Faction Artistry (NJO)

[Jackson Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Vera Noble

Jackson didn’t answer right away. The glow from the forge caught faint highlights along the grain of the sappirewood, and for a long second, he simply stared at it with his thumb brushing lightly over the surface like it might offer an answer. It didn’t, of course, but it felt solid like a real piece of something that hadn’t been taken from him yet.

Vera’s presence was grounding as she approached, even if it was unexpected. She didn’t press or fill the silence with noise, she just let it hang there between them like a soft thread waiting to be picked up.

Finally, Jax glanced at her sketches, brows lifting slightly at the range. Some were all curved and elegant, others squared and brutally practical. There were one or two that had notations which looked like something Romi might’ve jotted down. He didn’t comment on that. Instead, he gave a small, appreciative nod.

“I’m not really the ‘fancy’ type,” Jackson answered quietly. “Never have been.”

He turned the datapad toward her. The screen displayed a simple frame. The design wasn’t quite finished, but it was close. The lines were clean, almost severe. Everything about it screamed function over form. It didn’t have a flared emitter or cross-guard, just a hilt that looked like it belonged to someone who spent more time surviving than showing off.

“I was going to just build something basic. Straight grip. Non-slip wrap. Balanced for one-hand use. Nothing that would call attention to itself.”

He hesitated, eyes flicking to the wood again.

“But I dunno. This stuff,” he tapped the sappirewood, “it’s got weight. Not just physically. Feels like… something I should honor, not just slap onto a pipe.” His fingers curled slightly against the table’s edge, jaw tight for a moment before he added, more quietly, “Romi would’ve said it should say something. Even if no one else ever hears it.”

He sat back slightly, the beginnings of a thought taking shape behind his eyes.

“Maybe a little fancy, then. Just not loud.”

A beat passed, then his gaze shifted toward Vera, just a touch wry.

“But I’m probably going to regret every decorative decision the second I mess up the carve.”

Which he wouldn’t because Lesans were actually pretty good at crafting things. His tone was dry, but something unspoken had softened in him, even if only briefly. The barrier he usually kept between himself and this new group of Jedi erased by degrees.

He nodded toward her notebook.

“You think you’ll go curved? Or something more simple this time?”

 

[Braze]

TAGS: OPEN

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Braze made his presence known by choosing a table and setting out a black velvet table cloth down and set out several of weapons he'd forged upon the table seemingly putting them on display for all to see in the room. Presumably for others to see and perhaps ask questions. There was certainly a large assortment that he pulled off a unique utility harness that seemingly allowed him to carry every one of them with ease.

Braze was small but he lacked the familiar braid of a padawan. He had a pad he was sketching sevral new designs of weapons oon to he settled down with seemingly not having much to do or say at the momment.

"Ten credits to any newbies who can guess what saber was my first~"

Lightsabers​

Calypso​

Corsage​

Echo​

Gauntlet Shield (Katar + Shield)​

Hot 'n' Heavy Compensator​

Nightshade​

Requiem​

Resurgence​

Sentry​

Troublemaker's Trickblade​

Twilight​

Voice of the Wind​

Whirlwind​

Lightsaber Lightwhip: Retribution​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Open

As the class got down to business to personalize their lightsaber hilts, Zaiya picked up her etcher with a practiced grip, giving a little soft hum of a melody as she worked. As she turned it on, the etcher's quiet hum filled the air, and after squinting her eyes to double-check things in her mind's eye, she leaned in over the hilt and began to work. Curved lines first in soft swirls and flowing patterns, etching into the iridescent metal with careful precision.

Her mottled spots shifted gently, with gentle pulses of amber and orchid in calm focus, making sure she was faithfully etching where she had to, the design taking shape beneath her hands.

Near the grip, she pressed in three small beads she'd made herself, each one faintly glowing, softly imbued through the Force. One to help ground her mind, one to keep her empathy balanced, and one to give her a little boost of focus when shadows crept in.

She had conducted some research on what would be best for her situation, and while Domxite had their own hilt crafted by Iris, the Lovalla Padawan also wanted to make something uniquely her own.

 

[Aris Noble]

There were a lot more people here than Aris had expected. It brought one of those barely visible smiles to his usually emotionless face, though it did turn to a little bit of a squint as he caught sight of Vera. She wasn't actually going to do anything, right? Right? He ended up chuckling under his breath. He really had no idea if she would or wouldn't, and that probably was her goal.

