Swordian

A Swordian (ソーディアン) is a sentient sword imbued with the personality and memories of an Er'ther military figure from the era of the Aeth'er Wars. Six Swordians exist in total, five of which survived in a fully functional capacity until the events of Tales of Destiny.

The Aeth'er Wars
The Swordian technology is the result of research by Aeth'er scientists during their civilization's war with the surface dwellers known as the Er'thers. Their technology was stolen by Er'ther forces after some of the scientists defected, and a research and development lab was constructed within a mountain cave close the area that would become the village of Armeida far into the future, hidden in a deep bunker to keep the facility safe from attack by the Aeth'er superweapon Belcrant.

The research facility was managed by an eccentric female scientist named Harold Berselius, known even centuries later as a mad genius, even if her gender was forgotten and misinterpreted due to her confusingly masculine name. Harold gathered six of the highest ranking members of the Er'ther conflict and copied their personalities to be imprinted into each of the lens set within six ornately designed swords. The military leaders who took part in this experiment would then use these Swordians to augment their own abilities by channeling arcane energies into magic, and each Swordian became associated with a specific elemental property, in addition to a sentient mind and voice which enabled the Swordians to communicate with anyone of their choice.

Dymlos Timber, Division Commander of the 1st Er'ther Army, handled Swordian Dymlos, acquiring a mastery over fire. Colonel Atwight Eks of the Medical Corps took posession of Swordian Atwight, focused on water and ice, and the healing magic which derives from it. Laville Clemente, the Chief of Staff of all Er'ther forces, came to wield the Swordian Clemente and its domain over holy lightning, granting him access to spells of all elements, among the most powerful Light-elemental spells such as Indignation and Big Bang. Major Pierre de Chaltier, a squadron leader of the 2nd Er'ther Army, became the master of Swordian Chaltier, controlling the powers of earth and darkness. Igtenos Minarde, leader of the intelligence unit within the Er'ther army, took command of Swordian Igtenos and his wind-enhanced capabilities. Finally, Karell Berselius, a strategist within the Er'ther army and brother of Harold, acquired the Swordian Berselius, who shared the domain of darkness with Chaltier.

These six individuals came to be known as the original Swordian Masters (ソーディアンマスター). The Swordian Masters quickly adapted to their new weapons, using their newfound magical abilities to clear away legions of enemies as they made their assault on the Aeropolis of Dycroft. They eventually confronted Kronus, the leader of the Aeth'er population, seeking to end the war by defeating the man who antagonized their people. Kronos engaged in combat with the Swordian Masters, and he was eventually struck down by Karell. However, Kronos also landed his own fatal blow on both Karell and his Swordian, striking the weapon through its lens core and shattering it to pieces, while killing Karell in the process. Members of both sides of the war witnessed Kronos at his last moments, but he used the now inert Swordian as a token to house his injured spirit as his body came to its death, choosing to wait until someone can claim the Swordian so that he may bring about his revenge.

Karell was granted full honors as the hero who ended the Aeth'er Wars, while the remaining Swordian Masters continued to live on with their Swordians until their own more peaceful deaths.

Tales of Destiny
The five Swordians were then lost to the ages as records about their whereabouts ceased to exist, though some came into the posession of private collections and were passed down through the generations as family heirlooms, such as Chaltier, who was bound to the Gilchrist family, Atwight to the Katrea family, and Igtenos to the Phandaria Royal House of Kelvin. Clemente was lost to sea, having been interred into the Er'ther base of Radisrol along with the artificial intelligence program that held the personality of Commander Marius Raiker, another supporter of the Er'ther cause during the Aeth'er Wars.

The location of Dymlos was unknown until the start of Tales of Destiny, where he had been collected from a facility following an expedition funded by the Oberon Corporation on the continent of Fitzgald. Dymlos was secretively boarded onto the Draconis as valuable cargo headed for the capital of the kingdom of Seinegald in Darilsheid, the same airship on which Stahn Aileron became stowaway to begin his adventuring life. As for Kronos, whose spirit was now hiding in the empty shell which once housed Berselius, he was eventually discovered in the underwater ruins of Dycroft during an earlier expedition by the Oberon Corporation, personally led by Hugo Gilchrist.

Known Swordian Masters

 * Swordian Dymlos - Dymlos Timber, Stahn Aileron
 * Swordian Atwight - Atwight Eks, Chris Katrea, Rutee Katrea
 * Swordian Clemente - Laville Clemente, Philia Felice
 * Swordian Chaltier - Pierre de Chaltier, Leon Magnus
 * Swordian Igtenos - Igtenos Minarde, King Sark of Phandaria, Garr Kelvin
 * Swordian Berselius - Karell Berselius

While both Hugo and Kronos use the nonfunctional Swordian Berselius as their weapon, neither individual takes on the role of his master, since the persona of Berselius had been destroyed ages ago. Hugo never personally took posession of Chaltier himself, as he gifted the Swordian to his son Leon Magnus in his early youth. Furthermore, Leon lends Chaltier to Karyl Sheeden to engage Tiberius Terazzi in a short swordsmanship duel, but Chaltier does not acknowledge Karyl as his master during this time due to his loyalty to Leon, and Karyl remains unable to hear the voice of Chaltier afterwards.