Post by adreannaTal{fb} on Nov 21, 2010 8:36:32 GMT -5
Weapons of Gor
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Swords
Shortsword / Gladius
Approximately 20 to 24 inches in length from hilt tip to blade tip and 3 to 4 inches wide, descending to a pointed tip. The grip is generally either of polished wood or leather. This is the basic weapon of the warrior in Gor, it is generally carried, in a sheath slung over the shoulder,or worn at the hip.
"I supposed one of the reasons for the short blade was that it could clear the sheath a fraction of a second before a longer blade. Another advantage was that it could be moved with greater swiftness than a longer blade. The primary advantage I supposed was that it allowed the Gorean warrior to work close to his man. The brief reach of the blade tended to be more than compensated for by the rapidity with which it might be wielded and the ease with which it might work beneath the guard of a longer weapon. If the swordsman with a longer weapon could not finish the fight in the first thrust or two he was a dead man."
Priest-Kings of Gor, pg 174
Longsword
The longsword is used mostly by those of Torvaldsland. It's blade is approximately 30 to 36 inches in length. It is carried in a belt scabbard or strapped across its user's back. The blade is forged in the Damascus manner, steel, both hard and soft are beaten together under heat and folded within itself and beaten flat again. This creates a blade that is both flexible and virtually unbreakable.
"He wore beneath his cloak of yellow wool, and a great belt of glistening black, with a gold buckle, to which was attached a scabbard of oiled, black leather; in this scabbard was a sword, a sword of Torvaldsland, a long sword, with a jeweled pommel, with double guard."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 172
Scimitar
The sword of choice in the Tahari, This razor sharp, curved blade is generally about 30 to 36 inches long. The back 3-8 inches has a false edge that can be sharpened for back slashes. Like the longsword it has better reach, which can be an advantage when mounted upon the kailla. Slower to draw and slower to wield than the shortsword it is still a deadly weapon.
"Djellabas and burnooses, sleeveless, hooded desert cloaks, were being sold in another stall. The burnoose can, as the djellaba cannot, because of the sleeves, be thrown back, freeing the arms. One who rides the swift kaiila, who handles the scimitar and lance, chooses the burnoose."
Tribesman of Gor, pg. 50
Knives
Quiva
Usually part of a set of seven such weapons, it has a narrow double edged blade 9 to 12 inches in length with a handle of wood, bone, or horn. Its razor sharp blade tapers to a needle point. Designed for use primarily as a missile weapon, the quiva is also used as a hand weapon and general utility knife. The steel used in making the quiva comes from the foundries of Ar. Also known as the Tuchuk Saddle Knife, the quiva is a dagger favored by the Wagon People, but carried by most FreeWomen and many Warriors, sheathed and hung on the side of a warrior's saddle.
"I was most fond, perhaps, of the balanced saddle knife, the quiva; it is about a foot in length, double edged; it tapers to a daggerlike point. I acquired, I think, skill in its use. At forty feet I could strike a thrown tospit; at one hundred feet I could strike a layered boskhide disk, about four inches in width, fastened to a lance thrust in the turf."
Nomads of Gor, pp. 66-67
Killing knife
A small dagger with a blade from 4 to 6 inches long. Unlike the quiva it is tapered only on one side and not double edged. Carried by many due to its small size.
"It was a throwing knife, of a sort used in Ar, much smaller than the southern quiva, and tapered on only one side. It was a knife designed for killing. Mixed with the blood and fluids of the body there was a smear of white at the end of the steel, the softened residue of a glaze of kanda paste, now melted by body heat, which had coated the tip of the blade. On the hilt of the dagger, curling about it, was the legend, 'I have sought him. I have found him.' It was a killing knife. 'The Caste of Assassins?' I had asked. 'Unlikely,' had said the Older Tarl, 'for Assassins are commonly too proud for poison.'"
Assassin of Gor, pg. 42
Hook knife
The hook knife is very similar to the utility knife found on earth. A short, wide blade, narrowing to a downward curve, ending in a sharp point. When used in recreational spars, the knife remains sheathed so as not to injure the opponent. The knife is seldom used for other than stadium fighting, weather sheathed or not.
"Both were stripped to the waist. The hair of both was bound back with a band of cloth. Each carried, sheathed, a hook knife. The edges of the sheath were coated with a bluish pigment."
Assassin of Gor, pg. 86
Sleen knife
This is a broad bladed, flat, double edged utility knife equipped with a simple stubby crossguard and unadorned grip . Rather than tapering down to a needle like point like the quiva it's point is more rounded.
"I saw Sheera, standing knee deep in the water, near the beach. She had now thrust her sleen knife into its belt sheath. She was a strongly bodied girl. The sun made the chains and claws at her throat gleam. 'Return again' she called, 'perhaps we will have more men to sell you.'"
Hunters of Gor, pp. 32-33
Tarn knife
This is a short bladed, single edged utility knife typically used by tarnsmen and generally included among their saddle equipment. Some knives are designed so that the blade folds into the handle for safety when not in use. Often equipped with a lanyard so that it may be lashed to the tarnsman's saddle or belt.
