United3dArtists Archive

The Magical Sword Challenge

First let me say that yes I do realize it is similar to the previous challenge but the rules are somewhat different.

The challenge is for you to design and build a magical sword, any type of sword is acceptable but it has to be your own design. That's pretty much it but to make it extra fun, you'll also have to write a fitting backstory about the origin of the sword and its powers.

That is 1. Design, 2. Build, 3. Write a background/story, it's as simple as that.

In order to make things a little easier for people so you won't have two switch between a lot of different threads, just submit your finished artwork to this thread. Submit comments to the separate comments thread. Feel free to post your WIPs in the comments thread, preferably a link to your own WIP thread in the WIP section.

Your final rendering will be a 800x600 or 1024x768 image. Feel free to also include a wireframe of your model.

This challenge will run from today March the 3rd to April the 3rd. That's exactly one month. The poll will then start the next day and will run for about a week so everyone gets a chance to vote.

You may submit as many entries as you like but each entry has to be unique.

Here are also some inspiring swords:

Steinie's Elemental Fire Sword of Forum Fury

Designed in Xara Xtreme, Modeled somewhat in Hexagon, Voxelized in 3d Coat, Painted in PhotoShop - 3DCoat and Shaders added in Carrara 8.5 Pro Beta, Rendered in Carrara 8 Pro, Post work in Photoshop

Long ago, the Viking Steinie Ulm of the Viking clan Gnerpastogg came upon a Blacksmith who designed a special sword that utilized the fiery angry of Odin and the power of Thor's hammer. It was to be used controlling out of control forum wars and the general beheading of peasants.

Talaxian Shredding Swords
Design in Xara Xtreme, Photoshop, 3DCoat Voxels for Build, 3DCoat and Photoshop (perpixelpaint), Lightwave3d Render, Photoshop - some post work

Each young Talaxian male boy at the age of ten is given a wild Talaxian Swamp Boar pup to raise to an adulthood. As the years go by both the boy and boar mature. When the Talaxian male reaches the age of majority, two Tagorian long calendars (25 in Earth Years), the Swamp Boar must be taken to the great meteor mountain of Qkworsiren. The trek is steep and must be climbed under a full orange moon - one of the two moons of Talaxia - the other being yellow/blue. There at the summit, the boar will be sacrificed and the Talaxian male must drink the blood from the heart of the boar as well as eating all of the internal organs before coming down on the mountain. This feast of blood called Ckteket must be achieved and signs of it being complete is that the Talaxian's skin will turn reddish radiating out into shades of blue. Lugging back the remainder of the board (the head, the bones and the skin) is not easy task, but necessary for the Blacksmith ceremony in which the boars' teeth, bones and meteoric galactic metal ore from the mountain will be used to forge the sword. The fierce Setongi warriors used to laugh at the colors of the sword until they found out the blade of the sword fashioned from the meteoric metal has a resonance that slows down time, a distinct advantage for the Talaxian warrior. The bones are blue and inflict pain to opponents as they are tainted with toxic radioactive neuro-sensitive calcium formate binders which attach themselves to nerve endings when contact is made. The tusk and teeth are bright orange and will make the opponents eyes water and their nose run. The orange teeth and tusks are often called the "crying bones" as it makes opponents appear they are breaking out in tears while in combat. The Talaxian Shredding Sword is psychologically powerful and always carried in pairs by a Talaxian Warrior.

My found Elven Sword




You ask where I got that you say!? Why...This is MY sword. Well really it's not mine. I found it.
No not really.... It was someone elses once... Take pint, son.
I'm still trying to figure out how to use it. The now dead elve I "stole" this from didn't really leave any instructions, nor any manual, paper or hint on how to use it, ungracious prick! I'm no magician, and I certainly don't know the slightest inkling of their folklore to aid me, those tall pale gaylords.. But I have his sword, and by Thissis, he nearly killed me with it! Spinnin the sword in circles deflecting all of my arrows, shining his bright magicle gem that made me dizzy and faint from the light, nearly blinding me! If it wasn't for my visor!!..... well you know.....
Every time I take up this heavy sword with my bare two hands, heavy, much too heavy for you boy, the gem lights up ever so slightly and it quickly feels (by magic I think) as light as a feather. I tried to hide it from my many wives, but one day, a cursed day, I was twirling it around like I saw the elve did, taking note of that glowing gem. It grew quite bright the more I swung the blade. My concubine found me welding it, cursed day.... she almost bust my balls, my women, a blade, worry, drama, jealousy, hell on earth when she almost noticed my prize....ALMOST... Well she didn't notice long as she was struck blind by the aura. That damned light, vibrates and burns in the very back of your eye balls! It was a shocker that I managed to wind that arrow in the heart of that dastard pretty boy. But looks like it now doesn't affect me when I hold the blade.. or blades. How many blades does this thing have!?!? My scars on my leg could tell you, and my many wives and now blind concubine can tell you too, it's more than one measily scar on my leg! Talk about a denting piece of flesh shredder! But what get's me most is the gem. The gem...... I can't really tell you what it does, but every time I hold the sword, the gem glows intensely. I think that blinding aura comes from the gem, but it doesn't affect me... it just makes me feel......... clear. I see better, I smeel better, I move quieter and faster. Again, that arrow saved my life and I don't know how, by Thissis, I'm not a dead man and my concubine will live to see me again!! hang-on-a-deer's-breathe.. my WIVES will live to SEE me again!.....Hah, prefer concubines, less drama.
BUUUUUT on the sunny side of the storm, he's dead now, and this sword is MY sword. It's empowering and don't you think about knicking it boy! Show me where's a soothsayer! I need to threaten some magician with my blades and see if he can tell me what magic this sword holds.

