Unreviewed Sword of the Heron King (v2)

[Meliant]

"This hand is not my hand. This sword is not my sword. This self is not myself. I will lock it in a place far away when I am done with it, and I will examine it when I am ready."​

• Intent: This is an update to the previous submission - please archive that one. It's useless now that the image is broken.
• Image Credit:
  • Kill Six Billion Demons, Breaker of Infinities 1-39
• Canon Link: I made this one up as well
• Primary Source: Little old me

• Manufacturer: Unknown, possibly the Heron King
• Affiliation:
  • Meliant
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: N/A
• Modularity: No
• Production: Unique
• Material: Songsteel (blade), Cortosis (half-pommel), Brass (ornamental), Synthetic Lightsaber Crystal (ornamental)

• Classification: Light Greatsword
• Size: Large (the blade is long, but thin)
• Weight: Elite Light

Ash of War: Anyone who took up the Sword of the Heron King was imbued with his fighting spirit and adopted to perfection his flowing, relentless style of bladework. Even a worthless scullion would become a swordmaster as long as they kept a grip on the hilt.​

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Battlemind: The sword additionally conferred a more potent form of Battlemind onto the wielder, granting them improved reactivity, awareness, and precognition as long as they were in battle.​

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Vibe Killer: The sword was a product of Sith Alchemy. It was resistant to lightsabers and a natural conduit for the Dark Side of the Force. The Sword of the Heron King sliced easily through weapons which were not constructed from exotic materials, such as beskar or phrik.​

[ + ] Heron King: The Sword of the Heron King conferred a number of useful benefits on the wielder - see the "Special Features" heading.​

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[ - ] Commitment: The Heron King held he was a superior swordsman and bladework surpassed his own. Other weapons, other forms, were unnecessary. Once unsheathed for combat, whoever held the sword could not set it aside until the engagement was concluded, nor could they fight in any manner aside from the Heron King's.​

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[ - ] Locked-In: The great weakness of the Heron King was his tunnel vision. Those who take up the sword are unable to lend a thought to anything other than the combat unfolding in their immediate vicinity, making them liable to being blindsided.​

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[ - ] The Usual: The mystical properties of this particular sword would be lost if brought under the effects of Force nullification. While the Sword of the Heron King would remain sharp and lethal, the skill and focus of its namesake would desert the wielder.​

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References to the Heron King are fragmentary and apocryphal - what follows is only the parts that remain consistent. He was a warlord active around 200 BBY in a wetland region of Thoadeye, where he raised a mighty following. He knew something of Sith lore, but it is unclear whether he forged the weapon that now bears his namesake or merely found it.​

The Heron King never lost a duel, and it took multiple attempts for the Jedi Order and the Republic to destroy him. 6 or 7 years into his "campaign", he was ultimately dispatched by a single shot from a lightsaber rifle, undertaken from a distance of just under 5 kilometers away. The Jedi Knight responsible then took the Barash Vow and vanished from the historical record, having been shamed for their use of a disreputable weapon.​

The Sword of the Heron King was taken into custody by the Jedi Order. It was shuffled into the Emperor's personal collection after the rise of the first Galactic Empire, then sold by enterprising Coruscanti warlords (along with many other of the Emperor's treasure) when that Empire fell. It traded hands many times from there in the ensuing thousand years.​

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It was most recently found in the employ of the so-called Emperor of Coruscant, Hasuras Na-Amoun (better known as Meliant), around 902 ABY.​

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The sword of the Heron King is a peculiar blade with a half-pommel, curved upward, almost reminiscent of a cane. The hilt is embellished with brass, and a large, ornate synthetic lightsaber crystal is embedded into the center. This crystal has been identified as the locus for the sword's arcane properties. The blade itself is forged from songsteel, and having been treated by Sith Alchemy has never been observed to dull, rust, or chip. It is slightly longer than a standard-phase lightsaber.​

The fighting style of the Heron King has been likened to a blend of Makashi and Ataru. It was described by his contemporaries as "elegant" and "frenetic," characterized by cuts and thrusts which flowed together and rapid, acrobatic repositioning. It would seem the Heron King chiefly overwhelmed his opponents with unremitting, precise strikes and was capable of such agility as to frustrate the concerted efforts of even multiple foes.​