The Blade of Varmein

Opening the book to the first section, you read:

 The Blade of Varmein (The Blade of Magic)

Forged in times past the Blade of Varmein, or as it is more commonly
known, the Blade of Magic, was created by one of the ancient Alatharya's
greatest craftsmen and scholars.  What scraps of information remain tell
of years of preparation and powerful rituals the like of which modern
Avendar has never seen.  The end result was the Blade of Varmein, most
likely named after its creator, a weapon which contained the perfect meld
of magic and steel.  So strong was the force of energy put into this
blade that holding it was akin to holding a slice of pure magic.  Kept in
the ancient capital, it was displayed in their tower of artifacts as a
symbol of the perfect unity of magic and the material plane.

When the Sundering occurred, a terrible explosion tore apart the tower the
Blade of Varmein was kept in, as the blade was so pure that it was also
divided.  The explosion was so great that none in the tower survived
and nothing remained but a fine sand, the remnants of the stone of which
it had been built.  Rumours have circulated since that the blade remains
on Avendar this day, but in many pieces scattered throughout the world.
Myth and fairytale tell of six blades which united will again form the
ancient weapon, but those familiar with the subject believe a seventh
blade to be needed to unite the six, a center for the power to be focused
through.

As to what will happen if the blades are reunited, that is even more of
a mystery.  According to fairytale, the world will once again have access
to the pure form of magic lost so long ago.  Legend, however, warns of a
day in the future when the children of the Three seek to undo what They
have done, and merge the six powers into one once more.  This day, the
legends predict, will be the end of all that is Avendar.  Most who study
the histories doubt something so extreme and a few adventurers of past
have sought to find these mythical blades, though none have yet found
concrete evidence that the Blade of Varmein exists in any form at all.