Divine Swords - Martlet di Rotstein Author

‘Best Knight’: My lord, should you not speak of the Primordials first, if you mean to list the Divine Swords?
The Winter Swallow: But the Primordials are self-explanatory! And lame!
Mage of the Blossoming Wind: Pardon?
TWS: You know what I mean.
‘BK’: Milord…
TWS: Fine, fine. I’ll do it. Eventually. Probably.
‘BK’: I know well how soon ‘eventually’ occurs for you. Do it now.
TWS: Next on the list! Promise.

Primordial Blades

‘BK’: Milord!

The Primordial Blades — also known as the Cutsteels for reasons explained below — are the personal weapons of the Seven Primordials, given form in the shape of swords. As such, they are the most powerful channels of elemental energy in the world, effectively wands for the limitless manipulation of a given element. The only true restriction on their power is the Conviction of the wielder. In the hands of their respective Primordial, this makes them virtually insurmountable weapons, swords in a caliber of their own. Even in the hands of an unskilled fighter, they are strong enough by sheer power alone to make their wielder seemingly invincible. Each of them bear the same general form, as something akin to later bastard swords with a ‘hand-and-a-half’ grip. The hallmark of one of the Cutsteels is the identical inscription they all bear on either side of their blade, two lines of Adamic that no Human can read but still understands instinctually. They each say something to the effect of ‘Take up my oath’ upon one side and ‘Cast away my strength’ upon the other, signifying that anyone who chooses to wield a Primordial Blade agrees to place themselves at the feet of its associated Primordial. That they are borrowing a power greater than themself and will be required to give up that power some day.

Witch of the Lake: Oh, so you’ve finally given up on calling it Enochian?
TWS: Well you guys won’t get off my case about how that’s not actually what it’s called.
WotL: Enochian is a completely different thing only masquerading as Adamic!
TWS: But nobody knows what the heck Adamic is! Enochian is a far more recognizable name.
‘Great Administrator’: My lord, as the resident scholar on Adamic, you must give this up. Fidesel has asked me on multiple occasions to get you to stop prying in things beyond your ken. And I must agree. It’s like you want to get Tarnished.
TWS: Don’t you talk about Tarnishing to me. I know my place.

As for why they’re in the shape of swords in the first place, that can be chalked up to the Knight of the Shining Lake. In the depths of the Primordial Age, before Humanity was born, each of the Primordials took up hobbies of their own. For Vivianne, that was swordplay. Long before humans even dreamed up swords, she invented bladework surpassing anything that has been seen since. Even her foster son in the Age of Youth who only learned a fraction of her skill in a short human lifespan was considered the most skilled knight of his age and an unrivaled swordsman. And with such an interest in fencing, as it were, the Knight of the Shining Lake required a blade to match her skill. So, after many attempts — one of Vivianne’s features I find I empathize with most of all is a deep appreciation for the creation of swords — she formed a fraction of her own essence into a sword. The other Primordials — except the First Mage who was rather preoccupied at the time — then followed suit at her incessant demand for an appropriate sparring partner. That being said, none of them ever matched her skill in L’espée du Lac, only the Shadow of Unity coming close to an even opponent. As I understand, the Mage of the Blossoming Wind bore too much of an interest in music and lyric, the Light of Wisdom focused too much on magecraft and the philosophy of utopia, the Ageless Hart preferred spear and bow as weapons, and the Undying Bird had already started to suffer from her characteristic apathy.

MotBW: Harsh, but fair.
TWS: I have been meaning to ask, how are you with a sword?
MotBW: Better than you.
TWS: Harsh, but fair.
TWS: And Athanasia?
MotBW: Uh. Let’s not talk about how my sister who can’t be bothered to do most things actually learned that one better than me.

