Name: Schelorian Gunblades, Devil Triggers, Boomsticks General reference for how a schelorian gunblade would look like. Not 100% accurate. Description: Schelorian Gunblades, typically just called Gunblades or Devil Triggers by those who know their origins, are swords with a slightly shorter length and considerable thickness, as well as a hilt styled after a traditional revolver. They differ from regular swords in that they are known to leave behind a chemical substance (blood) on their target that causes them to explode. Notably, despite their name, they do not actually fire any bullets. Abilities: - Big Bang: The sword's chemicals are primed to explode upon contact with anything that's not it. The more substance present on the target, the bigger the explosion will be. Its generator is made to create explosions at a higher rate than, say, an HE glove, mainly due to its size, and the fact it only uses one chemical compound as opposed to whatever it can find. - Sturdy: Very durable for a sword, made purposefully that way to be able to withstand small explosions in near proximity, as well as high temperatures. Conditional Abilities: - Timebomb: The substance can be detonated at any time, which is determined by the wielder. This makes it a pretty good option for, let's say, persuasion. - Safety Measures: Any substance present on the gunblade will not explode until separated from it, so as to maintain its structural integrity, and partially protect the user. It can still ignite, however the explosive mechanism will not react to it. - Fireblood: The original wielders of these weapons have a specific type of mutated blood within them that is incredibly easy to ignite, and is intended to be used alongside this weapon. This makes its combustive and volatile capabilities even more potent, and also temporarily lights its edge on fire, making it more damaging. It does not mean that regular blood can't work, however. Limitations: - Range: Has a maximum detonation range of 50 meters. - Heavy Frame: Gunblades weigh considerably more than regular swords- thus making them much more unwieldy. Most are made shorter to accommodate for this downside. - Straining: Using a melee weapon that is both heavy and constantly throws out short-range explosions can be exhausting for one's arms. Prolonged use will lead to muscle strain, unless the user is adapted to it- or has augmented arms. Generally, for the untrained or unaugmented, wielding a gunblade feels like shooting a .50 BMG while also throwing your weight around. It won't break your arms or anything of the sort- but you will feel incredibly sore afterwards, and may need a day or two to recover. - Still a Sword: At the end of the day, gunblades are, well, blades. They won't be outclassing actual guns any day. Conditional Limitations: - Limited Resource: Without blood to fuel its explosive mechanism, the weapon loses its main property entirely. This could be an issue when it comes to long-winded fights. The user can, however, choose to refuel a single canister actively through the use of tubes going into their bloodstream, at least until they've drained enough that anemia kicks in. - Difficult Usage: Using the weapon properly (and safely) typically takes years upon years of training- hence why most regular users end up dedicating their whole lives to them. You can totally blow yourself up with one of these if you're not careful enough. How does it work: At their core, gunblades are no more than regular swords, with some having vibroblade-like properties, if the user chooses to implement them. They have a cylinder resembling that of a revolver to store the blood canisters in them, a hammer to cycle it, a large trigger within finger's reach which inserts blood into the blade, and finally, a smaller trigger, somewhere on the handle itself, acting as a detonator. The way in which these look may vary depending on how the weapon is made. As for the blade itself, it's made of a sharpened ceramic alloy, making it resistant to both fire and explosives to a certain degree. It is commonly referred to as gunmetal, even if it's not the real world definition of gunmetal- it's closer to cermet. Contained within the hilt of the sword is a device that works similarly to HE generation, albeit in a much more dumbed down manner- as in, it only reacts to the chemical compounds that make up blood, and requires it to pass through the canisters and be inserted into the main body of the weapon, where it is secreted upon being swung through some slits present along the edge of the blade. This is due to said canisters being connected to the device through the cylinder, which makes it tag the blood within it as suitable for detonation. It is mostly a safety measure so that the user doesn't kill themselves in the occasion they have wounds with blood coming out of them. Or anyone in near proximity, for that matter. Once the