Overview
The L series is a family of anti-armor close quarters weapon that is manufactured by Faulkner Heavy Industries in Caldera City, Trabia. This weapon series has a built in micro-reactor which superheats the blade into “High-Materiel Mode (or Hi-MAT)” to cut through tough heavy armor or tough materials like steel. Due to the high amount of energy needed, the reactor uses replaceable cores which are ejected from the housing after activation, acting as a heat sink and power cell catalyst.
List of Models
Fig. 1.1 – L Series heat swords made by Faulkner Heavy Industries.
L0-13: The first L series blades were made of carbon steel with ceramic filaments. Originally issued to the Trabian Rangers who patrol their nation year round, these weapons were typically styled as a double edged arming sword, with one edge being serrated. The earlier entries needed constant maintenance on both reactor and blade, and tended to melt a little after prolonged use.
L14-20: While cosmetically very similar to their predecessors, the 14-20 series has some ergonomic corrections in their design. The blades are forged from a carbon nano-ceramic steel composite material that is folded, hammered and tempered into a sturdy blade. Due to the compound nature of the metal, it can only be forged under gravity-compression (Demi). The result is a blade that is extremely lightweight and durable, does not conduct electricity, and can be superheated to Hi-MAT mode repeatedly without damage to the blade. After one year of using these swords, Rangers reported that the reactors wore out before the blades did.
LK21-23: A larger variant of the L series, the LK is meant for use by heavy infantry or can be fitted onto war machines like crawlers, tanks and other mobile weapons. The swords are typically rectangular with a slight curve, double edged and possess a hollow fuller to help with heat dissipation. Like the L14-20 series before them, they are made out of carbon nano-ceramic steel composite in the same fashion. They operate by storing heat in and ejecting a radiator cell after a Hi-MAT cut.
Fig. 1.2 – Ark Vanier’s LK22 custom and hidden knife.
LK22-C: A custom variant of the LK22 anti-armor sword, retrofitted in a junk shop for single combat and equipped with a hidden knife in it’s overlong handle. This variant is used by SeeD Operative Ark Vanier.