Sword Collection Diversification

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Hey guys. So recently I have found myself with the urge to "diversify" my collection. I found a decent sale on one of the swords from the Spartacus TV series; say what you will about the show, but it's enjoyable. After purchasing said addition, I have been wanting to pick up different types of swords such as a gladius, rapier, and cutlass just to name a few; think Gladiator, 3 Musketeers and Pirates. I know there are official pieces for these, but I have been less than impressed with some of them.

So, what I'm looking for is anyone who owns (or knows of) a specific piece that they really like. As these aren't the main focus of my collection, I'm trying not to spend outrageous amounts; but I still want good quality. I've been stalking the internetz the past week, but I have come to really value the opinions here and am always pleased to see the stuff people here are able to find. Thanks!
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Firstly, I love "Spartacus" and have seen every episode about 3 times lol. Secondly, i actually started in the opposite direction as you RosereIII - started by wanting to have a well diversified collection containing all my favourite (pre-Renaissance) weapons...but have been sidetracked by movie inspired weapons these past few years lol.

As i've been researching and collecting swords for almost 20years (and even was in charge of the sword department of an outing goods store for 5years) - i've come across most of the mainstream sword makers out there. Before i start naming swords i really like - i'm guessing you'd like to stay in the sub $300 range but still be "functional"? Or are well made decorative pieces still "in"? Also, are you more interested in Historical Accuracy, or anything that catches your eye? Sorry for all the questions - this is a MUCH larger market than "movie" swords lol
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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No problem, questions lead to answers. Sub $300 sounds like a good range, though I don't require they be functional if I really like the design. Historical accuracy isn't a main focus, but it is always nice. That said, if a sword is really well made, or very appealing, I am willing to bypass $300. This is more just to kinda scan what others here have already found.

BTW Jash, the Spartacus Arena Sword is still on sale at Museum Replicas if you haven't picked that up already; $88 sharpened and a pretty nice piece.
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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I don't own this sword...and I know it's made by Windlass, but the Ulfberht has always appealed to me (as far as Viking swords). If and when I start collecting more "functional" replicas rather than film replicas, I thought this would be a nice entry level sword for ~$200. The guard is not that aesthetically pleasing, but it sure does look like fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQrkKmOWXxM

EDIT - And RosereIII, I realize now you probably aren't looking for Viking pieces, but I hope it's okay I chimed in with my uneducated two cents. ;)
Last edited by Nerdanel on Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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I own the Hanwei Solingen rapier. I'm not sure what the current price of this piece is, but I really like it. The blade is interchangeable with sparing blades as well so if you want to take it to a fencing class you could do so. I only have the sharp blade though.

Something you might want to consider: the wire grip is quite uncomfortable, for me anyways. I know you're supposed to wear gloves with it, but I'm not a big fan of the grip anyways so I'm thinking of trying to make a new one out of wood. Also, the decorative brass pieces at the top and bottom of the handle aren't actually brass but what looks like copper and the plating just flakes off straight away.

But other than that, its a pretty good piece :)
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Excellent suggestions from both of you!

Nerdanel, I am familiar with the Ulfberht sword; a very nice and historically important piece. I am not against Viking weapons at all, but they are on the lower end of my "stuff to buy when I have extra money sitting around" list.

Lindir, thanks for suggesting the Hanwei Solingen Rapier. I guess the more I look at it, I realize that I don't really like the thin blades of rapiers, but want a slightly sturdier blade like that of a side sword. I realized this when I searched and found an image of one. They just feel like "more of a sword" that would stand up to hitting something. The Hanwei Solingen Side Sword could very well be a contender for next acquisition.
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Lindir - great suggestion, and much closer to what RosereIII was probably going for. ;)

I've always hoped once I picked up the LOTR/Hobbit pieces I wanted, then I would add more historical/functional replicas. I originally thought I would start with a Viking sword and work my way up through history, but that might be silly. I really love the Valiant Armoury Signature line, and the Kriegschwert and Castile look pretty special. :) The scabbards are as good looking as the swords!

Jash - do you own something from this collection?

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""RosereIII""]BTW Jash, the Spartacus Arena Sword is still on sale at Museum Replicas if you haven't picked that up already; $88 sharpened and a pretty nice piece.[/quote]
Thanks for the heads up! Ironically, as much as i love the TV show, i was not a fan of the swords MRL decided to reproduce...

[quote=""Nerdanel""]I don't own this sword...and I know it's made by Windlass, but the Ulfberht has always appealed to me (as far as Viking swords).[/quote]
I'm guessing you have already seen this? ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G65JJpLAGdY

[quote=""Nerdanel""]Jash - do you own something from this collection?[/quote]
I do actually. The "Actium" is one of my favourite Roman styled swords on the market! Absolutely love it :) I was also planning on picking up the "Malatesta" and maybe even the "Hedemark"...unfortunately other collections took priority.


