This lore dive is a helpful resource for understanding the Fae & Alchemy series! This lore guide includes spoilers, so please read AFTER you’ve finished Quicksilver.

Includes info from Quicksilver, so this guide is spoiler in nature.
This guide does NOT include information from Brimstone.

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What are God Swords?

God swords are weapons forged by the ancient alchemists with the use of quicksilver. They are so valuable that they’re considered religious icons to the Fae.

When the gods left Yvelia, certain elements of the magic either died or waned over time. The god swords were gradually cut off from the source of magic they channeled. Most of the god swords went dormant when the quicksilver closed. So while these god swords hold the name and prestige of their previous power, they are admittingly glorified paperweights at this point.

Only the person sealed to the blade can touch an active Alchimeran sword. Otherwise, one can get extremely hurt; for example, a hand gone or skin charred to a crisp where it touched the metal.

Alchimeran swords can also be used to close and lock the quicksilver portals across all realms.

Forging & Sealing

Forging a god sword is not very different from forging a regular sword… for the most part. There are a few steps that make all the difference, though.

For example, before the quicksilver-metal alloy can be forged into a new weapon, an alchemist has to get the quicksilver to agree to become this weapon. If the quicksilver agrees, there’s no guarantee that the person who commissioned the sword will become the person sealed to the sword, like we see with Danya’s old sword claiming Lorreth.

There is also the option that a weapon is already forged and an alchemist can then ask the Quicksilver to combine with the weapon to make a new god sword, like we’ll see with Carrion and Simon.

Once the sword is forged and it has its hilt and pommel, it’s time to complete whatever bargain the alchemist made with the quicksilver. If all goes well and the quicksilver accepts its new owner, it’s time for the wielder to name it.

After it’s been named, we’ve seen a couple different things happen…

For Lorreth, right when he finished speaking its name, a blue flame rippled down the sword’s blade, searing runes into the metal in its wake alongside the blade. Then a white light erupted from Avisiéth, shooting straight up into the air and causing the ground to quake.
And then when Carrion named his sword, Simon… nothing happened.

Known God Swords

Nimerelle – sealed to Kingfisher. Black blade that gives off smoke when Kingfisher wields it. The blade used to shine brilliant silver and still carries a kernel of magic in her blade, but as the centuries have passed, it has blackened and tarnished.
- It’s believed that the spirit of the sword, Mierelle (Ren’s late twin sister), or the magic inside it stayed when the other god swords abandoned their owners. But doing so had a cost, and now Nimerelle is corrupted.
Solace – previously sealed to Kingfisher’s father, Finran, now wielded by Saeris. Its pommel is embellished with a crescent moon, the horns of the crescent so close that they almost touch to form a whole circle. Script writing flows around the hilt, down over the cross guard, and along the edge of the blade, written in Old Fae. Saeris was able to touch this sword when it was not thought to be possible.
Avisiéth (The Unsung Song, Redemption’s Dawn) – sealed to Lorreth and has the power Angel’s Breath. This was the first time in a thousand years a god sword had found an Yvelian worthy and granted him magic to defend his people.
- Before this sword became sealed to Lorreth, it was Danya’s sword that Saeris shattered and then reforged. It was passed down to Danya after her father’s death – to her this sword was a precious Fae heirloom and Danya’s birthright. It represented Danya’s rank and marked her as an original member of the Lupo Proelia.
Simon* – sealed to Carrion and has a love for bad sex jokes.

*God Sword status unconfirmed but assumed.