The Relic Weapons and justifying why the Jobmasters have them

[Morningstar1337]

Okay so while leveling your job to 50 you may have noticed that someone involved with the related quest-line has a distinct weapon, and that once you get to 50 you can get that weapon for your self. However once you do the relic quests some of them ae implied to be one of a kind. For now I know of two weapons (due to having earned them), Thryus and the Stardust Rod

• For Thyrus, we know that it's original wielder, A-Towa-Cant, kicked the bucket at the O'Ghomara mines, however the level 50 WHM quest has him reappear to aid in the purification of the tree. However in this case it has been stated that he is a ghost essentially and fades as soon as the tree is cleansed. If his body appears as an aethereal temporary construct, why not his staff?
• In contrast, the Stardust Rod has been mass produced. So it's wouldn't be surprising for Ququrika to have a genuine Stardust Rod as opposed to a replica or aethereal construct

Now that still leaves the other 7 (soon to be 8) relics. Are the relics truly one of a kind? Are the weapons you see their wielders use the genuine articles, replicas or counterfeits and if they are real, how did they get these weapons?

[Lucke]

For PLD:

When the first PLD were under the service of the Sultanate, 3 swords were made from a single ore: Oathkeeper, Curtana, and a 3rd unknown sword. Oathkeeper was stolen heavily dishonoring the brotherhood of PLD. They still haven't fully recovered from the theft. Curtana was given to another PLD. Curtana is real, not mass produced or a replica. For the Holy Shields, I guess there were 3: one for Oathkeeper, Curtana, and the 3rd unknown sword. Curtana and Holy Shield are a set, they belong together. So that's why I think there were 3 shields.

[Morningstar1337]

For PLD:

When the first PLD were under the service of the Sultanate, 3 swords were made from a single ore: Oathkeeper, Curtana, and a 3rd unknown sword. Oathkeeper was stolen heavily dishonoring the brotherhood of PLD. They still haven't fully recovered from the theft. Curtana was given to another PLD. Curtana is real, not mass produced or a replica. For the Holy Shields, I guess there were 3: one for Oathkeeper, Curtana, and the 3rd unknown sword. Curtana and Holy Shield are a set, they belong together. So that's why I think there were 3 shields.

So basilay the sword we see during the Paladin quest is not Curtana but an identical sword?

[LiveVoltage]

for DRG: The Gae Bolg is a (somewhat) replicated but still unique relic. Only one is crafted for every generation of the Azure Dragoon and it's usually crafted by blacksmiths in Ishgard. This though conflicts with the relic weapon questline lore of where (whats her name) Dragoon took up her fallen lovers spear and drove it into the heart of the Dragon who killed him.

Source: Forgot where I saw the first half of this. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Morningstar1337]

for DRG: The Gae Bolg is a (somewhat) replicated but still unique relic. Only one is crafted for every generation of the Azure Dragoon and it's usually crafted by blacksmiths in Ishgard. This though conflicts with the relic weapon questline lore of where (whats her name) Dragoon took up her fallen lovers spear and drove it into the heart of the Dragon who killed him.

Source: Forgot where I saw the first half of this. Correct me if I am wrong.

If the Dragoon who owned thw spear was the first Azure Dragoon, then it may have started Ishgardian Blacksmiths replicating the Gae Bolg as a tradition of sorts.

[Anonymoose]

DISCLAIMER: This reply explores possibilities and limitations, but offers few answers.

This is a tough question to work with without making some assumptions (and I'll have to go over the story arcs again over the next few days to be sure). The game implies that one person takes up the mantle of one job from ages past, but, as an MMO, game mechanics must allow for thousands of people to be that one person. Furthermore, each of those thousands of people must be able to be the one person for each job for every job. The fact that there are lots of copies of the relic around is something we're used to ignoring lore-wise, but the job masters are something they've left a lot of open doors with if you assume that none of the weapons are quite as unique as they claim (and, as you say, may have been mass produced at some point long ago).

To start at the beginning, the story arcs suggest that the player is the first person to truly revive the job's presence in Eorzea by inheriting the soul crystal of a true bearer of that job, but it does sort of leave an open door for people to follow in your path. Maybe they don't have soul stones, maybe they made new ones, I have no idea. All of the quests work out in kind of different ways and different excuses could be found for each one. But this continues over into relics a bit.

All other things aside, I think the big hint is that Gerolt flat out tells you that the old weapon is in such bad shape that he'd be afraid to even sneeze on it, never mind take a hammer to it. Then, he takes a run-of-the-mill, contemporary weapon and has it host his restoration. One might argue that his work is more of a spiritual restoration than a literal one, and that the old weapon has been, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. Yet again, the story makes it sound like you are the first person to recover the lost weapon, solve its mystery, and bring about its recreation, but there's a wide open door for lots of similar looking weapons floating around before you have the "legitimate" heir to the one named in the quest in your possession - and furthermore an open door to assume your restoration inspired others to take on similar weapons.