Aaahhh - got it :thumbs_up
Well some of my favourite pieces from the genres you mentioned are:

Roman:
- Valiant Armoury Actium
- Windlass Sword of General Maximus
- Marto LE Sword of Julius Caesar

Rapier:
- Factory Entertainment Sword of Montoya
- Hanwei Bone Handled Swept Hilt Rapier

Cutlass / Backsword / Sidesword:
- Hanwei Cromwell sword
- Cold Steel Horseman's sword

Since we are talking Viking too lol:
- Hanwei Godfred
- Hanwei Saxon
- Windlass Sword of the Viking King
- Valiant Armoury Hedemark

Yes, i love swords... :crazy:
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""Jash""]I'm guessing you have already seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G65JJpLAGdY


I do actually. The "Actium" is one of my favourite Roman styled swords on the market! Absolutely love it :) I was also planning on picking up the "Malatesta" and maybe even the "Hedemark"...unfortunately other collections took priority.
[/quote]

Haha, yes I have seen that Nova special. Where better to start collecting than with swords styled after the originals? ;) I know it's a Windlass, and the scabbard is awful, and the etching is unnecessary, but I figure it's a good beater to start out with - durable, singlehanded sword that should be manageable and forgiving. So when I'm swinging it around it my yard, I won't feel guilty about being a novice and bludgeoning bottles instead of cutting them clean through. I can get a VA Signature when I'm not a noob. ;)

Congrats on picking up the Actium! Have you done any test cutting with it? The Malatesta is really nice also, but I think I still prefer the Kriegschwert. It's such a little thing to nit pick at, but I don't love the cut outs in the guard. The oxblood leather looks amazing though. Maybe it'll grow on me... :thumbs_up

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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A couple of the swords I have considered, but have not purchsed (and can't afford to until after my LOTR collecting has abated) include:

Trojan War period sword: http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... +War+Sword
Viking Ulfberht sword: http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... erht+Sword
Henry V sword: http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... ry+V+Sword
Game of Thrones Rob Stark sword: http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... obb+Stark+

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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I have always thought about "diversifying" my collection... I do have a few types of collections going on. Of course LotR/Hobbit, but my collecting started before those movies were even made, so I began with Kit Rae's swords of the ancients and Hibben fantasy series. LotR then took precedence and one of these days I want to finish the KR SoA series and go back and get some Hibben stuff that came out before I started collecting.

As you can see from my collection in my signature LOTR, Hibben and KR are my main collections. I do have a few "outliers" UC Sword of Bowen from Dragonheart (2nd sword ever), a Marto Excalibur (4th sword)... back when I started collecting "Excalibur" was the holy grail of my collecting, so my parents got it for me at a local sword shop years ago. The UC "Legends in Steel" series really are some classically designed dagges as well.

ONE of these days I want to branch out and collect other things, I would love to have the GoT collection, I kick myself for not collecting KoH swords, I'd love to have some Roman style and a really nice rapier or 2, also I would like to have a nice Katana set one day.

Like I said, I started collecting swords before I even heard about LotR (I lived under a giant rock apparently), so I am a sword collector first, but LOTR became a passion, and the classic medieval style really matched my favorite style (yes I do also like the crazy fantasy stuff that Kit and Hibben put out as well), and LOTR had SO MANY items that it has kept me busy for the better part of a decade.

Sorry, I started rambling, but the gist I am trying to get to, is I completely understand that desire to diversify the collection.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Dark Shadow:
That Outing Goods store i worked at - we used to play the "Cold Steel" promotional video all the time to attract customers. They do some pretty impressive demonstrations! I own a few Cold Steel products...very happy with them (as long as you get them for a good price!) Which katana were you liking of the 3 they make?

Nerdanel:
lol - we all have to start somewhere! And Windlass nowadays is a very good "beginner" sword. I would not have said that 20 years ago though lol. The Kriegschwert is a nice sword as well. I too am not a huge fan of the cut outs on the Malatesta...but, other than that, i love the overall appearance of the sword. Kinda reminds me of Glamdring ;)

No...i'm not a fan of test cutting. I like to keep my swords as pristine as possible. However, i do have a couple of "beater" katanas for when i go camping... Hey, a guy needs firewood!! lol

BladeCollector:
Oh? A Marto Excalibur was one of my first swords as well! Which colour combo do you have? I have the gold / green.


