The world of G. L. Oldie. The world of the book "The Way of the Sword" is quite similar to the medieval Earth, with the only difference that here cold weapons - swords, spears, halberds, etc. - are animated and have a mind. The Living Blades call themselves "The Shining Ones", and consider humans to be their "Appendages", not even realizing that humans are also sentient. People, in turn, do not realize that many of their actions are guided not by their own will, but by the will of their intelligent weapons.
However, this world is very kind and harmonious: the art of fencing here is perfected to unthinkable perfection, but all fights are bloodless, despite the fact that the participants are armed and masterful weapons - or rather, thanks to this. This is a highly aestheticized and fairly stable world - but there is practically no progress in it - only fencing and blacksmithing are developing - after all, people do not even realize that they often act under the influence of their swords.
And in a harmonious and stable world, mysterious bloody murders begin. Both people and Shining in shock - this has not happened for almost eight centuries! ..
The protagonist of the novel The Way of the Sword, Cheng Ankor, is assigned to investigate these murders. As a result, his right hand is cut off - but in return for it he receives an iron one; Cheng makes contact with his own sword; together they have to learn to kill again - but along the way they discover new, previously unknown possibilities of man and weapons ...
All this happens against the backdrop of a radical change in the fate of the whole world, battle scenes alternate with philosophical reflections, the adventures of the hero take him far from his native city, to the wild steppes of Shulma - and there...
...a lot of interesting things happen there, but only the very end of the book has anything to do with our game: in the end, firearms are invented. This means that the state of harmony is broken forever, and the world will never again be able to remain in the age-old "hibernation", progress has reached here too. Cursed be the day when weapons were given names...
Let's imagine what evolution can lead to in a world like Kabir? In a world where swords and daggers are sentient and people are called Appendages, what will the development of technology and weapons lead to? And besides, Weapon Appendages will not be needed soon! In a world where an iron hand can come to life, and a piece of steel forged by a blacksmith itself acquires mind and feelings - in this world technology will quickly become more alive than organic matter.
Oh, of course, the former swordsmen would not be at enmity with their former Appendages, but why would they, the steely race of the Shining Ones, remember that they once lived in symbiosis with the weak and soft "warmbloods"? Several thousand years after the invention of firearms, the world of Kabir will turn into a mighty civilization of living metal. And people - and other living inhabitants - in fear of the terrifying power of the steel race, will hide in the forest villages, go to the mountains, and remain at the level of development of the Middle Ages. Or rather, even worse, because the fear of weapons will make them return to the wood and stone age.
But since the Shining Ones, nevertheless, were created in the image and likeness of people, and are intended for war, the harmony and philosophy of ancient Kabir will not last long. Sooner or later, the whole world will turn into a battlefield between the Wild Blades, and this time the battles will be such as even the wise Kush-Tengri would not have imagined in a nightmare vision.
The higher the development of the Wild Blades went, the more terrible their wars became. The Shining Ones, being immortal, do not like to take risks themselves, and therefore they built mecha-beasts, mecha-monsters, fighting machines, which they set against each other (not robots, but animated animals made of metal, like Cheng's hand). It is not difficult to guess how it all ended: a global nuclear war, as a result of which a deadly EMP impulse destroyed almost all the Shining Ones. There was a dying world left, miserable warm-blooded savages in the mountains - and thousands of mechanical monsters, which, like any military equipment, were protected from EMP impulses...

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• Create Date March 3, 2023
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