Phased Blade
Hokka stormed into Captain Lyvix's office, fuming. "Stop wasting my time. I should be on the King's security team." He tossed a small metallic toy soldier onto the desk between them, its features worn from use. "Not confiscating children's toys from helpless beggars."
"Now where did you get that...?"
Hokka looked up from the toy, startled, as a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows in the corner, her voice betraying recognition. He belatedly realized he had interrupted a meeting.
"Is this the only item in the prisoner's possession?" Captain Lyvix furrowed his brows. "She didn't have anything else on her?"
"She wouldn't need anything else," the cloaked stranger answered. She gingerly retrieved the metallic statuette, caressing its surface with an expert hand until a throwing dagger materialized from the toy-shaped hilt, the deep red blade faintly glowing and pulsing with an unmistakable hunger. "It's as I feared. They've sent a Shadow."
Hokka stuttered in surprise. "How... What..
How did you...?"
"She's in custody now?" The stranger ignored his questions. "Full Antimagic Protocols?"
Forged with metals from planes beyond the Veil, phased blades exist in a higher plane, bound to the lower planes by an unassuming object which serves as a hilt. A standard Phased Blade will not radiate any magical auras while in its natural state, rendering their true nature indetectible to anyone without training in Necromancy to see the higher vibrations past the Veil.Mechanics & Inner Workings
Phased Blades make use of the higher natural vibrational properties of the higher planes, and the inability of most people to perceive or feel items at those vibrations. The use of metals from these planes means they do not require magic to hide the blades, and therefore appear as ordinary non-magical objects when in their base state.
The use of higher plane metals does present a challenge for Metalsmiths when crafting the blades. Not only do they require skills in Necromancy to work with the metals, but also the lower plane materials chosen for the hilt must be able to maintain their physical link with the higher plane blade. The highest quality blades use carefully crafted alloys as part of the tang, where the crystalline lattice of both planes of materials are carefully folded into each other with necromancy and metalmancy.
Once constructed, the weapon can only be wielded by an expert Necromancer. The blade must be willed into existence on the lower planes, requiring a level of skill and concentration most would find prohibitive during a swordfight. As a result, Phased Blades are considered a weapon of assassination rather than of combat.
"You fool," the cloaked stranger hissed, her hood now pulled back to reveal her face. Her green eyes bored into Hokka's very soul.
At least, given her skills in Necromancy, he hoped it was only her eyes.
They stood in front of the now-empty, still locked cell where he had left the assassin-beggar just moments ago. He kneeled next to the body of his former partner, the burly officer now slumped lifelessly against the bars, checking for a pulse.
"He's dead." The necromancer's voice was devoid of emotion, her eyes surveying the cell for any clues from its former occupant. "Heart attack. Or maybe suffocation."
Hokka lept to his feet, clenching his fists at her callousness, but held his ground after a stern frown from his Captain.
Their companion ignored him, continuing her search. She motioned to a small pile of pebbles in the corner, a reminder of a previous occupant who had foolishly tried to dig through the thick stone and tyrellium walls lining three sides of the cell. "There. Major organs are delicate. Temperamental. A few pebbles, inserted in the right spot..." She scowled in Hokka's direction. "As easy as phasing through cell bars without the Antimagic Protocols engaged."
Hokka tensed. An assassin who could do that much, with that little, was now on the loose on the eve of the King's visit. And it was his fault.
The stranger turned to Captain Lyvix, barking orders. "Find all the Grief Walkers you can. Have them scour the city. Assign them in pairs, threes if you can. They'll need guards, with an Antimagic mage on each team."
Her shoulders slumped. "They're not trained for this... But they're the only ones who can find her now, and she knows it. Without protection, they're as good as dead anyway."
She straightened again, bracing for the task at hand. "If we don't find her soon, we're all dead."
Item type
Weapon, Melee
Manufacturer
Related Technologies
Owning Organization
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Illegal across most of Fillimet
Illegal across most of Fillimet
I love love love the prose you've got in this article - especially the way you've broken it up into two sections. I also love the way you've described the creation of the phase blades. It sounds almost scientific!
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Dani helped me really give the Prose a punch, she is a great editor and I learned so much just from the suggestions she gave me. I am so glad you enjoyed the description on how they are made, too. I will admit, that's my mechanical engineering background coming in. Materials engineering was a fun class, especially the associated lab work.
Necromancy is a Wholesome Science.
The mechanical engineering background definitely gives your world a unique flavour! :D And awesome - will definitely pick Dani's brain myself at some point! :D
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