"I looked across to Menicius of Port Kar. His eyes darted from mine. He bent over the neck of Quarrel. I saw that He had been given another knife, a Tarn knife, of the sort carried by riders. In His right hand, ready, there was a Tarn goad."
Assassin of Gor, pg. 363
Bows
Great Bow / Long Bow
The bow is not commonly favored by Gorean warriors, but all must respect it. It is the height of a tall man; its back, away from the bowman, is flat; its belly, facing the bowman, is half-rounded; it is something like an inch and a half wide and an inch and a quarter thick at the center; it has considerable force and requires considerable strength to draw; many men, incidentally, even some warriors, cannot draw the bow; nine of its arrows can be fired aloft before the first falls again to the earth; at point-blank range it can be fired completely through a four-inch beam; at two hundred yards it can pin a man to a wall; at four hundred yards it can kill the huge, shambling bosk; its rate of fire is nineteen arrows in a Gorean Ehn, about eighty Earth seconds; and a skilled bowman, but not an extraordinary one, is expected to be able to place these nineteen arrows in one Ehn into a target, the size of a man, each a hit, at a range of some two hundred and fifty yards. Yet, as a weapon, it has serious disadvantages, and on Gor the crossbow, inferior in accuracy, range and rate of fire, with its heavy cable and its leaves of steel, tends to be generally favored. The long bow cannot well be used except in a standing, or at least kneeling, position, thus making more of a target of the archer; the long bow is difficult to use from the saddle; it is impractical in close quarters, as in defensive warfare or in fighting from room to room; and it cannot be kept set, loaded like a firearm, as can the crossbow;...
Raiders of Gor, pg. 2
Horn bow / Short bow
About four feet long there are a number of varities of this bow on Gor. the best known, most popular is of course the horn bow of the Wagon People, The Red savages use one made of layered wood banded together as do the northern peoples, these often called ship bows. While not as powerful as the long bow or cross bow they have a big advantage over the long bow in their ability to be used in tight places, their rate of fire is much faster than the crossbow. 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.
"Kamchak was a skilled instructor in these matters and, freely, hours at a time, until it grew too dark to see, supervised my practice with such fierce tools as the lance, the quiva and bola. I learned as well the rope and bow. The bow, of course, small, for use from the saddle, lacks the range and power of the Gorean longbow or crossbow; still, at close range, with considerable force, firing rapidly, arrow after arrow, it is a fearsome weapon."
Nomads of Gor, pp. 66-67
Crossbow, standard
A standard weapon of Gor. It consists of a heavy, flexible bow of tempered steel, 18" across mounted on a heavy wooden stock about two feet long, with a trigger mechanism at the bottom. Striking with enough force to penetrate wooden walls, doors or human bodies with relative ease. It has an effective range of approximately 150 yards. Slow to reload, it is commonly redrawn through use of a goat's-foot hook or a crank.
"The crossbow is the assassin's weapon, par excellence; further, it might be mentioned that, although it takes longer to set the crossbow, a weaker man, with, say, his belt claw or his winding gear, can certainly manage to do so; accordingly, for every man capable of drawing a warrior's long bow there will be an indefinite number who can use the crossbow; lastly, at shorter distances, the crossbow requires much less skill for accuracy than the long bow."
Raiders of Gor, pg. 2
Calvary crossbow
Much like the larger crossbow, instead of possessing a metal bow, it has a much lighter bow of wood or horn. Slightly smaller in size, it is still a powerful weapon. It is equipped with a metal stirrup at the firing end, allowing it to be more quickly restrung while on the back of a tarn or kaiila.
"The cavalry crossbow does have an iron stirrup in which the rider, without dismounting, may insert his foot, thus gaining the leverage necessary for drawing the cable back with both hands. If the rider is right handed he usually inserts his right foot in the stirrup and leans to the right in drawing the cable; this procedure is reversed, of course, usually, if the rider is left handed. While this procedure permits the rider to reload without dismounting and tends to improve, at some cost to striking power, the bow's rate of fire, it still provides, in my opinon, no adequate compensation for the loss of rapidity of fire. I think it not unlikely that the red savage could discharge three to five shafts in the time a single quarrel could be set in the clumsier weapon. In my opinion, if the crossbow, of the lighter, more quickly loading type, had proved to be a superior missile weapon in the typical combats practiced in the Barrens the red savages would have had recourse either to it, or to something analogous to it. But they have not."
Savage of Gor, pg. 96
Spears and Lances
War spear
One of the most common weapons on Gor, its versatility makes it a very popular weapon, used for fighting and hunting.
"The spear was a typical Gorean spear, about seven feet in height, heavy, stout, with a tapering bronze head some eighteen inches in length. It is a terrible weapon and, abetted by the somewhat lighter gravity of Gor, when cast with considerable force, can pierce a shield at close quarters or bury its head a foot deep in solid wood. With this weapon groups of men hunt even the larl in its native haunts in the Voltai Range, that incredible pantherlike carnivore which may stand six to eight feet high at the shoulder."
