gem weapon ideas.

now, we all know that gems are commonplace in felarya, and one of the main draws of it's wealth, well, we all know gems are pretty, but what use are they besides monetary value? here's an example of some magical weapons that draw their powers from gems.

molten ruby sword: a weapon made out of pure ruby, this valuable weapon nearly as sharp as a diamond sword, and has been infused with the might of lava. very rare, but it's owner can use about 3 times a day it's enchantment to unleash a blast of lava against anything it slashes at. finding someone who can make it is hard, but it works VERY well at driving off most preds. just hope you don't encounter something resistant to fire magic, cuz the lava is useless against that kind of threat.

Frozen sapphire blade: similar to the molten ruby sword, and often used in conjunction with one by a double blade wielder, it uses similar sharpness and everkeen enchantments, as well as being similarly hard to make. it however mainly differs in that the wielder can 3 times a day create a giant field of ice crystals of razor sharpness around a target aproximently 300 feet away. it's no use against a flying pred, but a naga will not be happy to get numerous impaled icicles in her skin grabbing you from through it.

Diamond blade: enchanted with resistance to magic, this priceless weapon is able to cut almost anything, including silver succubi, immune to metal weapons. it's also as light as a feather. the wielder is granted an ability to absorb and reflect spells cast at him by anything, and it has a limit of 10 high level spells before automatic discharge. due to absorbing spells, it is very hard to magically harm someone using this kind of blade. among the few things this blade cannot cut, are the shells of tourkas, so don't buy one intending to try to slay one.

more to come later.

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now, we all know that gems are commonplace in felarya, and one of the main draws of it's wealth, well, we all know gems are pretty, but what use are they besides monetary value? here's an example of some magical weapons that draw their powers from gems.

Now, we do have certain minerals with magical properties. Actinite, for example. It produces an electrical discharge when magic is applied to it. I imagine there are other, similar minerals with various properties.

As for drawing powers out of common gemstones? I just don't see it. That's like trying to draw magical powers out of a random rock.

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it's enchantment to unleash a blast of lava against anything it slashes at

You can't shoot a blast of lava out of a ruby sword. Lava is melted rock.

To do any kind of lava magic, you'd probably need to be a damn powerful mage with great proficiency in both geomancy and fire magic. You'd need to be able to melt the rocks, and then control the melted material, to use it in any kind of effective fashion.

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but it works VERY well at driving off most preds

I really doubt a sword, even an enchanted one would be able to produce a spell powerful enough to drive off a pred. That's like a BB gun shooting a powerful enough projectile to kill an elephant. Enchanted weapons exist (the wiki, and the manga prove that), but, like any other magic, its all about scale. They aren't going to have powerful enough magic to drive off a pred.

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a double blade wielder

...Not even going to go into how impractical dual-wielding swords is. Its been gone over in other posts in nice detail.

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an 3 times a day create a giant field of ice crystals of razor sharpness around a target aproximently 300 feet away.

Once again, you have a sword capable of putting out a magical effect big enough to wound or drive off a 100ft tall predator. I just don't buy it.

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this priceless weapon is able to cut almost anything, including silver succubi

Succubi and Angels are among the most powerful species in Felarya. The only thing that can stand up to them is another demon or angel. A sword, wielded by a human just isn't going to work. Not to mention, it would be laughably easy for any pred to disarm a human. All it takes is a flick of the fingers, or a tap with their tail.

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it's also as light as a feather.

...Diamonds have a weight to them, you know.

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wielder is granted an ability to absorb and reflect spells cast at him by anything, and it has a limit of 10 high level spells before automatic discharge. due to absorbing spells, it is very hard to magically harm someone using this kind of blade

Just seems excessively overpowered. ...and I really doubt all the magic-absorbing swords in Felarya are going to protect you if someone just decides to nuke you with a 50ft wide fireball.

Really, these swords just seem like something ripped from just about any fantasy-themed anime. Given their extreme magical powers, I could never see anyone, outside of maybe a Magiocrat being able to use, much less afford one. As a set of ancient relics, they could potentially work, but as something that can be actively made by humans? It just doesn't work.

rcs619 wrote:

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now, we all know that gems are commonplace in felarya, and one of the main draws of it's wealth, well, we all know gems are pretty, but what use are they besides monetary value? here's an example of some magical weapons that draw their powers from gems.

