A Force-imbued sword, also known as Je'daii swords or Jedi katanas, was a bladed weapon used circa 36,453 BBY by the ancient followers of the Ashla and Bogan of the ancient Je'daii Order.
History[]
The Force-imbued blade was first conceived on Tython in the forges of Vur Tepe by the ancient Je'daii Order,[1] and would become the Order's signature weapon until the introduction of the Forcesaber circa 25,793 BBY by the Force Hound Xesh.[2] From the Forcesaber, the Je'daii Order would take basic principles of Forcesaber technology and eventually develop the Protosaber, which would become the new standard weapon for the order circa 5000 BBY.[3] Nevertheless, the Force-imbued blade saw widespread use throughout the Despot War, the Force Wars between the followers of the Ashla and Bogan, and up until the First Great Schism circa 24,500 BBY.
Typically, each blade was created by a Je'daii after advancing past the rank of Padawan and becoming a Je'daii Journeyer or Je'daii Ranger of the Order.[2] Despite the common name, the blades were not exclusive to the Jedi, since they were also used extensively by followers of the Bogan during the Force Wars, as well as by the Legions of Lettow.
Description[]
Force-imbued blades were solid metal blades that required no power source, and that glowed with the power of the Force coursing through them. This glow could manifest itself in multiple ways, ranging from lightning-like striations,[4] a discoloration of the blade,[5] a fire like manifestation,[6] or lack any form of visual manifestation at all. Imbued with the Force, the blades were preternaturally strong and sharp, being capable of cutting effortlessly through most materials.[7] Force-imbued blades could also damage and destroy dark side spirits.[8]
Creation[]
The practices and techniques that the Tythonian Je'daii used to create Force-imbued blades were carried down and practiced by the Legions of Lettow at the Chatos Academy.
An initiate would select a bar of high-carbon metal, typically durasteel (though later almost exclusively the nigh unbreakable and extremely durable Madog steel produced by famed metallurgist Tem Madog), and would hammer the bar into a blade; as it was forged, the Force was channeled into the blade, altering the molecular structure of the metal into a reinforced lattice.[4] This lattice both hardened the blade and sharpened the edge, as well as prepared the blade for the next step.[4]
Once the blade was forged, an initiate would place a crystal into the hilt of the blade, and then would marry the lattices of the crystal and the blade together - this was accomplished by submerging oneself deep into the Force, and then meditating on the blade and crystal until blade, crystal, and smith became as one. Once the lattices were married, the wielder would channel energy through the crystal and into the blade until it began to glow with a nimbus of energy, signifying that the blade had been permanently infused with the Force.[4]
The forging process was both physically and mentally taxing. Smiths ran the risk of shattering the blade, crystal, or both when channeling energy - whether due to imperfections in the lattices, or due to their inadequate skill.
Appearances[]
- Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void (and audiobook) (First identified as Je'daii sword)
- ° Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi
- ° Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – Redemption (First appearance)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (Codex entry)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Cartel Market
Sources[]
- The Dark Side Sourcebook
- "The Dark Forces Saga, Part 4" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The New Essential Chronology
- The Essential Atlas
- Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game — The Shadow Syndicate (Card: White Thranta Katana) (backup link)
- The Essential Guide to Warfare (First identified as Force-imbued sword)
- Star Wars: Force and Destiny Core Rulebook
- Nexus of Power (Weik Greatsword)
- Cartel Market Newest Additions: Available Now! on The Old Republic's official website (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Star Wars: The Old Republic
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 1
- ↑ Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Golden Age of the Sith
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Essential Guide to Warfare
- ↑ The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force
- ↑ The Essential Atlas
- ↑ Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi
- ↑ The Dark Side Sourcebook
External links[]
- Star Wars: The Old Republic - Ancient Force-Imbued Blade [CONCEPT] on Tanner Hartman's profile on ArtStation (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic - Ancient Force-Imbued Blade on Tanner Hartman's profile on ArtStation (backup link)