Outlaw of Gor, pg. 21
Kaiili lance
The lances of both the wagons people and the red savages are much the same. The red savages tend to decorate and carve theirs more than the wagon people.
"The lances of the wagon peoples are not couched. They are carried in the right fist, easily, and are flexible and light, used for thrusting, not the battering ram effect of the heavy lances of Europe's High Middle Ages. Needless to say they can be almost as swift and delicate in their address as a saber. The lances are black, cut from the poles of young tem trees. They may be bent almost double, like finely tempered steel, befor they break. A loose loop of bosk hide, wound twice about the right fist, helps to retain the weapon in hand to hand combat, it is seldom thrown."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 15
Tharlarion lance
More a spear than a true lance, it is usually fashioned of ka-la-na or needle wood. About ten to fourteen feet long. It has a lanceolate metal tip that is about four inches in width and is often fluted. Carried couched beneath the right arm of the user, often supported by a lance rest which is either attached to the saddle or worn strapped to the user's chest. Can also be thrown, though not designed for it.
"In a minute the rider appeared in view - a fine, bearded warrior with a golden helmet and a tharlarion lance."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 115
Trident
Three pronged spearing fork used by fishermen of Gor. The trident can be used as both a thrusting weapon and as a weapon to be thrown. often used with the net, it is about seven feet in length, with 3 prongs 12 to 16 inches long. Often used with a line attached, for retrieval should it be thrown.
"I could use some paga," said he. He had purchased the net in the morning with a trident, the traditional weapons of the fisherman of the western shore and the western islands."
Raiders of Gor, pg. 112
Harpoon
A spear fitted with a barbed head and used with line attached to assist in retrieval.
"I grasped the long harpoon. It was some eight feet in length, some two and a half inches in diameter. Its major shaft was of wood, but it had a foreshaft of bone. In this foreshaft was set the head of the harpoon, of bone, drilled, with a point of sharpened slate. Through the drilled hole in the bone, some four inches below the slate point and some four inches above the base of the head, was passed a rawhide line, which lay coiled in the bottom of the boat. As the hole is drilled the line, when it snaps taut, will turn the head of the harpoon in the wound, anchoring it.
Beasts of Gor, pg.
Axes
Great Axe
Similar to the Torvaldslander Battle Axe, but much larger, with a handle up to four feet in length. The axe blade is also much larger. This axe must be used two handed as it is too big to be weilded effectivly with one.
"The spine, of course would be immediatly severed; moreover, part of the ax will, if the blow be powerful, emerge from the abdomen. It takes, however, more than one blow to cut a body, that of a man, in two. To strike more than twice, however, is regarded as clumsiness."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 104
Whips
Bosk Whip
Much like an earth bull whip. Made of Bosk hide plaited together. This whip can be anywhere from 8 to 12 feet long.
"Beside him, coiled, perhaps as a symbol of power, lay a bosk whip"
Nomads of Gor, pg. 43
Kurt Whip
A slave whip with five broad, pliant straps. Each strap is about two and a half feet long and one and a half inches wide. The handle is eighteen inches long. Though it may leave a welt, it doesn't permanently mark a victim.
"A stout whip, with a long handle, which might be wielded with two hands, and five dangling, soft, wide lashing surfaces, each about a yard long."
Kajira of Gor, pg. 83
Snake Whip
A single-bladed whip, weighted, of leather. It is about eight feet long and half an inch to one inch thick. It is sometimes set with tiny particles of metal. It is a deadly whip and can easily strip flesh from the body. It can kill a Man.
"Heavy coil, laced with wire and flecks of iron. Used primarily on male slaves/captives."
Beasts of Gor, pg. 161
Whip Knife
The whip knife, unique to Port Kar, is a delicate weapon. It is a whip, but set into its final 18 inches, on 5 tassels or strips of hide, 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.
"The important point, however, in the circumstances was that Kamras had proposed the sword as the weapon of his encounter with Kamchak, and poor Kamchak was almost certain to be as unfamiliar with the sword as you or I would be with any of the more unusual weapons of Gor, say, the whip knife of Port Kar or the trained varts of the caves of Tyros."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 124
Miscellaneous Weapons
Knife Gauntlet
A pair of leather gauntlets, upon which are mounted knife blades. Sometimes used by gladiators in arena combats. These are seldom used as weapons of war.
"Sometimes men wrestle to the death or use the spiked gauntlets."
Assassin of Gor, pg.
Goad, tarn or slave
While not truly weapons,the tarn goad can stun. The slave goad on the other hand can kill.
