Embrand was the general of the southern armies during the first era.  He was a proud, stubborn man of little poetry but of great tactical mind.   Forces under his command never knew defeat and Embrand was constantly testing new tools, war machines, and techniques.  His ideas went from the startlingly simple and useful like the siege tower, to the almost insanely laughable such as the trebuchet delivered infantry troop to breach walls.

     But there was one thing that he had yet to try, and that would be the effect of an army of magic.  Men clad in magical armors, wielding magical spears and enchanted spears, flaming ballista, whelming battering rams, flying carpets to raise troops over walls, burrowing machines, enchanted barding and horse shoes, the list went on and on of the devices and improvements that Embrand knew only magic could offer.   Alas, this was far beyond the means of the kings coffers or wizards, and so Embrand only left it as a fond fancy and went about more attainable and serious tasks.

     But fate often has a way of stepping in for dreamers.  A great menace rose from the western forests and struck, their targets, every mage sanctuary, guild, and library within reach.  The wizards fought back but were caught totally unprepared.  The attackers had studied their prey and knew that wizards need time to rest and study to cast their spells and they had no intentions of giving the mages any time for that.  The hunters attacked constantly and unpredictably, they crashed great drums and cymbals and blatted great horns to crush the mages concentration.

     Unfortunately for the mages they also had many enemies.   In their haughtiness the foolish wizards had alienated any one who could possibly come to their aid, some even offered to help the hunters.  Embrand was a different story.  He had no quarrel with the wizards, nor were they his friends, but he despised men who attack out of hatred, who war without tactics, warning or reason.   So he moved into position to defend the Tower of Ceylune, the last standing wizards sanctuary for hundreds of miles.  The hunters came and attacked, without talk or emissaries, and Embrands forces fought back with all they could, and were successful in repulsing the hunters that night.

     The mages of the tower, now over a hundred strong due to the displaced wizards now swelling their ranks, came forth with a shout of joy and hugged Embrand and his men, and shook their hands vigorously.  Embrand chided the men of magic and told them to get back into the tower for safety as the hunters could regroup at any time.  The wizards agreed and invited Embrand in for a meal and to discuss future plans of defense.

     Embrand dined with the wizards, and they spoke of the defense of the tower and different options and tactics.  When asked if anything could be done on behalf of the soldiers Embrand wasted no time telling them of his ideas of an enchanted force of men.  The wizards balked at the idea, the amount of energy needed to do such a thing was impossible.  Embrands spirits fell, but he plied the wizards for information on spells and magic and the creation of magic items.  He listened intently and thought.  He then came up with a simple idea, why not have a spell merely amplify that which was already there.

     The wizards were intrigued and asked for more clarification.   Embrand explained that if a great force were already being exerted on a shield, then it would seem a simple task to have that force be amplified and redirected, this meaning, if you had an extremely heavy shield you could have the strength needed to hold it be used as a power source to a spell of amplification and redirection that would actively repel anything hurled at the shield, thus, greatly improving its effectiveness.   The mages thought of this simple idea and at first were unsure but then grinned.   It sounded simple, just the modification of a few spells was needed.

     The hunters attacked the next day and night, and the day after that.  Embrands army finally crushed the hunters and quelled them forever, but not before the death of Embrand.  He was buried on the field of battle with the other soldiers, as was his wish.  The wizards, true to their word delivered the shield to the new commander of the southern army, but he saw no use in a shield so heavy that few men could use it, and so the dejected wizards never made more than one, and its secrets were lost forever.

     But that was not the end of the shields story.  During the second era the small army of the madman Shoi attacked the town of Grettys Hollow.   Being attacked and his friends and family being killed, a simple man, the village idiot really, named Vwor picked up the sword and shield that hung over the mantle of the tavern where he worked up and stepped out to aid the defense of his town.  Vwor was very, very strong and was able to heft the giant shield with little problem, but as other townsfolk saw Vwor walking into the battle they begged him to hid with the children, fearing for the gentle giants life.

     Vwor shook his dim witted head and stepped into the war, though he had never held a weapon in his life.  Rushing to attack, Vwor raised his sword to strike but couldn't bring himself to kill another man and instead used the shield at the last moment to strike the man.  The enemy soldier flew ten feet in the air before landing and going unconscious.  Soon the other towns people stepped to the side as Vwor swept the shield from side to side, knocking men to the ground like they weren't even there.  The people watched stunned as Vwor deflected ballista bolts and even a catapult stone effortlessly with the shield.  The attackers soon broke and ran from the man with the enchanted shield, and never returned.  Vwor was thereafter never treated poorly by his village, and was even appointed the town guardian, and lived happily ever after.

     Embrands iron shield can only be used by one who is extremely strong.  It creates a great force in front of the shield that repels weapons and missiles, and can be used as a great ram if need be.  It also has the bonus effect of reducing the effect of many spells if they are used against the shield, and it had even been known to deflect artillery weapons.  The current whereabouts of Embrands Iron Shield are unknown, it is assumed that Vwor hid it some time before his death.