Weren't you always just a little suspicious about how many magical swords
there are in fantasy worlds?
It was the perfect way for Laurence to influence human society. If he sent
an angel to Earth in a human body, they had to spend years building up a
Role, and then infiltrating societies, and then acquiring status, and so on.
Swords don't need to do this. Swords have status. If a human gets flung out
of a lake in front of a warrior, he'll be lucky if he isn't burnt as a
witch. Throw a sword though, and the warrior will sweep it up and declare
himself the rightful king of England. Since the sword is clearly magical,
the warrior won't be surprised if it can talk, and give advice.
"Magic Swords" are all living artifacts, forged by Laurence himself. They
usually have all of Laurence's non-restricted attunements (which they can
grant to their wielders), and generally a couple of Songs - Celestial
Motion, if nothing else. Corporeal Charm is very popular, as are NC:Eyes and
the Songs of Tongues. A surprising large percentage of the swords have choir
attunements from other Superiors.
They also have their own Order: His Grace's Personal Order of Swords; and
their Grand Master advises Laurence from the comfort of his scabbard.
Although each blade has a specific purpose, each choir is chosen for
different tasks, and His Grace is careful to forge each blade as a home that
the angel will be proud to call himself for eternity. By Choir:
Seraphim: The Blades of Kings - Laurence has forged a separate blade for
every Christian kingdom. They frequently have gained a choir attunement from
either Dominic or Litheroy, and are tasked to guiding 'their' king in the
task of ruling honourably. There are rumours of these blades being given
the Word of the nation they oversee...
They are all elegantly simple in design, the only ornamentation being the
gold of their hilts and the coat of arms of their nation etched into the
blade.
Cherubim: Guarding the Guards - The Swords of bodyguards, and of the
commanders of elite units, these blades ensure that a nations' guards are
themselves guarded. They are frequently attuned to their wielders, but not
always. Sometimes a guard is loyal only because his sword has explained to
him the consequences of betrayal...
These blades are famed for their cunningly worked basket hilts, small gems
woven into the silver wire.
Ofanim: Adventurer's Blades - The prized possessions of wandering heroes,
these blades continually cheer their wielders on to ever more daring
exploits and to pursue more distant horizons.
These are the archetypal fantasy blades. Their heavy blades are weightless
in the hands of their wielder, and (unusually for Laurence's blades) they
have no objections to clearing away vines etc during an adventure - anything
to keep moving, and on to the next adventure!
Elohim: The Swords of Wisdom - Laurence has forged a blade for each
Christian religious order, plus a few others for the Princes of the Church.
They guide the Church Militant and carefully watch their charges for signs
that their emotions have been tarnished by their worldly duties.
These blades are simple and humble. Their only ornamentation is the Oath of
their human Order etched into the blade.
Malakim: The Slayers - each of these blades has been forged with a specific
foe in mind, and they are all named appropriately: Orcbane, Trollbane,
Dragonbane and so on. The greatest of their number, Demonbane, is currently
Grand Master of the Order of Swords.
These blades vary wildly, but invariably strike fear into the hearts of
their chosen enemy - Trollbane shimmers with sunlight, Dragonbane seems to
have been carved from an icicle that will quench the fiercest fire,
Demonbane glows with the Light of Heaven, and so on.
Kyriotates: The Heirlooms - These blades have no corporeal form; instead
Jean has granted them his Kyriotate of Lightning attunement. If a human
inherits a blade, and with it a task, from a slain parent - then a Kyriotate
of the Order of Swords may take a hand, possessing the blade and guiding the
youngster to their heritage. In addition to possessing the blade, the
Dominion will also have a presence in heaven, learning about the previous
owner of the sword they inhabit, either by talking with the old owner or by
reading their history in Yves' Library.
Mercurians: The Scabbards - although some Mercurians inhabit a practice foil
or wooden blade, most are bound into ornate scabbards. From these they
advise their owners on how to deal with problems which cannot be solved by
violence, and to encourage them in the courtly virtues. They are also tasked
to train young warriors in the skills and mindset of a knight.
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