From an Idea to Tangible Reality – The Fenn Scion Knife

In the past, we have occasionally taken a closer look at how concepts become established elements of the lore and, eventually, card illustrations – some of you may remember Fiona’s work on the Arak or our article about the wolby. This time, we are leaving the world of fluffy companions and flying beasts behind to focus on something a little less alive: the so-called Fenn scion knife. And it has been on quite the journey. Having begun as a handful of loose ideas, appeared just once in the novel and passed across the desks of our art department, it is now taking a detour through Silberheim ECG before soon landing in your hands. Let us take a closer look at exactly what that means.

The story of the scion knife began rather early on. It first appeared in the novel Daemonion, whose creation began many, many years ago. In Daemonion, we accompany Miko, Fesk, Dina and Heggit on their rather fast-paced and dangerous adventure to Bruck. All but the latter are members of the Fenn people. If you would like to know exactly what the Fenn are all about, you had best ask the Omniscient Archive – it knows everything, after all. Or does it? Wait a moment – there is no mention of the Fenn scion knife there at all! It seems we will have to consult another source and take a closer look at the novel itself. During their journey, Miko and the others find themselves in an almost hopeless situation in which our scion knife also makes an appearance. We do not want to reveal much more than that, though – nobody should end up being spoiled by accident!

We will leave it open which Fenn this passage is about. He does, however, appear to be in a rather tricky situation, with his small scion knife as his final hope. Unfortunately, the knife does not exactly make the cut here. That is all you will learn about the scion knife from the novel. And so, we turn to Manu’s – occasionally – razor-sharp mind for some answers. “The scion knife is more than just a knife,” he explains, pausing for dramatic effect. “Every Fenn has a unique scion knife which is made by their clan following their birth,” Manu continues. “That means it also serves as a kind of identity card.” The knife’s individuality comes from the involvement of the Fenn’s closest relatives. Following a birth, the entire clan contributes to its creation – either financially or by adding personal carvings and engravings to the handle or metalwork. Completing a scion knife often takes dozens of skytides. Sometimes, they are passed down from one generation to the next. “The carvings usually reveal something about the Fenn’s family tree. Each clan also has a preferred type of tree whose wood they use,” Manu adds. “More precisely, they use the wood of a particular sapling – a tree’s scion. That is where the name ‘scion knife’ comes from.” Manu nods contentedly. The scion knife is not presented to a Fenn until they come of age. It therefore serves as a symbol of adulthood which they carry with them at all times – much like an identity card.

Now that we have learnt exactly what a scion knife is and what purpose it serves for the Fenn, it is time to turn to the next stage of its development. Whenever somebody on the team comes up with a new piece of lore, sooner or later some poor member of the art department has to deal with it. This is where more or less loose ideas are turned into fitting designs. These designs later appear in the illustrations on our cards and serve as references for the artists creating them. Our dear Hakim explored the scion knife in two different forms.

Naturally, the concept and design work created by our art department serves a purpose. Ultimately, it finds its way into the hundreds of illustrations adorning the fragments – or playing cards – of the Silberheim Evolving Card Game. We now work with more than 50 artists from around the world who help us bring the world of Silberheim to life. Thanks to the art department’s meticulous work, you can discover all kinds of details from the world of Silberheim in most of our illustrations. Whether it is a darkening decorating the sky or a wolby scurrying through the background, there is plenty to find. If you would like to learn more about this topic, we recommend this YouTube video:

The scion knife, too, has found its way into numerous illustrations and appears here and there throughout the game. We do not want to spoil any of our newest artwork, though, so we will start you off with just one example.

As “chance” would have it – or perhaps as a result of the two thoughts I actually put into choosing this particular illustration – the Green Brigade Small-Game Hunter features both a scion knife and the aforementioned darkening. And a few dead small animals. Let us hope none of them are wolbies.

By now, you may be wondering when we are finally going to deliver the moment promised by the title of this article: When will the scion knife become a tangible reality? When will one actually end up in your hands? Those are excellent questions! Perhaps I have been skirting around the point a little. After all, this part is something of a double-edged sword, and your chances of holding a scion knife are balanced on a knife-edge. Yes, unfortunately, that had to be done. Very soon – extremely soon, in fact – you will have the chance to get your hands on a scion knife of your own. I cannot reveal much more than that just yet. All I can recommend is keeping a close eye on our Instagram account.