| The Priest-Kings have broadcasted certain weapon laws on Gor. These laws limit the type of arms and armor that Goreans may use or invent. Except for the shield and helmet, no other forms of armor are permitted. There is no chain mail, plate armor or even leather armor on Gor. The leathers worn by tarnsmen and others are not a form of armor. It is more akin to heavy clothing than actual armor and is meant to protect your body from your mount. No weapon more powerful than the lance and crossbow is permitted. Firearms, gunpowder, tasers, stun guns and similar technological weapons are forbidden on Gor.
The Priest-Kings constantly scan the surface of Gor seeking violations of the weapon laws. They also have numerous human agents who keep them informed about what is happening. A violation of the weapon laws is a capital offense. The Priest-Kings use flame death as their method of execution. In the flame death, an offender is suddenly vaporized in a flash of blue fire. It might take up to a year before you are caught in violation of these laws, but eventually they will get you. The Priest-Kings do not listen to excuses from violators. They simply observe a violator and then execute him.
The Kurii have been known to smuggle in forbidden weaponry to Gor. In general, Kurii on Gor are bound by the same weapon restrictions as all other Goreans. However, the Kurii are willing to risk the flame death at times to use certain weapons and they have also been known to supply Goreans with forbidden weapons. For example, in Assassins of Gor, a shipment of firearms is delivered to the House of Cernus. Their ultimate fate is never detailed in that book. Such items would be rare though as the Priest-Kings will eventually locate it and destroy the possessor. You should use such weapons sparingly in your role-play. Even a Kur would be subject to the flame death if he was observed using forbidden weaponry.
WAGON PEOPLES
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. Developed for hunting fleet-footed and flighted game, it is also used as a weapon of war. Thrown low, the long straps, with their approximately ten-foot sweep, strike the victim and the weighted balls, as soon as resistance is met, whip about the victim's legs, tangling and tightening the straps. Thrown high it can pin a man's arms to his sides; thrown at the throat it can strangle him; thrown at the head the whipping weights can crush his skull. Once a victim is entangled with the bola, typically another weapon, usually a quiva, is then utilized to dispatch the victim if he or she still lives.
Horn Bow: Used by the Wagon People, a horn bow is formed of pieces of split tabuk or bosk horn bound with sinew. This weapon is heavily used upon Gor for hunting, sport and warfare. It is much smaller in size than the great bow, and is better suited for use from the back of a kailla.
Kaiila Lance: A long slender spear, eight to ten feet long, designed to be used from the saddle of a rider on kailla-back. These lances are not used couched, but rather carried easily in the right fist and are flexible and light. Used primarily for thrusting. They are black in color, cut from the poles of young tem trees, and so flexible that they may be bent almost double before they break. A loose loop of boskhide, wound twice about the right fist, helps the user to retain the weapon in mounted combat. It is seldom, if ever, thrown.
Quiva: The quiva is a balanced saddle knife of the Wagon Peoples of the prairies. It is about a foot in length, double edged, and tapers to a dagger like point. The quiva is used more as a missile weapon than a hand-to-hand weapon. It is not necessary to throw it hard, as its sharpness and weight do the work for you. Most quivas are made in Ar and sold in sets of seven, as there are seven sheaths in the kaiila saddles of the Wagon Peoples. The quivas are almost always kept in their saddle sheaths. The quivas are also made differently for each tribe of the Wagon Peoples.
Rope: The rope is a weapon commonly used by Gorean warriors. Its primary use is in the capture of slaves and other peoples. These ropes are usually braided leather. The Tuchuks are skilled with the use of the rope.
ARMOR
Helmet: The common Gorean helmet is also like an ancient Greek helmet. It is made of a nearly solid metal, with a Y-shaped slot for eyes, nose and mouth. Many helmets are cushioned with leather. They may be crested with sleen hair. Most helmets also have a crest plate on the front to affix your crest or symbol.
A strike to the head with a sword or other weapon is often fatal. A helmet protects this very vulnerable area and makes the combatants rely more on skill than simply a lucky blow to the head. This is also the same reason why many gladiators in the days of ancient Rome were permitted helmets though often little other armor.
