Taranis

Taranis is the primary weapon wielded by adventurer Robin Tove throughout his travels in the continent of Elysia and beyond. It was made approximately 1,000 years prior to Robin obtaining it, and though others can wield it, he is among the very few who can use it to its full potential. It has a sister in the form of the blade Thora.

Appearance
Taranis takes the form of a single-edged, broad-bladed bastard sword, very vaguely reminiscent of a Chinese yanmaodao. Its blade is forged primarily of red mythril, a rare variant of the otherwise-uncommon type of mythril, with inlaid decoration of electrum, compounded with steel for additional strength and durability. The wings-shaped guard and the pommel are formed of steel refined from meteoric iron, and plated with more of the electrum-steel seen in the blade; the guard is also fitted with a enchanted ruby, which is the source of most of Taranis' capabilities. The grip, conversely, is wrapped with a simple red-and-black patterned cloth. The pommel sports a roughly 6-inch-long red cloth with a gold border at the end, and is inlaid with a single, 4-faceted green jewel, implied to also be enchanted, although its exact properties are unknown. The weapon in its entirety was created with powerful enchantments, and when channeling the magic of its wielder it glows with a bright golden-orange light. Magic of sufficient power and volume with cause it to spark as if charged with lightning, regardless of whether the magic in question is lightning-based; this does not prevent other visual effects of channeled magic from occurring.

Known Abilities and Properties

 * Extreme Durability- While not completely unbreakable, its enchantments allow it to take far more punishment than your average blade, to the point that it can deflect blows that would obliterate lesser weapons near-instantly.
 * Magic Projectiles- By channeling magic through the blade in specific ways, Robin can then redirect it out of the blade to attack at range; the exact form of the projectiles depends on how he swings the blade, and can have various effects depending on it, ranging from a pulse that launches opponents into the air to a rapid bolt that pierces foes in a straight line, one after another.
 * Double-Edged- Despite its looks, it's actually a double-edged sword; this proves useful for catching opponents off-guard.
 * Stun Current- The inlaid decorations on Taranis are more than just for show- they also constantly create their own electrical current, different from the lightning Robin channels through the rest of the blade. Striking with this side causes portions of the current to transfer to its target, causing regular spasms; enough strikes will render the target paralyzed and totally immobile.
 * High-Speed Vibration- The blade vibrates extremely quickly and invisibly; this greatly enhances its ability to cut and pierce, to the point that it can slice through up to 1.5 feet of solid iron with little effort.... theoretically.

Weaknesses

 * As powerful a weapon as Taranis is, it has one particular flaw that could potentially prove fatal in a difficult fight- the enchanted ruby set in its guard. Without this ruby, Taranis loses much of its power, made visually obvious by the inlaid decoration of the blade turning a dull silver color. Although still highly durable and powerful compared to other weapons, it loses many of its former capabilities, becoming not much better than your average mythril sword.
 * Furthermore, some of its abilities will not activate in the hands of others, whether the ruby is set or not. This is a sort of security measure, meant to allow its use by others in an emergency, while keeping them from using its full might against its true owner. There are only two known exceptions to this- Erlantz Iustum, who wields a similar weapon in Thora, and Imenand, the creator of Taranis and Thora alike.

Trivia

 * Taranis is named for the Celtic god of thunder of [same name], who is more than superficially related to the Roman god Jupiter and may in fact simply be a Celtic interpretation.
 * Its design appears to evoke the imagery of a golden dragon in flight, possibly as tribute to the now virtually-extinct race... or its creator was just feeling a tad vain that day.