The weapons forged by the veteran battle-brothers during the Soul Forging are called the Soul Blades, due to the belief that, in the process of its creation part of the veteran’s soul is imbued into the weapon itself. It is for this reason that, for the rest of their tenure in the 1st Company, the veteran space marine will always keep it close, even when deploying in the holy suits of tactical dreadnought armor or after promotion to a higher rank.
Should a Soul Blade be lost, its owner or his battle-brothers will go to great lengths to retrieve it, given what it symbolizes. After all weapons can be replaced, but the loss of a fragment of one’s soul is irrevocable. It is considered an especially ill-omen if a Soul Blade ever breaks. Should this happen its wielder is allowed to forge a new weapon from its remains, but only after more than twenty days spent in meditation and rites of repentance overseen by Chaplains of the Reclusiam.