I concur with Val :thumbs_up
Not sure if anyone saw this yet, but Darksword also came out with a LE version of this sword. It looks very nice, and is 1/4 the price of the Discerner. (for the record - i am in no way trying to compare the Darksword to the Albion...two very different leagues.)
http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... +Excalibur
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""Jash""]


Nerdanel:
lol - we all have to start somewhere! And Windlass nowadays is a very good "beginner" sword. I would not have said that 20 years ago though lol. The Kriegschwert is a nice sword as well. I too am not a huge fan of the cut outs on the Malatesta...but, other than that, i love the overall appearance of the sword. Kinda reminds me of Glamdring ;)

BladeCollector:
Oh? A Marto Excalibur was one of my first swords as well! Which colour combo do you have? I have the gold / green.
[/quote]

I've always thought the Krieschwert was a good looking sword and if I wasn't a billion items behind on LOTR and other things, I really wouldn't mind getting.

My Marto Excalibur is black handled with silver and gold accents.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""Jash""]Dark Shadow:
That Outing Goods store i worked at - we used to play the "Cold Steel" promotional video all the time to attract customers. They do some pretty impressive demonstrations! I own a few Cold Steel products...very happy with them (as long as you get them for a good price!) Which katana were you liking of the 3 they make?

Nerdanel:
lol - we all have to start somewhere! And Windlass nowadays is a very good "beginner" sword. I would not have said that 20 years ago though lol. The Kriegschwert is a nice sword as well. I too am not a huge fan of the cut outs on the Malatesta...but, other than that, i love the overall appearance of the sword. Kinda reminds me of Glamdring ;)

No...i'm not a fan of test cutting. I like to keep my swords as pristine as possible. However, i do have a couple of "beater" katanas for when i go camping... Hey, a guy needs firewood!! lol

BladeCollector:
Oh? A Marto Excalibur was one of my first swords as well! Which colour combo do you have? I have the gold / green.


I concur with Val :thumbs_up
Not sure if anyone saw this yet, but Darksword also came out with a LE version of this sword. It looks very nice, and is 1/4 the price of the Discerner. (for the record - i am in no way trying to compare the Darksword to the Albion...two very different leagues.)
http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp ... +Excalibur[/quote]
Jash this is the Cold Steel Katana i was talking about:
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/CS88BK ... teel%20Kat
And this one i like that too.
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/CS88WG ... ped-Handle
You can watch both swords on youtube.
Let me know what you thinking about these two swords.

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""Dark Shadow""]Jash this is the Cold Steel Katana i was talking about:
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/CS88BK ... teel%20Kat
And this one i like that too.
http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/CS88WG ... ped-Handle
You can watch both swords on youtube.
Let me know what you thinking about these two swords.[/quote]

I've never handled the Great Sword...
It's hard to judge the Cold Steel katana..because there are now so many other decent quality katans on the market for around the same price and quality. A lot of it comes down to personal preference. That being said, the Warrior katana is my favourite one that Cold Steel makes. And for what it's worth, my Iaido instructor owns one...and, it is currently his favourite katana compared to all other companies in the under $500 range... I'm sure you won't be dissapointed :thumbs_up
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Trying to wing it...so i apologize if i miss any big ones...but:

Companies:
Albion
Arms & Armor
Marto
Martespa
Art Gladius
Armaduras
Del Tin
Denix
WKC Solingen / Wilkinson
Cold Steel
Hanwei / Paul Chen
Thaitsuki
Cheness
Noble
United Cutlery
Master Cutlery
Ryumon
Masahiro
Bushido
Musashi
Skijiro
Shinwa
Dynasty Forge
Ronin
Darksword Armoury
Windlass
Deepeeka
Daniyal
Kris Cutlery
Legacy Arms
Valiant Armoury
Lutel
Rittersteel


Smiths:
Scorpion Swords
Fable Blades
Point Gallery / Texas SPR
Templ / Patrick Barta
Bugei
Raven Armoury
Angel Sword
Armour Class
Paul MacDonald
Castle Keep
Jody Samson
Lundemo / Odin Blades
Pavel Moc
Vince Evans
Starfire Swords

I know i'm missing a few in the "Smiths" section - as their exact names / company names i cannot remember at the moment... But i hope that helps SH! :)
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Even though the title of this thread is Sword collection, theres a dagger that I'm considering picking up. I don't know if you've seen it or not Rosere, but I think it's a beautiful piece:

Image


It's the Italian arming dagger from Windlass. I really love that handle. It also comes with a brown leather scabbard as well.

