So we're coming up on the Battle of Lindsey, and with it Octa's magic axe. Question: has anyone ever come up with a name or history for it? Just wanted to see if there was something out there for me to use before I invest the time in coming up with something.

In a game featuring Excalibur, I can't abide by the idea of there being generic magic items! :-D

Here's the best I can do for you, since Octa escaped with it in my campaign:

"Octa himself wears the mail of a true knight, his shield emblazoned with a wolf's head, dripping with blood... the crimson mingling with the darker color lent by the men the Saxon king has slaughtered in battle this day. In his right hand, he lofts a great battle axe as he seeks to rally his troops -- from its head the sounds of screams and anguish seem to fill the whistle of the wind as he whips it about by its leather thong."

IMGPC, the axe captures the dying thoughts, prayers, and cries of those it has slain, and whispers them as a shriek on the wind when the axe is swung by its lanyard.

Or maybe that's just the howl of the wind rushing across the battlefield...

The PKs did not succeed in bringing Octa down during their first encounter, so it remains to be seen if they well ever know.

Faerie Lore:
fumble: it was forged by Satan/Loki/queen maab ect if you take it up in combat you will curse your seed to only find barren fields
FAIL: it covered in decorations made to sound magical when spoken to impress the rubes
Success: it's edge is ever keen tempered in ice and berserk blood. it came over with Hengist in the Days and Years of Vortigan
Crit: as above but also note is has shattered the hearts, shields, and lives of many brits

My Suggestion would be pick one option from,

Eisenhelvi (lit. Ironhaft)
does not break on tied combat rolls. (Treat as a sword for breakage purposes)

Boardbreaker
Slight change to the Axe vs shield errata,
(http://www.gspendragon.com/pendragon_errata.html Axe skill has changed to better reflect its effect. Strike the sentence, “It deals an additional 1d6 damage against any combatant using a shield.” Add, “Defenders using a shield against an Axe get 1d6 protection from it, not the usual 6 points.”)
Defenders using a shield against boardbreaker get only 1d6 protection from it, and their shield is sundered on an odd result on this die roll.

NB I Am only a player and have no direct access to the official GPC material.

Dan, I just want you to know that I've adopted your excellent suggestions! Thanks!

Two seperate Magic axes, or did you combine both features in one Axe?

That would be worryingly powerful.

Eisenhelvi (lit. Ironhaft)
does not break on tied combat rolls. (Treat as a sword for breakage purposes)

Plus the modified axe rule (1d6 protection instead of additional 1d6 damage)

Oh, and whoops...I owe Psyke some thanks, too. The bit about souls is crucial to how I'm using the axe, too.