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| Other Types of Bows and their Use Bows like the small straight bow and the horn bow lack the range and power of the longbow and crossbow. But, at close range, they are very effective. They are also more manageable in close quarters or from the back of a mount. In Torvaldsland, such bows are often used on ships as they can be fired through oar ports. The Wagon Peoples most often use their bows from the saddle. A Wagon Person can fire twenty arrows in half an Ehn. The Red Savages use a small bow and there is no other bow that can match its rate of fire. It is very maneuverable and can be easily concealed. Small straight bows: Commonly used for hunting qualae, tabuk and slaves. Horn bows: Used by the Wagon People, Red Hunters and Torvaldslanders. A hornbow is formed of pieces of split tabuk or bosk horn, bound with sinew. Arrows used in bows: There are a variety of different arrows used in bows. The sheaf arrow is slightly over a yard long while the flight arrow is about forty inches long. Both are fletched with three half feathers from Vosk gulls. A hunting arrow has a long tapering point that is firmly fastened to the shaft and thus easier to withdraw from the target. A war arrow has an arrowhead base that is angled backwards, forming barbs, or cut straight across, making it more difficult to extract. The head is less firmly attached to the shaft. There are also a variety of arrowhead types. These include such as broad heads, Tuchuk barbed arrowheads and simple pile heads. Lance The common lance is about eleven feet long and has a very narrow, lanceolate-shaped blade. The shaft is usually tem wood that is black, supple and strong. There are several varieties of lances. kaiila lance: Used by the Wagon Peoples, which was designed for kaiilaback and used in hunting and war. The kaiila lance is not couched, but carried in the right fist. It is flexible and light. It is used for thrusting, unlike the battering ram effect of European lances. It can almost be as delicate and swift as a saber. It may even have a rider hook under the point to help dismount opponents. Hunting lance: longer, heavier and thicker than a war lance. Hunting lances are usually undecorated, except for maybe a knot of prairie fleer feathers. Its point is longer and narrower as it must strike deeply to pierce the heart of a kailiauk. Tharlarion lances: are longer and heavier, and used primarily in war. Due to their size, they may be used with a lance rest. Alars often use such lances and use them couched due to their size. Stabbing lances, which are smaller and thicker, are used by some pedestrian nomads. Tarn lance: used by the red savages are very similar to the Kaiila lance, though it is longer and more slender. Spear The spear is a common weapon of the Gorean warrior. The spear is about seven feet long, with a bronze-head about eighteen to twenty inches long. The blade is double-edged. The shaft, commonly made of Ka-la-na wood, is about two inches wide. It is a heavy, stout weapon. It is able to pierce a shield at close quarters or even strike a foot deep into a wooden beam. A couple varieties of spear exist including the pronged urt spear and the marsh spear, also known as the trident. Javelins are also used though the spear is more popular. Axes There are a few variety of axes on Gor. The axe of the north areas, like Torvaldslands, is a large, broad ax, with a single curved blade. It has a hammer-like back, of hardened iron. They are quite skilled in its uses. There are many tricks in the use of the ax such as feints, short strokes, using the handle to jab and punch, etc. In the north, it is regarded as clumsiness to have to strike a foe more than twice. The Alars are also widest known for their skill with the axe. They use the francisca, a heavy, single-bladed war axe. Other Types of Weapons There are a wide variety of other weapons used on Gor. Many of these weapons are cultural weapons, known to few outsiders. Most common warriors of Gor would not be proficient in the use of these weapons. Aside from swords, lances, bows, and spears, Goreans also use knives and daggers. These may include the curved dagger of Schendi and the Turian dagger. Some people use a sheath to hide a dagger in their sleeve. The Wagon Peoples main weapons arethe bola and quiva. Knives Hook knife: Used in some gladiatorial combats. It has a small, thick curved blade. Sleen knife: Used by panther girls. Throwing knife: Used in Ar. It is tapered on one side and designed for killing. All Tarn Keepers carry such a knife. Panga: Unique to Port Kar. It is a two-foot long, heavy, curve-bladed bush knife. Whip knife: is a delicate weapon, unique to Port Kar. It is a whip but set into its final eighteen inches, arranged in sets of four, are twenty thin, narrow blades. Their tips vary. Some have a double-edged blade of seven to eight inches at the tip while others have a stunning lead. |
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| Weapons of Gor (cont.) |