"He entered my apartment, carrying a metal rod about two feet long, with a leather loop attached. It had a switch on the handle, which could be set for two positions, on and off, like a simple torch. `What is it?' I asked. 'A tarn-goad,' he replied. He snapped the switch in the barrel to the "on" position and struck the table. It showered sparks in a sudden cascade of yellow light, but left the table unmarked. He turned off the goad and extended it to me. As I reached for it, he snapped it on and slapped it in my palm. A billion tiny yellow sparks, like pieces of fiery needles, seemed to explode in my hand. I cried out in shock. I thrust my hand to my mouth. It had been like a sudden, severe electric charge, like the striking of a snake in my hand. I examined my hand; it was unhurt. 'Be careful of a tarn-goad,' said the Older Tarl. 'It is not for children."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 50
"He scrambled to His feet,his face a mask of hate,looked about, saw the slave goad,ran to it and whipped it from the wall. I did not pursue him, not wanting to kill him. He turned and I saw, in almost one motion of his finger, the goad switch go to on, the dial rotate to the kill point. Then crouching, the goad blazing in his hand, he approched me warily."
Assassin of Gor, pg. 260
Bola
A favorite weapon of the Wagon People . fighting mainly from the backs of their kaiila, they become very proficient with the use of this weapon. used for both hunting and battle .
"Slowly, singing in a guttural chant, a Tuchuk warrior song, he began to swing the bola. It consists of three long straps of leather, each about five feet long, each terminating in a leather sack, which contains, sewn inside, a heavy, round metal weight. It was probably developed for hunting the tumit, a huge, flightless carnivorous bird of the plains, but the Wagon Peoples use it also, and well, as a weapon of war. Thrown low the long straps, with their approximate ten-foot sweep, almost impossible to evade, strike the victim and the weighted balls, as soon as resistance is met, whip about the victim, tangling and tightening the straps. Sometimes legs are broken. It is often difficult to release the straps, so snarled do they become. Thrown high the Gorean bola can lock a man's arms to his sides; thrown to the throat it can strangle him; thrown to the head, a difficult cast, the whipping weights can crush a skull. One entangles the victim with the bola, leaps from one's mount and with the quiva cuts his throat."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 24
War Club
A carved, shaped club of wood or bone, often mounted with stone or metal projections such as sharp pieces of flint, nails or knife blades driven into the wood . This weapon is about two or three feet in length. Used mostly by the Red Savages.
"Grunt carried similar articles but he, as well, as I had not, carried such items as long nails, rivets, hatchets, metal arrowheads, metal lance points, knife blades and butcher knives. The knife blades and long nails are sometimes mounted in clubs."
Savages of Gor, pg. 145
Rope
What can I say?
"Kamchak was a skilled instructor in these matters and, freely, hours at a time, until it grew too dark to see, supervised my practice with such fierce tools as the lance, the quiva and bola. I learned as well the rope and bow."
Nomads of Gor, pp. 66-67
Shields
Common Shield
A round shield; generally about 24 to 36 inches in diameter, the shield is sufficient in size to cover the main part of the torso. The shield is made of 7-9 layers of bosk hide stretched over a lightweight framework of wood, iron or horn. It has two straps on the inside that one's arm would slide through, holding it at the forarm and wrist. This is the most common type of shield on Gor .
"The round shield, concentric overlapping layers of hardened leather riveted together and bound with hoops of brass, fitted with the double sling for carrying on the left arm, was similarly unmarked. Normally the Gorean shield is painted boldly and has infixed in it some device for identifying the bearer's city."
Outlaw of Gor, pg. 21
Turian Shield
An oval shield about 24 inches by 36 inches, this shield is also constructed of hide like it's round cousin.
" The morning sun flashed from their helmets, their long tharlarion lances, the metal embossments on their oval shields, unlike the rounded shields of most Gorean cities."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 113
Buckler
A small oval shield about 16 to 18 inches. While this shield was made of steel on earth, on Gor it is, like all other shields made of leather.
"Incidentally, Turian warriors, in order to have the opportunity to slay a foe, as well as acquire his woman, customarily choose as the weapon of combat in these encounters, buckler and dagger, ax and buckler, dagger and whip, ax and net, or the two daggers, with the reservation that the quiva, if used, not be thrown. Kamrak, however, appeared adamant on the point. "The sword," he repeated."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 124
Helmets
Common Helmet
"Above the shield was a suspended helmet, again reminiscent of a Greek helmet, perhaps of the Homeric period. It had a somewhat 'Y'-shaped slot for the eyes, nose, and mouth in the nearly solid metal."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 22
Northern Helmet
"The helmets of the north are commonly conical, with a nose-guard, that can slip up and down. At the neck and sides, attached by rings, usually hangs a mantle of linked chain. The helmet of Thorgard himself, however, covered his neck and the sides of his face. It was horned."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 73
Helmet of the Wagon Peoples
"...he wore a conical, fur-rimmed iron helmet, a net of colored chains depending from the helmet protecting his face, leaving only holes for the eyes."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 10
Captain's Helmet
"To be sure, carved in wood, high on the chair, was the helmet with crest of sleen-fur, the mark of the captain, ..."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 6
Assassin's Helmet
"All were silent. I wore the garb of the Caste of Assassins, and on the left temple of the black helmet was the golden slash of the messenger."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 192
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Swords
Shortsword / Gladius
Approximately 20 to 24 inches in length from hilt tip to blade tip and 3 to 4 inches wide, descending to a pointed tip. The grip is generally either of polished wood or leather. This is the basic weapon of the warrior in Gor, it is generally carried, in a sheath slung over the shoulder,or worn at the hip.
