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God of death wield...

  1. Sword

    66.7%
  2. Staff and something with its right hand

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Other

    33.3%
  1. Renuzaki

    Renuzaki New Member

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    Describing a sword

    Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by Renuzaki, May 25, 2021.

    Hello guys im new here and i need some help with describing something.. english isnt my first language so i have a hard time coming up with words... the setting is ; a god of death suddenly emerges from the sky and it holds a broad sword of some kind . Its hilt and guard is made of bones.. while the sword itself is made of ore that i have yet to come up with(original). The god itself is hidden in a black cloak and will be later revealed in the future...
     
  2. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    You just described it pretty well, except that the blade wouldn't be made of ore but of metal. Ore needs to be refined to create some kind of metal.
     
  3. J.T. Woody

    J.T. Woody Book Witch Contributor

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    It also helps to look up swords.

    When i was writing a character wielding a sword, i grabbed a Sword Encyclopedia and flipped through the pages till i saw the sword that i saw my character using. Then i described that sword with a few customized details (for example, an emerald in the hilt or something like that).

    I also have a document saved to my computer of sword types that i can share once im back on my laptop.... But google is your friend, too :)

    Find one you like and describe what you see
     
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  4. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Broadsword is a pretty nebula and will make most default to:
    upload_2021-5-25_14-15-48.jpeg

    Yet there are many types of broadsword based the culture it's from.
    Like the Claymore which is Scottish, or the Chinese Broadsword
    that has a distinct blade shape. Design and culture vary on the type
    of broadsword and it's overall design. :)
    [​IMG]
     
  5. Storysmith

    Storysmith Senior Member

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    What are you trying to achieve in describing the sword?

    If you want to make it clear that the god is armed, then just call it a sword or huge sword and don't describe it:
    The god held a huge sword, twice the height of a man and as wide as a tree.

    If it's appearance is important because it's a clue to something else, make sure you emphasise the important clue.
    The god held a sword, and Protagonist noticed the glimmer of gold-flecked obsidian in the pommel. "The Dragon's Heart," he whispered to his friend.

    If you want to make the god sound cool or fire your readers' imaginations, then concentrate on what makes it cool.
    The god held a immense sword above its head. Twisted runes of dripping blood rippled alone its length, moving and forming new words of power as Protagonist watched. A weird wailing assaulted his ears, rising above the whistling of the wind. He fell to his knees and held his hands to block the noise when he realised what it was: the screams of the damned, whose souls had been stolen and imprisoned in the sword even as it cleaved through their bodies.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2021
  6. Renuzaki

    Renuzaki New Member

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    Thanks for the idea! You just opened up a new way of thinking up ideas!!
     
  7. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    :superagree:Betcha can't get that on Amazon. Make the god a goddess and you're golden.
     
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  8. Fervidor

    Fervidor Senior Member

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    You are probably best off not describing the sword in very high detail, honestly. I know the temptation - I am absolutely obsessed with swords - but it's like when a gun-nut writer describes the exact version of the exact model of an assault rifle and why that's supposed to matter when it really isn't relevant to the story at all. Your average reader isn't going to care, which makes that level of detail distracting rather than helpful.

    Look, a god of death just appeared in the sky, brandishing a terrifying doomsday sword. Whoever is witnessing this has more important things to consider than what sort of terrifying doomsday sword they're dealing with. Use fairly broad terms: The hilt is made of bone, the blade is broad, it is double edged or single edged and straight or curved. It looks sharp and well-maintained or ancient, worn and brutish. That's all you really need.

    Most readers have an imagination; they can fill in the details themselves. It's not important that they imagine precisely the same sword you do - you job is just giving them something to imagine.

    I'm not saying that going into detail is always bad, but whenever you do describe something in fine detail you are implying that it's important and that the reader needs to pay attention to it because it'll be on the test later on.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2021
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  9. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    The only problem with this is that no self-respecting gun nut would ever call anything an assault rifle, since no such category exists except in the minds of people who know nothing about guns. I know very little about guns, but I do know that. :supergrin:

    Otherwise I agree with your post.
     
  10. Fervidor

    Fervidor Senior Member

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    Are you you sure? Because I at least know the difference between a machine gun and an SMG, and while I don't pretend that puts me in the same league as the average American, I'm pretty sure it means I know more about guns than most Europeans who aren't in the armed forces or hardcore FPS gamers. My understanding being that assault rifles are a type of automatic carbines that form an intermediary class between battle rifles and sub-machine guns.

    Also, the wikipedia article on "assault rifle" strikes me as pretty expansive for something that supposedly isn't a real thing.

    If you have a different understanding of the term, I'd be happy to hear it. Like I said, I'm obsessed with swords and melee combat so guns isn't quite my field of expertise, but I do dabble in it.
     
  11. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Admittedly I've only heard it on a lot of videos and nothing more substantial than that. Maybe someone who really knows can weigh in.
     
  12. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Ok, a little digging, and I see you're right. The problem is with what's being commonly called assault weapons, but which apparently aren't.

    Sorry for derail.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2021
  13. Fervidor

    Fervidor Senior Member

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    Yeeeah, I don't feel confident to assert any kind of dominance on the subject, so let's leave it at that.

    Right, so what I think this is about is that there are semi-automatic rifles designed to look like assault rifles, but aren't really. (They're classified as "sporting rifles.") They can still totally kill people, of course, just not automatically. Apparently this is a point of legal debate?

    "Selective fire" here meaning that you can alter between automatic and semi-automatic, as opposed to a gun that's just semi-automatic.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2021
  14. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    It's a point that will get this thread buried in the debate room if we don't stop here, so let's just give it a rest. I modified my last post accordingly.

    I realize now I didn't know as much on the subject as I thought I did.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2021
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  15. Fervidor

    Fervidor Senior Member

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    *graceful Kung Fu bow* Always a pleasure.
     
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  16. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    *Returns bow*
     
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  17. Fervidor

    Fervidor Senior Member

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    Can I just add: If you just read the exchange between Xoic and myself and wonder: "Why does any of this matter? It has nothing to do with the topic!" then, yeah, but that was the point I was trying to make. We nerds tend to care about pointless minutia like this, and it's really easy to get carried away with it, but that doesn't mean it's important to what we're trying to do. Just focus on telling your story. That's what matters.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2021
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  18. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    It's Xoic. O before I. Like in Mesozoic, and rhymes with Stoic. :wtf:

    *Assumes Karate Kid pose on top of a nearby stump*
     
  19. Fervidor

    Fervidor Senior Member

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    *raises hand in apologetic gesture*

    My apologies, too much wine on my part. I have corrected my mistake now. :)
     
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  20. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    I'm sitting here thinking, "It's not even 10 a.m."

    Then I realize the sun is indeed over the yardarm in Sweden. Obviously I have not yet had enough coffee.

    Better living through chemistry.
     
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  21. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    *Salutes Ferdivor :p across the ocean and prepares to make a nice Irish coffee*

    *Unfortunately is lacking the magic chemical so settles for coffee*
     
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  22. Nicholas Moser

    Nicholas Moser Banned

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    https://www.descriptionari.com/q/cold-winter/

    This website may help
     

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