Niernen was a long lance/spear, with its head made in a barbed pattern that would be unusual to those used to normal human spears. Eragon observed that when its barbed blade emerged from Saphira's healed wound and "fell to the ground and bounced against the paving stones," it sounded more like pottery than metal. This particular Dauthdaert's flowery name is indicated by the stylized Liduen-Kvaedhí glyphs carved into the blade. Its barbed head was surrounded by a faint emerald glow, while the weapon itself was also of a green hue.