The Priest-Kings, like the Romans, wanted Gorean matters settled with skill rather than luck. Many of the less civilized lands do not use helmets or have helmets of different styles. The men of Torvaldsland have helmets that 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. Some of their helmets may also be horned. The Wagon People have conical, fur-rimmed helmets with a net of colored chains over the face. There are only holes in the chains for their eyes.
Shield: The most common Gorean shield is a round shield like those used by the ancient Greeks. The shield is made of concentric, overlapping layers, usually seven, of hardened leather riveted together and bound with hoops of brass. It is fitted with a double sling for carrying on the left arm. It is usually painted boldly with a device to identify your city. Only exiles and outlaws have no shield markings. A shield requires skill to use properly and this is likely one reason why the Priest-Kings permit their use.
Goreans carry shields of different styles. Wagon Peoples use small, round leather shields that are commonly glossy and lacquered. Turian and Alar shields tend to be oval shaped. Rencers use small shields of rence wicker. The shields of the natives of the jungles near Schendi tend to be long and oval. In the Ukungu region of the jungle, there is commonly a tuft of feathers fastened to one point of the shield. If it is placed at the bottom of the shield, it means that you hunt animals. If it is placed at the top, then it means that you hunt humans. The shields of the Red Savages are small, round shields made of the hide of the kailiauk. They are inscribed with medicine signs. It is believed that if they are unworthy or lie, their shields will fail to protect them. The shields of Torvaldsland are circular and wooden.
SWORDS
In many combats, the first warrior to draw is often the winner. Warriors learn the habit of drawing their sword each day, ensuring that it comes out smoothly and without incident. This helps work on your speed. It is also done to test the scabbard to ensure that it has not swelled. An enemy might also have tightened or fastened your blade in the scabbard by using a tiny wooden plug, shim, or bit of wire. A quarter of an inch, where hundredths of an ihn are involved, can be a considerable advantage. Some warriors may partially draw their blade if they feel combat is imminent. Usually the scabbard strap is hung over the left shoulder so it may be easily discarded in battle. The scabbard is at the left hip to ease the swift across-the-body draw. In some situations, the scabbard is discarded to prevent it being a hindrance. Warriors also take care of their own swords, not relying on others to do so. They will be the only ones to hone and oil their blades.
Gladius: This is a short sword and is the most common weapon of the warrior. It is derived from the Earth sword of the same name. The gladius is of Spanish origin and was widely used by the ancient Romans. It is about twenty to twenty-two inches long, double-edged, and well balanced. Its blade is so sharp that it will slice a piece of silk dropped down on it. The gladius is heavy enough to have a considerable striking force in saber-like trajectories but light enough to have some of the swiftness and play of a foil. The gladius is maneuverable enough to work its way behind the guard of a longer, heavier weapon.
There are other benefits of a short sword over a longer blade as well. A gladius can clear the scabbard a fraction earlier and that can be vitally important. The short blade can also be moved with greater swiftness than a long blade. It allows you to work close to your opponent. If a swordsman with a longer weapon can not finish a battle in the first thrust or two, he will generally lose the battle. The gladius is very ineffective, due to its smaller size, when used from the back of a mount such as a tharlarion, tarn or kaiila. The speed with which one can draw a sword is especially crucial in many battles.
Long Sword: The men of the Torvaldsland also use a long sword.
Saber: The saber is almost unknown on Gor, as it is regarded as too long and clumsy for the close, sharp combat common to Gorean warriors. The Wagon Peoples rarely use swords.
Sacramasax: Used by the Alars, this is similar to the gladius.
Scimitar: A sword that is commonly used in the Tahari. It is a long, curved blade that is effective from the back of a kaiila. There is even a two-handed variety, called the scimitarus, that is effective from tharlarion back.
Spatha: Used by the Alars, it is a long and heavy, double-bladed sword. This is more effective from the back of a tharlarion, a common mount of the Alars.
Non-existent Swords: A number of Earth swords do not exist in the Gorean novels. Rapiers, epees and foils do not exist. Such fencing is not a normal part of Gorean combat. Katanas and other such oriental swords also do not exist. Though there are Orientals on Gor, there is no evidence that there is a specific oriental culture that would create such weapons. Other types of European weapons, such as broadswords, claymores, and main-gauches, also are foreign to Gor. It is possible that an Earth person could have a metal worker design one of these blades. Making such a unique weapon would be very costly. Metal workers on Gor would be unfamiliar with the weapon, so it would take them longer to make. Would your character be able to afford such a blade?
