Radiant Swords

[swordofmodness]

Radiant Swords What is a Radiant Sword? Radiant Swords are, at heart, beings of a nature so abstract it defies words. 'Soul', 'spirit', 'will', 'essence' -- all of these words struggle to encapsulate a nebulous concept that exists within and yet fundamentally apart from the world of matter and energy. A Radiant Sword is more than simply a disembodied existence, though. For reasons not understood, they are souls and wills who possess unique mastery over an elemental force of creation or destruction, and not only the authority to use those powers but an inability not to. To be a Radiant Sword is to be an engine of advancement, to shape a world or a reality simply by existing. No pressure, right? The Trichotomy A Radiant Sword has three essential components: The Core, the Body, and the Blade. The Core The Core is the center, the heart and mind and true being, of a Radiant Sword. A small polyhedral shape about the size of a man's fist, the Core varies in appearance from one individual to the next. No two Radiant Swords have the same Core. The Blade and the Body are just manifestations of that which exists as the Core, and as such, a Radiant Sword who loses the strength to manifest both will be reduced to nothing more than their Core, effectively unconscious and unable to perceive or affect the world around them until they regain their strength. Cores cannot be destroyed. Though they are physical objects as far as anyone wishing to pick them up and carry them around would need them to be, the reality is that Cores are something more fundamental than matter and energy. You'll destroy reality itself before you destroy a Core. (Please don't destroy reality.) The Body The Body is just as it sounds: a manifested body resembling the form the Radiant Sword is most familiar with wearing (i.e. their canon body). The Body is merely a creation of willpower. It draws off the familiar patterns in the Radiant Sword's mind and soul, which is why it is basically effortless to maintain so long as the Radiant Sword is not unconscious. The drawback is that Radiant Swords retain any number of psychological needs they don't actually have any more. Radiant Swords still desire food, drink, and sleep, for example. They become intoxicated off alcohol, pained by wounds, exhausted by hard work. The Body will never fail because of these psychological needs, but they still punish and limit the Radiant Sword. Only with substantial devotion of Elemental Energy can a Radiant Sword overcome the limitations of their mind -- though some choose not to, believing that they're abandoning their mortality and everything they once were. The Blade So named because it typically manifests as a meter-long eruption of the Radiant Sword's element, the Blade is the implement through which the Radiant Sword's will becomes reality. Like the Body, it is only manifested energy, but it requires active exertion of willpower to maintain. As such, the Blade generally only manifests in times of danger, exertion, or deliberate invocation. Though apparently made of flames or metal or wind or what have you, the Blades are themselves harmless without an effort to make them otherwise, though using them offensively is the simplest way to use them. With the Blade manifested, though, a Radiant Sword can create and control their element. This is the power and gift of the Radiant Swords, and the means by which they influence the world around them. The Elements Every Radiant Sword has an element, a primal aspect of creation which they have dominion over. As they grow in power, they may gain different elements, or even master higher tiers of more concrete powers out of a fusion of the elements they represent. Positive elements are the most common and the easiest to manipulate; they are called Thesis elements. On the other hand, a Radiant Sword may possess an element of destruction, cancellation, or undoing. These far rarer elements are Antithesis. Lastly, by mastering the proper Thesis and Antithesis elements, a Radiant Sword may achieve a Synthesis element, one of vast power and versatility. Below are some examples of Elements. This list is not complete! If you have an idea for an Element, please comment to this post or send a message and the mod will assign it a category and complexity. Thesis Tier 1: Fire: Control over flames of all sorts. Earth: The creation of earth and stone. Water: Pure and perfect water, without so much as an imperfection within it. Air: Mastery over air in the abstract. Motion: Adding kinetic energy to an existing object. Tier 2: Metal (Fire + Earth): The creation and manipulation of all sorts of pure or alloyed metal. Wood (Earth + Water): Any sort of tree matter falls under this Element, though it cannot create, say, grass. Electricity (Water + Wind): From lightning bolts to simple static. Heat (Wind + Fire): Radiating heat, with the absence of light or combustion. Antithesis Cold: The opposite of heat, it destroys it. Rot: The decay of living or once-living material. Collapse: All things fall. Dissipate: That which exists must cease to exist. Darkness: The opposite of light, it quenches it. Synthesis Light (Fire + Darkness): Ultimate mastery over the visible spectrum. Weather (Electricity + Heat + Dissipate): The creation and control of weather systems, whether on a small scale or large.

Premise | Rules | FAQ
Navigation

</td></tr></table>