I'm personally in two minds on functional pieces. Part of me thinks "Will I ever have the need to use it, or more importantly will I WANT to use it?" and the other part of me is like "Well if the world collapses and we start doing things the old way again then I'll be set :) " But there's also something about holding a functional piece. I only have one, which is the Solingen rapier as I mentioned a few posts back, but I'm not afraid of it breaking. I know it could break and I treat it with care, but I feel comfortable swinging it around whereas with a sword like Orcrist or Glamdring, I'm concerned that the blade could come flying out of the hilt :P
Last edited by Lindir on Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Very cool piece, almost feels like it belongs in The Witcher video game. If you pick that up, I'd be very interested in your review.
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""RosereIII""]Very cool piece, almost feels like it belongs in The Witcher video game. If you pick that up, I'd be very interested in your review.[/quote]

I will do :) as I'm holding off on the bow of Tauriel for a while I can use that money and hopefully pick this up in a few weeks. If I get it I'll post some photos as well :)

That sword looks really interesting Jash :) have you got any other Darksword Armoury pieces in your collection?
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""Fingolfin""]Thanks for that list, Jash!

I love Windlass' Italian blades, Lindir. Looks like a really cool pick up if you decide to get it. :thumbs_up [/quote]

If all goes to plan (and I don't change my mind) I should be ordering it on Friday :) I will post lots of photos and try and write a detailed review, although it will be limited as I'm no weapons e xp ert :P

How do you guys rate Windlass blades? I mentioned in the UC Hobbit replica thread that I had read reviews about their licensed swords using inferior metals for the hilt pieces, but the reviews seem to be more positive for their original or museum inspired pieces.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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My pleasure! Forgive the complete randomness of that list though lol. I should have some free time next weekend - and shall edit that list into categories...if that might help :)

[quote=""Lindir""]That sword looks really interesting Jash :) have you got any other Darksword Armoury pieces in your collection?[/quote]
No, i do not... Due to the massive amount of mixed reviews on Darkswords over the years - i have yet to pull the $400 to $500 trigger to try them out. That being said, the Wolfsbane & Excalibur i love enough to maybe try one out later this year...maybe...

[quote=""Lindir""]How do you guys rate Windlass blades? I mentioned in the UC Hobbit replica thread that I had read reviews about their licensed swords using inferior metals for the hilt pieces, but the reviews seem to be more positive for their original or museum inspired pieces.[/quote]
I for one am a huge fan of Windlass. Granted they are not top of the line, and are riddled with criticism of most of their product lines... Windlass does cater to the majority - providing "battle worthy functional" blades within the budget of most collectors. The general rule of thumb is that their longer blades are a little too "whippy", and their shorter blades are "historically inaccurate" etc etc...but all around - they provide well made products for the price! And have a great variety to choose from.
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Thanks for letting me know Jash :) I'm interested in the Museum Replicas "Create your own sword". There's a combination I really like that I discovered when messing around with it the other night. I'd like to have my own sword, one that I can actually say is mine, but I think it may actually be better to go with a completely custom made sword for that.

I hope everything goes well if you decide to pick up those Darksword Armoury swords :)
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Just received my Hanwei Side Sword, which I stumbled across thanks to Lindir's suggestion of the Hanwei Solengin Rapier. Thanks Lindir! On a side note, I really need a better camera...more bad pics in the recent acquisitions thread.

Image
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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[quote=""RosereIII""]Just received my Hanwei Side Sword, which I stumbled across thanks to Lindir's suggestion of the Hanwei Solengin Rapier. Thanks Lindir! On a side note, I really need a better camera...more bad pics in the recent acquisitions thread.

[/quote]

You're welcome Rosere :) I have to say I like the look of that far more than my rapier :P

On the dagger, I contacted the store again and they said they no longer had it and it could be a while before they get them back in. I'm not sure why, but thats what they said :( Kinda disappointed. Gonna keep digging see if I can find anywhere else that sells it here or who can get me one. I'd purchase it from one of the US stores, but the customs charges will probably end up making it not worth the hassle.
Last edited by Lindir on Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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That's always a disappointment. When I first found this sword, I found one for real cheap and purchased it, then got an email and a refund about an hour later saying they had sold it only hours before my order came in. I had to watch about 4 sites looking for 'in stock' and a decent price before I finally made the purchase. Best of luck with the dagger!
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”

Re: Sword Collection Diversification

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Good luck on the hunt Lindir, keep at it! A few years ago i came across 2 swords on my "must have" list, been looking for a reasonable price for over 10 years... Unfortunately both sold just hours before i sent an email to the store. 2 different swords, 2 different retailers, within 2 months of one another... That's the thing about collecting... "can't win them all" lol.

Nice sidesword Rosere! I never had a chance to play with that one... How's the balance / feel??
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!"

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It feels really good in hand, especially after the weight of some of those dwarven weapons...I'm looking at you Kili, Fili and Thorin! Here's a really nice review that I pretty much agree with word for word: http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/side-sword.html
"So many vows...they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws.
It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other.”
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