He turned his gaze to Master Vanagor as the tall man offered his own lightsaber for inspiration. There was a pause as the thought seemed to click for Aris, and as if on cue even Master Serys mentioned that examples would be good to show. His own as well. He reached down, lifting up the aged yet refurbished hilt in thought.

Valery's first saber. He'd re-found it on New Cov, rebuilt some of the parts that had rotted with age, but he didn't craft it himself. Braze bringing up his own display of the various weapons he'd crafted had Aris that much more thoughtful. Shouldn't he also make his own lightsaber, then? He looked to Zaiya, to her focus. He smiled.

He lifted up one of the blocks of metal. Not a lightsaber hilt or tube, but just a block of metal, and started to mold it. His hands started to glow a deep red as he did, casually heating and shaping metal like it was clay. "There is no right or wrong way to do this. If you make an error, you can keep it. Undo it. Restart. We can reuse the parts here as much as you want or need to. Patience is important, but so is being willing to let go and restart rather than push for something that you know you don't like."

Learning to let go was important, right? Hopefully. He was half focused on what he was doing though, smiling softly as he continued to work the molten metal.

Ran Serys | Zaiya Ceti | Valery Noble | Caltin Vanagor | Braze | Jackson Lesan | Xuko Pagoi | Mak Ondor | Jonyna Si | Aadihr Lidos | Azurine Varek | Kas Larsen | Klar | Reina Daival

 

[Klar]

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Mak Ondor

"I know that sounds very unhelpful, but the truth is it is only within you that you will find your design. Build your lightsaber with your heart, not your mind. I know you will create something truly outstanding if you trust your instincts."

He got up, leaning on his stick.

"I will be around if you need me. But creating your weapon is an intensely personal endeavour, and I will leave you to it."

Klar considered for a moment, turning the lightsaber hilt over in her hands. A compass - she hadn't really thought about it that way, but reframed? She could come around to the idea. If nothing else, it was a solid justification. Klar dipped her head respectfully to the departing Master. "Thank you for your wisdom, Master Ondor." The Padawan murmured earnestly. "I will take it to heart."

Of course, that left her back at the following-her-heart bit. Maybe if she had more clarity of self, maybe if she wasn't so caught up in the journey being the means for the destination, maybe if she could stop tripping over the same mistakes that messed her up in every other part of her life. Alas. The heart was a stubborn, stupid thing. Klar experimentally rubbed a sanding tool against one of the notches she'd made, rounding off the harder bits that might catch on her hand.

She tried not to consider how insulting her unskilled, half-baked alterations must be to the artisan who'd made it. Even if the weapon was HERS, it still felt disrespectful in a way.

Her train of thought was thoroughly interrupted by Aris casually cleaving shape from a block of metal as though he were tearing a loaf of break in half. That train of thought was then demolished and OBLITERATED by the weapons display Braze rolled out. Regardless of the ten-credit prize, the Padawan was yanked out of the moment and into a different moment the one might snap a fish out of the sea.

"A foreward weighted polearm in the style of a maul, with a cyclical crystal array and a variable length...!" Klar gushed, 'ooing' and 'aahing' over the collection of exotic, elaborate weapons. "The weight alone would make it deadly, but coupled with a - oh! Microrepulsors to help with the weight! That's ingenious!" The young Codru-Ji was nearly beside herself, flitting from one weapon to the next - though the Hot'n'Heavy had clearly drawn her eye. "A kimber stone AND bondar crystal as well! I'd have never thought of that! Amazing!"

Klar looked hopefully up to the weapon's owner. "May I heft it? Unlit?"

 

[Ran Serys]

"He and I have that in common then. I, too, wielded and retooled an ancestor's lightsaber. The relation was much more distant than mother and son though. He was a ghostly ancestor returned from the netherworld as a guide. He was silly, and fun. The force works in strange ways doesn't it, Valery?" Ran replied pointing out the absurdity of it all.

"Oh to have that lightsaber again!" She mused as she held her most recently crafted lightsaber in hand. It was almost one hundred percent custom, and fully fabricated in Ran's Workshop aboard the Onyx Runner. The lightsaber hilt was simple but had its adornments in the form of a slight ornate etching, a vented pommel, a built in grip and double ignition switch. It was longer in the hand and very much intended to be wielded by two of them. Some would argue it could be considered a greatsaber, although Ran wouldn't as she often wielded it with one hand.

