Bladesinger

In antiquity, a Bladesinger was an Elven mage-knight who dedicated his life to perfection of the complex and deadly Elven martial art known as Megilina (from the Mithrandic, Bladesong). While a number of Elves practiced this martial art, only those who swore the Vesta en Tel'Megilindar, or the Oath of the Bladesinger, dedicating their lives to the Art and to use it in the defense of the Elven race, were called Bladesingers.

Art of the Bladesong

The Bladesong was the most deadly martial art practiced by the Elves, and even among the Tel'Quessir, there were few true masters. It was thus named for the whistling of practitioners' oft-enchanted Elven blades in battle, and also for the ethereal, haunting melodies some practitioners sang as they fought entranced.

As a martial art, it was in many ways the ultimate expression of the Elves' many gifts, tailor made to play to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Bladesingers fought in a perfect, elegant fusion of physical and magical prowess, balance and grace. The key to the Bladesong was the weapon; in the hands of a Bladesinger, there was no telling where the weapon ended and the Elf began. At the beginning of training, a Bladesinger chose a single kind of weapon to learn his art with, and never trained with another. The weapon was always one-handed so that the Bladesinger would have a free hand to cast spells, and most of the time was a blade of some sort though not always. Though it could be visually impressive to behold, the bladesong was a subtle art, emphasizing misdirection, deception and feints as opposed to heavy blows. In battle, Bladesingers appeared to be dancing more than fighting, but even novices in the style could pull off some impressive maneuvers.

The Bladesong was expressly forbidden to be taught to non-Elves, even those deemed Elf-friends and allies, and the punishment for such an act was death to both teacher and student. As the most deadly weapon in the Elven arsenal, it was thought too dangerous to fall into non-Elven hands. There was also the very practical concern of its difficulty; the sheer complexity of the art meant that even the most rudimentary maneuvers could take years to learn. Bladesingers trained for decades, and even masters never really stopped perfecting their skills. Other races simply didn't live long enough for it.

The Orders

Bladesingers divided themselves into orders based on their weapons of choice, and each of these orders had animal totems that best symbolized their variation on the Bladesong. Members always wore their totems as elaborate and beautiful tattoos. Bladesingers devoted their very lives to the service of Elvenkind, and were expected to put Elven interests ahead of everything else at all times. They were charged with advancing the cause of the Elven people and were expected to lend aid to any Elf in need, giving their lives if need be, unless said Elf had proven him/herself to be an enemy of the Tel'Quessir. Every Bladesinger regardless of order swore the same oath, to use their art to defend the Elven people:

I walk in the light but darkness surrounds me;

Mighty are the foes of my people;

I am their shield;

My blood for their blood,

My life for their life;

My sword and I are one;

We will serve our people and The Elven Way.

I have sworn this Oath upon my life;

This day and forever, I name myself Bladesinger.

The most famous of the Bladesinger orders in antiquity was the Circle of Feanoran'coia, or the Circle of the Phoenix. Founded by King Rivalyn Simarial of Keltamyre, it was formed in the wake of the Three Leaves War, the first of the Sundering Wars in ancient Crystal. Perhaps its most famous Bladesinger was Rivalyn's descendant, Prince Lysandir Simarial of Kavan, who founded the kingdom deep in the Forests of Tro as a sanctuary for the last of his people.

Modern Era

Few Bladesingers remain in the modern Web of Worlds, thanks to the general decline of the Elves. Most have quite simply disappeared, and the handful that remain are as reluctant to sharing the secrets of their art as their brethren ever were. Ironically, their legacy is probably best represented by the Sword Dancer priestesses of the Dark Elven Goddess Eilistraee, whose fighting art bears a striking resemblance to that of the Bladesong.