Dark Knight's Arm
Dark Knight's Arms are weapons used by 
dark knights. They consist of 2-handed greatswords.
| Item | Icon | Level | Item Level | Requirement | Damage (Type) | Materia Slots | Stats and Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aka Oni Greatclub | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9 
|
0 | |
| Augmented Hellhound Faussar | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Blackbosom Soul Reaper | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Colossus Guillotine | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Figment of Spring | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Gigas Greatsword | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Great Shin-Zantetsuken | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Hellhound Faussar | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Shadow Hyposkhesphyra | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Shattered Heart | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Tarnished Hell Light | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 | |
| Tropaios Guillotine | 
|
1 | 1 | DRK | 9
|
0 |
No items in this level range.
| Item | Icon | Level | Item Level | Requirement | Damage (Type) | Materia Slots | Stats and Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fang of the Fearless Cat | 
|
30 | 30 | DRK | 36
|
0 | Strength +6 Vitality +7 |
| Steel Claymore | 
|
30 | 30 | DRK | 32
|
0 | Strength +5 Vitality +6 Direct Hit Rate +5 Tenacity +7 |
| Flame Private's Zweihander | 
|
30 | 31 | DRK | 37
|
0 | Strength +7 Vitality +7 Determination +9 |
| Serpent Private's Zweihander | 
|
30 | 31 | DRK | 37
|
0 | Strength +7 Vitality +7 Determination +9 |
| Storm Private's Zweihander | 
|
30 | 31 | DRK | 37
|
0 | Strength +7 Vitality +7 Determination +9 |
Lore
In battle, maintaining a safe distance from an opponent can oft prove as effective a defense as any suit of mail. Thusly, it would stand to reason that the longer a blade one wielded, the better chance he had at emerging from an encounter victorious. For centuries, however, this theory remained little more than a dream—though not for lack of trying. Countless attempts were made to forge a greatsword that would prove practical in battles yet, a lack of viable smithing techniques saw most of these endeavors end in failure. Lengthening the blade rendered the metal brittle. Thickening the blade saw it grow too heavy to swing with any speed. It would not be until the Third Astral Era and the rapid advancement of metallurgy under the Allagan Empire that the capability to create a truly viable two-handed option arose.
Even then, throughout much of history and well into the Sixth Astral Era, greatswords never gained widespread popularity, the cumbersome weapons being spurned by all save a handful of intrepid individuals. It was not until the age of strife that this finally began to change. Hellsguard mercenaries hired to stave off Ala Mhigo’s incursions into the Black Shroud abandoned their traditional broadswords for long, two-handed blades that could counter the pikes of the highland kingdom’s infantry. At the same time, a fledgling order of Ishgardian knights also embraced the greatsword, the shieldless style of self-sacrificial swordplay it dictated sitting well with their unique doctrine. It is with these small steps that the two-handed sword slowly came to be accepted in Eorzea and beyond.
Prominent Designs
Greatsword
All two-handed swords are technically greatswords, the name generally calling to mind those weapons featuring single, double-edged blades thick at the forte and tapered at the point.
Zweihander
At the base of the zweihander’s blade where the forte meets the quillon, there is an edgeless portion known as the ricasso that can be grasped in much the same manner as the grip, allowing for increased control. This quality increases the weapon’s appeal amongst the realm’s larger-handed races.
Claymore
Preferred weapon of the Highlander Hyur, the claymore is in many ways similar to the zweihanders however, to accommodate the clan’s smaller stature without sacrificing wield, the blade has been shortened almost a hand.
Estramacon
At a glance, one might think the estramacon but another variation on the claymore. What sets the greatswords apart, however, are the thick leather straps wrapped around the lower half of the estramacon’s forte. This padding allows the wielder to grip the blade with the off hand, as one would a spear, and apply extra force into thrust.
Guillotine
Much like an executioner's axe, the guillotine’s true strength lies in the thew of he who carries the sword. It is said that, with enough force behind it, a single blow can sunder in twain a full-grown Roegadyn.
Faussar
Unlike the guillotine, which is designed to sever, the razor-sharp single-edged blade of the faussar is meant to flay its victims with precision cuts. Often regarded as the most elegant of greatswords, many a competent warrior has suffered an untimely end while awestruck by the weapon’s beauty.
Arondight
Considered one of Gerolt Blackthorn’s greatest works, creation of this forked greatsword was commissioned by a high-ranking Ishgardian knight, or so the master smith believed until payments for the blade abruptly ceased, and the client mysteriously vanished. Seeking to recuperate his losses, Gerolt finally found a buyer in one of Ul'dah’s elite Sultansworn.
Balisarde
There lived a hot-headed young knight who, in a fit of rage, stabbed the archbishop’s nephew during an argument over the interpretation of a certain line of Halonic doctrine. Fearing the executioner’s blade, he fled Ishgard for the Aurum Vale, where he hid until succumbing to the grot’s foul vapors. For his dark deeds that day, Ser Renaut of the White Mountain is a name that will live forever in infamy. His exquisite sword, however, need take none of the blame for its master’s misdeeds.
Lockheart
Once the sword of a banneret hailing from a lesser house allied to Haillenarte, it was given the name Lockheart only after its owner perished in an Ishgardian dungeon. The banneret was imprisoned by House Haillenarte for adhering to the teachings of Ser Tryphaniel—also known as the first of the dark knights—choosing rather to waste away in solitude than concede his heart to the demands of another.
Belah’dian Claymore
The Sharlayan archaeologists who discovered this sword in a mine outside Ul'dah were shocked by the amount of dried blood they found caked onto both blade and grip. From this they surmised that the relic had been employed by Belah'dian priests in fell rituals of sacrifice to the goddess of the sun, Azeyma.
Cruadin
Believed to have been forged in ancient Amdapor to aid in the defense of the city against the voidsent hordes summoned by the Mhachi, Cruadin eventually came into possession of the Ala Mhigan royal family following the Amdapori peoples exodus to the Gyr Abanian highlands during the great flood which ended the Fifth Astral Era.
Balmung
While most of the discoveries made by the Sons of Saint Coinach leave the archaeologists guessing as to their origins, some items are recovered alongside caches of tomestones which, once decrypted, can give insight as to when, where, and by whom the object was used. Such was the case of Balmung, a monumental blade that was taken from the body of a murderous villain slain by a hero of the people.
Caladbolg
Upon the defeat of the dark knight Ser Ompagne Deepblack, Sidurgu Orl gathered his former master and caretaker’s sword and locked it away in his armoire, vowing he would not remove it until he had proven worthy of the blade. However, a chance meeting with one who Sidurgu found to be his better convinced the knight it belonged in the hands of another.
Aka Oni Greatclub
Legend states that with this iron cudgel in hand did the terrible Aka Oni wreak havoc on the Far Eastern countryside, laying low anything and everything in the crimson demon’s path. The cudgel’s head has been smoothed to eight equal sides and adorned with sharp knobs known as stars, or “hothi” in the Hingan tongue.
Odenta
From the smoke-like whorls of its hammered blade, to the elegant curve of its hilt, it is said there is no blade like it in all the world—a true masterpiece born in the crimson forge of a legendary Doman swordsmith. The weapon's sheer rarity alone makes it one of the most prestigious items available for purchase at Rowena’s House of Splendors.
Nothung
Taking inspiration from the legendary Allagan blade of the same name, weaponsmith Gerolt Blackthorn and his Thavnairian cohort Ardashir Balyk created this greatsword with the purpose of imbuing it with an aether-based life force that could enhance both the weapon and its wielder’s abilities. [1]
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume II, page 195-196