"I supposed one of the reasons for the short blade was that it could clear the sheath a fraction of a second before a longer blade. Another advantage was that it could be moved with greater swiftness than a longer blade. The primary advantage I supposed was that it allowed the Gorean warrior to work close to his man. The brief reach of the blade tended to be more than compensated for by the rapidity with which it might be wielded and the ease with which it might work beneath the guard of a longer weapon. If the swordsman with a longer weapon could not finish the fight in the first thrust or two he was a dead man."
Priest-Kings of Gor, pg 174
Longsword
The longsword is used mostly by those of Torvaldsland. It's blade is approximately 30 to 36 inches in length. It is carried in a belt scabbard or strapped across its user's back. The blade is forged in the Damascus manner, steel, both hard and soft are beaten together under heat and folded within itself and beaten flat again. This creates a blade that is both flexible and virtually unbreakable.
"He wore beneath his cloak of yellow wool, and a great belt of glistening black, with a gold buckle, to which was attached a scabbard of oiled, black leather; in this scabbard was a sword, a sword of Torvaldsland, a long sword, with a jeweled pommel, with double guard."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 172
Scimitar
The sword of choice in the Tahari, This razor sharp, curved blade is generally about 30 to 36 inches long. The back 3-8 inches has a false edge that can be sharpened for back slashes. Like the longsword it has better reach, which can be an advantage when mounted upon the kailla. Slower to draw and slower to wield than the shortsword it is still a deadly weapon.
"Djellabas and burnooses, sleeveless, hooded desert cloaks, were being sold in another stall. The burnoose can, as the djellaba cannot, because of the sleeves, be thrown back, freeing the arms. One who rides the swift kaiila, who handles the scimitar and lance, chooses the burnoose."
Tribesman of Gor, pg. 50
Knives
Quiva
Usually part of a set of seven such weapons, it has a narrow double edged blade 9 to 12 inches in length with a handle of wood, bone, or horn. Its razor sharp blade tapers to a needle point. Designed for use primarily as a missile weapon, the quiva is also used as a hand weapon and general utility knife. The steel used in making the quiva comes from the foundries of Ar. Also known as the Tuchuk Saddle Knife, the quiva is a dagger favored by the Wagon People, but carried by most FreeWomen and many Warriors, sheathed and hung on the side of a warrior's saddle.
"I was most fond, perhaps, of the balanced saddle knife, the quiva; it is about a foot in length, double edged; it tapers to a daggerlike point. I acquired, I think, skill in its use. At forty feet I could strike a thrown tospit; at one hundred feet I could strike a layered boskhide disk, about four inches in width, fastened to a lance thrust in the turf."
Nomads of Gor, pp. 66-67
Killing knife
A small dagger with a blade from 4 to 6 inches long. Unlike the quiva it is tapered only on one side and not double edged. Carried by many due to its small size.
"It was a throwing knife, of a sort used in Ar, much smaller than the southern quiva, and tapered on only one side. It was a knife designed for killing. Mixed with the blood and fluids of the body there was a smear of white at the end of the steel, the softened residue of a glaze of kanda paste, now melted by body heat, which had coated the tip of the blade. On the hilt of the dagger, curling about it, was the legend, 'I have sought him. I have found him.' It was a killing knife. 'The Caste of Assassins?' I had asked. 'Unlikely,' had said the Older Tarl, 'for Assassins are commonly too proud for poison.'"
Assassin of Gor, pg. 42
Hook knife
The hook knife is very similar to the utility knife found on earth. A short, wide blade, narrowing to a downward curve, ending in a sharp point. When used in recreational spars, the knife remains sheathed so as not to injure the opponent. The knife is seldom used for other than stadium fighting, weather sheathed or not.
"Both were stripped to the waist. The hair of both was bound back with a band of cloth. Each carried, sheathed, a hook knife. The edges of the sheath were coated with a bluish pigment."
Assassin of Gor, pg. 86
Sleen knife
This is a broad bladed, flat, double edged utility knife equipped with a simple stubby crossguard and unadorned grip . Rather than tapering down to a needle like point like the quiva it's point is more rounded.
"I saw Sheera, standing knee deep in the water, near the beach. She had now thrust her sleen knife into its belt sheath. She was a strongly bodied girl. The sun made the chains and claws at her throat gleam. 'Return again' she called, 'perhaps we will have more men to sell you.'"
Hunters of Gor, pp. 32-33
Tarn knife
This is a short bladed, single edged utility knife typically used by tarnsmen and generally included among their saddle equipment. Some knives are designed so that the blade folds into the handle for safety when not in use. Often equipped with a lanyard so that it may be lashed to the tarnsman's saddle or belt.
