Historical weapons vs enchanted weapons...

This is a brilliant concept posited by my brother, which I instantly adopted for my fantasy gameworld.  The notion is simple.  Items that played a significant role in a significant event and have been around for awhile, pick up a kind of natural magick - like a background radiation of sorts - which signifies their historic usage somehow.

For example, when Druyen singlehandedly kept back the Orc Raiders at the Fall of Desemony, so that the orphans could escape, before finally falling to a hundred arrows (always exagerate the tale!). The broadsword he used, over time, becomes a historic weapon.  200 years later in another game, the broadsword is known as Druyen's Revenge and turns cold in the presence of orcs (because Desemony was a fort in the frozen, far north) and bestows a bonus when fighting orcs, and a defensive bonus upon its wielder.  The weapon has accrued magick based on its epic usage.

Such items are different to artefacts created purposefully by enchanters to possess specific powers.  And not only serve well to enrich the background of the game, but you may wish to have them operate in explicitly different ways.  For example, historic items cannot have their powers dispelled.

Either way, I think its a great idea.  Have fun with it.

Thanks goes to Olly for that one.  He does have his uses.  =)