The Cutsteel: So without further ado, we start with the first and foremost of the Primordial Blades, Cutsteel. Quite frankly Cutsteel is effectively the sword of swords, the archetype from which all other blades ever forged are designed. It is, without a doubt, the best sword in all of existence. Even though I said all of the Primordial Blades stand in a caliber of their own, The Cutsteel stands above them, like the difference between an A+ and an A. The reason all of the Primordial Blades are called the Cutsteels is because they try to replicate the near-perfection of this one sword. As for why Cutsteel over anything else, as best I can tell — and anyone is willing to explain to me — it was originally just something of a descriptor of how good they were as swords; a title that evolved into a name. But it does convey the important point that they are physically superior to the point that they can cut through any metal, forged or raw. Now, to keep with the naming convention of the other Primordial Blades, The Cutsteel is sometimes called the ‘Silver Cutsteel’, but that’s mostly a formality because no clarification should be needed when someone says ‘Cutsteel’. And granted, it isn’t actually silver — none of them are made from normal substances that can be found anywhere else on Earth or in an Other-world — but the sentiment it means to convey is the color of water in the air, the holy purity of silver, and the color of the moon which controls the waves.

As for why Vivianne’s Cutsteel is better than the rest, it’s actually a bit of a nuanced thing. Strictly speaking, all of the Primordial Blades should be equal in power because all of the Primordials are equal in power; maybe the First Mage’s would be stronger if it existed, but that’s a quirk pertaining to the Domain of the Soul. And it wasn’t a matter of forging technique that made hers better. It’s actually a bit of history. You see, way back in the Age of Youth, when the four remaining Primordials agreed to the Knight of the Shining Lake’s whole king-maker plan, they also showed their support by reinforcing her Cutsteel in preparation for its use by that king. So while it is the sword of water and grants a number of protections and abilities pertaining to aquatic matters, it was also later tempered in wind, earth, and fire to give it more strength; strength approaching that of manipulation of magic itself. On the other hand, several seals were placed on it to prevent its misuse by Vivianne or her chosen king, making it the most restrictive of the Primordial Blades. For all intents and purposes, those two are the only two who can wield it. Unless a certain someone intervenes out of a personal grudge.

WotL: Oi! Can it! You weren’t there, you don’t know why I made the choices I made.
TWS: Uh. I’m actually pretty sure I do.
WotL: Anyway, it’s not like any true evil can come from it. The seals on Cutsteel are serious business. It wasn’t actually a holy blade until all four Primordials tempered it like that.
TWS: I have been meaning to ask, how deep is the divine blessing upon it? Should Cutsteel also be listed in a class like the Empyreal Swords? Or just like a really, really good version of the Holy Blades underneath them?
WotL: Shockingly, your categorization method does not matter.
TWS: I’ll remember this. Retribution is forthcoming.

As for the rest of Cutsteel’s history, it actually hasn’t seen much use over the years. After its extensive use in the war against the Seven Fallen Kings, Vivianne didn’t really use it until lending it to her chosen king. Then, after he kind of died, she kept it enshrined upon the Isle of Apples with his only mostly dead body. It saw use later when the Champions of the Primordials were summoned to protect the world from certain destruction, but was then lost in the fighting. It’s been lost to this day, kind of.

WotL: What d’you mean, ‘kind of’?
TWS: Okay, keep in mind this is mostly deduction. But consider, it wouldn’t be lost if the Knight of the Shining Lake were here, right?
WotL: Yeah, and?
TWS: So, presumably, the Cutsteel is with her.
WotL: Wait one hecking second. You know where our Lady is?
TWS: I mean, deduction again. Consider, when was the last time you saw her, what was happening at the time, and how did that conflict end?
Captain-general of the Lake: [Message censored]!
CotL: [Message censored]!
CotL: [Message censored]!
CotL: How long have you known about this, you vile, sneaking nuisance of a mage?!
TWS: I don’t think I want to answer that question.
WotL: You know this is only going to make Nynaeve hate you more, right?
TWS: I immediately knew the candle light was fire the moment I made that connection.
WotL: Huh?
TWS: Don’t worry about it.

The Glass Cutsteel: Also known as the ‘Invisible Cutsteel’ or the ‘Transparent Cutsteel’, this is the Primordial Blade of Wind, the personal sword of the Mage of the Blossoming Wind. Notable among the Primordial Blades for being, well, transparent. While not fully invisible, the essence of wind manifested in the form of a glass-like material that can only really be seen by the outline of its cutting edge and is near-impossible to make out while in motion. Which makes the Glass Cutsteel a rather odd weapon both to wield and fight against. In the hands of a trained warrior, it’s an exceptional asset since their opponent will almost never be able to properly judge the length and width of the weapon or accurately measure the path of its strikes. With that being said, as the Mage of the Blossoming Wind is an self-admitted terrible duelist, the blade was never especially designed with combat in mind and the enchantments upon it are intended more for the manipulation of its element. It can do a lot of very interesting things when wielded properly, albeit few of them make much sense. For example, if held the right way, the Glass Cutsteel will cut through the air itself and create a pocket of wind that refracts light in such a way as to camouflage the wielder. Or, if these same properties are applied offensively, a slash can part the air and force a vacuum to open in space, immediately drawing the wielder across several feet in a single stroke. These obscure uses of the sword extend even to the absurd, such as granting flight so long as the wielder is standing atop the flat blade. The designer of this sword is an idiot.

