S O V E R E I G N
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Create a sword for Darren cus I can.
- Image Source: Artstation - Sebastian Schulz
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Darren Shaw
- Affiliation: Darren Shaw
- Model: Murasame - A word derived for the meaning of "Village Rain" Or a hard falling rain that transitions to slowing down and softening.
- Modularity: No
- Production: Unique
- Material:
Agrinium Core - Mullinine Edge
- Haysian Smelt Guard and Pommel
- Taozin Hide Nodule Wrap
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Classification: Sith Sword
- Size: Large
- Weight: Heavy
STRENGTHS:
- Of the Dark: Created and forged alongside a process of Sith Alchemy affords this sword to have unnatural resiliency, being extremely improbable of being destroyed by conventional weaponry or otherwise. Moreover, retaining the qualities of other Sithly swords that can block and redirect blaster fire just as easily as the coveted Lightsabers. When drawn, the sword's presence is unmistakable as an artifact of the Dark side, however dampened it may be.
- Force (Lightning) Rod: Typical of Sith Swords and other Alchemy creations, is the ability to have a lightning rod effect upon electrical based weapons and powers. Affording the user to then redirect this energy through the blade with potential "Lightning" Sword like affinities. However, Murasame takes this one step further. The weapon can inherently absorb and redirect all related Force Powers that can directly affect the wielder.
- Single Edge: A blade with a single edge, honed with Mullinine to have edge retention, a mono-molecular edge, providing superior cutting abilities compared to other swords. However, a related unique ability of the blade, is that should the wielder be in tune to the "weakness" or Fault lines within objects, namely by using the sensory based ability of Shatterpoint. The wielder can use the blade as wedge or otherwise influence these Shatterpoints within objects and then cut through them. Providing what some people may see as "Unparalleled Cutting Potential." The effect isn't flashy. Its merely the wielder cutting into something and having the ability to cut clean through it, when it otherwise wouldn't be damaged by any other kind of blade.
- Out of Sight: The Sheath and grip of the weapon are wrapped and protected by Taozin Hide, as well as a nodule housed within the sheath. This affords for the weapon to not be sensed within the force unless drawn by the wielder.
- It Burns Us: An artifact created out of the Darkness within the force, means that the brightest of lights, can damage the weapon, Render any of its effects or the weapon itself inert, or even completely destroy the blade. These "Lights" would be akin to Force Light, Wall of Light, and other like minded abilities. While the sword can absorb most other force powers, it cannot absorb the one thing that can destroy it.
- Not on my Mind: The sword is a physical object, and thus it can protect the user, when used correctly, from physical forces that intend to harm the user. Having a Lightning rod effect with Force powers, means it can redirect most forms of "Alter" abilities within the force. What it cannot do is protect the wielder from abilities that would affect the wielders mind. Illusions, Mental based powers, or even Emotions such as empathy cannot be contained by Murasame.
- Removed from Play: Force Suppression is a major power within the game of battle for Force users. Not only can it dampen their abilities but can outright prevent the usage of the force. Thus, this blade, altered and powered by the force, cannot use any of its effects while in such a state. Reverting it to a extremely durable sword.
- Drawn for Blood: While the sword's sheath may be able to hide its presence within the force, once drawn the full force of the Artifacts presence is made known. In fact, it telegraphs greatly to how it functions. Those around the wielder will have the "suspicion" or the "Gut feeling" that this sword could very easily cut through whatever the wielder wanted to. An example of how this would feel to those around when the weapon is drawn, is much like a nice calm day, and then suddenly shivers down your spine, the sky seems a little darker, and you feel as though something is going to go extremely wrong. (The sword does not actually do this, its an example of a state of mind one might feel)
- Corruption of the Heart: Wielding the blade is no small feat. Sith Swords can be very simple in nature and prove very little ill will upon the user. However, this sword is not one of those. Drawing the weapon corrupts the user to the dark side the more often they use it, or for longer periods of having it near them. The sword is extremely corrupting. To the point where if a Light Sided individual is struck or uses the sword, can very easily find themselves falling to the Darkness. Only exponentially increasing these chances the more they are struck, when in constant proximity to the blade, or wielding the blade multiple times. Being struck by this weapon, is powerful enough, it could be attributed to being injected with Sith Poisons to a small degree.