"I looked across to Menicius of Port Kar. His eyes darted from mine. He bent over the neck of Quarrel. I saw that He had been given another knife, a Tarn knife, of the sort carried by riders. In His right hand, ready, there was a Tarn goad."
Assassin of Gor, pg. 363
Bows
Great Bow / Long Bow
The bow is not commonly favored by Gorean warriors, but all must respect it. It is the height of a tall man; its back, away from the bowman, is flat; its belly, facing the bowman, is half-rounded; it is something like an inch and a half wide and an inch and a quarter thick at the center; it has considerable force and requires considerable strength to draw; many men, incidentally, even some warriors, cannot draw the bow; nine of its arrows can be fired aloft before the first falls again to the earth; at point-blank range it can be fired completely through a four-inch beam; at two hundred yards it can pin a man to a wall; at four hundred yards it can kill the huge, shambling bosk; its rate of fire is nineteen arrows in a Gorean Ehn, about eighty Earth seconds; and a skilled bowman, but not an extraordinary one, is expected to be able to place these nineteen arrows in one Ehn into a target, the size of a man, each a hit, at a range of some two hundred and fifty yards. Yet, as a weapon, it has serious disadvantages, and on Gor the crossbow, inferior in accuracy, range and rate of fire, with its heavy cable and its leaves of steel, tends to be generally favored. The long bow cannot well be used except in a standing, or at least kneeling, position, thus making more of a target of the archer; the long bow is difficult to use from the saddle; it is impractical in close quarters, as in defensive warfare or in fighting from room to room; and it cannot be kept set, loaded like a firearm, as can the crossbow;...
Raiders of Gor, pg. 2
Horn bow / Short bow
About four feet long there are a number of varities of this bow on Gor. the best known, most popular is of course the horn bow of the Wagon People, The Red savages use one made of layered wood banded together as do the northern peoples, these often called ship bows. While not as powerful as the long bow or cross bow they have a big advantage over the long bow in their ability to be used in tight places, their rate of fire is much faster than the crossbow. 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.
"Kamchak was a skilled instructor in these matters and, freely, hours at a time, until it grew too dark to see, supervised my practice with such fierce tools as the lance, the quiva and bola. I learned as well the rope and bow. The bow, of course, small, for use from the saddle, lacks the range and power of the Gorean longbow or crossbow; still, at close range, with considerable force, firing rapidly, arrow after arrow, it is a fearsome weapon."
Nomads of Gor, pp. 66-67
Crossbow, standard
A standard weapon of Gor. It consists of a heavy, flexible bow of tempered steel, 18" across mounted on a heavy wooden stock about two feet long, with a trigger mechanism at the bottom. Striking with enough force to penetrate wooden walls, doors or human bodies with relative ease. It has an effective range of approximately 150 yards. Slow to reload, it is commonly redrawn through use of a goat's-foot hook or a crank.
"The crossbow is the assassin's weapon, par excellence; further, it might be mentioned that, although it takes longer to set the crossbow, a weaker man, with, say, his belt claw or his winding gear, can certainly manage to do so; accordingly, for every man capable of drawing a warrior's long bow there will be an indefinite number who can use the crossbow; lastly, at shorter distances, the crossbow requires much less skill for accuracy than the long bow."
Raiders of Gor, pg. 2
Calvary crossbow
Much like the larger crossbow, instead of possessing a metal bow, it has a much lighter bow of wood or horn. Slightly smaller in size, it is still a powerful weapon. It is equipped with a metal stirrup at the firing end, allowing it to be more quickly restrung while on the back of a tarn or kaiila.
"The cavalry crossbow does have an iron stirrup in which the rider, without dismounting, may insert his foot, thus gaining the leverage necessary for drawing the cable back with both hands. If the rider is right handed he usually inserts his right foot in the stirrup and leans to the right in drawing the cable; this procedure is reversed, of course, usually, if the rider is left handed. While this procedure permits the rider to reload without dismounting and tends to improve, at some cost to striking power, the bow's rate of fire, it still provides, in my opinon, no adequate compensation for the loss of rapidity of fire. I think it not unlikely that the red savage could discharge three to five shafts in the time a single quarrel could be set in the clumsier weapon. In my opinion, if the crossbow, of the lighter, more quickly loading type, had proved to be a superior missile weapon in the typical combats practiced in the Barrens the red savages would have had recourse either to it, or to something analogous to it. But they have not."
Savage of Gor, pg. 96
Spears and Lances
War spear
One of the most common weapons on Gor, its versatility makes it a very popular weapon, used for fighting and hunting.
"The spear was a typical Gorean spear, about seven feet in height, heavy, stout, with a tapering bronze head some eighteen inches in length. It is a terrible weapon and, abetted by the somewhat lighter gravity of Gor, when cast with considerable force, can pierce a shield at close quarters or bury its head a foot deep in solid wood. With this weapon groups of men hunt even the larl in its native haunts in the Voltai Range, that incredible pantherlike carnivore which may stand six to eight feet high at the shoulder."