MotBW: Rude.
TWS: Hey, I have a sense of aesthetics. There’s just something wrong about using a sword to communicate over long distances by holding it to ear and mouth.
WotL: For pity’s sake, Sirius, even your own son refused to pawn that thing off on my brother.
MotBW: And the world’s a darker place for it. You know what would have prevented the downfall of his kingdom? If he could have talked to his regent while he was away on conquest.
TWS: That… That can’t be right. It can’t be. Right?
WotL: My pride demands I agree with you.

Now as for the history of the Glass Cutsteel, it goes notably unmentioned despite being ostensibly present in the world since the Age of Youth. One would think an invisible sword would make a lot of stories, but perhaps it avoided stories precisely because no one could find it or realized it existed. I’m unsure on this point and somebody refuses to clear up the issue. And not even because of the Agreement or the Camlann Accords. Just because he’s being a jerk. On that note, there is one potential tale about the Glass Cutsteel, but I’m not entirely sure whether it was this blade or the Malachite Cutsteel. You see, the long-short is that a divine warrior killed a big snake and found a cool sword in it. This warrior is associated with storms, but is definitely not Sirius. Unless he’s lying to me. Where it gets hazy is the description of its powers. Because it’s described as manipulating fire through redirection of the winds, but this is also achieved through the means of cutting through grass, indicating earth. Similarly, it’s described vaguely as having power pertaining to the clouds, but this could either indicate wind’s dominion over storms or earth’s ability to resist any winds. Largely, I believe the confusion comes through a confusion and conflation of the terms ‘glass’, ‘glas’, and ‘grass’, with ‘glas’ serving as a close homonym to ‘glass’ and a chromatic connection to ‘grass’. Though which direction the mutation went is anyone’s guess. The best proof I have one way or the other is that Herne is far less likely to lend out his sword to anyone. But it would also make sense for him to trying using it to empower a beast to exterminate Humans, so who knows. It’s current whereabouts are known, though I’m not sure it’s my place to say. I’m also not certain why Sirius took interest in that particular mage, but it’ll probably turn out well in the end, I’m sure.

MotBW: You know, you could just ask my brother about the whole snake thing.
TWS: Well thanks, bud. Never considered that.
TWS: Hey, Herne. Mind weighing in on this?
The Ageless Hart: Hey, mage. Mind killing yourself and ridding the natural world of your Human blight?
TWS: So yeah. Turns out that’s not a solution, hmm?
MotBW: I suppose I should’ve seen that coming.

The Golden Cutsteel: The Golden Cutsteel is perhaps the most interesting of the Primordial Blades, The Cutsteel aside. Largely because of the attitude of the Light of Wisdom towards it. Since she was so committed to the idea of protecting Humanity and making a better world for them, she designed her blade to carry more of an idealistic weight than raw power. She wanted it to be a sword whose light could grant hope, a sword that could cut through the darkness of despair and open a way to the future. So she turned to a lot of prayer and devotion to do her best in blessing it as well as infusing her power into it. And yeah, it is a genuine holy blade. Probably more so than The Cutsteel, albeit weaker overall. It cannot be used in the service of evil and outright burns the wicked; should an ill-intentioned person place their hand upon its hilt, that hand will catch on fire. Seen it happen before. It’s a little bit eerie, honestly. And also with this in mind, since it was intended far more for the protection of Humanity than the service of her own goals, the Light of Wisdom rarely held possession of it and granted its use to champions more than any other blade. Which leads us to…

