Ulfberht

Lore
In the tongue of the barbarians of Far Shore, the word Ulfberht now means "The flame that lives", a reference to the fiery beast trapped within.

To some, the blade is also known as Town Killer. They know the blade's name is actually the name of its maker, the adventurer and steel smith Ulfberht, who was the first of the barbarians to settle the Ice March to the north. He founded the homestead of Ulfby and lived there for thirty years before the dragon came.

It was a Hellfire, far from its ancestral home. Why it came so far north cannot be determined, but it plagued Ulfby; razing fields by day and consuming cattle by night.

Ulfberht fought the beast off repeatedly, but was never able to defeat the monster. Never, that is, until he turned his attention to the forge. He built for the beast a trap in the form of a sword. The sword was a masterpiece; made from sky-iron that had fallen through the Green Curtain and inscribed with the runes of his family, it was his finest work, but it was much, much more.

Hidden within the runes was a spell, a forbidden magic long thought forgotten: A spell of soul-binding. When Ulfberht next faced the dragon, the battle was over in a single exchange of blows. The moment the sword touched the dragon, its body fell lifeless to the ground. From within the metal of the blade itself arose a roar, a keening of sorrow the likes of which was never heard before. The adventurer took it as a sign of the beast's end and returned to Ulfby, triumphant, but his joy was short-lived.

As he drew the sword to boast of his actions, it burst into flame, surrounding the adventurer in a cloak of fire. Embers leapt from the sword and seemed to seek out the villagers as if guided by an intelligence: The sword had bound the dragon's soul, but Ulfberht was not strong enough to enforce his will upon the creature. In a night of fire and terror the beast had its revenge. Ulfberht itself, the sword spared so that he too could know the sorrow of being separated from all he had he had held dear.

How the sword made its way to the great battles above is a question to which no champion to wield the blade has ever provided an answer.

Tips
Wear a Cloak of Fire in a Fight - Hold back casting Lava Burst until you're actively engaged with a target in a close-quarters fight. Most riders will try to stay at range if they see you are already lava bursting.

Living Flame is a Living Shield - The living Flame ability isn't just for attacking enemies that are hard to aim at: Because each flame is self-guided and attacks the nearest enemy, it is a useful way to discourage chasers from following, as well.