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What the title says. Was wondering for RPG and fluff reasons. Like could a single powersword be all that's left on an imperial world that's devolved to primitive, then evolved to Feudal? The king of the planet could be the one with the legendary Skull sword that could smite anything and such? Does it have a battery that never dies, does it need recharging via high tech machine, solar rays, yelling 'I HAVE THE POWA!"?

That's certainly possible. Remember that the galaxy is vast, and there are many worlds that have been largely untouched or even unknown to the IoM and thus are at varying levels of technological advancement. It's conceivable for what you describe to be true.

Any of the above - it varies by power weapon.

Most have a power pack/battery

Some are actually magical.

Ork ones are acetylene torches

Microfusion generator in the hilt with an integral filter to feed it deuterium taken directly from atmospheric moisture... there, an infinitely powered sword

Power.

FAITH powers the weapons.

They have power packs that require require recharging. Mastercrafted/ancient power weapons however are of much higher quality and can probably go quite a while before breaking down.

A power pack itself generates a disruption field, which allows the blade to cut through armored material easily.

Back in 2nd ed I remember reading a story, though for the life of me I can't remember where, that was basically this except with a plasma pistol.

It could be that the weapon is solar powered somehow. It just needs light to charge its batteries.

power weapons are as varied as you care to make them. Some can be battery powered, others could have a direct link with a suit of armor, micro-fusion generator...

Some pieces of artwork will show the power weapon plugged into the power armor.

Depends on the power sword. 'Power sword' is a catch-all term that might refer to any number of different independent pieces of tech, as far as I know; there's no reason you couldn't have one that has a never-dying battery.

of course it could always be fueled BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!!!!!!

if I recall correctly, during the Horus Heresy the there were power weapons that had been stolen from their owners by traitors yet still functioned just as well during the 13th black crusade, although that could be that these swords are now powered by daemonic warp energies or are recharged by the Dark Mechanicus.

There is one power weapon powered by external sources that I can think of.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/pics/pics7/img4234f560160fc.jpg

I was also thinking of Howling Banshee power swords, but it's their laspistols/ shuriken pistols that plug into their aspect armour.