Admittedly, I’m bad with most history stretching from the Age of Collapse to… Hmm. Calamity Cycle #25? Gets a bit hard to remember some days. And to that end, there’s a good chunk of the Golden Cutsteel’s history I just don’t know. But I know it was out in the wild that whole time, used in the service of justice and such. The earliest known use, I believe, was as a rather simply described ‘Sword of Light’ in the last days of the Primordial Age, meaning it was actually the first of the Cutsteels lent out to Humanity. That being said, I can’t actually confirm if the sword I’m thinking of was the Golden Cutsteel, since Sophia’s not exactly available for conversation right now, but a few things do seem to line up. And it was lent out a lot which matches up with the Light of Wisdom’s general philosophy. So. The one most relevant lending of it also so happens to be its most recent and last lending. Toward the end of the Age of the Forge-knights, the captain of the Order of the Jeweled Sword proved to be the last knight of true valor in a world which forgot the value of the ideal, leading the Golden Cutsteel to choose her as a worthy bearer. The Order is actually named after the Golden Cutsteel, in point of fact. She performed many great deeds wielding it, until finally the civilization of the Forge-knights collapsed under the influence of the Pair Nosidadeni and the inoculations derived from its elixir started to transform the citizenry into Azi-kin. In the final battle of the Order of the Jeweled Sword, she used the Golden Cutsteel to destroy the Pair Nosidadeni, but died in the process. The Golden Cutsteel was consumed by the destruction of the corrupted cauldron and swallowed into the Garden of Serpents where it rests to this day.

WotL: You sound awfully confident its still there.
TWS: I mean, it is rather prohibitively difficult to recover.
WotL: Really? I thought it was rather easy getting into the Garden of Serpents.
TWS: Well yeah. It’s getting out that’s the hard part. Even with the Golden Cutsteel in your hands, you’d have to beat the Mother of Chaos in a straight fight. And that is a tricky proposition.
‘BK’: My lord, I don’t like that tone of voice.
WotL: You wouldn’t. I thought we all agreed it was a bad idea for you to get anywhere close to her.
TWS: It is, it is. But don’t worry. I have a plan.
WotL: Share with the class?
TWS: Look, it requires some fine pieces to fall into place and a certain potential Threat to Humanity to make poor life choices, so I’d rather not mess with the balance of fate too much.
‘BK’: Why do I get the feeling this plan involves you shoving responsibility on me?
TWS: Hey! Not just you. The rest of the Rounds of Winter too.

The Obsidian Cutsteel: This one’ll be short. Quite frankly, the Obsidian Cutsteel is an evil blade. It was made by the Shadow of Unity for war and when she went a bit off the rails, she took it with her. As far as I know, it’s never actually been lent to anyway. Theoretically, it shouldn’t be possible since it’s sealed away with her, though not for lack of trying by a potential certain someone. It’s immensely powerful as a tool of destruction and only made more effective by the sheer skill of its maker. Even some of the best duelists alive could barely hope to land a blow on her in fair combat, much less beat her. And that’s fair combat. If she’s going all out, there’s basically no hope of victory. Though, again, it shouldn’t be something we need to worry about. If we do, things have gone south real quick.

MotBW: Um… ‘A potential certain someone’?
TWS: Don’t worry. Keeping an eye on that possibility. It probably won’t happen, but I figure I should warn you just in case.
WotL: Uh-huh. And should we be worried with how much it seems like you respect the Mother of Chaos?
TWS: No? Why? I know how much of a problem she is more than most. If anything that’s why I respect her.
WotL: Yeah, that’s great and all. It’s just that you have a bit of a history of attracting troublesome women.
‘BK’: Oho? I have never heard this my lord. Please, do explain.
TWS: Lies and slander!
WotL: The Mother of Chaos. The Consort of Deceit. The Snowfall Shamaness.
MotBW: The Tarnished Oracle. The Other-worldy Countess. The Wine-fairy.
TWS: Yeah, yeah. But I didn’t attract any of them. I just seem naïve enough to fall for that kind of seduction, so they put on an act. But fortunately for all of us, I have too level a head for it.
‘BK’: Kris? We need to update the security protocols.
‘GA’: Already on it.
TWS: Seriously! Why won’t you believe me?

