Chainsinger

One of the first things you'll learn is that the majority of the time, Chainsingers are referred to using an affectionate term for a crazy person, both by residents of Anvulmar and Kandar Wanderers. In fact, in the Anvulmar dialect, there is a specific word for the sort of person crazy enough to become a Chainsinger. Even other types of Wanderers tend to be a little put off by Chainsingers, if respectful of all the time and effort they put into training.

Chainsingers remain the rarest speciality of Wanderers and take the longest to train, but for all of their usual idiosyncrasies they are widely considered the most versatile and dangerous of Wanderers, and will often be the ones to tread where no one else will dare. When Kandar are dealing with foolhardy explorers and adventurers that want to go where they won't guide, they'll look for the nearest Chainsinger.

Perception

Social Status

While still afforded the same level of respect given to all Wanderers, Chainsingers are still a world apart. Outside of Anvulmar, they're regarded with equal amounts fear and awe, and given even more of the cautious distance afforded to most Wanderers. They're treated very well when they hook up with Kandar tribes, but there are usually sighs of relief when they're gone, almost viewed as portents of bad news- though, when the bad news strikes, they're happiest to have a Chainsinger over any other type of Wanderer. Inside of Anvulmar, Chainsingers are met with a balance of the usual respect and a sense of awkward exasperation. A good example of this is that Azra Drakeheart, upon learning that one of the Anvulmarans sent to her aid was Okúi Shān Silvereye, reacted by saying "Oh boy, who thought it was a good idea to let that one come along." However, despite their clashing personalities Azra had nothing but praise for her skill and tenacity, and later entrusted her to hold the entrance in a bottleneck, a task that Okúi Shān managed almost singlehandedly.

Demographics

Of all Wanderers, Chainsingers are the definite minority. It's estimated that only about 1 in 10 Wanderers manage to become fully-fledged Chainsingers, with more than 70% dropping out or switching specialities due to injury, difficulty, or personality clashes with other trainees.

History

Chainsingers, like Bladestorms, are a more recent variation of Wanderer, first introduced over four hundred years ago by someone called to Anvulmar from Daijo, and was refined and improved by existing Wanderers into the weapons and techniques associated with Chainsingers in the modern day.

Operations

Tools

Chainsingers use Soulbound Weapons, same as any Wanderer, but theirs are forged into long, thin chains of chevron blades, usually with something larger at the end for counterweight. The way they whistle with the fast dance of their attacks are what give Chainsingers their names. The bladed whips of the Chainsingers gives them nearly unprecedented control of the field in their vicinity and also greatly aids them in mobility. Chainsingers also tend to have much more reinforced gloves and wrist armour than other Wanderers, due to them having to catch and grab at their weapons so often.

Provided Services

Chainsingers have the same duties as any other Wanderer, but are usually the ones recruited for escorting those looking to go to particularly dangerous places, or when Anvulmar needs someone to do the same. It takes a certain kind of person to catch a tiny chain between two sharp blades flying right at your face, and such people tend to actually be excited at the prospect of getting to venture where nobody else will dare.

Dangers & Hazards

Chainsingers' versatility comes in great part from their complex and difficult fighting style. Trainees learning the Chainsinger style are by far the most likely to get injured, and even experienced Chainsingers can get injured by their own weapons in the stress and chaos of more uneven battles. The majority of these injuries are to the hands when trying to perform manoeuvres, but is by no means the only place where such injuries occur. Chainsingers are also more likely than other kinds of Wanderers to end up wandering alone. This is for a number of reasons: they're more likely to try and run headfirst into situations that even other Wanderers, considering quite foolhardy by other Anvulmarans, wouldn't dare to; the long reach and sheer speed of their weapons, combined with their techniques, can make it hard for their allies to stick close to them on the battlefield; and there's simply less of them, and they don't work well together, making it hard to find Wanderers willing to group up with them.

Alternative Names

Majadad (Meaning 'Crazy' [affectionate]), similar to calling someone a 'crazy son of a gun'

Type

Military

Famous in the Field