A Remnant Blade is a powerful weapon capable of severing souls. People who possess a Remnant Blade are called Bearers; they are soul-bound to each of their Blades until death, or until each Blade is willingly relinquished.
No two Remnant Blades are the same, but all Remnant Blades cut easily through most inanimate matter, so long as the Blade is kept in motion. They do not cut living flesh; instead, the blade blurs as it passes through, killing without leaving a mark or spilling blood. It was said that Remnant Blades sever the soul itself, the only indication of death being that the victim's eyes burn out. Any part of the body that is cut dies instantly. If the Blade touches a man's spine, he dies, eyes burning. If it cuts through the core of a limb it effectively kills that limb, rendering it permanently limp, numb, and useless. A limb severed by a Remnant Blades needs to be reattached to the soul before it will function again. If a vital organ is struck, it will render that organ useless as well. Once dead, flesh can be cut just like any other object. Also, parts of a living body that are made of non-living tissue such as hair, fingernails, and the shells of beasts are cut normally. A modern interpretation is that Remnant Blades can only sever the nerves of something living.
Remnant Blades are enormous, yet remarkably light. They were designed to fight foes more formidable than the average man. The large weapons take a great deal of skill to swing properly. There is rarely recoil; landing a blow is said to feel similar to passing the Blade through air. The trick is to control momentum and keep the Blade moving.
A Remnant Blade can only be blocked by Shardplate, another Remnant Blade, Sunsteel, or Gravebone, though the latter are less effective.
A Remnant Blade is summoned by the intent of the Bearer, willing it into existence, typically dropping into his/her hand extended to the side. The process of summoning takes exactly ten heartbeats. The summoner's heartrate has something to do with the summoning of his/her Remnant Blade.
If a Bearer lets go of his/her Blade, the weapon reverts to mist, vanishing (unless it had been willed to stay), which was a protection to keep a Blade from being taken by one's enemies; the Blade vanished unless one willed it to stay when releasing it.
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