The Sword of Agartha
"There's a reason our titles are different, you know." She said, barely annoyed, as the decimated remains of our lifes work was scattered around her.
"You all may be Witches of Swords, making the crafting and use of them your art," She barely even looked tired, as she picked up one of the pieces and wove it into something of her own.
"But I am The Sword Witch. It is not my Art, it is Me."
Witchcraft as a whole is a practice of Concepts, and those who are capital-letter Witches are innate masters of their chosen concept. But, there is a hierarchy to it, such is the case with the concept of Swords. There are many Covens of "Witches of Swords", those who wield the concept of the blade as much as the actual weapon itself. They are scattered around Edda, and typically are warriors for their own safety or for the sake of the downtrodden, but they are typically magical fighters.
There is only one Sword Witch, she who represents not just the concept of the item, but the creation, wielding, enchanting, and innovation of them. She is a Witch through and through, and her powers are second to none.
So, it should come as no surprise that when a group of mere Witches of Swords made an autonomous mechanic sword fighter in Agartha and claimed it to be the mightiest "Blade" to exist, that their superior would come knocking for a quality assurance test.
It didn't go well for them.
Now, it exists as a mighty Greatsword, wielded by the greatest sword fighter in modern existence.
History
Around 732 EE, a particular coven of witches came together on a strange project. They were all Witches of Swords, weapon wielding warriors of the downtrodden whose magic focused strongly on the blade. This particular Coven, however, The Coven of Picks and Blades, did not set out to fight or study the blade. They set out to create the perfect warrior.
As masters of metal, they took to the burgeoning concept of Engineering in it's fatherland of Agartha, and thought to combine their power and finesse over the blade into a mechanical creation. Not with the full Spark of an autonomaton, but a perfected processing mind.
The plan and designs went through many phases of magic melded with machinery, with decades passing and development progressing with new understandings and innovations in the relevant fields. In 791 EE, the project had reached their goal.
The creation, titled simply The Sword of Agartha, was meticulously refined and programmed, and tested against some of the best fighters the nation had to offer. It could match them blow for blow, adapt to their movements, and even create new unpredictable methods by comparing the information in its data banks. It was a marvel of engineering that has only rarely been reached even in the modern day.
But pride cometh before the fall, as they say.
With mortal hurdles cleared, the coven felt content with their masterpiece, and was set to give a public demonstration to the people, hoping to reignite the people's trust in witches on the mortal level. So, they made their reveal, and enacted a stage duel between The Sword of Agartha and ten of the best fighters from the area. Each of them was routed without doubt, and the people were amazed at the work they had done.
But that was not the end of the event, for all cheers went silent as The Sword Witch stepped into the arena. Her presence didn't need to be questioned, as her aura alone proved her identity, and the Witches of Swords bowed before their conceptual superior. The Sword Witch was impressed with their work, but found their confidence unearned, and so made herself the final challenger.
She allowed the coven to set the rules. She was only allowed to summon a standard sword, no magic was able to interfere, and it would be a straightforward duel, and the Sword would only have to make contact with her once, a feat few could even imagine. If The Sword of Agartha won, it would be titled by her, and known to be a match for The Sword Witch. In turn, the Witch set her own limitations: she would act on the defensive for 100 strikes, and she would only make one move afterwards.
The coven, ironically, believed this to be a sign of the Witch's own pride, and accepted. The audience in attendance, including the coven, fell into silence as the challengers took their positions. Breaths were hushed and eyes were peeled, leaving only the sound of movement and the clanging of steel echoing from the battlefield.
While the audience could barely keep up, the Witches were counting each movement. 1, 2, 3, each adaptation, calculation, and attack. Each time, The Sword Witch parried, dodged, and defended nigh perfectly, and simply waited patiently for the next form. Time stopped mattering, as only the count of movements would decide the match. 97, 98, 99,
100.
In the time it took the head of the coven to blink, The Witch made her counterattack, and scattered The Sword into pieces. No one could even bring themselves to cheer until a solid minute afterwards, as their minds caught up with the time. Under the cover of raucous cheering, and the broken hearts and wills of the coven, The Sword Witch grabbed a part of the shattered machine, and smiled.
Despite her victory, she still chose to claim the Sword, but not on behalf of the coven. In her grasp, the processing power was restored, but the metal and wiring was transformed from an autonomous body into a jagged great sword, landing into her hand with a powerful thud. She chastised the coven for their pride, but commended their skill, and left without a further word.
The Coven of Picks and Blades did not attempt to recreate their success, but the now literal Sword of Agartha remained in her possession, being a trusted weapon not just for its power and precision, but for the advice and assistance given by the still-active programming kept in the hilt.
Unique Item
Mechanics & Inner Workings
The automaton, The Sword of Agartha, was made with many complicated mechanical features to ensure it was the ultimate invented swordsman. As the blade in possession of The Sword Witch, two of its broad myriad of functions remain: First it's fine-tuned suspension and pressure release mechanics can deliver propulsion-enhanced blows and can even redirect the blade for quick ripostes. Second, the data banks and processing power that had centuries of blade-work installed into them are still accessible, with a vocal crystal in the hilt delivering advice and analysis. For the untrained, it can even provide light-based holograms to assist in proper posture and planning.
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