The Malachite Cutsteel: Another fairly simple sword, all because the Ageless Hart finds swordplay a too civilized means of combat and useless in hunting. To the best of my awareness — barring the example detailed under the Glass Cutsteel — it has never been lent to anyone. But unlike with the Obsidian Cutsteel, it’s not because the sword is sealed away. It’s just because Herne doesn’t like people. Even when a knight gained his respect in the Age of Youth, he only deigned to give him an axe, not the Malachite Cutsteel. It’s also likely he offered it to the Champion of Earth, but that guy has no interest in swords to begin with. Heck, the fact that he’s so good with a bow is why he was chosen as Champion in the first place. The most interesting thing to note about the Malachite Cutsteel is that it’s sometimes called the ‘Verdant Cutsteel’ in reference to its apparent control over plant life. I don’t actually know any of what it’s capable of, again, because the Ageless Hart refuses to talk to me on a categoric basis.

MotBW: It really isn’t all that interesting. Remember who we’re talking about. My brother made his sword the beat-stick to end all beat-sticks.
TWS: Huh. But all Cutsteels are indestructible. How do you make it more indestructible?
MotBW: Regeneration of the wielder.
WotL: Hmph. Just like that sash then, I suppose.

The Crimson Cutsteel: So the Crimson Cutsteel is another one with a bit of uncertainty surrounding it. In the first place, it stands out as the only Primordial Blade whose name does not include a material. In fact, the reason all other Primordial Blades also have titles pertaining to color as well as material is because of it. Strictly speaking, the closest to a material-based name for it is the ‘Hihi’irokane Cutsteel’, but that sticks out a bit too much and is rather misleading anyway. Moving on from that, since the Undying Bird is so apathetic most of the time, she seems to have just left the Crimson Cutsteel lying around somewhere and it’s passed through history basically at random. There are a few instances that might have been the Crismon Cutsteel, but it’s hard to be certain. And even the one I feel most confident on is a bit shaky, largely because of confirmed fact in modern times. A knight in the Age of Youth was supposedly granted the use of a sword that might have been the Crimson Cutsteel since it was considered to rival The Cutsteel and associated with the sun. But it was associated with the sun, meaning it’s just as likely to have been the Golden Cutsteel. And, since the Galatine Sword currently stored in the vault of Riverluck Palace is the genuine article according to Morgan, it’s unclear whether the sword was even a Cutsteel in the first place and that one was just a replacement used after he cast it away.

MotBW: You know, you could just ask my sister about the Galatine thing.
TWS: It would help clear up a lot of questions, like what she even did to help in the Age of Youth, but it’s not an option.
MotBW: Oh?
TWS: It’s been twenty since she read one of my messages.
MotBW: Well that’s not so bad…
TWS: Millennia.
MotBW: Ah.

As for the Crimson Cutsteel’s current location, I actually do know this one. In the Celestian Age, it somehow ended up in the hands of one Erlantz Tobiah. Don’t ask, I don’t know that part. But then in the chaos of the Starfall, it ended up lost for a time. Somehow — again not sure, but I think Ashmedai’s Daemon scooped it up and put it in storage as part of his fundamental mission — it ended up in Hyperborea, where it’s enshrined to this day. As far as I know, it’s currently being used as a kind of generator to supplement the power of the Burning Moat of Yadidel which protects the central shrine complex from Tarnished Outsider interference. A rather clever way to get around the fact that you aren’t supposed to be able to use it without the Undying Bird’s permission. Especially since there’s probably a grand total of one living person, maybe two, who have authorization to access its reliquary.

WotL: Hyperborea?
TWS: Yeah. You know, the Celestial Ark? Giant floating island that vanished from history with the destruction of the Stratosian League?
WotL: Because you mentioned the Tarnished Outsiders and that worries me.
TWS: I have eyes on. Top knights. Top knights.
‘BK’: My lord, isn’t that where you sent Kopis?
‘Lady Justice’: Yes! In the absolute sticks where there’s nothing to do but slay monsters from the Great Rift. Are you going to visit any time soon? It’s boring teaching the people of Banbha village the same fighting techniques every generation. They aren’t even good sparring partners.
TWS: Yes, yes. I’ll stop by when I have time. Things should be heating up over there anyway.
‘LJ’: Oh yeah. That does remind me. Last time I saw Izan, he wanted me to let him teach his liege-lady the Flashing Aegis. Is that cool?
TWS: Yeah, whatever. It’s certainly not the worst bit of interference I’ll have in that pocket of the Quirinian Empire.

