Blade Master Lore

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They call themselves "Jen'e'tai," an ancient word meaning "the Path of Truth." The finest swordsmen the realms of Humans have ever produced, Blade Masters learn to strike with uncanny speed, and can become whirlwinds of steel.

An ancient parable from the Book of Swords:

"In those ancient days the Gods themselves walked the face of the land. The youngest of them, last son of the All-Father, was Draethen One-Eyed, called also "Draethen Truesight," the Son of Truth, and Master of Songs. Draethen (so the oldest tales say) took the form of a young man with deep blue eyes and silver hair, and wandered the World, following the winds. The people of the East remember him as the patron of all travelers, and invoke his name to this day for safe passage and good fortune on the roads. But this was but the least of his legacies to the Sons of Men.

At one time ("when" is a question ancient tales can rarely answer), Draethen found himself wandering by night, under a sky as flawless and black as a still lake of oil. Without warning, Draethen was set upon by a pack of wild boars, their eyes burning in the night. At their head stood the Boar, beast lord of his kind, whose aspect was fierce and his wrath was horrible. This was before the Taming, when the Lords of the Beasts ran free by night to terrorize the Sons of Men. Mistaking the Master of Songs for a mere mortal, Boar leaped to the attack, but the Trueson's speed and strength could not be matched. Draethen seized Boar by the throat, just beneath his tusks, and held the beast at bay.

"Why do you attack me?" Dreathen asked. "Do you not know me, and my Father? Do you not fear me, as you do by the light of day?"

Boar, wild-eyed and angry, spat back his reply. "We fear only the Sun, for He has burned us with his fire and often reminds us of his power. Who are you, little man, that we should fear you?"

"I am the Son of Truth," replied Draethen, "and henceforth you shall fear me as well."

And with all his strength, Draethen ripped the tusks from the mighty Boar. Humbled, the mighty Beast and his pack fled into the night. Then Draethen took the tusks, and from them he fashioned a pair of longblades, and named them the Jen'e'tai. The first he kept for himself, and the second he gave to the First King of Men.

"I have taken the weapons of Night," the young God said, "so that Men might no longer fear the darkness and may travel where they will. I give you this Blade to protect you, and now I shall leave you, to stand vigil over the Night. My followers and I shall go forth and bring light into the darkness - look for us in the evening sky. Know you, any who wish to follow me, let them walk my path, and they shall find me."
And with those words the first star was born, glimmering in the night. The young God was never seen again among the courts of Men."

Also known as the Discipline of Truth, Blademastery, the Way of the Sword, is an ancient and honorable calling. Far more than advanced training with a weapon, Blademastery is a way of life unto itself, the greatest legacy of the Age of Days, when the world was whole and young, long before Strife was born.

The Path of Truth

To learn the discipline of Blademastery, a student must take the following Oath, which binds them forever to the Path of the Shining Blade, the Path of Truth.

I. My blade is as my soul - my Spirit made manifest and honed to perfection.

II. My soul is strong - as I trust its strength, so shall my Spirit be my only shield.
III. From this time forward, I shall move as freely as the wind: let me wear no armor, or ever hide behind base metal or the devices of man.
IV. My blade shall be the Jen'e'tai, the blade of a Master. None other is worthy of my soul.
V. Frenzy and Bloodlust are the ways of the Beast, let me always shun them. Let my blade remain sheathed until I intend to kill, and may it only deal death in dire need.
VI. The Night's Gift, the wisdom of the Stars, is mine to use, and I shall study it as long as I live.

VII. The Night's Gift shall I also give to others, and join with it once I live no more.

See Also

Lore

Events Introduction | World History | Timeline | Summary
Characters Deities | People | New Paragons | Organizations | Races | Classes | Disciplines | Minor
Artifacts Historical Documents | Shadowbane