It was made of Slivian Iron, and its magnetic properties were amplified and muted by Ran's use of the force. She did so for a variety of reasons that made her lightsaber less like a weapon and more like a tool. She hoped the young Jedi present would know that. A lightsaber wasn't a weapon, or wasn't just a weapon. It could be a tool, a charm, a fetish, but more than anything it was a symbol. A symbol of the Jedi and their duties to the force and to the galaxy. Duties that were not taken lightly.

"If I can add something to what Aris has already said, I would say to be honest with yourself while you are crafting your lightsabers. Truly honest. Know who you are. Realize who you are. Become who you are. Know yourself and be honest because that is part of wielding a lightsaber. To wield a lightsaber, the symbol of the Jedi, is to show the galaxy who you really are. What do you want the galaxy to know? What do you want the galaxy to see? Think about that as you build your lightsaber and inevitably wield it, and how you walk with that knowledge into the future." Ran guided the class for but a moment as Aris began crafting his own saber alongside them. "If anyone would like some assistance, I am able." She announced.

"Any wise words from the Grandmaster, Master Noble?" Ran turned back to Valery then to the other Masters. "Master Ondor? Master Si? Master... Vanagor?" Ran offered confusedly as the burly Jedi Ran past along with his son Connel. "Knights, Braze and Lidos? She continued opening the floor up for shared wisdom.

Tags: Valery Noble || Zaiya Ceti Braze Jackson Lesan Xuko Pagoi Mak Ondor Jonyna Si Aadihr Lidos Azurine Varek Kas Larsen Klar Reina Daival Caltin Vanagor
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[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Ran Serys Valery Noble @ All of y'all why are there so many people ugh

Jonyna seemed almost meditative as she worked, stripping apart every little bit of the saber's construction, and cleaning it with a delicate hand. While the others spoke, Jonyna was in the middle of wiping down a wooden panel of her saber, pausing only to look over to Ran.

"Hm? Oh, yes." She chuckled, floating the ruby crystal of her blade into the center of the crowd. "At the end of the day, the casing of your saber, what it does, whether it be a lightspear, a saber-blaster, an axe, a hammer...none of it matters without this. This is your best friend, or at least...it should be. Mine is a family heirloom, and holds the spirit of not just my mother, but all of my ancestors who wielded it as part of the jedi. To me, this crystal is a reminder to honor them. Your crystal should be just as close to you as a loved one, as mine is. More than your Master, more than your droid, or your pets, or your actual family, your crystal will be by your side, in the thick of it with you, no matter what."

 

[Mak Ondor]

Master Ondor?

Master Ondor shuffled over.

"Don't mind if I do, young Serys. You may regret asking me to talk. Please, feel free to keep working while you listen. We don't want this class to end after sundown after all," he joked.

The lightsaber is an elegant weapon that invokes wonder when it is showcased. However a lightsaber is most effective when it is not activated."

He paused, letting it sink in.

"Many young jedi get overexcited with their new weapon, and start looking for ways to use it. For some, every problem begins to look like a blast door needing to be cut open. But that is not the Jedi way.

A true Jedi uses their lightsaber as a last resort, a final contingency if all else fails. It is then that a Jedi brings swift justice to those who would take advantage of others.

Keeping that in mind, the look of the hilt is arguably more important than the look of the blade. A simple swish of your cloak revealing your weapon may cause others to think twice before crossing you.

Some Jedi build their hilts to be imposing, causing potential enemies to think better of attacking. Others prefer a more aesthetic look, allowing others to see the peace and serenity they can offer. Others still build a hilt of pure function, showing they intend to do business and are prepared for
anything."

He looked out to the class, all hard at work.

"You must think of what message you want to convey when you reveal your weapon. There is no wrong answer, only wrong for you. Trust the force and your feelings and you will soon find the weapon you have constructed to be something far greater. An extension of you, a reflection of your soul and a symbol of your faith. May the force guide your hands as you work."

And with that he bowed and stepped down, looking for any others to encourage.

Ran Serys

 

[Braze]

TAGS: ​

Ran Serys Valery Noble Zaiya Ceti Braze Jackson Lesan Xuko Pagoi Mak Ondor Jonyna Si Aadihr Lidos Azurine Varek Kas Larsen Klar Reina Daival Caltin Vanagor

Braze offered a smile at Klar 's enthusiasm and gave her a curt nod.

"Yes, of course you may look over and touch any of them you like. I can help answer questions if you find anything you're curious about," he offered.

