Claw of Perra
Claw of Perra
Highguard Perra was the last commander of the guard of the palace of Raghastan, 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 when the kingdom was at 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. She and twenty of the guard fought off the undead long enough that Khalazar, a sorcerer of the kingdom, was able to open a portal to safety. Those of the kingdom who weren't infected managed to escape through the portal, owing their lives to the guard's defense of the palace. Among the survivors were Perra's husband and Khalazar's child, still in the egg, but Perra herself never made it to safety. In the end, the valiant warriors were unable to hold off the army of their own citizens turned undead, and the Highguard fell in battle. Those still with her refused to let their leader become one of the undead, and they charged forward, driving the undead back long enough to recover Perra's body... then, the last of the survivors having already escaped through the portal, the defenders abandoned the palace, retreating through Khalazar's gateway to safety.
Through some quirk of magic, or perhaps through the will of one of the deities, the body and equipment of Perra never emerged on the on the other side of the portal. The remainder of the guard emerged from the portal with no ill effects, but nothing of the Highguard appeared, and her fate and final resting place became a mystery to the survivors. Once the last Dragonborn had fled through the portal, Khalazar sealed the portal and sunk the palace into the earth, sealing the undead and the last remnants of the disease in with him. Because of this protective measure, any possibility of returning to search for Perra's body was 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 ancient relic has drawn the attention of many who still remember the ancient legends.