Outlaw of Gor, pg. 21
Kaiili lance
The lances of both the wagons people and the red savages are much the same. The red savages tend to decorate and carve theirs more than the wagon people.
"The lances of the wagon peoples are not couched. They are carried in the right fist, easily, and are flexible and light, used for thrusting, not the battering ram effect of the heavy lances of Europe's High Middle Ages. Needless to say they can be almost as swift and delicate in their address as a saber. The lances are black, cut from the poles of young tem trees. They may be bent almost double, like finely tempered steel, befor they break. A loose loop of bosk hide, wound twice about the right fist, helps to retain the weapon in hand to hand combat, it is seldom thrown."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 15
Tharlarion lance
More a spear than a true lance, it is usually fashioned of ka-la-na or needle wood. About ten to fourteen feet long. It has a lanceolate metal tip that is about four inches in width and is often fluted. Carried couched beneath the right arm of the user, often supported by a lance rest which is either attached to the saddle or worn strapped to the user's chest. Can also be thrown, though not designed for it.
"In a minute the rider appeared in view - a fine, bearded warrior with a golden helmet and a tharlarion lance."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 115
Trident
Three pronged spearing fork used by fishermen of Gor. The trident can be used as both a thrusting weapon and as a weapon to be thrown. often used with the net, it is about seven feet in length, with 3 prongs 12 to 16 inches long. Often used with a line attached, for retrieval should it be thrown.
"I could use some paga," said he. He had purchased the net in the morning with a trident, the traditional weapons of the fisherman of the western shore and the western islands."
Raiders of Gor, pg. 112
Harpoon
A spear fitted with a barbed head and used with line attached to assist in retrieval.
"I grasped the long harpoon. It was some eight feet in length, some two and a half inches in diameter. Its major shaft was of wood, but it had a foreshaft of bone. In this foreshaft was set the head of the harpoon, of bone, drilled, with a point of sharpened slate. Through the drilled hole in the bone, some four inches below the slate point and some four inches above the base of the head, was passed a rawhide line, which lay coiled in the bottom of the boat. As the hole is drilled the line, when it snaps taut, will turn the head of the harpoon in the wound, anchoring it.
Beasts of Gor, pg.
Axes
Great Axe
Similar to the Torvaldslander Battle Axe, but much larger, with a handle up to four feet in length. The axe blade is also much larger. This axe must be used two handed as it is too big to be weilded effectivly with one.
"The spine, of course would be immediatly severed; moreover, part of the ax will, if the blow be powerful, emerge from the abdomen. It takes, however, more than one blow to cut a body, that of a man, in two. To strike more than twice, however, is regarded as clumsiness."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 104
Whips
Bosk Whip
Much like an earth bull whip. Made of Bosk hide plaited together. This whip can be anywhere from 8 to 12 feet long.
"Beside him, coiled, perhaps as a symbol of power, lay a bosk whip"
Nomads of Gor, pg. 43
Kurt Whip
A slave whip with five broad, pliant straps. Each strap is about two and a half feet long and one and a half inches wide. The handle is eighteen inches long. Though it may leave a welt, it doesn't permanently mark a victim.
"A stout whip, with a long handle, which might be wielded with two hands, and five dangling, soft, wide lashing surfaces, each about a yard long."
Kajira of Gor, pg. 83
Snake Whip
A single-bladed whip, weighted, of leather. It is about eight feet long and half an inch to one inch thick. It is sometimes set with tiny particles of metal. It is a deadly whip and can easily strip flesh from the body. It can kill a Man.
"Heavy coil, laced with wire and flecks of iron. Used primarily on male slaves/captives."
Beasts of Gor, pg. 161
Whip Knife
The whip knife, unique to Port Kar, is a delicate weapon. It is a whip, but set into its final 18 inches, on 5 tassels or strips of hide, 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.
"The important point, however, in the circumstances was that Kamras had proposed the sword as the weapon of his encounter with Kamchak, and poor Kamchak was almost certain to be as unfamiliar with the sword as you or I would be with any of the more unusual weapons of Gor, say, the whip knife of Port Kar or the trained varts of the caves of Tyros."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 124
Miscellaneous Weapons
Knife Gauntlet
A pair of leather gauntlets, upon which are mounted knife blades. Sometimes used by gladiators in arena combats. These are seldom used as weapons of war.
"Sometimes men wrestle to the death or use the spiked gauntlets."
Assassin of Gor, pg.
Goad, tarn or slave
While not truly weapons,the tarn goad can stun. The slave goad on the other hand can kill.
