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Steel Wolf · **12-22-2015, 09:03 PM**

So I need a little help with a headcanon thing. It's spectacularly boring for RP purposes and will never reach personal interaction beyond a conversation topic maybe, but I wanna be sure I get this right.

So. My Balmung sword (squeeee). It doesn't look like any other weapon in the game available "regularly". So it made me think that maybe it's a weapon that Steel found and helps to enhance her Darkside powers.

Thing is, the only enchanted weapon in lore is Zantsetsuken.

So my thought processes went to Allagan and Nym. I'm not fully up on my lore on both, but Allagan tech seems to be more about augmentation than mysticalness. So maybe the Nymians would be the sort to come up with a sword that resonates to more umbral energies.

But then I wonder about the history of the Dark Knights and how or why that power would parallel witb societies that existed hundreds of years prior.

So, I come to here for help. The endgame is to explain why Steel has a giant ornate katana on her back beyond "It looks sexy as fuff." In my headcanon the thing is already heavier than it appears, meaning her physical power still has a purpose, but I'm trying to further flesh out growing aetheric powers.

Thanks for peeking in. <3

Oli! · **12-22-2015, 09:14 PM**

Maybe it's got some darkness-channeling Materia in it or something.

Zoya · **12-22-2015, 09:28 PM**

Considering the source of Dark Knight powers, wouldn't it be easiest to simply have it associated with strong emotions? You know, a keepsake, the weapon of a former rival or friend, a reminder to a certain event?

I don't know your character, but there's a lot of possibilities with just that. Could be as little as a custom made sword that reminds her of the reason she went the way of the Dark Knight in the first place.

Steel Wolf · **12-22-2015, 09:32 PM**

...huh. Yeah, that actually makes sense as well. Thing is, though, it's got a lot of materials and filigree that feel out of her budget, so to speak.

Oli! · **12-22-2015, 09:51 PM**

If she couldn't have bought it or had it made, then she got it from someone. I'd use the first portion of Zoya's post.

Maybe it belonged to someone important that she once knew, and now it belongs to her.

S'imba · **12-22-2015, 09:56 PM**

Well S'imba uses the Balmung as his sword, basically it was of Ishgardian origin. It was made by his friend's mother's family. In an attempt to raise their standing in Ishgard. The blade was made from dragon Obsidian. Due to the nature of the Obsidian it's strong as well as being strangely lightweight. Since dragons have a large affinity for magic some of that is reflected in the blade, which makes it easier for S'imba to channel aether through it, kind of an aertheric super conducter.

Smagon · **12-22-2015, 10:32 PM**

Personally I feel like not everything needs an intricate explanation for looking the way it does. A weapon can look different because it was custom made or any other mundane explanation. It doesn't have to be crafted by ancient space demons from across the sea or something.

Unless you want it to be, in which case go for it. No explanation is too crazy if you want fancy lore behind your weapon. You might look kind of silly one day when you put it aside so you can use a cooler weapon glamour you found, in which case you will have to think of an even crazier backstory for your weapon to justify the change ICly.

Sounsyy · **12-22-2015, 11:15 PM**

(12-22-2015, 09:03 PM)Steel Wolf Wrote: Thing is, the only enchanted weapon in lore is Zantsetsuken.

So my thought processes went to Allagan and Nym. I'm not fully up on my lore on both, but Allagan tech seems to be more about augmentation than mysticalness. So maybe the Nymians would be the sort to come up with a sword that resonates to more umbral energies.

So, I come to here for help. The endgame is to explain why Steel has a giant ornate katana on her back beyond "It looks sexy as fuff."

I'd actually nominate Thavnairian origin for your weapon. The Near East is actually quite famous for their enchanted weaponry. That's essentially the entire storyline of the Zodiac Braves, a Thavnairian legend about twelve heroes from a lost Umbral Era who forged enchanted, living weapons with almost sentient qualities to aid them in the fight against the darkness. While no such Zodiac greatsword exists in canon, I don't see why you couldn't personally make up some headcanon for an Eastern blade being forged by Thavnairian alchemists seeking to resurrect the smithing arts of old.

