Wisp Blade

A wisp blade is a sword (or other bladed, barbed, or edged weapon) made of a material known as "the crystal that binds", that is used by the apocolites of the Afterlife. The term "wisp" is a colloquialism, most likely related to how the swords sound when swung through the air. Wisp blades are often viewed as a magical device, as the origins of the wisp blade are not known, save by few. The wisp blade is inextricably bound with the mythos of the apocolites, having been used in warfare since history was first written down.

When bound to a wielder, the wisp blade will cause hallucinations and cryptic visions, and often make the wielder physically sick upon first contact. The blade and hilt with change colors from a dull grey, to the color associated with the wielder's apocolite power (excluding the hilt, which changes to either black, grey, or an ornate pattern of colors). The wisp blade then changes the color of the wielders eyes and veins to a neon-glowing version of the blade's color, and becomes a channel for that user's power. The blade, when sheathed, vanishes in a manner representational of the wielder's abilities (a child of wind will have their sword appear from thin air, where as a Child of Water's sword will appear liquid before solidifying).

The blade itself is the sharpest thing known to man, and wisp blades have been seen cutting through even the strongest metals, such as lead, steel, and bluesteel, without so much as minor loss in momentum. Bluesteel is the only material currently known that can resist a wisp blade's impact at all.

## History:

### Origins:

The origins of the wisp blade are not currently known. In the Epilogue of "Universe Eight", King Gregoros commands the Conductor to deliver the Chosen's Five's wisp blades from "The Forge," implying they are artificially created.

## Appearance:

The wisp blade often takes the form of a sword, usually of an Earthen design, though there are many variants of the wisp blade such as; spears, glaives, spades, double-ended swords, axes, and tridents. The design of the sword is often random regarding the wielder, with no account for the culture of where the sword's design initially originated on Earth. Though, in some cases, the sword does have cultural ties with the wielder.

The material of wisp blades from blade to hilt is always wisp crystal, but the crystal will mimic the aesthetic of steel, wood, iron, and leather, as well as ornate gemstones often found in the pommels and hilts of swords.

## Strength and Cutting Power:

A blade of wisp is the sharpest and most durable thing known to man, and wisp blades have been seen cutting through even the strongest metals, such as lead, steel, and bluesteel, without so much as minor loss in momentum. It is said wisp blades can cut matter down to a molecular level, but bluesteel is the only material currently known that can resist a wisp blade's impact at all. When impacting softer materials, the wisp blade passes through the object as though there were no object present. In some cases, there is a delayed reaction to when the cut occurs, and when the object cut is visibly damaged. This includes organic material.

When bound to a wielder, the wisp blade will cause hallucinations and visions, and often make the wielder physically sick upon contact. The blade and hilt with change color from a dull grey, to the color associated with the wielder's apocolite power. The wisp blade then changes the color of the wielders eyes and veins to a neon-glowing version of the blade's color, and becomes a channel for that user's power. The blade, when sheathed, vanishes in a manner representational of the wielder's abilities (a child of wind will have their sword appear from thin air, where as a Child of Water's sword will appear liquid before solidifying).

Wisp blades are considered "super-weapons", and apocolites are often feared, regardless of their celebrity status or social relationships with the general public.

A weaker wisp blade can be broken or shattered by another wisp blade. Bluesteel bullets, due to their velocity, can also shatter wisp. If an apocolite is untrained, having not explored their spirit in relation to their new weapon and destiny, the wisp will not be as strong and may be more prone to shattering or vanishing.

## Use:

Wisp blades can only be used by one person, per weapon at a time. Apocolites cannot wield each others wisp blades, at the risk of madness or death. Alternatively, the stolen wisp blade will chip and crack, reducing its strength. Wisp also cannot harm the human or sentient being it is assigned to in any way, making suicide by wisp blade an impossibility.

A wisp blade is "bound" biologically to its wielder, and cannot be used by regular humans. If a "dead" wisp blade is grasped by a regular human being (or other sentient life), either nothing will happen and the blade will vanish, or that subject will become an apocolite.

