Excalibur

Excalibur is one of several powerful artifacts that can be used both to open gateways to the underworld and as a weapon. It is a central part of the plot of Tomb Raider: Legend.

Early History
Excalibur and the other artifacts were forged in ancient times, to be used with the stone daises to open portals to the underworld.

Arthurian Times
In Arthurian Times the artifact was known as a sword. After the sword in the stone was lost, King Arthur was gifted Excalibur as a replacement.

Arthur wielded the "sword" in battle, upon his death, the artifact was broken and the fragments were scattered.

Mid 20th Century
Richard Croft discovered the Ghalali Key on a dig in Ghana, which he later gifted to his wife Amelia as a broach.

Amelia was wearing the broach when the plane she was on crashed in the Himalayas. She left it in the wreckage of the plane when she took Lara to try and find shelter.

Tomb Raider: Legend
While trying to find out what happened to her mother, Lara Croft finds out that the events are linked to the Arthurian monomyth. She sets out to find King Arthur's mythical artifact. The artifact has been split into five pieces which were scattered across the world:

1st Piece - Tiwanaku, Bolivia (brought to Ghana by James Rutland)

In the level Bolivia - Tiwanaku Lara sees James Rutland escaping with one piece of the mythical artifact. She later follows him to Amahlin, Ghana, where the Ghalali Key was supposed to be, and takes it from him.

2nd Piece - Tokyo, Japan (in the possession of Shogo Takamoto)

The second piece was previously on display at Waseda University, a private university in Tokyo, Japan but was stolen by the Yakuza Clan Boss, Shogo Takamoto.

3rd Piece - Kazakhstan

The third piece is found in a secret laboratory in Kazakhstan.

4th Piece - Cornwall, England

The fourth piece lies with King Arthur in his tomb in Cornwall.

Ghalali Key - Nepal (brought there by her mother, originally located in Ghana)

The Ghalali Key was originally hidden in Ghana, but Lara's father found it and gave it to his wife as a present. Amelia Croft wore it the day the plane crashed in the Himalayas, and lost it inside, where Lara eventually retrieves it from.

Powers
The Swords are powerful artifacts besides opening the underworld they give their user extraordinary powers.
 * Energy Blasts: When swung the sword can create a powerful energy blast. The sword can do that when it's whole and also when in its fragmented form. These energy waves are powerful enough to destroy a strong stone door and kill and throw away a dozen men with one swing. Once Lara used this ability to throw Amanda Evert, James Rutland, and two of their men away. This energy power was powerful enough to harm and defeat the Unknown Entity from the Wraith Stone.
 * Physical Enhancement: One of the pieces was able to give Superhuman speed to Shogo Takamoto.
 * Healing: The piece of the Excalibur blade was able to Give James Rutland healing abilities.
 * Levitation: The blade piece of Excalibur was able to give some sort of flying abilities to Rutland.
 * Piecing and Reforging: The sword is designed to break into pieces and thanks to the Ghalali key to reforge back together.
 * Key to the Stone Dais: Excalibur can activate the Stone Dais and open the portal (gateway) to the underworld.

Trivia

 * As of Tomb Raider: Underworld, Lara has two of these artifacts in her possession.
 * Although the sword fragments seemed to give other inhuman abilities to their users (Super speed to Takamoto, hovering and regeneration abilities to Rutland) the assembled Excalibur only had the power to throw energy blasts when Lara wielded it.

Gallery
Espada Excalibur Excalibur Excalibur Экскалибур