Look forward to meeting you Besaid :)

[Urthdigger]

I think we're reading it more like Balmonger.
Where if a warmonger is someone who is eager to promote and engage in wars.
A balmonger is someone who is eager to promote and engage in balls.

And by balls, I totally mean what the Moogle Juggler job in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance practices with before switching to knives.

I loved that job. Well, I suppose I loved all the moogle exclusive jobs. Especially Fusilier.

[Dragon]

"A magical sword, Balmung, was made by Wayland the Smith. Odin stabbed the Branstock tree, an oak tree in the Volsung palace, with Balmung. Odin then said that he who could pull the sword from the tree is destined to win in battle. Nine of the Volsung princes tried to take the sword, but only the youngest ever got it out. His name was Sigmund. Odin destroyed Balmung in battle but it was reassembled and Siegfried used it against Fafnir."

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/balmung.html

It's a horrible name and the story behind it isn't very interesting. Damn the luck, I wish we would have gotten Masamune.

Masamune is more interesting? The Masamune is just a pile of junk for cowards.

[MysteriousRonin]

Masamune is more interesting? The Masamune is just a pile of junk for cowards.

"A legend tells of a test where Muramasa challenged his master, Masamune, to see who could make a finer sword. They both worked tirelessly and eventually, when both swords were finished, they decided to test the results. The contest was for each to suspend the blades in a small creek with the cutting edge facing the current. Muramasa's sword, the Juuchi Yosamu (10,000 Cold Nights / 十千夜寒) cut everything that passed its way; fish, leaves floating down the river, the very air which blew on it. Highly impressed with his pupil's work, Masamune lowered his sword, the Yawarakai-Te (Tender Hands / 柔らかい手), into the current and waited patiently. Not a leaf was cut, the fish swam right up to it, and the air hissed as it gently blew by the blade. After a while, Muramasa began to scoff at his master for his apparent lack of skill in the making of his sword. Smiling to himself, Masamune pulled up his sword, dried it, and sheathed it. All the while, Muramasa was heckling him for his sword's inability to cut anything. A monk, who had been watching the whole ordeal, walked over and bowed low to the two sword masters. He then began to explain what he had seen.

"The first of the swords was by all accounts a fine sword, however it is a blood thirsty, evil blade, as it does not discriminate as to who or what it will cut. It may just as well be cutting down butterflies as severing heads. The second was by far the finer of the two, as it does not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving.""

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masamune

[Urthdigger]

"A legend tells of a test where Muramasa challenged his master, Masamune, to see who could make a finer sword. They both worked tirelessly and eventually, when both swords were finished, they decided to test the results. The contest was for each to suspend the blades in a small creek with the cutting edge facing the current. Muramasa's sword, the Juuchi Yosamu (10,000 Cold Nights / 十千夜寒) cut everything that passed its way; fish, leaves floating down the river, the very air which blew on it. Highly impressed with his pupil's work, Masamune lowered his sword, the Yawarakai-Te (Tender Hands / 柔らかい手), into the current and waited patiently. Not a leaf was cut, the fish swam right up to it, and the air hissed as it gently blew by the blade. After a while, Muramasa began to scoff at his master for his apparent lack of skill in the making of his sword. Smiling to himself, Masamune pulled up his sword, dried it, and sheathed it. All the while, Muramasa was heckling him for his sword's inability to cut anything. A monk, who had been watching the whole ordeal, walked over and bowed low to the two sword masters. He then began to explain what he had seen.

"The first of the swords was by all accounts a fine sword, however it is a blood thirsty, evil blade, as it does not discriminate as to who or what it will cut. It may just as well be cutting down butterflies as severing heads. The second was by far the finer of the two, as it does not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving.""

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masamune

And Balmung is the norse version of Excalibur. And as everyone knows, Norse makes everything better.

[Dragon]

"A legend tells of a test where Muramasa challenged his master, Masamune, to see who could make a finer sword. They both worked tirelessly and eventually, when both swords were finished, they decided to test the results. The contest was for each to suspend the blades in a small creek with the cutting edge facing the current. Muramasa's sword, the Juuchi Yosamu (10,000 Cold Nights / 十千夜寒) cut everything that passed its way; fish, leaves floating down the river, the very air which blew on it. Highly impressed with his pupil's work, Masamune lowered his sword, the Yawarakai-Te (Tender Hands / 柔らかい手), into the current and waited patiently. Not a leaf was cut, the fish swam right up to it, and the air hissed as it gently blew by the blade. After a while, Muramasa began to scoff at his master for his apparent lack of skill in the making of his sword. Smiling to himself, Masamune pulled up his sword, dried it, and sheathed it. All the while, Muramasa was heckling him for his sword's inability to cut anything. A monk, who had been watching the whole ordeal, walked over and bowed low to the two sword masters. He then began to explain what he had seen.

"The first of the swords was by all accounts a fine sword, however it is a blood thirsty, evil blade, as it does not discriminate as to who or what it will cut. It may just as well be cutting down butterflies as severing heads. The second was by far the finer of the two, as it does not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving.""

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masamune

Thank you for proving my point.

Muramasa > Masamune

A sword that does its job, that is to kill its victim regardless of any preconceived fairy tale of good or evil, is far more worthy of a warrior, than any dull sword that was created on an asinine myth that good and evil are at all any different.

[MysteriousRonin]

Thank you for proving my point.

Muramasa > Masamune

A sword that does its job, that is to kill its victim regardless of any preconceived fairy tale of good or evil, is far more worthy of a warrior, than any dull sword that was created on an asinine myth that good and evil are at all any different.

A wise warrior would choose Masamune be he good or evil.

"Muramasa was a most skillful smith but a violent and ill-balanced mind verging on madness, that was supposed to have passed into his blades....They were popularly believed to hunger for blood and to impel their warrior to commit murder or suicide."

"It has also been told that once drawn, a Muramasa blade has to draw blood before it can be returned to its scabbard, even to the point of forcing its wielder to wound himself or commit suicide. Thus, it is thought of as a demonic cursed blade that creates bloodlust in those who wield it."

[Dragon]

A wise warrior would choose Masamune be he good or evil.

"Muramasa was a most skillful smith but a violent and ill-balanced mind verging on madness, that was supposed to have passed into his blades....They were popularly believed to hunger for blood and to impel their warrior to commit murder or suicide."

"It has also been told that once drawn, a Muramasa blade has to draw blood before it can be returned to its scabbard, even to the point of forcing its wielder to wound himself or commit suicide. Thus, it is thought of as a demonic cursed blade that creates bloodlust in those who wield it."

In every single legend, the Masamune is proven incapable of cutting through its target unless by specific criteria that defines the difference between good and evil. The Muramasa is a clearly superior weapon and anyone wielding it IS going to be drawing blood in the first place, though the idea it makes the owner lust after blood isn't such a bad thing either.

You don't wield a weapon unless you're willing to kill in the first place.

[MysteriousRonin]

And Balmung is the norse version of Excalibur. And as everyone knows, Norse makes everything better.

Not in this case, go back a page and read my comment on the story of that sword. IMO Excalibur has a much better story.

[Urthdigger]

I was referring to the similarity of how Balmung was only able to be pulled out of Barnstokkr by Sigmund, much like how Arthur was the only one able to pull the sword out of the stone.

[NoloeTazier]

Not in this case, go back a page and read my comment on the story of that sword. IMO Excalibur has a much better story.

FOOL!

Rule number 452: You must attend Excalibur's 5 hour story telling party.