When the Giant Ur-Druid Zhenkar invaded the kingdoms centuries ago, his armies were impossible to defeat, for with a touch of one of the six fingers on his left hand he could bestow strange and powerful benefits upon his warriors. They scourged the lands and sowed druneblight into the soil, making green and growing things dark and malevolent so that even trees and bushes attacked passers by.

All seemed lost, many cities were destroyed, collapsing in billows of purple flame, and bold heroes slain in such numbers that the very skies wept crimson tears, until a group of Priestesses of the Gentle Dawn tricked Zhenkar into wading through a deep bog to steal their sacred seeds, by which they would turn back the druneblight and restore wholesomeness to the land.

As he wallowed deeper and deeper into the bog he sank until only his hands were above the surface, and in his confusion they cast a line to pull him out - but instead of saving him, they cut his hand clean off! The iron nails of each finger were forged into a sword, and when another blade touches them, the wielder is granted mystical powers.

Hundreds of swords can be so enhanced, but their power only lasts for a half dozen uses each, then they must wait until the next half moon, the mark of Zhenkar, to be touched again.

Gemlat, the Ender of Dreams: Blades that touch this sword can be used to deflect and destroy magic spells as though the wielder had been attacked with another sword.

Unlat, the Hard Kiss: Those whose flesh is bitten by the Hard Kiss suffer a powerful electric shock that usually leaves them paralysed for several seconds.

Meryat, Windracer: When the powers of this sword are employed, the wielder can make one attack with incredible - usually invincible - swiftness.

Belanat Longblade: These swords can be thrown as though they were spears, at the full skill of the user.

Simarat, the Earbender: When used with the right intention, swords that touch Earbender can create a shocking howl which deafens and disorientates anyone standing some distance in front of the wielder,

Kunlat, the Clarion: The most feared and powerful of all hexblades, its strength lies not with the individual powers it grants to users but that they all act in complete, perfect unison, without fear. Warriors touched by Kunlat's power will never break or rout while the effect lasts, and will obey the desires of their commander as though they had drilled in them for decades. Humble peasant armies have vanquished disciplined waves of mounted knights using the power of Kunlat.