Jalzahn Wrote:...But what is this? Your weaponâ”€unless I am gravely mistaken, 'tis a relic infused with Thavnairian mist! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jalzahn, and I hail from the Near Eastern city-state of Radz-at-Han. I am an alchemist by trade. It has been my life's work to study the enhancement of arms through soul infusion. Verily, Thavnairian mist is one of the fruits of my toils.

Steel Wolf · **12-22-2015, 11:23 PM**

Ah! Of course! I had forgotten about the Zodiac line. Thank you, Sounsyy!

Uhm...any suggestions on where a Thavnarian weapon might have been laying about? XD

I'm so bad at this I sorry.

Sounsyy · **12-22-2015, 11:35 PM**

Somewhere in Limsa Lominsa, Vylbrand, or Ul'dah. All of those places/nations have had good trade relations with Thavnair for centuries. Could've easily gotten shipped in with a crate of goods, or Lominsan pirates sacked the ship and took the weapon and then the pirate dies or whatever and its abandoned somewhere, or the merchant ship sinks and it washes up on the coast somewhere. Lots of possibilities. Perhaps there's a roleplayer whose character deals in foreign antiquities? Or maybe it was just on sale at a booth in Hawker's Alley and your character didn't realize it was special until later?

Steel Wolf · **12-22-2015, 11:39 PM**

(12-22-2015, 11:35 PM)Sounsyy Wrote: Could've easily gotten shipped in with a crate of goods, or Lominsan pirates sacked the ship and took the weapon and then the pirate dies or whatever and its abandoned somewhere...

...or amongst her mother's affects!

Taking from Zoya's suggestion, since Eriswyrd was a pirate once upon a time. Could have been part of her treasures that she found!

Oh SHNAP. I love it!! Thanks, threadlings!! :D <3

Kellach Woods · **12-23-2015, 07:50 PM**

You forged it out of the melted steel of your enemies' and cooled it in their blood (which would make the blade brittle as fuck but ya know YOU CAN'T GET EDGE WITHOUT EDGE.)

...

*exit stage left*

Sig · **12-28-2015, 05:28 PM**

(12-22-2015, 09:03 PM)Steel Wolf Wrote: So I need a little help with a headcanon thing. It's spectacularly boring for RP purposes and will never reach personal interaction beyond a conversation topic maybe, but I wanna be sure I get this right.

So. My Balmung sword (squeeee). It doesn't look like any other weapon in the game available "regularly". So it made me think that maybe it's a weapon that Steel found and helps to enhance her Darkside powers.

Thing is, the only enchanted weapon in lore is Zantsetsuken.

So my thought processes went to Allagan and Nym. I'm not fully up on my lore on both, but Allagan tech seems to be more about augmentation than mysticalness. So maybe the Nymians would be the sort to come up with a sword that resonates to more umbral energies.

But then I wonder about the history of the Dark Knights and how or why that power would parallel witb societies that existed hundreds of years prior.

So, I come to here for help. The endgame is to explain why Steel has a giant ornate katana on her back beyond "It looks sexy as fuff." Â In my headcanon the thing is already heavier than it appears, meaning her physical power still has a purpose, but I'm trying to further flesh out growing aetheric powers. Â

Thanks for peeking in. <3

I like the Thavnarian concept posted above. Â Another potential option would be to have the sword custom made by a skilled IC smith using plausible in-game materials. Â The sword itself could be forged of wolfram and/or dark steel (possibly with a dye), which could explain the dark crimson hue, and the gilded portions crafted of gold and auracite tubing (which could act as an aether battery and sponge to assist in the management of darkside-esque powers). Â Â

No matter how you approach it, just remember that weapon lore is fairly flexible. Â I ran into into a similar dilemma with Sigurd's great sword (Wootz Fausse) a while back after he received it as an IC gift. Â The sword has a very Magitek model, but a friend suggested that the sword itself be made of wolfram and contain auracite tubing that 'lights up' once excessÂ
aether is charged into it. Â

I'm sure people who RP smiths would love to explore forging a weapon. Â It could lead to a great scene or potential RP connection!

Allaganians, Nymians and Weaponry

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes