Diamond Sword

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Diamond Sword image from the manual

“The sharpest sword cannot compare to the sharpest mind.”

~ Wylim Totoro, Warrior/Philosopher

Background

Strategy and Mystery

Nicknamed "Sworders" or "sandrakers," the Diamond Sword craft the most innovative and dangerous strategies of any tribe. They say the mind is the greatest weapon, and practice a philosophy derived from the Zen Buddhist teachings of ancient Terra. Tribe members tend to be enigmatic, even cryptic. When not fighting, they meditate on obscure riddles. The phrase "talking to a sword" comes from the Sworders' reputation for answering a question with a question.


An interesting tale links the origins of the Diamond Sword to the Empire. Long ago, the story goes, the Emperor of Earth used as bodyguards a force of Imperial Knights so hard and elite that people called them The Diamond Sword. These Knights served with honor and distinction until one day a mysterious figure addressed the Imperial Court. This man, the Enlightened Master, foretold a day when the Empire would have need of a weapon in a faraway place, a weapon of surpassing hardness and strength. His words moved the Court, and the members of the Diamond Sword petitioned the Emperor to allow them to be that weapon. The Emperor agreed, and the Diamond Sword followed the Enlightened Master into the wilderzone. When warriors who hear this tale claim the Diamond Sword are lackeys of the Empress, Sworders typically answer, "Can the hand made of smoke draw a sword?"


If the Diamond Sword have a weakness, it is that they rely overmuch on their elaborate plans. If caught unprepared (a rare event), Diamond Sword warriors are said to have difficulty adapting to circumstances. They become surprisingly vulnerable in those situations. Of all the tribes, the Diamond Sword are the ones least likely to enter feuds and protracted wars.


Diamond Sword forces fall into three main armies: the Unyielding Facet, the Reflective Facet, and the Pure Facet. Each follows its own particular philosophy on battle.


On the Children of the Phoenix

"Their aim is true, but the distance is far greater than they think."

On the Starwolf

"There is a time to fight and a time not to fight. The Starwolf have yet to learn the second lesson."

On the Blood Eagle

"Their dark past devours their hearts."

On the Empire

"Hollow and blind, wrapped in the gilded veils and perfumed smoke of illusion."

On lesser tribes

"In the forest there are many paths. Those without light lead to oblivion."

On Immortals

"They need to exist. Logic alone cannot answer all the questions of the universe."


References

Guide to the Tribes Universe

Tribes Manual: Page 18