The Encyclopedia of Sanctum

Weapons of Sanctum

"In a world of unexplainable power, the Queen brought mankind to match the abilities of weapons like these for the safety of their kingdom. Where most of them originated, no one claims a clear answer."

- Crimson Assassin, "The New Moon Rises"

War never changes as they say, and for as long as history can write itself the lives of Sanctum's people has always been marked by violence, either against their own or the Abyss. The latter required tools greater than any mere sword or shield, and thus they were resonated with magical power from the stone which was broken. Many constructs resemble real life weapons, but even more are combinations, some creatively taking on forms of mundane objects and tools. 

History

It was in the late First Age when the Vitanien Stone was broken, its remains spewed magical dust into the atmosphere in the wake. This weightless dust would remain in the atmosphere of Sanctum until the end of the Fifth Age. 

The people of the Lierin were the first to harness this energy in the air and channel it through their bodies, but the people of Hydrescent would use it through different means. As Keyvoria changed into the dark city of Xepheus, it is said that the forge masters looked towards the scattered light of the shattered crystal, shining past the darkness, and forged great weapons that harnessed the light. The smiths and their allies lasted one whole year defending the city, but eventually lost. However, the art of imbuing weapons with the scattered light in the skies was passed down to the Hydrescent that fled to Valeon, and eventually the entirety of Sanctum. 

At the start of the Sixth Age, all weapons were found to be devoid of any magic, as it no longer existed in the changed universe. 

Weapon Nature

As humanity lacked any weaponry following the cataclysm, the forge masters resonated the light with simple objects, such as smithing hammers, picks, pitchforks, and chains, to name a few. Not only did this enable a defenseless species to fight back, but it gave them a culture that celebrated culture itself, art and creativity as means of banishing the darkness that sought to erase their very souls. Thus, it was custom for weapons to be disguised as inconspicuous objects that the user liked. This often meant for unconventional and unique fighting styles to be developed by the user, and because of this, magic weapons usually remained in the hands of roaming mercenaries and fighters guilds. Militaries instead used uniform weapons that had magic, but were conventional and simple to use. These took the forms of swords, halberds, bows, etc.

There was one caveat amongst Sanctum's magical weapons. It was that each weapon connected to the soul of the user, reflecting their own personality in its ability. This meant that a weapon used by one person would have a similar but different ability used by another, and some were not able to harness another's weapon power at all. The color of the weapon's magic typically represented the personality of the user and would change depending on the user, but this was not true in all cases. More powerful weapons had a personality of their own and tended to remain the same color. 

Design

Weapons were classified two ways: organic and nonorganic. Organic weapons were existing objects that held some array of magic, created by those called Resonators, and nonorganic weapons tended to be metallic and handcrafted for a purpose, created by weaponsmiths. Nonorganic weapons constituted the majority of Sanctum's arsenal, even more so in later ages. 

It should be noted that most weapons were designed with multiple uses. As the Abyss was cunning and its vessels held many abilities, weapons had to match their versatility. It was common for weapons to have both a melee and ranged state, and weaponsmiths loved to go crazy with all kinds of transforming mechanisms to get "more weapon per weapon," as they said. Weapons could be made of foldable frames, and lined with switches and buttons for seamless transformation in seconds. Magic helped weapons transform to some degree. 

User Capabilities

The arsenal of Sanctum was impressive, but so were its users. Not anyone could properly use a weapon, and years of training were needed to master the art of fighting with magical weapons. If an untrained user tried to wield even the weakest armament, the power would simply be too much. Every human had the dust from the Vitanien Stone coursing through their body, but it had to be at the level of the resonated weapon. Bringing their level up to the weapon's level required constant pushing of limits and dedication, allowing the body to intake more particles and move them faster through the body. But of course there were some born with unnaturally higher levels than others, being able to wield magic weapons with ease without any training. 

When a warrior's magic level met the level of the weapon, they would know it. It could be used like an extension of the body, moving with unnatural speeds and tact surpassing that of a normal human. It allowed the user to have lightning quick reflexes to use all their tools to their advantage at a moments notice, which was required to defend against even the weakest of abyssal horrors. The strongest of human warriors were said to be able to defeat an enemy without any movement, or so it seemed to the naked eye. Without these magical weapons, there would be no way for humanity to fight back against the Abyss. 

Notable Weapons in Sanctum's History

Relica Star, belonging to The Prince of Key Azurmian, Solomnent, and Sapphira Renoir

Rakuyo, belonging to Shogun Masamune and Alizarin Crymson

Polaris, belonging to Edlethor and Cassiopeia

Reaper Trifecta, belonging to The Unknown Warrior, Feledy, Twentyone, and Landon Willow