Wisp blades have a mental connection with their wielder, often called "the wisdom", which speaks in cryptic tones to its commander. Some apocolites question whether they are in control, or whether the sword is in fact controlling them. If an apocolite is too spiritually disagreeable to the blade, or performing acts not in line with what the wisp blade knows its subject to be as a person, the wisp blade will chip and crack, and become weaker, deeming its wielder unworthy. Though, wisp blade wisdom seems to have no issues with murder, or committing acts of violence, and some wisp blades even demand the user fight, even when they do not wish to. Oftentimes wisp wisdom is ignored by apocolites entirely due to the contradictions they put forth.

Wisp blades will also balance their weight to what the wielder is comfortable with, creating a "perfect balance" with the wielder, regardless of their strength or dexterity.

The wielder of a wisp blade must train with their weapon intensely, or the weapon will be weak, resulting in it receiving damage in combat against bluesteel weapons, other wisp blades, or in encounters with the Lumieri. Apocolites relate using a wisp blade to exercising a muscle. Overtime, the muscle becomes stronger, but overusing or overextending that muscle can lead to pain, or damage. Wisp blade overuse can cause nosebleeds, seizures, fainting, and cardiac arrest.

Wisp blades can be controlled to the point where they "recognize" friends and allies, and will not harm figures the wielder would not wish harmed. This, however, is not a solid system and countless accidents throughout history have occurred due to the hubris tied with this rule.

Wisp blades cannot be thrown at great distances, as when separated from the wielder, they will vanish, and reappear in the users body to be unsheathed again. Trained wisp bladesman can throw their weapon for longer distances, but eventually, the weapon dissolves and returns to the wielder.

## Variants and specializations:

### Standard Wisp Blade:

A standard wisp blade is a one-handed sword, usually of European, Asian, or Middle Eastern design. These are the most common of wisp blades, ranging from 2.5 foot short swords, to 3.5 foot arming or long swords.

### Two-handed Wisp Blade:

A two-handed wisp blade is usually designed after a longsword, or greatsword of various types. Wisp hammers and battleaxes fall under this category as well. In sword form, these weapons usually exceed four feet in length, and artificially change their weight to require a two-handed grip (though most wielders use two hands anyway for better control). Wisp, being a lighter material than steel, makes these weapons dangerously fast, and two-handed wisp blades are often feared moreso than their one-handed variants due to the length advantage.

### Axes:

Wisp axes are a somewhat-common variant of the wisp blade. They have a single cutting edge, and vary in length. Double-bladed wisp axes are possible. Duncan Ulysses Wolf, a Child of Stone in Zenzele's Karass, wields a long hatchet.

### Double-ended swords:

One of the more rare types of wisp blades are the double-ended sword variant, with a blade positioned on either side of a central hilt. These weapons are more akin to staffs than swords, but a skilled wielder can use them to deadly effect. Because wisp cannot harm its wielder, many of the drawbacks of a double bladed sword do not apply to a double bladed wisp, save for one. There are often no crossguards on a double bladed wisp, leaving the user's hands vulnerable to a skilled bladesman or a lucky blow.

### Maces and hammers:

Of the rarer types of wisp, maces and hammers are often seldom used. Their crushing force, coupled with wisps ability to cut matter to a molecular level makes using hammers and maces extremely volatile, and in some cases horrifically messy. Despite their barbaric category, maces and hammers often require the most skill to wield properly.

### Spears:

Wisp Spears are often used as mid-ranged melee weapons, and are not as common as their sword counterparts. Wisp spears have only a cutting edge on the spearhead, though the long shaft can do massive amounts of damage in a target is struck.

### Bows:

The rarest of all types of wisp is the wisp bow, which utilizes a bow-and-arrow design, with a variation on the number of arrows able to be "called." The arrows strike, and vanish, reappearing as "ammunition" in the wielder's body. This variant takes immense skill to master, and none have yet been seen.

## Notes:

1. Author Christopher Dorsey knows the true nature and creation of wisp blades, but due to that information not being revealed in the story, it is not revealed on this wiki.