Sword of Kas
| Sword of Kas | |
|---|---|
 The Sword of Kas, as depicted on the back cover of Vecna: Hand of the Revenant. Art by Kevin McCann. | |
| General information | |
| Type: | Artifact |
| Rules | |
| Body slot: | N/A (Weapon) |
| Publishing | |
| First published: | Eldritch Wizardry (1976). |
The Sword of Kas is the mighty blade once used by Kas the Bloody-Handed, the dreaded lieutenant of Vecna. It was by this blade, some say, that Vecna lost his Hand and Eye.
Description
[edit | edit source]The Sword of Kas, variously described as a short sword, longsword, or greatsword, was crafted by Vecna. The blade is said to have been magically honed to a razor's edge, enhanced the wielder's strength, and could be used to call down lightning bolts from any stormclouds that might be overhead. The sword itself is intelligent, possessing a vile and murderous spirit.
History
[edit | edit source]The history of Kas the Bloody Handed is irrevocably linked to Lord Vecna, for his Sword was created by Vecna's own skill. Kas was Vecna's lieutenant, his warlord and assassin, and the Sword was his symbol of authority. The Sword was as evil as its maker, and it whispered dreams of treachery to Kas until finally, blade in hand, he confronted his dread master. The battle between the two was titanic, and both are said to have died in the end. All that remained behind were the Sword of Kas and the Hand and Eye of Vecna.
Publishing history
[edit | edit source]The Sword of Kas first appeared in the Original D&D supplement, Eldritch Wizardry. It was one of the first artifacts detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game. The sword has been updated many times and has even been the object of quests as in the adventure Vecna Lives.
Creative origins
[edit | edit source]Much like many other artifacts and other items from the early days of the game (Hand of Vecna, Apparatus of Kwalish, etc.), the Sowrd of Kas was an item given a name, and later the backstory was written to fit the name that had been given.
The sword originally belonged to a PC played by Time Kask (thus, the name, Kas[k])). He recalled on the online forum Dragonsfoot,
"Q: What's the story/joke behind the Sword of Kas?
A: No joke, per se... we amused ourselves by sticking stuff like that into the supplements. They were our private jokes; somewhere, through these little harmless citations, we were achieving a sort of immortality. It was just a really good sword that had been mine. You know, there were +this and +that swords, and then there was Excalibur and Requitor and their ilk."
—Tim Kask (2007)[1]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
Kas wielding his sword. Art by Kevin McCann, Vecna: Hand of the Revenant. (2002)
References
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]Citations
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Kask, Tim; (@Kaskoid) (01 May 2007). Re: Q&A with Tim Kask (forum). dragonsfoot.org. Retrieved on 3 January 2026.
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]- Cook, David. Book of Artifacts. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
- ———. Vecna Lives!. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990.
- Cordell, Bruce, et al. Open Grave. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2009.
- Cook, Monte, Skip Williams, and Jonathan Tweet. Dungeon Master's Guide. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- Gygax, Gary. Dungeon Master's Guide. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1979.
- Gygax, Gary, and Brian Blume. Eldritch Wizardry. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1976.
- Henson, Dale, and Doug Stewart, eds. Encyclopedia Magica Vol 4. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
- Thorsson, Modi, and Kevin McCann. Vecna: Hand of the Revenant. Iron Hammer Graphics, 2002.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
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