Claw of Perra
Claw of Perra
Highguard Perra was the last commander of the guard of the palace of [placeholder], and a devout follower of Melora. A fierce fighter, Perra defended the Champion of the Dragonborn and other nobles against threats of assassination, and fought along side the army in the rare times the normally peaceful kingdom was engaged in a war. She dedicated her life to the kingdom, and her leadership abilities and skill with weapons ended the lives of many who conspired against the rulers.
Though she was trained in the use of many weapons, her favored weapon was the halberd that was given to her by the king when she was appointed the commander of the palace guard. Though she would at times use a sword or an axe in combat in the close hallways of the palace, in parades and other public events, or skirmishes at the gates of the castle, the halberd was ever at her side. It was said, as with many magical weapons, that the weapon grew in power with Perra, and it soon gained a mystical status among the guard. On her fourteenth anniversary as commander of the guard, Khalazar and his wife enchanted the weapon, and the name "Claw of Perra" was inscribed in Draconic runes along the shaft of the weapon.
In the end, though she proved a deadly deterrent to thieves and assassins, Perra could not defend the palace against the disease that destroyed the kingdom. She died in battle against the mindless undead who rose up from the diseased corpses. Her and twenty of the guard fought off the undead long enough that the Khalazar, a sorcerer of the kingdom, was able to open a portal to safety. Many of the kingdom escaped due to the guard's defense of the palace, including Khalazar's wife and Perra's husband, but the valiant warriors could not hold them off for forever. When the Highguard fell in battle, the remaining defenders charged forward and drove the undead back, recovering the body of their leader and her weapon, then abandoned the palace, retreating through the portal after the last of the fleeing dragonborn.
Through some quirk of magic, or perhaps through the will of one of the deities, the body or equipment of Perra never emerged on the on the other side of the portal. The remainder of the guard retreated through the portal with no ill effects, but the fate and final resting place of the Highguard or her weapon remained a mystery to the survivors. Once the last refugee had fled through the portal, Khalazar sealed the portal and sunk the palace into the earth, sealing the undead in with him, so any possibility of returning to search for Perra's body was forever lost, guarded by the same undead who killed her.
Recently, though, some of the mystery has been unraveled. The weapon has been seen wielded by another follower of Melora, Sabi of the Flame, given to her by the deity herself after visiting the home of her draconic ancestors. Though where it has been all these years remain a mystery, and where the body of Perra herself resides is still completly unknown, the return of this ancient relic has drawn the attention of many who still remember the ancient legends.