Now, we do have certain minerals with magical properties. Actinite, for example. It produces an electrical discharge when magic is applied to it. I imagine there are other, similar minerals with various properties.

As for drawing powers out of common gemstones? I just don't see it. That's like trying to draw magical powers out of a random rock.

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it's enchantment to unleash a blast of lava against anything it slashes at

You can't shoot a blast of lava out of a ruby sword. Lava is melted rock.

To do any kind of lava magic, you'd probably need to be a damn powerful mage with great proficiency in both geomancy and fire magic. You'd need to be able to melt the rocks, and then control the melted material, to use it in any kind of effective fashion.

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but it works VERY well at driving off most preds

I really doubt a sword, even an enchanted one would be able to produce a spell powerful enough to drive off a pred. That's like a BB gun shooting a powerful enough projectile to kill an elephant. Enchanted weapons exist (the wiki, and the manga prove that), but, like any other magic, its all about scale. They aren't going to have powerful enough magic to drive off a pred.

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a double blade wielder

...Not even going to go into how impractical dual-wielding swords is. Its been gone over in other posts in nice detail.

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an 3 times a day create a giant field of ice crystals of razor sharpness around a target aproximently 300 feet away.

Once again, you have a sword capable of putting out a magical effect big enough to wound or drive off a 100ft tall predator. I just don't buy it.

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this priceless weapon is able to cut almost anything, including silver succubi

Succubi and Angels are among the most powerful species in Felarya. The only thing that can stand up to them is another demon or angel. A sword, wielded by a human just isn't going to work. Not to mention, it would be laughably easy for any pred to disarm a human. All it takes is a flick of the fingers, or a tap with their tail.

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it's also as light as a feather.

...Diamonds have a weight to them, you know.

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wielder is granted an ability to absorb and reflect spells cast at him by anything, and it has a limit of 10 high level spells before automatic discharge. due to absorbing spells, it is very hard to magically harm someone using this kind of blade

Just seems excessively overpowered. ...and I really doubt all the magic-absorbing swords in Felarya are going to protect you if someone just decides to nuke you with a 50ft wide fireball.

Really, these swords just seem like something ripped from just about any fantasy-themed anime. Given their extreme magical powers, I could never see anyone, outside of maybe a Magiocrat being able to use, much less afford one. As a set of ancient relics, they could potentially work, but as something that can be actively made by humans? It just doesn't work.

they CAN'T just be found anywhere, and are not actively made, supposedly only one guy can make them, they are DREADFULLY expensive, and I admit, any pred worth their size can disarm someone, also, good luck finding enough gems to make the sword. these are not meant to be common, at all.

First, please try not to quote an entire comment like that. Quote bits and pieces to help break things up.

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they CAN'T just be found anywhere, and are not actively made, supposedly only one guy can make them

...How are they relavent then? What's the point of putting forward an idea that no one can really use? Where is this guy even located anyway? Is he supposed to be in Negav, or out in the middle of the jungle?

I mean, Jetbikes are expensive, but they are readily available for purchase and have practical uses.

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they are DREADFULLY expensive

Very few people in Felarya would be able to afford them then. People living out in the jungle don't use money. Even in Negav, most people are poor or middle-class. Only a very small percentage of the city lives in the high district, and they'd have no use for those kinds of weapons, as they never leave the city.

I saw you mention over on DA that people would need to pay for these things in Ascarlin. The Magiocrats have exclusive control over the Ascarlin trade. Only the Magiocrats (and perhaps a small group of very rich nobles who are on good terms with them) would ever even get to see Ascarlin, much less have some of their own.

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also, good luck finding enough gems to make the sword

You would need to mine for them. That's how you find gemstones. ...and since the Ascarlin Mountain mines belong to the Magiocrats, whoever makes these swords would need his own mine.

Also, can you even forge gemstones? I don't think they work like that. All I've heard of is cutting them into shapes.

Indeed. If stones were good for edged weapons, we would still be using them.