The Opal Cutsteel: Eh. The Opal Cutsteel technically doesn’t exist. It theoretically exists because it has to to round out the collection of Primordial Blades, but it doesn’t precisely have a form at the moment because the First Mage never actually forged it and isn’t around to do so anymore. It could possibly exist in the future, but that depends on a few things.

WotL: I swear, if you tell me you ‘have a plan’, I am going to find the most expedient way to mail you a left hook.
TWS: It’s a bit more nuanced than that. I do have an appropriate framework for it prepared, but you know how tracking the Blessing of Elohim is.
WotL: Ugh. Say no more.

The Silent Gale: I probably shouldn’t actually put this under the Primordial Blades, since Chevaliel outright isn’t a Primordial, but she’s kind of Primoridal-ish, so… It’s certainly strong enough to outclass must other swords, though admittedly its purpose isn’t really to act as a sword.

Eight: Yeah, no. As much as I love my sword, it isn’t on the level with the Cutsteels.
TWS: Oh. You’re here. I thought you were still…
8: Insane?
TWS: I mean…
8: Don’t sweat it. It’s been a bad Cycle. And just because my conscious mind is locked behind the grinding despair of the ages doesn’t mean my subconscious can’t chat with you guys.
‘BK’: My lord? Who is this? And why haven’t I met her in all my years of service?
8: Ooh. Best Knight! I’m a huge fan. You do such a great job sticking to the ideals of your nature.
‘BK’: Thank you? I still don’t know who you are?

Infernal Blades

To be clear, Infernal Blades probably do not exist. They are theoretically possible, since it only takes the same forging process as Empyreal Swords but performed by the agents of Upper Abaddon, but the principle issue is that those of Upper Abaddon are unlikely to have the degree of selflessness required to perform such a process. Of course, an agent of Upper Abaddon could be compelled to perform the forging process, but that would severely diminish the efficacy of the sword itself, since they would be actively working against the wielder at all times. If an Infernal Blade were to exist, it would outclass even the Cutsteels since the sheer demonic power within it could virtually reweave the fabric of reality. But at the same time, the nature of the Agreement means that it would be countered very, very quickly. So all told, probably not something to worry about.

WotL: Speaking of, the Fallen Kings don’t have blades of their own, do they?
TWS: Bells, I hope not.

Empyreal Blades

Guardian of the Red King: *Stare~*.
The Hilltop Lamplighter: *Stare~*.
Wandering Champion of Love: *Stare~.*
The Scales of Truth: *Stare~.*
TWS: For pity’s sake! You aren’t even doing it right! And I promise I won’t say too much. Is that good enough for you?
GotRK: I suppose it must be.

So. Because some people get all uppity if I say too much about these, Empyreal Blades are the holiest of holy blades. To the level that they’re outright imbued with divine providence. While the Cutsteels can only be wielded by those with a Primordial’s permission and at least two have wards that prevent their use by the wicked, evil is outright anathema to the Empyreal Blades. They quite literally cannot perform evil. No matter what. They also cannot harm the innocent. No matter what. There are potentially eight-ish of them, but it’s a bit of a tricky conversation since a largep art of their existence occurring depends on their existence being required in the first place. With that being said:

The Haven’s Key: An Empyreal Sword that will probably exist, but depends a lot on a good many people making the right decisions. Put another way: as things currently track, she’s the most likely to take the stage. More or less intended as a sword to keep a promise of protection over Humanity.

WotL: That tells us nothing.
TWS: Hey. Blame Fidesel, not me.
GotRK: Do no such thing. I merely do what is right.
WotL: Uh, hi. Still don’t have any idea who you are.
GotRK: You will. In time. But do not trouble yourself over it, for I have not been born yet.
WotL: Seriously? More Chronomancy?
TWS: You’d think, but actually not in this case. It’s a different kind of strange.

The Polaris: Doesn’t exist now, could exist at some point and might. The conditions required for its existence are a bit finnicky and the sword is somewhat picky in regards to choosing her wielder. A thing about guiding those in the deepest darkness, or something. Check back with me later on this one, since it very well could be that someone somewhere will need the Polaris’ light before this Calamity Cycle’s through.

The Agapic Edge: Doesn’t exist now, could exist at some point. But if it does exist, we’re in some serious trouble because the Agapic Edge is the greatest of the Empyreal Swords.

