h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oficially, it's called Gadianle Ano. The Guardian's Blade. It is Arten's weapon, and that of the rest of the Gadianhud (hud being pronounced as an unvoiced w and then a d, indicating plurality). It indicates the becoming of a Gadian, and is so integral to a Gadian's life that Gadianhud are often /called/ Blades.

Never forged, these blades are drawn from the ether by the power of the Blade, their origins in the basic principals of Truth. It is a black cylinder, the size of a sword hilt. It can extend either more of the hilt material to make a shaft, blade material to make a sword, or a combination to make a battleaxe, glaive, halberd, pike, spear, etc. All of these forms and more have names, but that's a book's worth of writing. It is extended by the will of the wielder. The blademetal is a blue tinged silver when first made, but that changes with use. There are three uses: rending flesh, rending dark spirit, healing flesh and spirit. The first tinges the blade blue over time, the second red, the third green. They then mix. It is believed that the wielder is perfect when the blade is tinged white: he is in balance, but rends flesh less. Any questions.

I think I've done it justice Arty - see A762374

That's good.