What would make far more sense is a diamond edged or a sapphire edged sword, since we do use diamond and sapphire edges on things today.

yes. you can forge gems, it's called magic. I'm sure the magicrats can see the use in arming the soldiers who accompany the isolon fist battlemages with weapons that can drive off preds. and it can be a status symbol. this guy does not rely on the making of these swords for his income, he himself is an adventurer who is retired, living off his already garnered fortune. also, it gets DAMN tiring for the preds to alway be so unstoppable. why can't humans ever get anything that could POSSIBLY imply they can be strong and dangerous too, HUH?

the problem with just making them edged with the gems, is that they still have metal in them, which makes them vulnerable to metall affecting powers, such as the silver succubi's skin.

TryMeIke wrote:

yes. you can forge gems, it's called magic. I'm sure the magicrats can see the use in arming the soldiers who accompany the isolon fist battlemages with weapons that can drive off preds. and it can be a status symbol. this guy does not rely on the making of these swords for his income, he himself is an adventurer who is retired, living off his already garnered fortune. also, it gets DAMN tiring for the preds to alway be so unstoppable. why can't humans ever get anything that could POSSIBLY imply they can be strong and dangerous too, HUH?

Ok what is the point in an Isolon Fist soldier using some 'exceedingly rare magical sword to drive off preds' when they can just be armed with a much cheaper anti-tank rocket launcher?

The idea is rather far fetched and impractical to say the least; Cliff covered the rest. Also a retired adventurer some how learned to forge gem weapons; even with magic the better term would be crafted. Where or more interestingly when did he learn such a craft?

why, because rocket launchers are heavy and unwieldy in the jungle, and you need to draw, load and THEN fire them, compared to a magical sword that fires an attack, it's faster, which means the soldier is more likely to survive, not get snatched up and gobbled because he was trying to load his weapon.

TryMeIke wrote:

yes. you can forge gems, it's called magic. I'm sure the magicrats can see the use in arming the soldiers who accompany the isolon fist battlemages with weapons that can drive off preds. and it can be a status symbol. this guy does not rely on the making of these swords for his income, he himself is an adventurer who is retired, living off his already garnered fortune. also, it gets DAMN tiring for the preds to alway be so unstoppable. why can't humans ever get anything that could POSSIBLY imply they can be strong and dangerous too, HUH?

They're not. Look at the Isolon fist, or even what I assume to be a decent merc force.
There's villages and towns in the jungle that can obviously hold off predators, otherwise they wouldn't be there.

TryMeIke wrote:

the problem with just making them edged with the gems, is that they still have metal in them, which makes them vulnerable to metall affecting powers, such as the silver succubi's skin.

I assumed that the metal had to be contacting the skin, (ignoring their magnetic powers here).
But besides, even if their skin can't be pierced by metal, I'm sure you can sure bruise it with metal. That's what crushing weapons are for.

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why, because rocket launchers are heavy and unwieldy in the jungle, and you need to draw, load and THEN fire them, compared to a magical sword that fires an attack, it's faster, which means the soldier is more likely to survive, not get snatched up and gobbled because he was trying to load his weapon.

You raise a valid point Ike, which is why, in an expeditionary force, there would be more than one person.
Bullets are effective against predators (not to kill, but to cause pain), so the other members would be carrying automatic weapons.

(Also, you're implying that rocket launchers aren't carried loaded.)

TryMeIke wrote:

why, because rocket launchers are heavy and unwieldy in the jungle, and you need to draw, load and THEN fire them, compared to a magical sword that fires an attack, it's faster, which means the soldier is more likely to survive, not get snatched up and gobbled because he was trying to load his weapon.

.... Any soldier who goes on a mission without a weapon that isn't already loaded isn't worth being called a soldier. I advise you to look into the M72 LAW if you think all rocket launchers are heavy and unwieldy. Also the lowly 7.62mm bullet when fired in sufficent number will drive off a pread, pred's are flesh and blood; they aren't bullet proof.

even so, they don't all have to be carrying one, say the captain and scouts do, the scount to move faster, and the captain as a sign of rank, and all the others use the normal weapons. this gives a bit of versatility, what if say they were attacked by bandits instead? surely they have some melee weapons for an encounter with thugs.

Or shoot them at point blank with their LMGs. Sure a sword would make a good back up weapon but not a primary one.

so if they are properly prepared, they will take back up weapons. and again, the main point of these are NOT for common use. but for symbols. I guess I should have stated that before. everyone assumes they were supposed to be common, but they are not supposed to be common.