BOWS
Crossbow: This is primarily an infantry weapon. It can shoot iron bolts with an initial velocity of about a pasang per second. It has a considerable striking power and can penetrate most shields. It is easier to fire at short ranges but does have a slower rate of fire. It is the assassin's weapon of choice.
Cavalry crossbow: This crossbow has an iron stirrup in which the rider, without dismounting, may insert his foot to gain the leverage to draw the cable back. This is done with the right foot if you are right handed. It is still a slow weapon though. Most Gorean warriors receive training in this weapon. It is a common weapon used on tarn back. Most crossbows are of either the draw or windlass varieties, referring to the method used of drawing back the cable.
Longbow: This is also known as the great bow or peasant bow. It is mostly a peasant weapon and few others, including most warriors, will use it. They look down on the weapon because it is used by the lowly peasant. Yet, it is due to the power of the longbow that many villages are able to successfully defend their Home Stones. It is not well known in Port Kar or Ar but is well known in Thentis and Ko-ro-ba. The rencers, since the events of Raiders of Gor, have also begun to use the longbow. The longbow is usually made of supple ka-la-na wood, tipped with notched bosk horn at each end, and loosely strung with hemp whipped with silk.
It is the height of a tall man, about six feet or higher. Its back is flat and its belly is half rounded. The bow is about one and a half inches wide and from one and a quarter to one and a twelfth inches thick at its center. It requires considerable strength to wield and women cannot commonly draw the bow. Many warriors even do not possess the strength to wield it successfully. There is a peasant saying that, ��he who can bend the longbow cannot be slave�� (Slave Girl of Gor, p. 112)
The longbow has a fast rate of fire. It can fire nineteen arrows in an ehn, about eighty seconds. Nine arrows can be fired aloft before the first one falls to the ground. It also has a powerful penetrating force. At point blank range, it can be fired completely through a four-inch wooden beam. At two hundred yards, it can pin a man to a wall. At four hundred yards, it can kill a bosk. A typical skilled bowman, not even an expert, is expected to be able to fire nineteen arrows, within an ehn, into a man-sized target at a range of 250 yards.
Each of the arrows must also make what would be a mortal hit. The longbow does have its disadvantages though. It generally must be used while standing or at least kneeling. This tends to expose the archer more as a potential target. It is very difficult to use from a saddle and impractical in close combat. You cannot keep it loaded like a crossbow. In fact, it is painful to hold the bow drawn for more than an ehn or
Other Bows
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.
Horn Bows: Used by the Wagon People, Red Hunters and Torvaldslanders, a horn bow is formed of pieces of split tabuk or bosk horn, bound with sinew.
Small Straight Bows: This is commonly used for hunting qualae, tabuk and slaves.
Arrows: 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.
POLEARMS
Axes: There are a few varieties of axes on Gor. The axe of the north areas, like Torvaldsland, 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.
Harpoon: This is a hunting weapon used primarily by the Red Hunters. It is commonly about eight feet long and two and a half inches in diameter. Though most of the shaft is wood the fore shaft is made of bone. The head is set in the fore shaft, drilled by a point of sharpened slate. It is used to hunt sea creatures such as see sleen and whales.
Lances
Common 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.
Hunting Lance: This is 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.
Kaiila Lance: Used by the Wagon Peoples, it was designed for kaiila back and is 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.
Stabbing Lance: This is smaller and thicker and used by some pedestrian nomads.
Tarn Lance: Used by the Red Savages, this is very similar to the kaiila lance, though it is longer and more slender.
Tharlarion Lance: This is longer and heavier, and used primarily in war. Due to the size, it may be used with a lance rest. Alars often use such lances and use them couched, due to their size.
Net and Trident: This combination of weapons is the traditional weapon of fishermen of the western shore and islands. The trident may be two or three pronged and is also known as a marsh spear. These are also common weapons in gladiatorial combat. During the days of ancient Rome, these were also common used in their gladiatorial combats.
Pike: This pole-arm is sometimes used as a weapon aboard ships.
Spears: 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.
Staff: This is also primarily a peasant weapon. It is commonly about six feet long and two inches wide. A skilled combatant with a staff can hold his own against most warriors with a sword. Such a staff can be quite agile and nimble in skilled hands. The staff also has practical uses such as an aid in traversing unsteady terrain or to carry suspended baskets. Thus a peasant will often have this weapon handy.