- Deterioration: Darren is not in the healthiest of situations. Unbeknownst to the others, Darren's body is slowly starting to fall apart due to corruption with the Dark Side of the force. Since this sword is heavily influenced by the Dark side as well, its compounding nature with Corruption, means that the longer Darren wields this sword, the faster his health declines. This can ultimately lead to his death. Otherwise, drawing the weapon causes Darren severe pain as the Sith Poisons within his own body "activate" or accelerate the process of his deterioration. While currently this only affects Darren, if other Dark Sided Force users use this blade enough, it too could cause them to be in the same situation as himself, or even worse.
For years Darren Shaw has used different kinds of Sith Swords. While in the past they were typically just unique variations of the "standard" of the blade type. During this time, many of the foes that Darren has faced, have slowly been moving away from using abilities such as Force Lightning, or even Electric Judgement. This makes it difficult to exploit one of the greatest strengths of a Sith Sword. Namely the ability to redirect Force Lightning back at the enemy who used it. While Darren himself is a practitioner of such abilities, and could just use lighting upon his own sword and charge it himself, it takes energy from Darren when he could otherwise expend that energy on a different action that would be more desirable for the scenario.
Second, Sith Swords, and swords in general have a severe lack of cutting power compared to a Lightsaber. With an extreme amount of people wielding weapons that can resist lightsabers, and just as easily swords, it makes it difficult to put the hurt on any of the foes he comes across with. Namely, plate like armor is able to easily defend against this kind of weaponry fairly easily. These are the two severe weaknesses related to Sith Swords and even just swords in general. Making anything but the absolute best, obsolete. These are the severe weaknesses that Darren wanted to address. Setting forth to make a sword that could superseded these short comings.
First, it was research. Having to find out a way to incentivize the usage of this sword in combat with another force user. Specifically being able to follow-through with the redirection of Force Lighting. Research of the Force Lightning itself, stemming from Sith Magics, and furthermore into many of the abilities that Darren has faced against, used, or seen upon the battlefield. Namely one of them being Telekinesis based powers. Force pushes, or directly manipulating someone through the force is one of the greatest forms of combat one could reach for. The complete control of an opponent. However, Abilities such as Pyrokinesis by a particular Fire Shaper Family, Altering damage done upon the victim, or even struck with nearly invisible spears that acted akin to the real thing. All of these and more are seemingly growing in popularity. Gone are the days of "typical" and "Traditional" force powers. Jedi are becoming more adept in other skills, and the Sith re-discover older abilities that can rip worlds apart.
The question had been, "what to redirect," became a question of, "Can I redirect more than One." And so again, Darren fell into research of abilities that could absorb or reflect or even hard stop force powers. Force Barrier was a choice. However, there is only so much a barrier could do, and it would rely on the user having even more situational awareness of their surroundings. Furthermore, it would require concentration to use, and shied away being able to redirect powers back to the attacker. Force Drain would not work as it could potentially drain whatever force power that Darren attempted to use. Meaning he would have to rely upon only his own natural skill. As honorable that would be, no one won wars by being honorable. No, Darren found his answer within the umbrella of abilities stemming from Tutaminis.
This branch of abilities is directly related to absorbing, defusing or blocking energy. While this was directly related to weapons such as blaster bolts done by various masters of the art, and even some accounts, if they were true or not, of lightsabers and even Force Lightning being able to be absorbed from this. Force lightning was the ticket. If Force Lightning, being a manifestation of the force could be defended against, then so too, could all other powers that were directed at the victim. Utilizing this and amplifying, and altering the skill to be one that instead of just absorbing energy of the blaster bolts and the kind, it too, could absorb the "energy" of force powers that were directed at the wielder. This would be a conjunction of Tutaminis and the various draining, absorbing, or redirecting based abilities of this branch of powers.
