The Bandan Blades

A katana, stylized with a level of artistic flair- an ornate crossguard, a well-maintained hilt- merge with almost utilitarian practicality. An unnatural shimmer to the blade gives the impression that there might be more to it than meets the eye.

These are the legendary swords of the Bandan Knights. Though much of the technique for crafting the greatest of the swords were lost with the fall of the Green Hill Smithy, the practice lives on, and almost all Bandan Knights have claim to a sword such as this. Due to the massive number of swords produced, the powers they contain vary. The most distinctive trait is the ability to launch a last stand- permanently sacrificing their life in exchange for one chance at victory, crippling the warrior after.

Powers:
Normal Bandan Blades (most of the ones produced recently) have the following traits (Adjusted based on rarity (Rare/Very Rare/Legendary))
+1/+2/+3 To Hit/Damage
Last Stand: You can permanently trade 1 HP in order to immediately gain 2/3/5 temporary HPs, that last until you take your next long rest as a free action on your turn. These HP come from your HP maximum, meaning already lost HPs are removed first.

Green Hill Smithy Blade (Extremely rare, no longer made, and likely unique. Below is a template):
+3 To Hit/Damage
Advantage on Initiative
Last Stand: You can permanently trade 1 HP in order to immediately gain 5 temporary HPs, that last until you take your next long rest as a free action on your turn. These HP come from your HP maximum, meaning already lost HPs are removed first. You regain one of these HP per day. If you reduce your actual HPs to zero, you will die once you take a long rest.

From the Credo of the Bandan (Stanza 11)
“Through Sword of Green,
and Razor Sheen,
Our greatest strength,
Our sacrificed blood-“

From The Anthropology of the Eastern Commonwealth, Sagittarius Grint
“Ultimately, the Bandan are an excellent example of fluid cultural transmission within the Commonwealth, and their weapons are hallmarks of this. The Proto-Bandan, a loosely-aligned group, began as a sparsely populated warrior people, often barbaric and given to raiding. The early Bandan culture’s adoration of their swords gave way to a sword bearing tradition- in those early days when such weapons were so rare, it was enough to establish the proto-Bandan as the dominant culture. These “Bandan Warriors” were known for forsaking civilization and prizing naturalist tendencies. The Green Hill Smithy provided the greatest cultural development in centuries- Obatu the Smith’s rigid code of honor and masterful work gave rise to a new class within the Bandan. Only those Bandan with Obatu’s work could be leaders, and only those following Obatu’s ideals could attain his work. From this, the Bandan Empire was born, with the first Emperor establishing the Bandan Code, from which the first “formal” Bandan Knights were ordained (though, the traditions of the Bandan Knighthood- providing hospitality for any wandering knight, the combination of judicial and police power, and a strict code of chivalry- had already become semi-entrenched in the culture).”

From The Fall of Nations, By The Seer
“The swords of the Bandan Knights are an icon of the order as a whole. Astounding in its time, yet specific in its utility and outdated in the modern era. In the previous era, the Bandan Blades allowed for rapid expansion. Low populations made large battles difficult and rare, and given the extreme fickleness for which magic was known at the time, this brand of magic was enough to cement them as a regional power (magic of course, being one of the main pillars of any society). The swords allowed for a series of victories and draws against both the Iron Kingdom and the Cortillion Kingdom (in the pre-imperial era of course)- the Last Stands of the Bandan were legendary, and few sought to oppose them, as the Last Stand either ensured unreasonable casualties or provided victory at a cost.
In the modern era, with more common arcane tools, the swords utility greatly diminished. While still impressive, larger populations allowed Bandan Knights to be killed through numbers, either isolated or just overwhelmed. In the Cortillion-Bandan wars, the Last Stand ability of the sword eventually proved to be a detriment, as the most powerful knights had their health sapped from them, leaving the Bandan a shell of themselves. Even after re-emerging on the back of the Iron Empire, the Bandan were unable to seize the traditional forges of the blades, Kanta.”

From Master Yosuke, to a number of Bandan Squires
“Hold tightly there! You are not holding a sword, not a piece of metal. You are holding an idea, our culture, your birthright! That is one of the three pillars of Bandan society you hold. The first is our faith- our faith in the LAW, in Our Justice. The second is our people- your mother, your father, your son, your daughter, and your neighbor, the trust you have in them. Now draw your weapon, and repeat after me- 1-2-3, 1-2-3 slash, 1-2-…”

Who are the Bandan Knights?

Good guys… probably? Imagine samurai crossed with the gunslingers from the old west, but the gunslingers from the 1950s and 60s tv shows who wear masks and hunt down the bad guys. They hold the power of judge, jury, and executioner. They hunt criminals, hold trials, and pass judgement. If needed, they carry it out as well. They worship a form of justice they call The Creed, and if a Bandan Knight violates this Creed without stepping forward to make atonement, they are executed. Each Bandan is more or less sponsored by his or her community/family, and is expected to serve for decades in three year tours of duty. They received paladin-like powers from their liege, but after their emperor fell into decadence, they were forced to rebel and lost much of their culture with their rebellion. Without an empire/liege, they tend more towards classic fighter archetypes than paladins or samurai (using AD&D class systems).