Lone Knight

Made it to the end of Swordtember! Yaaaaaay ~

I suppose the last four of these are maaaaaybe cheating; but it's been a beat or two since I made a seasonal set, and I wanted to, so there *lol*

Unrelated to swords, there may be a few more critters incoming in the semi-nearish future ...


( one last gathering of blades, for now )

I'm not dead, the world just sucks right now.

That, and when I've been writing rpg stuff at all it's mostly been for a "Final Fantasy game+setting running on Lindwyrm" personal project; there's also been a couple of non-rpg writing things, and also expanding my videogame hoard again. But highly a case of "the world sucks" with a side-order of "and summer can fuck itself".

But enough of that! September means Swordtember, and I miiiiight have another thing percolating for the month (we'll see), and here I am with the first third of Swordtember's swords in nice punchy and system-neutral description ~


( Ten Swords, Singular And Otherwise )

( Seven Swords: a setting for Lindwyrm and other adventure games )

Seven Swords by E. A. Bisson is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Subtle Revolutionary: A finger-ring of -- in its base form -- iron and red glass, enchanted to take on whatever role is required of it. This magic expresses itself in the following ways:

* Whoever wears Subtle Revolutionary can choose the ring's appearance and it will shift accordingly; a heavy silver signet, a thin brass ring, a woven linen band, threaded glass beads, whatever one likes.

* Touching a different, specific ring (or its wearer) while wearing Subtle Revolutionary allows that exact shape and appearance -- but no enchantments, if present -- of that ring to be assumed by Subtle Revolutionary for one hour within the next 12 hours.

* Touching a seal or stamped/inked impression of any kind, or its ribbon, while wearing Subtle Revolutionary allows the ring to reshape itself to imprint a copy of that seal or stamp, even enlarging or changing shape (for example to a block stamp). It may do so for one successful sealing or stamping before reverting to ring form.

Phantasm Nodules: Small ovoids of a slightly tacky resinous substance, translucent and with a swirling, faint glow at the core, ranging in size from that of a thumbnail to that thumb's first joint.

By holding a nodule in one's closed hand and concentrating briefly, it can be imprinted with a specific visual illusion it will now project for the following 12 hours (if adhered to the desired location within one minute of visualization).

The nodule's imagery adapts to whatever environment it has been applied to. For example, if attached to a living subject, the projection fully sheathes that being; if placed on a floor or wall or the like, it will project up to a 20' x 20' (x 20') area, as defined by position and/or the desired projection imprinted by the nodule's activator. A larger area can be covered by placing several nodules spaced out as needed.

These "phantasms" appear three-dimensional; they are not flat images. They aren't solid either, though, so interaction with one will give away the mirage fairly quickly without further props or guile.

after 12 hours the nodule ceases its projection, but it can be reactivated after an hour or two in bright light. Phantasm nodules are often found in batches of 2-5, allowing for quick cycling and maintenance of a phantasm.

Once in a while, claiming treasure troves or riffling through ruins -- those of the long-fallen Pinion Kingdoms, in particular -- turns up a vitreous weapon. These relics are highly prized, as they can turn the tide in conflicts; but they are also fragile when used, and quick to be used up.

They are, after all, glass.

Glass that is tinted steely or silvery, deeply jewel-toned or a multitude of dawn colours, dappled with ripples deep in its form, or otherwise striking. Oddly they cannot be melted (though broken remnants can be); and simply carrying or transporting one or even several runs no risk of breakage. Only usage, or deliberate destruction, will do so.

* Vitreous weapons grant the ability to harm targets immune to mundane damage.
* Vitreous weapons grant +2 to attack rolls, and stage up damage by one die.
* Vitreous weapons may be wielded by anyone, granting the ability to do so if necessary.
* In the hands of a relatively inexperienced combatant ( lvl < 3, for example), add an additional +1 to attack and damage rolls.

* Every time a vitreous weapon is used, it runs a 2-in-6 chance of shattering.

Vitreous foci -- glassy wands or amulets or inscribed tablets -- that offer a +2 boost to a cast spell's level are rumoured, but so far unsubstantiated.



(why yes this is an adaptation of something and I am not sorry lol)

After I put Lindwyrm together, I was tempted to (and nudged, a bit, to) make a supplement to it. I dithered about it because that's my default mode these days --

-- and then a patronizing shithead in geminispace pretty much guaranteed the work would get done.

Spite is, as ever, a powerful motivator.

So Lindwyrm got itself a minizines'-worth of extra; and who knows, I might do more some time ~

( Lindwyrm Lockbox )

AuGhost finished — but of course now it’s time for Swordtember!

This time around I decided on three things:

– I was going to make my own list
– each entry would not be as long as last year’s entries
– this time I would stick to types of enchantments/materials/etc, rather than unique or semi-unique blades

Since these are short entries like the ones for AuGhost, I’m going to post them in batches, like AuGhost.

So! Here are the first ten sword(-type)s of Swordtember 2023!


01. Thornwrought (“fae”)

The blades of faerieland are distinctive, whether gifted to mortals (or stolen, or discovered by same) or forged by mortal hands from round billets of “faerie silver”, a disquietingly shimmering, translucent silver metal.

No matter its size, a thorn is as light in the hand as a dagger or dart. Its edge flares with silvery light if it strikes magic; wounds left by it fester, disgorging string and feathers and fishbones. Striking iron shatters it.


02. Oathbreakers (“cursed”)

Maybe not all of the swords branded oathbreaker owe their state to a literal broken oath, but the name sticks.