blade is filled with explosive blood, it can be swung for a total of three combat turns before having to be reloaded with a new canister. Flavor text: Spoiler Ancient Ammosoleum texts speak of weapons that merge the destructiveness of a grenade, the mechanisms of a gun, and the crude, simple brutality of a sword. Commonly referred to as gunblades, or 'devil triggers' by those who wielded them, these weapons were once used by an order of warriors that roamed the Schelorian Brass Wastes in search for the most problematic of fiends they could find, and promptly slay, making the nearby surroundings safer for everyone. No armor could stand before their weapons' might- just as it couldn't stand up to a C4, but that's beside the point. This ancient order, the Order of the Devilbreakers- which is how they called themselves- were Deadbeats characterized by metallic horns and teeth, fire-resistant skin, long, pointed ears, and extremely flammable blood, which they used to fuel their sacred weapons. Some did what they did for clout, others for ego, and a small portion of them actually did it out of genuine good will, kindness, and eagerness to help others. Regardless of their reason, everyone was always glad to see a Devilbreaker around- since it at the very least meant there was some fearless whacko about to throw themselves at the biggest, wildest mutated abomination they could find and kill it. Most stayed out of wars and did their own thing, though some did act as mercenaries, and were well known for being quite deadly despite not even using guns, the roar of their gunblades audible throughout the entire battlefield. The origins of the weapon and the order itself are quite muddled, as they trace back to the very first Schelor settlers, and Deadbeats aren't exactly known for keeping records. But, what's known is that said settlers had among them a legendary gunsmith and swordsmith, in some ways related (allegedly) to the Prophet himself. This smith, referred to by the order as the Maker, could (allegedly) forge and shape metal with their mind and hands, without any need for tools. After having stumbled upon an ancient cache of Xinoddus tech- including schematics and materials for the creation of high explosive controlled electrochemistry, as well as gene splicing- they got to work. Decades later, they managed to invent the first functional gunblade, at the time one of the most sophisticated Deadbeat weapons. It was a sword that could create explosions through blood, rather than fuel or gunpowder- both of which were quite valuable resources. They were hailed as a genius for it, though not nearly as many were there to witness the magic at work, like with the Prophet. The Maker was selfish, however, as it so often was the case with most Schelorians. Which meant they went out of their way to keep the schematics for the gunblade as secret as possible, and only revealed it to those they could trust. This small coven of Deadbeats dedicated to gunblades eventually led to the creation of the Order of the 'Devilbreakers', after one of them managed to salvage some old Earth death metal records and thought the name of the band was 'pretty fire'. In order to fully become a member of the order, newcomers had to undergo very dangerous and rudimentary gene splicing to acquire the mutations of the Maker, as well as spend years learning how to perfectly smith a gunblade by memory. One really only became a Devilbreaker apprentice after they had crafted their first gunblade- after which they could finally go through the gene splicing process and begin their training. As time passed, though, and history was forgotten, the order eventually fell to ruin, and the schematics were lost, with most members dying in battle and no more fresh blood willing to dedicate their entire lives to a weapon that could very easily rip their own head off- and the few that did being killed by the gene splicing, on top of that. From that point on, the few remnants of the Order of the Devilbreakers did as they did, roaming the Brass Wastes and killing monsters- some taking in apprentices and passing their knowledge and tradition on to them, whilst keeping the gene splicing as an optional thing. In the present day, those who remember the order respect them for their strength and courage, while those that don't, see a mighty warrior with an equally mighty (and niche) weapon. Referenced Technologies: High Explosive Generation - https://galactic-citizen.com/threads/high-explosive-generation.603/ Attainability: Semi-Closed. While it is not impossible for a character to come into contact with one of these weapons, the chance of it happening is very low, as there are only a handful even on Schelor. A player may obtain one- or its schematics- as an event reward there, or create a Devilbreaker character, which would allow them to start with one. Tags: [Military] Category: Melee Armaments