"He entered my apartment, carrying a metal rod about two feet long, with a leather loop attached. It had a switch on the handle, which could be set for two positions, on and off, like a simple torch. `What is it?' I asked. 'A tarn-goad,' he replied. He snapped the switch in the barrel to the "on" position and struck the table. It showered sparks in a sudden cascade of yellow light, but left the table unmarked. He turned off the goad and extended it to me. As I reached for it, he snapped it on and slapped it in my palm. A billion tiny yellow sparks, like pieces of fiery needles, seemed to explode in my hand. I cried out in shock. I thrust my hand to my mouth. It had been like a sudden, severe electric charge, like the striking of a snake in my hand. I examined my hand; it was unhurt. 'Be careful of a tarn-goad,' said the Older Tarl. 'It is not for children."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 50
"He scrambled to His feet,his face a mask of hate,looked about, saw the slave goad,ran to it and whipped it from the wall. I did not pursue him, not wanting to kill him. He turned and I saw, in almost one motion of his finger, the goad switch go to on, the dial rotate to the kill point. Then crouching, the goad blazing in his hand, he approched me warily."
Assassin of Gor, pg. 260
Bola
A favorite weapon of the Wagon People . fighting mainly from the backs of their kaiila, they become very proficient with the use of this weapon. used for both hunting and battle .
"Slowly, singing in a guttural chant, a Tuchuk warrior song, he began to swing the bola. It consists of three long straps of leather, each about five feet long, each terminating in a leather sack, which contains, sewn inside, a heavy, round metal weight. It was probably developed for hunting the tumit, a huge, flightless carnivorous bird of the plains, but the Wagon Peoples use it also, and well, as a weapon of war. Thrown low the long straps, with their approximate ten-foot sweep, almost impossible to evade, strike the victim and the weighted balls, as soon as resistance is met, whip about the victim, tangling and tightening the straps. Sometimes legs are broken. It is often difficult to release the straps, so snarled do they become. Thrown high the Gorean bola can lock a man's arms to his sides; thrown to the throat it can strangle him; thrown to the head, a difficult cast, the whipping weights can crush a skull. One entangles the victim with the bola, leaps from one's mount and with the quiva cuts his throat."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 24
War Club
A carved, shaped club of wood or bone, often mounted with stone or metal projections such as sharp pieces of flint, nails or knife blades driven into the wood . This weapon is about two or three feet in length. Used mostly by the Red Savages.
"Grunt carried similar articles but he, as well, as I had not, carried such items as long nails, rivets, hatchets, metal arrowheads, metal lance points, knife blades and butcher knives. The knife blades and long nails are sometimes mounted in clubs."
Savages of Gor, pg. 145
Rope
What can I say?
"Kamchak was a skilled instructor in these matters and, freely, hours at a time, until it grew too dark to see, supervised my practice with such fierce tools as the lance, the quiva and bola. I learned as well the rope and bow."
Nomads of Gor, pp. 66-67
Shields
Common Shield
A round shield; generally about 24 to 36 inches in diameter, the shield is sufficient in size to cover the main part of the torso. The shield is made of 7-9 layers of bosk hide stretched over a lightweight framework of wood, iron or horn. It has two straps on the inside that one's arm would slide through, holding it at the forarm and wrist. This is the most common type of shield on Gor .
"The round shield, concentric overlapping layers of hardened leather riveted together and bound with hoops of brass, fitted with the double sling for carrying on the left arm, was similarly unmarked. Normally the Gorean shield is painted boldly and has infixed in it some device for identifying the bearer's city."
Outlaw of Gor, pg. 21
Turian Shield
An oval shield about 24 inches by 36 inches, this shield is also constructed of hide like it's round cousin.
" The morning sun flashed from their helmets, their long tharlarion lances, the metal embossments on their oval shields, unlike the rounded shields of most Gorean cities."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 113
Buckler
A small oval shield about 16 to 18 inches. While this shield was made of steel on earth, on Gor it is, like all other shields made of leather.
"Incidentally, Turian warriors, in order to have the opportunity to slay a foe, as well as acquire his woman, customarily choose as the weapon of combat in these encounters, buckler and dagger, ax and buckler, dagger and whip, ax and net, or the two daggers, with the reservation that the quiva, if used, not be thrown. Kamrak, however, appeared adamant on the point. "The sword," he repeated."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 124
Helmets
Common Helmet
"Above the shield was a suspended helmet, again reminiscent of a Greek helmet, perhaps of the Homeric period. It had a somewhat 'Y'-shaped slot for the eyes, nose, and mouth in the nearly solid metal."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 22
Northern Helmet
"The helmets of the north are commonly conical, with a nose-guard, that can slip up and down. At the neck and sides, attached by rings, usually hangs a mantle of linked chain. The helmet of Thorgard himself, however, covered his neck and the sides of his face. It was horned."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 73
Helmet of the Wagon Peoples
"...he wore a conical, fur-rimmed iron helmet, a net of colored chains depending from the helmet protecting his face, leaving only holes for the eyes."
Nomads of Gor, pg. 10
Captain's Helmet
"To be sure, carved in wood, high on the chair, was the helmet with crest of sleen-fur, the mark of the captain, ..."
Marauders of Gor, pg. 6
Assassin's Helmet
"All were silent. I wore the garb of the Caste of Assassins, and on the left temple of the black helmet was the golden slash of the messenger."
Tarnsman of Gor, pg. 192