As this was the first of the two problems solved, the second one came much more easily. Cutting, is a term defined by one object, having a smaller surface area, surpassing the sheering strength of the second object. And when under the right circumstances, would permit the first object to separate the second with it's own mass. As such, Cutting power for literal eons has been expanded upon by way of creating sharper blades. However, armors were created to resist cutting of blades. The armor's Sheer strength was too high for the sword to be able to cut through. Instead of trying to fight the natural forces of Sheer strength, Darren sought after the technology of the Lightsaber.
Lightsabers didn't "cut" as your conventional swords, or even scissors would. Instead, it heated up the object it was attempting to move through, and the literal melting or vaporization of the structures in the path of the blade, would become weak enough to allow the bar of heated plasma to "cut" through the material. It wasn't a question of strength, but a question of heat. However, swords when heated, fell apart. It wouldn't work. Instead, it would have to come from the force as well. What abilities could increase the potential of cutting prowess with a blade? While Alter Damage was the first thing to come to mind, it wouldn't work. It relied upon the sword being able to perform the damage in the first place. No, the answer would have to be literally, finding the weakness within everything that it could come into contact with, and breaking it.
Shatterpoint is your man. Shatterpoint is a typically a sensory based ability that allows the user to feel for "weaknesses" or Fault lines within an item, or even person. Namely this would be used for armor or obstructions. However, if used in an unconventional method of having the blade be able to attune itself to the force, and striking precisely upon those "fault lines" the sword would be able to cleanly cleave or "cut" through the armor or obstruction. It directly combats the weaknesses of the armor to find what would in some terms be, "The weakest Link" and then break it. The sword acts as a wedge in which the user can push upon to surpass the weakness within the item. This singular action makes a conventional sword, seemingly have the ability to cut through anything. However, as with all things, there are faults.
The sword relies upon the user being able to accurately be able to find such weaknesses. The blade can act as a wedge, and aid the user in finding such fault lines, however, it does not replace the ability all together. Secondly, Finding these weaknesses can be difficult depending upon the object, or even if the item is surrounded by the force. Say, another Sith Sword or Force Imbued blade.
Another drawback of the sword is that while the ability of being able to redirect Force powers, it looses the ability to absorb conventional energy weapons. The original intent of the ability that is used within the blade, was changed and altered enough, that it resembles something else. Instead, the sword can only redirect blaster bolts akin to it's brethren swords by being a Superconductor with a charge. The Secondary draw back akin to this, is that it cannot defend against powers that do not directly affect the wielder, or the sword by Alter Based force powers, or Force Light. The usage of Sith Alchemy makes it inherently weak to the Light Side of the force, and the wielder is still susceptible to mental powers, emotional powers, or the like. Abilities such as Force Fear, Battle Mind, Force Illusion, and the like can still affect the wielder, and even more so when being affronted by the purest forms of the Light side of the force.
Finally, being tied by the force, means any kind of inhibitor of the force, be it the powers of Force Suppression, Ysalmir lizards, Void Stones, or even Force Dead beings, means that the abilities and usage with the sword can be hindered, or even destroy the weapon
With all of this research done, and with the known limitations of the weapon, Darren moved forward with the creation of the sword. Namely wanting to use a Taozin nodule and its flesh as wrappings for the sheath and grip. This permits that when the weapon is sheathed, it cannot be found within the force. While the weapon is drawn one can easily find its altered presence if they so wish, even with the Taozin flesh wrapped around the grip. The reason that when sheathed, it cannot be found, is that the combination of all of the flesh working together is just strong enough to hide it when within close proximity. Hence why when drawn the weapon can be found, but sheathed, as they are "whole" it cannot.
