong, but it's been a long time since I read that part of PoC, and I didn't look it up. Why didn't I look it up? Because I thought would be more fun this way
Anyway, my theory on what happened after is that it became part of the Thunder Horse king's regalia and so moved to Xoh when they became the capital, only to then be destroyed along with all their treasure when Phygriff burned down their inner city.)
