The rules of Soul Arms

Only a deity could make a creation so diverse and yet so strictly governed by rules.

• An extract from Tales of the Uprising.

Soul Arms are diverse, unique for each individual and act as a reflection of the persons alignment, personality, style of fighting, skill and their background. With Soul Arms belonging to the same family often being the same or sharing very similar aspects of design, this also often includes artwork or depictions on the Soul Arm that act as the crest of the family.
However, despite VERY rare exceptions, there are rules around Soul Arms that govern them in Thysia, rules that are taken with the same seriousness as the geography of the world, or the air we breath.

• Soul Arms must have a purpose in battle- Soul Arms were created to kill immortal extraplanar creatures and, though they have not been used for this purpose for centuries, some things remain and so. Though Soul Arms can now become defensive items such as armour/shields, or arcane items like crystals, wands and orbs. They always have a function that relates to combat... regardless of the wielder. Many who belong to the Temple of Toiling Soul believe this to be a sign that the Soul Arms will one day need to be used again. 
  
• Soul Arms reflect the deeds of family lines- A soul carries the actions and deeds of the family line it is spawned from and so, when a Soul Arm is manifested or inherited, it grows to reflect the deeds of the wielder, this can come in the form of intricate runes, stories, colors or crests that would be marks of fame for the Soul Arm growth of the wielder in personality and ideal, these aspects tend to carry down the family line and become long term marks on the Soul Arms. Examples of Soul Arms with long lasting effects are the centre crest on the handle of the Wendel Sickles, The golden runes with black flowing faces on the Viltis Glaives blade and the blue, storm marked runes on the Starnar family Soul Arm. 
• Soul Arms take on aspects of their appearance to reflect their wielder-  A Soul Arm, on it's simplest level, should act as a reflection of the defining features of it's wielder... many society's and people will use this aspect of soul arms to learn more about a person and may judge based on this appearance. Though things are rarely so simple in Thysia, there are elements of truth to it. A Soul Arm can change and grow with their wielder, often changing shape, colour or style to reflect the wielders deeds and emotional growth (or regression). As a result, it is only natural that a Soul Arm belonging to an elderly person would be more defined and detailed than a young person's Soul Arm. 
• Soul Arms evolve and become stronger with a wielders growth- When all is said and all is done, a Soul Arm acts as a reminder of the inherent combat skill and ability of mortals. As such, it often acts as a call to adventure. As a result, Soul Arms are built to be challenged by adversity and combat. This makes them indispensable for Thysian adventurers as the Soul Arms can prove to become incredibly powerful for their wielders. The powers of Soul Arms tend to manifest to suit and match the style of their wielder... making them the perfect adventurers companion.
• Soul Arms only work for their intended user-  A Soul Arm remains after it's wielder dies... with the chance to be revived if given to an inheritor. However, in the hands of one who does not own the Soul Arm (or if left without the wielder) it becomes rusted, weak and mundane... useless and worth something only as trophies.
• Manifestation and Inheritance- A Soul Arm appears when an individual comes 'of age' whether that be at 18 years old for humans or 100 years old for Elves, the Soul Arm manifests whether the user is mature enough or not. A manifestation is the moment at the start of the wielders birthday where, in a spectacular display of light and magic, the individuals soul leaves their body and forms their soul arm... this ceremony is taken very seriously and is a deeply memorable event for the individual. Alternatively, if the individual owns a relatives Soul Arm they can transfer their Soul into the item, warping and changing it so that they instead inherit the Soul Arm for themselves... this unique event is often used by nobility to determined when the heir of a house is ready to take over.