![[The Black Sword]](Blksword.jpg)
Other Appearances: "In Darkness Cometh: Ashes, Ashes..." by Amy K. Cyrway, "The Guardian of Delphi" by Jennifer D. DeSalme.
Created by: Amy K. Cyrway
The Matriarchs:
Original:
Hera (First)
Athena (Second)
Artemis (Third)
Hecate (Fourth)
Second:
Athena (First)
Artemis (Second)
Hecate (Third)
Zanthé (Fourth)
Present:
Zanthé (First)
RC (Second)
Althea (Third)
Runs-With-Shadows (Fourth)
Other Members Known:
Kiva (Human Commander; Fifth-in-Command)
Ali
Lexington (liaison)
Present Membership: (in the New York area) 200 (est.)
(in world) 4000 (est.)
The Black Sword was created in ancient Greece, roughly BCE 300. Created by the goddesses Hera, Athena, Artemis, and Hecate, the Black Sword were originally patrons to all women, sworn to protect them from the evils of men.
However, Hera stepped down from her First Matriarch position, mainly because it bored her. Athena took her step-mother’s place. They needed a fourth, to maintain the balance, though, so Hecate recommended a friend of hers; an immortal, though not a god, she would serve the Matriarchs well. This was Zanthé, an immortal gargoyle and twin sister of Caligo. She was only the Fourth Matriarch then, but she still held power over the Black Sword's human soldiers, the Amazons, as most people called them.
But soon, Zanthé and Hecate felt Athena and Artemis were weak in their judgements with men who did their sisters wrong, so the Third and Fourth Matriarchs plotted to overthrow them. One night, they were able to steal the things most treasured to the First and Second Matriarchs: Athena’s Aegis and Artemis’s quiver and bow. When they demanded them back, Hecate wove a spell into the items, cursing them into a lifetime of immortality without their godly powers. With them out of the way, Hecate and Zanthé chose their successors to Third and Fourth Matriarchs as they claimed First and Second, respectfully.
The Black Sword was not the original name of the group; rather, they had no name until Athena, under the guise of Freya, started a branch in Scandinavia, the Norse lands, called the Black Swordhand, or Valkryies. The entire group then became known as the Black Sword to this day.
The Black Sword claim to be neither good nor evil; rather, they claim to maintain a balance between the two.
The Balance of the Four Matriarchs is the most important part of the group. Though they all possess good and evil, Althea and RC are more good, and Zanthé and Runs-With-Shadows are prone toward evil.