Hydro-Blades
Also known as: Water-Blades, Current Swords
Slender, double-edged swords forged from compressed river-ice and tempered in the fast current of the Obsidian River. When drawn, a Hydro-Blade sheathes itself in a flowing film of animated water that sharpens the edge beyond what any whetstone could achieve. The blade flexes like a living current, making it almost impossible to parry cleanly, and a skilled wielder can extend its reach by projecting a pressurised water-lance up to three metres beyond the physical steel.
Artifact Details
- Type
- Weapon
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Origin
- Developed by the River Sentinels during the Obsidian River Skirmishes (c. 1245 AE) as a response to Drakonian scale-armour, which conventional steel struggled to pierce. The Guild of Hydro-Artisans devised the water-film tempering process after observing that high-pressure river jets could cut stone. Standard-issue blades are produced in sets of two, one for each hand, and issued to all River Sentinel skirmishers upon passing their Craft-Flow Trial.
Overview
Hydro-Blades is a uncommon weapon in Landorya. Its known origin is Developed by the River Sentinels during the Obsidian River Skirmishes (c. 1245 AE) as a response to Drakonian scale-armour, which conventional steel struggled to pierce. The Guild of Hydro-Artisans devised the water-film tempering process after observing that high-pressure river jets could cut stone. Standard-issue blades are produced in sets of two, one for each hand, and issued to all River Sentinel skirmishers upon passing their Craft-Flow Trial.. Its most cited abilities include Edge maintained by a permanent, self-renewing water-film that sharpens on contact, Flexible reach: the blade can release a pressurised water-lance up to three metres long, and Wounds inflicted resist conventional healing until cleansed with pure spring water. Accounts also warn of a drawback: A Hydro-Blade slowly drains moisture from any being who carries it overland for more than a day without immersing it in freshwater. Prolonged separation from w…
History
The most storied pair of Hydro-Blades belonged to the River Sentinel captain Varess Moonflow, who led the defence of the Crystal River during the Battle of the Veined Stone in 1289 AE. Using the blades' water-lance extension, she ruptured the hull-runes of three Drakonian submersibles in a single engagement. Her blades were retired to the Archives of the Deep upon her Final Flow, where they are displayed crossed beneath her water-memory tapestry.
Powers & Abilities
- ✦ Edge maintained by a permanent, self-renewing water-film that sharpens on contact
- ✦ Flexible reach: the blade can release a pressurised water-lance up to three metres long
- ✦ Wounds inflicted resist conventional healing until cleansed with pure spring water
- ✦ In the hands of a Hydromancy practitioner, the blade can redirect its strike mid-swing by bending the water-film
Curse or Drawback
A Hydro-Blade slowly drains moisture from any being who carries it overland for more than a day without immersing it in freshwater. Prolonged separation from water causes the blade to crack and the bearer to suffer escalating dehydration no amount of drinking can fully relieve.