WotL: How bad is bad?
TWS: We’re talking downright Overc–
WotL: You’re going to say something inane that I don’t understand. Parse it down.
TWS: Dead End level threat.
WotL: Let’s make sure we don’t need this one.

The Holiteinn: The Holiteinn is a curious one, as Empyreal Swords go. Because it does exist. Has for a really long time even. As it turns out, after Chevaliel made certain people aware of a certain possibility that shouldn’t have been possible, Justitiel was made to effectively confirm replicability. Then, since certain matters in the deep past got a bit out of hand, she was sent to provide support in the form of the Holiteinn. Forged from the remains of a gifted sword and a blessed blade, hilt wrapped in the shawl of a saint, and imbued with the prayers of a smith who wished for a weapon that could humble even the proudest of warriors, the Holiteinn answered the call of heroes in need of a way to balance the scales. To cut through the trickery of evil and provide a path for the righteous. The blade was then tested upon its anvil and in its wielder’s hesitation, lost its tip. But since then, she has served faultlessly throughout the ages, waiting for her true wielder to awaken her once again.

MotBW: What’s all this about? I’ve never heard any of this before.
TWS: Uh, yeah. There’s a reason for that.
GotRK: Greetings. I am a reason.
TWS: Exactly.
MotBW: And do you know who this ‘true wielder’ is?
TWS: So… Kind of? I mean, I know because it’s already happened, but it hasn’t happened yet so I don’t know how much I can interfere even though I know no amount of interference will prevent it from happening because it already happened.
WotL: Ugh. Chronomancy?
TWS: Yeah.

Featherlight: This one doesn’t exist yet, precisely, but I do know that it’s just being held in reserve for the right moment. Her wielder’s already been chosen and the form decided, but it’s matter of timing. Lower Empyrea can be tricky about that, thanks to the Agreement. Even though I’m fairly certain they actually managed to cheat out an extra in this case because Fortitiel was sent in response to–

GotRK: *AHEM*.
TWS: Right. Shutting up.

The Eden Blade: Another tricky example that kind of exists, but is mostly waiting on timing and the proper wielder. Strictly speaking, the Eden Blade hasn’t been forged yet, but the framework for it was made in the last days of the Celestians and enshrined away for the future. This largely in case someone — probably me — screws up and lets the Tarnished Outsiders nab the framework before its wielder shows up. Which would be a very bad thing. Effectively, it’ll stay unforged until the right wielder takes up the framework and then confronts the darkness within his own heart, abandoning all chance of corruption by the Fallen Kings and allowing Temperentiel to take up residence in the blade.

‘LJ’: Is that why you haven’t done anything over here yet?
TWS: A-yup. Three vulnerable spots and I can only be at one at any given time. If I make the first move, then the Tarnished Outsiders will end up claiming the other two and the Tarnished Oracle will become a certainty instead of a mere potential Avatar of Superbia.
‘LJ’: Huh. Is it okay that I’m here then?
TWS: Nah, you’re good. You’re my failsafe in case they try to make the first move.
WotL: Laurentia problems?
TWS: A-yup.

The Balance of Truth: I mean, another one that doesn’t exist but easily the most likely to since, if I’m being honest, she’s the most innocuous of the bunch. And she’d appreciate that honesty. We’ll see if it becomes relevant, but don’t hold your breath.

The Rule of Wisdom: I actually know nothing about this one. At all. Which is a little bit disconcerting, quite frankly. The fact of the matter is, I don’t know what its forger is currently up to, so I can’t say anything about it. But I’m sure whatever it is, she’s acting with all prudence.

The Knight’s Arm: Probably won’t ever exist, but probably technically can. I mean, I think that Chevaliel is technically–

8: Nope. Not gonna happen. Not my thing.
TWS: But you could do it?
8: Yes, but I won’t. You know that my circumstances are weird. This is one of those things I’m not really comfortable with.
‘BK’: Who are you?

Other

WotL: Did you seriously include an entire section just for your dumb sword?
TWS: Hey! Arcalibur’s awesome. Don’t let her hear you say that.
WotL: It still boggles the mind that you felt the need to include an elemental spirit inside of it.
TWS: I mean, all the best swords can talk to you. Makes them true companions on your journey.
‘BK’: And when was the last time you journeyed with Arcalibur?
TWS: Hey! It’s a sign of respect that I’m letting you use her.
MotBW: Not to distract from this little family tiff, but the section?
TWS: Fine, I guess I can include the Severance too. It’s probably close enough to a Divine Blade.
Warden of the Void: You honor me with such a gift.

