#ashbringer

[lightsfeather]

"he raised the ashbringer high above him, whispering 'its ashing time' and brought ash all over the place"

[thefoamwarrior]

New larger Corrupted Ashbringer is all in one piece. Now the long arduous task of shaping and smoothing can begin. 😵

[xingyueiri]

Sliver Hand, Ebon Blade

[daphrona]

This shit sucks so bad I'm going to [remembers the wisdom Tirion Fordring imparted upon me before the battle] kill myself.

[wearepaladin]

Judgement Armor by

Michael Navarro Milanés

[yasuouehara]

The Corrupted Ashbringer should have been Scourge Blue instead of Fel Green in my opinion

[rhaemaya-valwynn]

Writing a bit today and wanna share what I got so far. Just, stretching my mind ans fingers again like a cat after a long nap.

This is Alexandros going for a walk in the night when hes trapped in the ashbringer while tirion rests. ICC isnt an evil place in my au so please be aware of that.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

That was a phrase Alexandros had heard often throughout his life. Yet he wondered how to apply the phrase when life had turned him into a haunted blade meant to kill unholy creatures. Was the blade the lemons? His soul? The undead? Fuck, he wasn't poetic like Tirion, and trying to brood in silence while the old man slept was making Alexandros feel like he had ants crawling on him.

Peering over at the still figure, Alexandros reached out to wake him so they could go for a walk, but retracted his hand and cursed himself for even thinking of it. Tirion had barely slept in weeks and had barely just found time tonight to actually rest. Too much was happening all around, and the man felt compelled to keep it all straight somehow.

With a sigh, Alexandros stood up from his seat. A courtesy Tirion always made sure to give him, even though it was unneeded. Chairs, beds, cushions, blankets. All that mortal shit Alex no longer could take full pleasure in, always there like he'd suddenly sprout skin and need it. Alexandros froze in his spot as the chair creaked at his movement, causing him to suck in a not-needed breath as he waited to see if Tirion awoke.

Thankfully, the older man was dead to the world, and Alex released his fake breath before finishing to stand. Turning around, he cautiously pressed a hand onto the back of the chair and was delighted to see it budge ever so softly.

Corporality was like the sun for Alexandros. Sometimes it was high in the sky, and he could move freely, grab books to read, and feel things. Other times it was the moon, and he was damn near blind and deaf to the world.

Peering over to where the Ashbringer sat propped against the right side of the bed, where Tirion could easily grab it, Alexandros couldn't hide his smile at knowing his walk could be more imminent.

Moving from the left side, a position where a clear view of the door and exits was seen, Alexandros reached out to what remained of him physically and quietly lifted the blade. Both of them had become keenly aware of the dangers of midnight assailants and fallen into a rhythm to keep each other safe.

Feeling his feet make contact with the wood floor grounded Alex as he moved, relishing in the quiet sound. To be seen and heard by the world, even if momentarily, was one of the few blessings he was afforded. The Ashbringer lifted as if it weighed nothing and willingly slid into its position against Alexandros's back like a familiar shirt worn into his shape.

It took only four wide steps to make it to the door, the knob turning silently and hinges blissfully remaining quiet as the apparition of Alexandros made to leave. Only to hesitate before quickly flicking a hand Tirion's way and set upon him a blessing of protection so that he need not worry while away.

That would give him an hour or so before it would dispel, plenty of time to stretch and calm Alex's nerves.

[aura-idalia]

corruption/purification

something I've been rolling around in my head is what the logic for the Ashbringer's corruption and purification is. Is it Light based? Is it more thematic?

There's the crystal it's made from - a stone that damages Alexandros’s hand when corrupted, then heals him when turned to the light. I always thought it was interesting that the healing it performs directly undoes the damage it originally caused.

The first time the sword is corrupted, it’s due to a monumental act of betrayal - Renault kills Alexandros, and I'm inclined to believe the sword might be corrupted because Renault still loves his father. He wields the blade at the moment where he breaks from his values. It's also worth noting that while Renault acts like he doesn't love or need his family anymore, he certainly still does; he lives with immense guilt for his entire adult life, and the moment he sees Alexandros's spirit, instead of responding with anger he chooses to beg for forgiveness.

The first time the sword is purified(?) is because of an act of love greater than the act of betrayal - Darion dying to save someone he loves. I could be wrong, but I think we're supposed to see this as a purification, even if only transient/partial since Alexandros's soul was freed. Darion's sacrifice is the ultimate act of love, the ultimate value Alexandros imparts unto Darion.

Then it’s corrupted when Darion is raised; Darion becomes a perversion of what he was in life. Alexandros taught Darion to fight for what he cared about, but in the Scourge, Darion cares about nothing (other than the will of the Lich King, which isn't a personal desire, just an affect of Domination). His life was defined by immense, selfless to the point of martyrdom, love. He has no real, personal values as a Scourge death knight.

Then it’s finally purified permanently when Tirion gets it at Light’s Hope, and that feels symbolic of both Darion reclaiming his values as well as it being thrown to Tirion: a man who never deviated from his value of honor, even when it cost him greatly to do so. It's worth noting that Tirion directly shouts at Darion that he's become everything his father stood against, and how the memory that plays reminds Darion of his original desire to mete out justice throughout the land. Both of these serve to bring Darion's original values to the surface.

The reason I keep this “rule of values” separate from the Light is because I don’t know if the values that can be recognized as baseline need to be approved by the Light? Especially with Season of Discovery, we see that the Ashbringer has memory of its wielders; that might even be how they justify Tirion’s voice coming from the Legion version of the sword. In that case, it doesn’t seem implausible that the sword is the one making judgements on how well its wielder is adhering to their values. It also may be that some specific values are what the sword is receptive to - in that case, I would posit love. The Ashbringer was forged with Magni Bronzebeard's grief over his brother's death - it was forged by love. Each of its wielders were primarily driven by love as well; Alexandros by his sons, both Darion and Renault by their relationship with Alexandros, and Tirion by his belief in unity (which must be fueled by compassion).