What is a Sword

[NerdInWhite he/him]

What does it mean to be the Sword of Harmony? Wax and Marasi ended up taking the big actions to thwart Autonomy, so why did Wax need to be the Sword? Is he like a central spoke on the wheel of Harmonies plans? How is that different from Wayne? It seems like the only thing Wax does that no one else in the group is capable of is killing many, many people. I get that they need a murder machine and to kill in order to save really fits the ruin to preserve thing, but is that really what a Sword is? If Telsin wasn't on the road to being the avatar of Autonomy but still killed Elendel with the bomb, would she essentially be Autonomy's Sword? I get that the dual Intent of Harmony is represented in the dual edges of a sword and Autonomy only has one Intent, but how is Wax chosen besides the ability to kill with skill? (if there is something wrong w the format of this post please lmk it is my first)

[Werewolff Studios he/him]

36 minutes ago, NerdInWhite said:

What does it mean to be the Sword of Harmony? Wax and Marasi ended up taking the big actions to thwart Autonomy, so why did Wax need to be the Sword? Is he like a central spoke on the wheel of Harmonies plans? How is that different from Wayne? It seems like the only thing Wax does that no one else in the group is capable of is killing many, many people. I get that they need a murder machine and to kill in order to save really fits the ruin to preserve thing, but is that really what a Sword is? If Telsin wasn't on the road to being the avatar of Autonomy but still killed Elendel with the bomb, would she essentially be Autonomy's Sword? I get that the dual Intent of Harmony is represented in the dual edges of a sword and Autonomy only has one Intent, but how is Wax chosen besides the ability to kill with skill? (if there is something wrong w the format of this post please lmk it is my first)

From what I understand, the 'Sword' terminology isn't significant like the term 'Avatar' is. I think you nailed it with the ruin to preserve terminology. Harmony, caught between his two intents, couldn't really act. So he decided to forge someone who could act on his behalf and be very effective at it. 

The usage of Sword also ties into it being a weapon, so I feel that Wax's capability to understand, find and enact violence is a heavy part of it.

It's also not that different to Wayne, but Wayne's such an oddball that I feel Harmony couldn't have placed his focus on him. A lot of Wayne's story is also tied to Wax and how Wax took him in and trained him as a lawman. So even if Wayne is something akin to a Sword, Wax was one first. 

Hope that helps! 

[Frustration]

Wax being Harmony's sword is more symbolic than anything. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Ookla the Frustrated.

[AquaRegia he/him]

In other words, Wax is a tool.  ;-)

[alder24]

17 hours ago, Werewolff Studios said:

It's also not that different to Wayne, but Wayne's such an oddball that I feel Harmony couldn't have placed his focus on him. A lot of Wayne's story is also tied to Wax and how Wax took him in and trained him as a lawman. So even if Wayne is something akin to a Sword, Wax was one first. 

I wouldn't call Wayne a Sword. Wax is personification of Ruin, he brings balance by killing. Wayne on the other hand always restrained himself from killing, mostly never used a gun, used only canes when fighting, he even stoped Wax from killing the last group of guards on top of the Tower in Bilming, and his final act was to safe, protect and preserve city of Elendel. Wayne is not a Sword, he's a Shield of Harmony. He brings balance by preserving. Both Sword and Shield allows Harmony to act as he wants without struggling with his opposing intents.

[Werewolff Studios he/him]

11 hours ago, alder24 said:

I wouldn't call Wayne a Sword. Wax is personification of Ruin, he brings balance by killing. Wayne on the other hand always restrained himself from killing, mostly never used a gun, used only canes when fighting, he even stoped Wax from killing the last group of guards on top of the Tower in Bilming, and his final act was to safe, protect and preserve city of Elendel. Wayne is not a Sword, he's a Shield of Harmony. He brings balance by preserving. Both Sword and Shield allows Harmony to act as he wants without struggling with his opposing intents.

That's a really good way of putting it. Can't go wrong with the good ol' Sword and Shield combo.

[Blackwarder]

13 hours ago, alder24 said:

I wouldn't call Wayne a Sword. Wax is personification of Ruin, he brings balance by killing. Wayne on the other hand always restrained himself from killing, mostly never used a gun, used only canes when fighting, he even stoped Wax from killing the last group of guards on top of the Tower in Bilming, and his final act was to safe, protect and preserve city of Elendel. Wayne is not a Sword, he's a Shield of Harmony. He brings balance by preserving. Both Sword and Shield allows Harmony to act as he wants without struggling with his opposing intents.

Wax & Wayn, Ruin & Preservation, I think the duality is a theme that will be a core aspect of Scadrial from era 2 onward.

Wayn is to Preservation what Wax is to Ruin, only it was unintentional, I wonder if it’s because Wayn have more of Preservation than a normal person and if so why?

 

 

[Rorzikel]

From the RoW epigraph letters between Harmony and Hoid:

Quote

28: "Other Shards I cannot identify, and are hidden to me. I fear that their influence encroaches upon my world, yet I am locked into a strange inability because of the opposed powers I hold."

29: "I have begun searching for a pathway out of this conundrum by seeking the ideal person to act on my behalf. Someone who embodies both Preservation and Ruin. A … sword, you might say, who can both protect and kill."

Clearly a "sword" is someone who fulfills both intents and acts for Harmony when he cannot. I wouldn't say that Marasi or Wayne can do destroy as well as Wax. Also, as others have said, being a "sword" isn't necessarily some distinct realmatic position or entity, Wax could be the sword simply because Sazed prefers him for personal reasons.

[Seana she/her]

Wax and Wayne’s names are a clue to this Ruin and Preservation duality too- when the moon is waxing it is getting larger (or stronger in this case) and brighter- and when it wanes it becomes smaller and darker. We could call Ruin “bright” because of its fire-y destructiveness, and Preservation “dark” because of the mists.

Ultimately though the moon is always affecting and effecting the world no matter which “side” is presented.

[Band Spren he/him]

On 12/10/2022 at 1:00 AM, Werewolff Studios said:

That's a really good way of putting it. Can't go wrong with the good ol' Sword and Shield combo.

Gotta love the fact that they are a combo at first with Wax and Wayne only to become Sword and Shield

[NerdInWhite he/him]

On 12/9/2022 at 11:09 AM, alder24 said:

I wouldn't call Wayne a Sword. Wax is personification of Ruin, he brings balance by killing. Wayne on the other hand always restrained himself from killing, mostly never used a gun, used only canes when fighting, he even stoped Wax from killing the last group of guards on top of the Tower in Bilming, and his final act was to safe, protect and preserve city of Elendel. Wayne is not a Sword, he's a Shield of Harmony. He brings balance by preserving. Both Sword and Shield allows Harmony to act as he wants without struggling with his opposing intents.

That's a great way to put it

[Wits instant noodles he/him]

On 12/9/2022 at 0:09 PM, alder24 said:

I wouldn't call Wayne a Sword. Wax is personification of Ruin, he brings balance by killing. Wayne on the other hand always restrained himself from killing, mostly never used a gun, used only canes when fighting, he even stoped Wax from killing the last group of guards on top of the Tower in Bilming, and his final act was to safe, protect and preserve city of Elendel. Wayne is not a Sword, he's a Shield of Harmony. He brings balance by preserving. Both Sword and Shield allows Harmony to act as he wants without struggling with his opposing intents.

with Wax being the sword and Wayne the shield it makes since that wax is of Ruin and Wayne of preservation but do other shards have a thing like this?