"OI!!!!! You there with the fandangled shiny thing! TURN AROUND SO I CAN SEE YOU!!!"

Righty, no more drinks for the night boy.... mind covering yon eyes a moment? You know what to do.



Modeling: trueSpace 7.61 beta 8 WS
Textures: Paint.Net/trueSpace 7.61 beta 8 WS
Rendering: trueSpace 7.61beta 8 WS
Compositing and Effects: Blender 2.61/Softimage 2012 SP1

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Lorea was originally created as a ceremonial sword for the desert lord Koshja Ma'an of the third century Torah-nomads in southern Novea. It became his personal preference in battle so he ordered the creation of another sword, Vorea. Both swords were in the Ma'an family for over two hundred years before disappearing in the desert with the fall of the Novean empire.

Software: TS 7.6 model side for modeling, Paint Shop Pro for glyphs, Hexagon for UV mapping.

The Sword of Tyrants

Kropark was a magician. He made enchanted objects and was very good at that. One of the best. Soldiers of king Ukjag were at his house when he returned. His family was not.

Ukjag ruled the neighboring kingdom and had defeated Kropark's previous king and added the land to his realm. Kropark didn't like kings at all but now he stood before Ukjag and wondered if he would be better or worse. Ukjag said that Kropark would be rewarded if he worked on a magical sword. Then he took Kropark to his family and showed him the luxurious palace rooms they would have and told of the riches that he would be paid. Then he took Kropark to the dungeon where some townspeople were used to demonstrate what would happen to his wife and children if he refused.

So Kropark worked on the Sword of Kings. He enchanted gems that would influence everyone within hundreds of leagues of the sword except its wielder and those told of a special charm to say. The gems would reflect the spirits and powers of vices and virtues and of strength and weakness. The gems would activate in pairs and Ukjag would test the people by giving them a choice. If they followed the good influences they would be rewarded. If not ... Kropark made the gems of vice and weakness. Then he lived for some time in the luxurious rooms with his family. He thought the rare things needed to enchant the gems of virtue and strength were being gathered but then he was called to see the making of the blade and its joining with the rest.

Not magicians. Sorcerers. In league with darkness so long that now they were more demon than man. They did not fear Ukjag. They did not treat him like a king. Kropark saw the outline of a blade amid symbols and heard the sorcerers incantations and saw their urn. They poured blood from the urn. The blood of child. All the blood of a child. It took the shape of a blade in the outline. The sorcerers invited one of their masters. Kropark could not see it but he knew it was there. A demon. It entered the blade willingly, eagerly, and the blade turned to metal. There was one gem left to make and Ukjag told Kropark to finish the sword. Now Kropark knew he had been deceived. This was not the Sword of Kings. It was the Sword of Tyrants.

Kropark pretended to work to give the final gem a vice power but instead he prepared something to work against the sword's powers. When last gem was almost finished he went to his family. He had a bead, ages old, that would make a wish come true, once. Its power was not limitless but it was enough to send his family to a far away land and ensure that Ukjag would never find them. Then he returned to the sword to finish the last gem. He must make it more powerful than reflections of spirits. More powerful than a demon.

He added a ruby to the sword. If a tyrant uses the powers of the sword to rule then the ruby encourages rebellion with equal power. Now the soul of Kropark resides in the Ruby of Rebellion until all men are free.

Just two more days and the challenge is over.

We've got some great entries! The poll will be set up the day after tomorrow.

Alrighty, it's the fourth of April and the challenge is now over. I will set up the poll soon. If you by any chance still have model you were secretly working on, I can accept any entries until the poll is up.

May the best sword win!