The Reforged
The fear of death is a common notion of understanding for many. One moment you are alive minding your own business and next thing you know there is nothing but terror and pain before everything fades to black and you are gone. That may sound bad but imagine if instead of fading away, you remain wide awake and completely aware of your condition, powerless to do anything about it. Now picture that on top of that your mind and spirit is as broken and mangled as your corpse, unable to ever remember or understand the person you use to be and forever be tormented by it. If you can comprehend the horror of that scenario, then you can have some clue of the unending nightmare that awaits all gems upon shattering.
The shattered will never be who they once were ever again, but there is hope that they can be reborn in a new form and granted peace from their pain. The exalted Gemsmiths of the Bismuthian Orders had figured out a method that utilizing advanced aura techniques and masterful smithing arts that infuse gem shards, along with the fragmented consciousness contain within, into metal creating the Reforged in the process. The forging uses the smith's aura to communicated, guide and combine the fragmented consciousnesses into a whole singular being. Its as much a spiritual forging as it is a physical one. It must be stated that the this does not resurrect the shattered Gem, it creates a new being who is an echo of the broken gem. A small portion of the Gemsmith's spirit is also left incorporated into the Reforged conciseness, farther adding into the divergence. As sad as this might be, it much better than the alternative.
Once undergoing the smelting process, it up to the Gemsmith and Reforged what the path to take going forward. A critical component of the spiritual mending in the broken gem is to choose a goal or purpose to form the core of their new being. Its this core purpose that shapes what the Reforged will become. The Gemsmith can influence the core purpose and Reforged's future form but must respect the choice. As most of these gems were shattered during an apocalyptic war, many of them wish to continue to fight, whether it's to settle half-remembered grudges or to protect what they had previously fought and died for. It's from these gems that become the famed and most well known of the Reforged, the Gemmis Arma.
Gemmis Arma is regarded as some of the most effective and powerful weapons ever forged by mortal hands on Remnent. They have proven in thousands of battles to be effective in destroying the physical forms of Gems and the bodies of Grimm. The Gemmis Arma can manifest a cloud or smoke-like substance that can be used for attack or defense in aid of their partner. Some of the older, more experienced Gemmis even solidify this cloud into simple shapes to more efficiently aid in this endeavor. It can also act as a last line of defense when all aura has been depleted for short periods of time. In the of Reforged who take the forms of bows or primitive guns, create their ammo out of hard light to attack.
Another aspect that has proven valuable and life-saving to Huntsmen throughout the centuries is their ability take in and store aura over time for their partner's later use in battle. Gemsmiths speculate that this is a result of aura being used so intensively in the smelting process. Despite this trait, Gemmis cannot produce aura, only take in, store, and to release it. Another valuable aspect of these weapons is their ability to collect the skills and combat experience of their previous partners and pass them on to the new current wielder. This transfer of knowledge is not an instant process, and the wielder still needs to train to prepare their body and mind for the combat skills they are about to receive without destroying themselves physically or mentally.
A surprising aspect of Reforged is their inability to speak. When communicating with human or Gems, they use images, sounds, and emotions. To the inexperienced, it makes no sense, inspiring nothing but confusion. To Gemsmiths or those with much exposure to the Reforged, can understand this bizarre method of communication. The weapon can also gain slight control of their partner's movements to aid in combat maneuvers and improve their reaction time. If their partner is passed out and in great danger, the Gemmis can assume direct control of their wielder's body, pushing it past its limits and fight their way to safety. The pair is at their best when both are in mental concert with one another, entering a combat meditative state whose power comes from the speed, precision, and efficiency that they fight with. People who bore witness to Huntsmen entering this state are left both awed and scared, describing the huntsman killing with the brutal efficiency of a machine yet move with the grace of a master dancer. It's quite the sight to behold.
Those who think they can just pick up a Gemmis Arma and have an easy path to power or glory is in for a major disappointment. They may be weapons to be used for combat, but they are living beings with wills of their own. Gemsmiths who have successfully forged a Gemmis as the last trail of their training, are left spiritually marked, which makes all Gemmis see them as "family" and willingly lend their power to them with little reservation. For non-Gemsmiths, it depends on the Gemmis in question. Some will demand feats of high strength or skill, or showings of honor. A couple will even make their would-be wielder agree to deals for its partnership. The strongest, seasoned, and prideful of the Gemmis Arma, may demand a series of trails or even an epic quest for one to win the right to wield their power. However, there are many Reforged that have not only formed intense bonds with their welders but their families as well. It is these Gemmis that not only get passed down through the generations as family heirlooms but as cherished members of the family as well. It is said the family with a Gemmis heirloom is never defenseless. It is possible to force the weapon into submission but the "wielder" must remain on guard, or the Gemmis will turn on them if given a chance.
The Reforged who are not made into a weapon are known as Gemmis Supplementum. Though not as famous as their weapon counterparts, the Supplementum have never the less manage to garner renown of their throughout the ages. They can take a wide range of forms and have exhibited many abilities unique to themselves or their shard components. Like for example, a sapphire mirror, which can show glimpses of possible futures in its reflection. Or an aquamarine tiara, which gives the wearer perfect memory and access to significant amount of knowledge. Or even a bag capable of holding items, as long as they can be fit through its opening, far bigger and heavier than itself with ease. The most popular kind of Supplementum among the Gemsmiths are wearable items made from ruby shards that grant their wearer excellent heat resistance, which Gemsmiths use to practice their craft on molten materials with their bare hands.
Throughout the ages since the end of the Gem War, the exact number of Reforged were never precise due to the dispersed nature of later Orders and their different methods of record keeping. The problem is farther exacerbated since many to those records were lost or destroyed during the Great War. Much of the modern Bismuthian Orders spent not only rebuild their organization to what it once before but also seeking out and reclaiming the Reforge lost during that chaotic period of war. The lost Gemmis Arma and Supplementum left abandoned out on the battlefield or in Guild armories as their wielders and creators died in the carnage. Many of the lost were looted and have found themselves either put into private collections, museums, black market, or if they are lucky in some family home.
Most of the Lost came from orders that were utterly wiped out or warriors who died on the battlefield, which has left these Gemmis so traumatized by the loss of what they saw as family, they put themselves into a dormant state to shut out the world and sleep through the pain. Not much can wake them from their dormancy other than exposure to a potent yet familiar Aura, like that of a Gemsmith or when someone tries to melt them down for scrap metal, in which case they retaliate violently, often leaving few survivors. Mantle Reforged are the worst in this regard, if waking up near the site of their Orders downfall, will often seek out the closest available body, forcibly possessing it before going on a vengeance-fueled rampage on all those they perceive as having a hand in the death of their loved ones. Despite this, it is possible to heal these gemmis of their pain, but a few never do, like a particular blood red blade, who found a kindred spirit in a spiteful bull of red earth.