A quest in the ambiguous, ever-changing Fallen Lands demanded a unique weapon for the hidden heroes to wield.
To be honest, one day, Nahum swung from a tree bearing a remarkable weapon that caught Adrian’s wonder. And the way he described it instantly formed the image in my head.
I didn’t give much forethought to the concept. Afterthought was a different story.
In later scenes, the weapon was able to do amazing things that I had no explanation for. After all, how can a wooden weapon snap from its original design to extend another three feet? How can it be strong enough to hold Nahum’s weight and launch him into the treetops?
And, what exactly did the Faze Whip look like? I had an image in my head, but did the words accurately describe it?
These questions called for a family meeting. I picked out the sentences that described the Faze Whip’s design and features. Each family member had a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. As I read the description, they began to write or draw.
I re-read as needed and explained further when necessary. To my delight, almost every family member drew what was in my head! Astonishing, because I cannot do that myself, haha.
The “how” of the design came into question, but my engineer-minded brother solved the problem. He created the “latch system,” an interior locking system that was surrounded by the oak shell.
Damascus blades completed the uniqueness of the weapon. I learned of that method by watching a forging show with my parents. A little research proved that Damascus was nearly as old as the Biblical city itself, thus fitting well in my fictional medieval country.
Besides being beautiful, the metal is extra durable – yet retaining flexibility. It resolved the issues with Nahum leaping into treetops with it.
Creating the Faze Whip was a fun, family event! And I’ve loved incorporating it more and more throughout The Pure Line Series as it becomes Adrian’s primary weapon, too.
Thank God for the weapons He gives us, incomparably strong and able to tear down the foundations of our enemies’ strongholds!
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