Braze was quiet as the others spoke turning his attention to each speaker. They all had excellent points, ones he seemed to silently agree with, nodding subtly as he listened to each of them.

"I believe sabers tend to be very personal and hold a lot of meaning. They're a helpful tool and can serve as a reliable means to protect and defend oneself, and others, if used appropriately. I've dedicated many hours to learning different styles and formations of lightsaber configurations, pouring my heart and soul into them to learn all that I possibly can about crafting them..."

He paused, then added more softly,

"My best advise is... Don't start building a saber to impress... The best lightsabers are the ones that reveal who you are.

Start by knowing your hands, your stance, and your reach. A lightsaber's blade isn't just forged from metal or crystal. You have to account for your instinct, how your body moves in and under pressure. If you don't understand how you fight, you're just dressing up a bad guess. My advice? Study yourself.

I try to study everything. I've found that every weapon teaches a lesson about distance, flow, and rhythm. Even the wrong weapon teaches you what doesn't work. There are limitations and advantages and risks to all of them. If you want to craft a saber that feels like an extension of yourself? Then you'd better know who 'yourself' even is when you fight."

He hesitated considering what else he could add, aware of his own insecurities and faults by now.

"Be deliberate with your choices of design. Flashy sabers might catch eyes, but a good saber answers questions before they're even asked. Ask yourself; What do you need most? Reach? Control? Speed? Defense? You don't just carve those into the aesthetics of the hilt... You decide them with your training. You earn that design with sweat.

We don't rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.

And yeah… it's okay to make it beautiful... Carve a little story into the guard; but do it for yourself. At the end of the day, it's still a tool. It can be broken, or lost… but it should remind you of your path. The one you choose."

He trailed off, taking a small breath. It seemed the petite half-Echani Knight had quite a bit to say when it came to sabers.

If you build it just to win a duel, then you're forgetting the point. Build it to protect what matters. Build it to never lose yourself."

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[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko tuned out Aris Noble , wrinkling his nose in annoyance as the Epicanthix's words interrupted his train of thought before it even left the station. Biting back another curse word, the Zabrak grabbed the nearest hilt and studied it, just to look like he was making some kind of progress. Smooth except for a pair of metal bands just above the activation stud, it was simple and uncomplicated. Xuko felt a small surge of triumph as he found that it felt comfortable in his hand. A start.

Xuko could see on either end of the hilt where there was the opportunity to add an emitter and a base to the lightsaber hilt. He glanced around the pieces scattered on his table, rejected them, and began slowly walking around the classroom. He stopped to admire Braze 's impressive collection of weaponry, but arrived too late to hear the challenge that came with it. Instead, he marveled at how the array of weaponry matched the half-Echani's no-nonsense demeanor. Similarly, he passed by Caltin Vanagor 's display, and while he did not find the pieces he was looking for, he was starting to better understand how each lightsaber, in a way, seemed to fit its Jedi. Caltin's "Vanguard", for example, was beautiful in both its metal carving and in its simplicity; a first glance could be deceiving, and only with continued study could one develop a better understanding. The Zabrak also saw, with a surge of approval, Kas Larsen working with his siblings on a hilt for each of them. Not every person had the physical or mental fortitude to bounce back after a near-death experience, but clearly Kas was resilient; a trait Xuko admired.

It was at- or, more accurately, under- Kas's table that Xuko spotted an emitter that he liked. The Zabrak bent down and picked it up off the floor where it had fallen off, feeling the smooth metal and noting how it fit thematically with the hilt he had chosen. With a single large band instead of two smaller ones, it continued the same clean, uncomplicated motif.

"May I use this?" he asked Kas, guessing by the progress the three of them had made that the answer would be 'yes', but wanting to be sure.

The emitter clicked into place and Xuko was surprised to find it was slightly heavier than he'd anticipated; after thanking the Larsons, he then set off to find a base that could help balance the hilt.

It wasn't until he reached Azurine Varek 's table when Xuko finally found the base he was looking for. Unlike the hilt and the emitter, the base had no rings; instead, it was comprised of two cylinders of different diameters, held together by four thick strips of metal that gave the appearance of claws.

Xuko connected the base and admired his handiwork, feeling a growing sense of pride as he did. Like a true Iridonain, he'd accomplished this by himself. The lightsaber wasn't flashy or intricate, but it didn't need to be- it was a tool to be wielded when the situation called for it.

A crystal would come with time; but for now, he had a finished hilt.

Spoiler: Xuko's lightsaber