Corthalis is an Iuak, a snow blade, created as a symbol of the matrilineal rulership among the semi-tribal peoples of Sossal. Corthalis is a brilliant, silver-bladed weapon, carefully punched and carved with images of seals, caribou, foxes, and other arctic animals. The careful craftsmanship reduces the overall weight of the weapon, without sacrificing its structural strength. Because of the isolationism of the Sossrim, in their hidden land north of the Great Glacier, such a weapon has never been seen in the south, until now.

Corthalis, and blades like it, were used to carve the great castle of ice and snow in the city of Naupau, where Iyraclea the First, the self-styled “Ice Queen” rules over the Sossrim. While the ancient (some would say impossibly old) Ice Queen rules over the Sossrim on high, her descendants rule the individual tribes and villages and deal with the day-to-day affairs. Corthalis belonged to Iyraclea’s great-granddaughter Hyaxel III, and was to be passed on to her daughter Hyaxel IV on her wedding day, when she would take over leadership of the tribe. However, Hyaxel IV had different ideas, and fled Sossal, her family, and her responsibilities, heading for the south and taking Corthalis with her.

Corthalis is a silver-bladed, +2 Iuak. However, in the hands of a woman with an Appearance of 17 or more, it is treated as a +5 weapon. The Neutral Good blade can speak Sossic, Naric, Ulutiun, and Avariel (a rare dialect of Espruar spoken by the winged elves of the far-north). However, it prefers to speak only to beautiful women.

The sword’s special abilities become known to and can be called upon by any female who wields it (not just beautiful ones). Twice a day the sword can conjure hail (centered on itself), as the ice storm spell cast at 9th-level. In addition, the sword can detect evil and detect lies each four times a day.

Since her face was scarred during her encounter with the dragon Peddrath Cleartalon, Corthalis has ceased speaking to Hyaxel IV.