Arcalibur; the Sword of Hope’s Promise; the Silver Cleft; the Holy Lightning: A holy blade I designed for personal use way back when I was a bit more foolhardy, wayward, and free-spirited. Made from something akin to Clarity Silver but from before the Celestians actually designed the refining process for the alloy — I ended up using moonstone to compensate, for those interested — it was patterned after The Cutsteel. Or rather, my personal image of the sword, since I’ve never actually seen the Primordial Blade in person to my eternal regret. But since I was designing a holy blade rather than an elemental one, more focus was placed on protections and idealistic reinforcements, so she actually came out closer to the Golden Cutsteel anyway. Finished with an awakening enchantment that imbued the blade with the spirit of the sword itself so I would have a companion to watch my back while adventuring slash someone to talk to. The effect that has on the sanity of a lone wanderer cannot be overstated. Picked up a bad habit of sleeping most of the time from me and, well, has been mostly asleep for the past several thousand years. As a whole, since I worked on refining and reinforcing the enchantments over thirty-five-ish Calamity Cycles, she is powerful enough to stand on the same level as the Cutsteels; though largely because her blessings are divine in nature and can compensate for a lack of power, since she is nowhere near the likes of an Empyreal Sword. Basically, a better sword than you’re likely to find anywhere else in the world, but easily outclassed by the truly next level swords. Currently in the possession of ‘Best Knight’ Carn Tori ‘you don’t get the full True Name’; Captain of the North; First Seat of the Rounds of Winter.

‘BK’: If by ‘currently in possession’ you mean ‘used by except when her lord decides to teleport it to himself without asking’.
TWS: Oh come on, I only do that when I need her and when I know you can handle yourself without her.
‘BK’: You summoned Arcalibur to cut apples!
TWS: I wanted pie.
‘BK’: I was in the middle of fighting off an incursion from the Moonlit Mountains!
TWS: And you’re fine. I knew you could handle them.
CotL: Where did you get those apples?
TWS: Not every apple I eat was stolen from you.
CotL: Where did you get those apples?
TWS: On to the Severance!

Severance: Another sword made which was more of a proof of concept than anything I actually wanted to use. At one point when I was messing around with materials, I considered Nihil Iron and wondered if that could be taken further. And I ended up making Fuliginous Steel, which is a truly terrible metal. Despite the name, it’s actually just as silver in color as iron steel, but it shines with a dread glow and reflects light in wrong ways. But this is not the place to explain that. Rather, I decided that such a fell metal was best used in serving an equally fell purpose. Thus, I forged a sword from it and incorporated the magics of a certain one of my roles into its blade, creating a weapon more deadly than any other. Rather than simply cut the flesh, it severs the bonds of mortality. Wounds made by it cannot by healed; lives taken with it are obliterated beyond all recovery save through divine intervention. It is a blade meant to bring death to the deathless. So I lent it to the Warden of the Void once we established a good rapport since I didn’t like keeping it around and it really is best served combatting the servants of the Fallen Kings. Notably, it’s one of very few weapons that can strike them without pulling them further into real-space first, so it excels at combating them within Void-Space. Though I’ve never been gutsy enough to test it, I even have reason to believe it would work in combatting them in Hyper-space.

MotBW: Uh… ‘Hyper-space’?
WotV: The name my comrade granted to the boundary between the real and ideal, the veil through which the Fallen Kings’ subjects pass to interfere in our world and sow destruction.
MotBW: But that’s not called Hyper-space.
TWS: I have my reasons.
‘Heart of Shadows’: Milord, milord! I know thy reasons. They are most inane.
WotL: Raise your hand if you’re shocked.
TWS: At least the Warden supports me.
WotV: You are my sole comrade in a ceaseless war against evil and vice. ‘Twould be unseemly were I not to support you as you support me.
TWS: I mean, when you put it like that I feel petty. I need to go put together a thank you gift or something.
‘HoS’: Milord hath left his post; the report must be concluded.
‘BK’: I think he’s in the kitchen now. Is he making scones?
WotV: Hmm-hmm. ‘Tis Monday, so ’tis only natural. He never fails to host our teas without proper accompaniment.