You're better off having such a weapon being crafted for speciffic use by the Isolon's battle mages, they afterall act as the officers.

sure, that can do fine.

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.... Any soldier who goes on a mission without a weapon that isn't already loaded isn't worth being called a soldier. I advise you to look into the M72 LAW if you think all rocket launchers are heavy and unwieldy. Also the lowly 7.62mm bullet when fired in sufficent number will drive off a pread, pred's are flesh and blood; they aren't bullet proof.

Hell, I think even something as light and simple as a RPG-7 would be more than enough. The shaped-charges on those things are designed to punch through vehicle armor.

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gives a bit of versatility, what if say they were attacked by bandits instead? surely they have some melee weapons for an encounter with thugs.

Umm, bandits would have easy access to pistols, shotguns, and other civillian-legal weapons. Its not like they are running around with only melee weapons. Some would, but basic guns aren't that rare. Its the military-grade stuff that only a select few groups have access to.

some would, others would not. and there are other dangers, not giant preds, or bandits, say a pack of kensha beasts, they need to use one of there rocket launchers or the swords. why not use the always replenishing ability of the sword, and not a limited, has to be replaced rocket?

How would the sword constantly replenish? Sure, there's magic everywhere but surely this thing can't just spam.

Anyway, a kensha beast pack isn't going to bother with a few humans, they hunt larger prey.

Anime-Junkie wrote:

How would the sword constantly replenish? Sure, there's magic everywhere but surely this thing can't just spam.

Anyway, a kensha beast pack isn't going to bother with a few humans, they hunt larger prey.

..and if they do bother with you, you're fucked.

Kensha packs can easily take down a giant hybrid. Lone Kenshas could be dealt with, a pack is just too big, too strong and too fast.

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some would, others would not. and there are other dangers, not giant preds, or bandits, say a pack of kensha beasts, they need to use one of there rocket launchers or the swords. why not use the always replenishing ability of the sword, and not a limited, has to be replaced rocket?

You said it can only be used 3 times a day.

If you have 3 soldiers with rocket launchers, that's three shots right there. Assuming they have one rocket in the launcher, and 3 each in reserve, it makes for 12 shots total. Much more than the swords.

There are going to be more than 3 Kenshas in a pack too.

it gets three said blasts a day, which means every day, it recharges said blasts. and who said you would be fucked? the mages can deal with the beasts, same as they can the giant preds, who are more dangerous then said beasts. as can the soliders, who have weapons meant for such encounters?

Edit: I already agreed that these weapons could be specificly produced for the battlemages themselves. so why not accept that?

The thing is with these isn't that they're particularly bad or don't make sense, it's just that there are ways to do the same thing in a better and/or more efficient way. Due do this, we're wondering why anyone would use them, considering the alternatives.

who said those in felarya consider this a worse alternative to what they already have? I can imagine a lucky adventurer who manages to garner the requisite supplies and has a flair for the dramatic, would be willing to invest in such a weapon. not everyone in felarya has the advantages we on earth here have of KNOWING what is a better deal then other. although, not everyone here does so either. there are going to be people who use this service, just cuz they can and don't know any better.

I see no reason why these weapons, or at least ones like these, would exist. Very likely they were forge created, saw a few weeks use or so, and like most adventurers, they eventually run out of luck and are killed, and the sword sits in a clearing, or in some lost ruins for some person to find them. The idea has merit, but it wouldn't be a common thing that men of a tactical bent would use primarily.

Tome one shows what preds think of magic swords. Although, that scene shows what any direct confrontation from one guy ends as. Sword, gun, rocket launcher, magic staff. They just get smacked out of your hands. If a lone person wants to damage a pred, he needs the bonus damage from a sneak attack! Ha ha ha

I'm NOT saying these swords are going to do that much, what I am saying is that they CAN be used this way. and trust me, the ruby sword is NASTY, seeing as lava can not just burn flesh, but VAPORISE it. a pred who gets hit is not likely to try going after someone with such a weapon again. now, these are just a random idea of mine, and it's not like they are MEANT to be put in canon, I'm just throwing the idea out here. I just didn't expect the amount of bashing that would get me.