OTHER 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 are the bola and quiva.
Knives
Hook knife: Used in some gladiatorial combats. It has a small, thick curved blade.
Panga: Unique to Port Kar. It is a two-foot long, heavy, curve-bladed bush knife.
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.
Other Weapons
Animals
Certain Gorean animals are trained to hunt or attack. The sleen and tarn are two of the more common such animals. There are two less commonly used animals as well, the urt and the vart, similar to the rat and bat of Earth.
Urt: There are several varieties of the rodent. The typical urt is sleek and white with three rows of needlelike teeth. They also have tusks that curve up form their jaws and two horns that stick out over their eyes. Most urts are small and could be held in the palm of your hand. Others can range as large as a pony. Some of the varieties include the gliding, ground, leaf, tree, brush, canal, and forest urts. Some of the larger urts can be trained to attack and kill.
Vart: A blind, bat-like flying rodent. They are generally small but some get as large as a small dog. They are carnivorous and can strip a carcass in minutes. Another potential danger is that some varts are rabid. On the island of Tyros, there are numerous caves inhabited by varts. The men of Tyros have trained some of these varts to be used as weapons. This appears to be restricted to this island.
Cestus: These are spiked leather gauntlets, used primarily in gladiatorial combat. There are also knife gauntlets, which are a bit more deadly, such as the four-bladed dagger cestus of Anango. There is also the hatchet gauntlet of eastern Skjern.
Garrote: This is usually armed with wire to cut a throat. There are two wooden handles at the ends so you can hold it safely. There is also a version without the wire that can be used to capture people without injuring them. One such variety is the girl-capture chain. It has a narrow golden chain that will choke someone without cutting their throat. You can adjust the chain by spinning one of the wooden handles.
Gunni: These are normally training devices though they may be used in some gladiatorial contests. They are curved weights of lead, weighing several pounds, with handles. They are cushioned with cloth. They are capable of breaking through walls or bending iron. They are like boxing gloves filled with lead. The gunnis help to strengthen the muscles of the shoulders, back and arms. When you fight without them, your fists seem to move with blinding speed.
Poison: Poison is prohibited by the Warrior and Assassin Codes. It is most commonly a woman's weapon. Ost venom and kanda paste are two of the most commonly used poisons. Ost venom can be made into a powder to poison a drink. Kanda paste can be applied to a weapon. It can also be added to liquids and has been used to poison reservoirs.
Gorean poisons are quite deadly and little is said in the novels about antidotes or preventative measures. For example, the bite of an ost leads to death within seconds. That gives one little time to prevent one's death. It is likely that the potency of the poison is lessened to some degree when it is removed from the ost and used as a powder or in a fang ring. You are likely getting a smaller dose of the poison or a more diluted form than from an actual bite. Antidotes could potentially exist though they are not explicit in the books.
Some methods of holding poison include fang rings and poison teeth. With a fang ring, you fold your hand into a fist and use your thumb to press a switch. That activates a fang of hollow steel to spring up, the fang holding some type of poison. The teeth are most common in Turia and usually contain ost venom. Free women often conceal poisoned daggers or needles in their clothing. This can make it dangerous to try to collar a free woman.
Practice Sheathes: Leather practice sheathes, that cover swords, are often used for nonlethal combat and practice. Obviously, these weapons will cause bruises when they hit but they will not cut your skin.
Red Savages: They use two weapons not common elsewhere on Gor. One is the canhapi, a long-handled, stone-bladed tomahawk. The other is the war club, which may have nails or blades in it.
Rope: The rope is a weapon commonly used by Gorean warriors. Its primary use is in the capture of slaves and other peoples. These ropes are usually braided leather. The Tuchuks are skilled with the use of the rope.
Whip: Whips are generally not used as weapons but more often as a form of punishment. The normal five-bladed Gorean whip is most often used on female slaves as it has the advantage of leaving a girl's body unmarked. The snake is a more dangerous whip. It is a single-bladed whip of braided leather. It is about eight feet long and half an inch to one inch thick. It may sometimes be set with tiny particles of metal. Such a whip can easily strip the flesh from one's back and could kill its victim. The previously mentioned whip knife of Port Kar is the primary whip used as a weapon.
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. |