In the end, I think the cleanest way to look at the lore will be to assume that one great adventurer from each class guild gets tangled up in events that led them to take up the mantle of a "job of old" on their journey to banish the darkness. These adventurers then come together as one and work together, the "canonical party," so to speak, represented by the CG Party we see in SE's big cinematic. Each one person, each inheriting one job, then takes up the historical restoration of one relic, associated with that job, and upgrades it until it becomes the same as those that the Zodiac Braves wielded (and maybe beyond, who knows. Maybe the umbral eras are like levels and, seeing as this is the final umbral era, there's a final boss and/or series of final bosses and we'll upgrade well beyond any weapons ever forged). Then, of course, you have to take into account that only one of those people is, according to the Main Scenario Story Arc, Daybreak, The Lightbringer, Eorzea's Sword in the Darkness, Hydaelyn's Champion, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons. But, this is quite a digression.

tl;dr unless Square Enix has a way to explain it without limiting themselves, or actively decides to limit themselves by trying to explain it, the answer may very well be, unless I've overlooked something (a scenario we should never discount), don't think too hard about it, and assume that many excuses might work (functionally) even if there is never an answer (canonically).

Let's explore Curtana, which I find to be the weirdest scenario. Why does Solkzagyl have a sword that looks just like it? Well, to start with, there are three swords other than Oathkeeper, Curtana, and the two unknown names (Joyeuse?). In the Job quests, we're told that Solkzagyl has Oathkeeper, but later find that it is truly in the hands of the Monetarists. In the relic quests, and you recover and remake Curtana after the Amalj'aa steal it from Tristram's tomb. Wait, so what the hell sword is Solzagyl carrying? One of the unnamed swords? A counterfeit Oathkeeper as part of playing the role of the thief? ... GEROLT, IS THIS YOUR DOING!?

[Morningstar1337]

...according to the Main Scenario Story Arc, Daybreak, The Lightbringer, Eorzea's Sword in the Darkness, Hydaelyn's Champion, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons.

...You know as much as like the first two names, I haven't really heard/read "Daybreak outsie ST (or maybe I forgot that). Also Lightbring could be taken to man soemthing much more sinister, but I digress.

unless Square Enix has a way to explain it without limiting themselves, or actively decides to limit themselves by trying to explain it, the answer may very well be, unless I've overlooked something (a scenario we should never discount), don't think too hard about it.

Okay, FYI the Lore AMA thread hasen't closed yet (How long does TGS last anyway?) SO I think I'll go ask them about it.

[Anonymoose]

I haven't really heard/read "Daybreak" outside ST

It was mentioned one time, but it was the first time it was ever hinted that your deeds would cause the coming of the Seventh Astral Era.

But all is not yet lost. Sensing the gravity of the situation, our master—the Allseer—has arrived to begin his search for Daybreak—one of the valiant blades mentioned in the Divine Chronicles.

Ne'er till land consumes sun can sea bear moons,
Heavens spew crimson flame, hells seep black dooms.
Stray seeds quicken in ash's gray embrace,
Valiant blades forged under the Twelve's good grace.

Seven waning moons see seven suns rise,
Divine order roils, fallen corpses writhe.
Souls from aether far, strangers from strange lands,
Yester with thine eyes, morrow by thine hands.

Louisoix hinted at the very end of 1.23b, on his way to lead the Eorzean Alliance at the Battle of Cartenau, that you were the thing he'd come to Eorzea to find, so he knew everything will be okay - thus implying that you are "Daybreak." If you look back at the Divine Chronicles, "valiant blades forged with the Twelve's good grace" (the forces of light / good) rise amongst destruction to fight "hells black dooms ... souls from aether far, [and] strangers from strange lands" (Voidsent, Ascians / Primals, and Garleans), allthewhile seeing yester with their eyes (the Echo) and making the morrow with their hands (securing the Seventh Astral Era).

In almost every instance of people speaking of you since defeating the Ultima Weapon, you've been referred to as the "blade of light" and "bringer of the dawn" (dawn = daybreak), etc. etc. etc., which all ties back to Yoshida's New Years hint that "The Blade of Light" would meet the "Blade of Might" in A Realm Reborn, and that both blades would vie to lay the primals low. (You vs. Gaius van Baelsar and Ultima Weapon vs. The Primals).

It takes a lot of puzzling out, but it's all linked and Daybreak was the one that started it, so I always start with it when I go through the list of titles instead of just saying, "You." Lightbringer, though, that one notsomuch. That was a sword from FFXI, it just fits with the general theme and I keep throwing it in there by mistake. For what it's worth, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons probably aren't in the game, either. (Yet.)

[Morningstar1337]

snip

Somehow this post triggered a sense of Deja Vu. Thought the Mother of Dragons would make for some interesting interactions in the expansion

[subteraneanbird]

In the case of both Monk and Warrior, neither Bravura or Sphairai are unique weapons, but specific styles of weapons popularized by their original wielders. Sphairai fell out of use with the fall of Ala Mhigo (as they were likely rare beforehand) and Bravura stopped being produced when the blacksmithing clan that knew how to make them died out. In these cases you are more uncovering these lost styles of weapon rather than entirely unique legendary weapons. In these instances, it would be feasible for their specific NPCs to have one of the last surviving copies. Hope this helps.