Samurai's Arm
Samurai's Arms are weapons used by 
samurais. They consist of 2-handed katanas.
| Item | Icon | Level | Item Level | Requirement | Damage (Type) | Materia Slots | Stats and Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augmented Hellhound Katana | 
|
1 | 1 | SAM | 9 
|
0 | |
| Bokuto | 
|
1 | 1 | SAM | 9
|
0 | |
| Figment of Summer | 
|
1 | 1 | SAM | 9
|
0 | |
| Hellhound Katana | 
|
1 | 1 | SAM | 9
|
0 | |
| Shin-Zantetsuken | 
|
1 | 1 | SAM | 9
|
0 | |
| Tenguto | 
|
1 | 1 | SAM | 9
|
0 | |
| Tropaios Blade | 
|
1 | 1 | SAM | 9
|
0 |
No items in this level range.
| Item | Icon | Level | Item Level | Requirement | Damage (Type) | Materia Slots | Stats and Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katana of the King's Counsel | 
|
30 | 30 | SAM | 36
|
0 | Strength +6 Vitality +7 Critical Hit +8 Direct Hit Rate +6 |
No items in this level range.
Lore
When the earliest settlers crossed the Ruby Tide to Hingashi, they brought with them the weapons of their ancestors—the most prominent being the traditional Yanxian longsword. These dual-edged straight-bladed swords continued to see use on the island nation for centuries, their design changing little from those which had made the original journey from Othard. The longsword, however, soon fell out of fashion on the continent, and was replaced by the single-edged, sharply curved scimitars popular amongst Nagxian cavalry. This change eventually made its way to Hingashi, though a lack of a true cavalry on the islands lessened the necessity for such a pronounced grade of inflection. The outcome was the modest curvature seen in modern-day katana.
Still, for many years, swords of Hingan origin were considered far substan- dard to those forged in Yanxia—Hingan blacksmiths unable to do more than merely copy techniques refined across the narrow sea. This all changed when a swordmaker from Kugane discovered and perfected a method of folding steel—a process that, when performed correctly, results in a highly tensile core encased in a nigh-indestructible shell. The blades? strength and beauty (exotic patterns in the steel a by-product of the folding) made the katana attractive to Hingashi?s samurai caste, whose demand for the weapons fueled not only the advancement of further blacksmithing techniques, but also saw the emergence of scabbards as aetherial vessels wherein a warrior’s “Kenki” might be stored.
Prominent Designs
Chokken
The oldest of all Far Eastern katana, the design of the chokken, or longsword, can be traced back to that of the most holy of blades, Ame-no-Murakumo. Unlike most katana, the blade is dual-edged and uncurved.
Chokuto
Though rare today, history shows there were ages in which straight-bladed, single-edged katana were used throughout the Far East, albeit largely for ceremonial or ritual purposes.
Tachi
Designed for use on horseback, tachi are long and markedly curved to improve reach. A tachi’s maker can be identified by gauging the severity of the blade’s “shinogi,” or the slight ridge rising from the flat.
Uchigatana
Whereas the tachi is most effective when wielded on horseback, the short-bladed uchigatana is best used on the crowded battlefield where space can prove severely limited.
Maporto
By combining the wonders of magitek with traditional Far Eastern techniques, the engineers of the Garlond Ironworks have created a katana with a fully retractable blade for ease of carrying and swiftness of deployment. Needless to say, many of Hingashi’s swordsmiths see this “aberration” as naught more than a slight to their craft.
Gunto
As contact with the West has increased, so has the Hingans” interest in Eorzea’s martial prowess, especially following the Eorzean Alliance’s recent victories over the Garlean Empire. Some masters of swordcraft have even taken to incorporating, Western designs in their creations, the straight-bladed gunto being one such example.
Okanehira
The first blade of its kind to cross the Ruby Sea into Yanxia, it is said that upon witnessing Okanehira’s beauty, the East Othardians threw down their crude, stout blades and begged the Hingan visitors teach them the secrets of the katana’s creation. Thus did the longstanding Doman tradition of katanacraft first yield to Hingashi.
Kotetsu
A little more than a century ago, a common blacksmith by the name of Okisato was struck by inspiration. He surmised that if he specialized not only in weapons, but in armor as well, he could rise amongst the ranks of his peers. By testing his blades on the armor he forged, and the armor he forged on his blades, Okisato was able to advance his skill in both sword- and armorsmithing, which filled his coffers and eventually earned him much prestige.
Martial Katana
Thought lost after the fall of the Dusk Vigil to Nidhogg’s Horde, the martial katana was later discovered by an adventurer seeking to reclaim the citadel for Ishgard. Research into the blade’s origin revealed that it was most likely owned by a knight of House Durendaire who secretly imported the sword from the Far East after hearing rumor of its capacity for piercing dragon scale—a claim that the proud house vehemently denies.
Shire Katana
The brainchild of Idyllshire’s twisted genius Stickqix, this katana combines Sharlayan sensibility with goblin ingenuity to create a celebration of the harmony between the two cultures.
Ala Mhigan Katana
So moved were the smiths of Ala Mhigo at witnessing Doman warriors risk their lives for the sake of another’s freedom that, when their city-state was liberated, they pledged to create a commemorative sword that none might ever forget the kindness shown by their brothers from the Far East. The blade has been imbued with traditional magicks to promote the transference of spiritual energies.
Alexandrian Metal Katana
Forged in the flames of Alexander’s metal belly, this katana was crafted by the goblins of the Illuminati for use in their defense of the walking fortress. An aether accelerator was equipped near the hilt to improve the potency of Kenki at the time of the stored energy’s release. Unfortunately, not a single one of the mad beastmen could utilize the blade to its full potential, and so it was locked away in a coffer for safekeeping.
Katana of the Dragon Lotus
As much a work of art as a tool of war, the nigh-indestructible blade of this katana is adorned from hilt to tip with mesmerizing swirls of inlaid gold which seem to float along the steel like clouds in the heavens. It is said that to achieve such wonderment, its crafter first received the blessing, of Seiryu, auspice and one of the Four Lords.
Tenguto
Crafted by the tengu and imbued with the enigmatic tribe’s queer magicks, the blade is unlike any other seen in the Far East. Despite extensive study by master swordsmiths from across both Doma and Hingashi, none have been able to determine by what means spikes emerge from the blade when drawn from its sheath.
Kanesada
Kanesada, a swordsmith known for his service to the powerful Yatsurugi clan, is oft heralded as a living legend, his intricately decorated creations drawing much interest from buyers the world over. Therefore, it was viewed as somewhat of a coup when several of the rare katana appeared for sale at Rowena’s House of Splendors.
Samonji
Crafted by Samonji—the sheathe gilded with his trademark symbol of three coins—the eponymous blade was, until recently, wielded by none other than Gosetsu Daito, commander of Doma’s standing army. Imagine the surprise of collectors across Hingashi when the sword forged by the pupil of the Far East’s most prestigious swordsmith, Masamune, mysteriously turned up in the hands of a Kugane pawnbroker. [1]
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume II, page 203-204
