Barbarisater was a powerful force sword carried by Arianhrod Esw Sweydyr, a retainer of Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn. The sword measured nearly 1 1/2 metres in length, and had been carried by the Esq Sweydyr tribe of Carthae for nineteen generations. The sword's powers were enhanced by Arianhrod's psychic abilities, and seems to have been semi-sentient, learning from its mistress, and vice-versa.[1a]
After Arianhrod was killed on Lethe Eleven by a Dark Eldar haemonculus, Eisenhorn placed the sword in his personal safe, knowing he was duty bound to return it to the tribal leaders on Carthae.[1b] However, after his own power sword was snapped by Cherubael, Eisenhorn used Barbarisater to combat the Radical Inquisitor Quixos. Before confronting Quixos, Eisenhorn approached Magos Geard Bure on Cinchare, who etched the blade with special pentagrammic wards and enhanced the psychic veins, to increase the sword's effectiveness against daemons, knowing that Quixos was served by at least two powerful daemonhosts, Cherubael and Prophaniti. Magos Bure, an expert in metallurgy, marveled at the sword's craftsmanship, remarking to Eisenhorn that the steel had been folded and beaten to such a high density that Bure wore out eight adamantium drill bits performing the etching on only one side of the blade.[1c]
Later, Eisenhorn had Bure craft a replica of Barbarisater from the Lith, a powerful psychic lodestone, which he carried as a weapon for years afterward.[Needs Citation] This sword was so powerful in Eisenhorn's hands that he used it to cleave a Chaos Dreadnought in two with a single stroke.[2]
Sources
- 1: Malleus (Novel) - Eisenhorn (Omnibus) by Dan Abnett:
- 2: Thorn Wishes Talon (Short Story) by Dan Abnett