Whatever the cause — oathbreaking, failing a sworn quest, abandoning cause or creed — the result is the same: somewhere on the sword a tiny black barbed spiral appears, and the blade grows spiteful. Should its wielder, new or old, fall short in any way, the sword turns itself on them with the next strike, no matter how impossible.


03. Moon’s-Eye (“lunar”)

No matter the size or make of a moon’s-eye sword, this blade will follow the phases of the moon in the injuries it inflicts: full, two-handed or bastard sword; gibbous, longsword; half, shortsword; crescent, dagger; and during the new moon, a strike from a moon’s-eye sword will heal its target the equal of a full moon strike, but only once a day.

Moon’s-eye swords shift colour to reflect their phase, or sport a gem or glass that does so.


04. Revelation (“solar”)

Nothing escapes the light of the sun, and no falsehood survives the touch of a revelation blade. A wielder could use it simply as a source of light — golden to dawn, it is certainly that — but it is better deployed against lies and falsities.

One may choose to cause no injury with a revelation sword; instead a hidden truth is spoken, a true form is revealed as a sunshine silhouette, and so on. But the sword dissipates if its bearer turns false.


05. Martyring (“corroded”)

A martyring blade, whatever else its enchantments or qualities, is always rusted, tarnished, stained — unkempt-looking no matter what is done to clean it or mend it.

Each such blade has seven martyrdoms when first forged. At any time, the martyring sword may be touched to a broken object and it will make it whole. Touched to any wound it heals that wound. Each time, the sword deteriorates further, and at the end it falls to pieces.


06. Emberi (“flame”)

The blast of dragonfire; a lordly fire elemental’s heart; arcane forges, leagues-wide conflagrations — any and all of these may leave in their wake a tapering tongue of glowing essence in all the colours of Fire.

Such a congealed flame can be used as a blade on its own, but risks abound; adding it to fine metal produces a flame-hued sword that wounds like fire itself, warms its wielder, and bolsters any endeavour that requires a passionate response.


07. Gelidi (“frost”)

A rippled spar of transparent silver-blue or -teal, or a mass of glittering white nodules (best ground to powder and folded into metal now turned colourless and cold), gelidi is found at the heart of glaciers, in the permafrost of lands locked in eternal winter, and piercing the core of ice elementals.

Gelidi blades deliver winter’s numbing paralysis with their strike, and bolster any action that requires calm clarity. They are sometimes fragile.


08. Fulguri (“bolt”)

A sword of lightning? Never more literal than a fulguri blade, sharpened from a gleaming, soldified blue-gold bolt; rare as primal blades go, found in the arc of a dragon’s breath, hurled by vengeful — or magnanimous — stormlords, spun from the wake of eldritch storms.

Such a blade harms even the wielder to touch unless a pact is made. Then it boosts speed, sharpens senses, and is sure death to knights, to metal elementals, and to the constructed.


09. Dayneedle (“flower”)

On far-off mountains wreathed in clouds grow pink-golden lilies — lilies so titanic the stands of them are like bamboo forests adorned with blossoms broader than one’s armspan.

Plucked and dried unopened, mounted in cedar and silk, the right charms murmured, the bud of such a lily becomes sharp as a rapier and suited to any who won’t or can’t bear metal. Some even seep nectar into a hilt reservoir, a draft every three days that sustains for one.


10. Wychbane (“mirror”)

A wychbane sword is usually a shortsword or, rarely, a rapier; one very seldom sees, say, a wychbane claymore.

The hilt and trappings are simple — bronze or steel, leather plaiting — and the blade is unornamented. Why would it be, when its entire surface gleams like quicksilver?

It’s not for reflecting images, mind, but magic — a sword-blow can be against a spell, even mid-cast, and if the strike is true the magic is sent back to its source.

Magpie

This trim longsword sports a blade engraved with shallow grooves along its midrib, and a more rounded than usual tip, along with short quillions tipped with blunt recurved “claws” and a grip composed of alternating plaques of black and white horn pegged into place with brass nails enameled in opposite shade, black against white and vice versa. The pommel is a steel ring, occasionally seen sporting a tassel, a trophy tail, a few dangling ribbons, or other unassuming and fairly random ornaments.

* Magpie doesn’t have to draw blood to wound and confound those feeling its steel. It’s still a sword, of course, and may be used to injure, and grants its bearer a bit of nimble-footed advantage in that regard (+1 to attack); but what it really excels at is wounding perceptions.

By stealing colour.

For every strike taken from Magpie, regardless of actual physical injury (or lack thereof), the victim and all they carry at the time have all their colours drain away. For the next hour they appear in shades of off-white at most, greyer where shadows land — and the victim themselves view the entire world similarly, a bleached existence licked by wan shadowing at best. The experience is unsettling, leaving the victim shaken and more likely to fumble any crucial endeavour (disadvantage on all things).

Magpie’s wielder may choose to prevent the blade from dealing any physical injury from a strike by the sword. Similarly, they may choose to omit the external evidence of Magpie’s colour theft.

* Magpie — originally an unsharpened blade — was forged as a teaching tool. Symbolic of the Empty Totality school’s beliefs in the necessity of learning to see beyond one’s comforting and familiar surroundings, the sword was enchanted by northern school branch’s Forgemaster by request of Lord Midnight Vath, who would drain the colour of those followers who wished to directly understand what disorienting emptiness, and enlightenment, a truly colourless world could bring them.

The sword was stolen in a raid during the Screaming Garden Wars and its subsequent use as — among other things — as a tool of social and political sabotage has been a source of embarrassment for the Empty Totality. The school would give much to have the blade returned.