Assassin Warrior kajira Basics Quotes kajira equipment Position & Commands Master
Weapons on Gor continued,
Battle Axe (Kurii)
A huge axe wielded by the members of the Kurii race who have become native
to Gor. It has a four inch thick round handle of green needlewood, approximately
eight feet in length, and is equipped with a fixed double-bladed iron axe
head, the blade of which is over two feet wide, and razor sharp. It is typically
used in conjunction with a wide round iron shield some four feet in diameter.
This weapon makes its first appearance in the series in book #8, Marauders of Gor.
Great Axe (Torvaldslander)
This weapon is similar in most respects to the Torvaldslander Battle Axe,
except it is much larger, with a handle up to four feet in length. The axe
blade is also much larger, and this weapon is used two-handed, without the
benefit of a shield of any sort. Occasionally such axes will be double-headed,
though that adds considerably to the weight of the weapon.
This weapon makes its first appearance in the series in book #8, Marauders of Gor.
Tomahawk (war hatchet)
This weapon consists of a shaped wooden handle up to two feet in length, capped
with a narrow hatchet-type blade comprised either of sharpened metal, shaped
stone or obsidian glass. Often carved with ceremonial inscriptions, it is
a common war-arm in use by the Red Savages of the vast Grasslands located
to the northwest of the civilized city states of Gor. Can be used as a hand
weapon, often in conjunction with a shield of dried rawhide over a wood frame,
or thrown as a missle weapon.
First described in Book #17, Savages of Gor.
War club (Red savages)
A carved, shaped club of wood or bone, often mounted with a stone or metal
head of some sort. This weapon is probably approximately two to three feet
in length.
This weapon is mentioned in book #18, Blood Brothers of Gor.
Quiva
A balanced saddle knife, usually part of a set of seven such weapons. It consists
of a narrow double-edged blade of between 9 and 12 inches in length mounted
on a shaped handle of wood, bone, or horn. It is honed to razor sharpness,
and its blade tapers to a needle point. Designed for use primarily as a missile
weapon, the quiva is also perfectly functional as a hand weapon and general
utility knife. It is mostly used by the nomadic Wagon Peoples of the southern
hemisphere, who will carry matched sets of seven in special sheaths attached
to their kaiila saddles. The best examples of these weapon are produced in
the city of Ar. Once made, they are shipped to the Wagon Peoples via traders,
where they are sharpened and fitted with distinctive handles.
First described in book #4 Nomads of Gor.
Great (Peasant) Bow
A long bow typically made from the wood of the ka-la-na tree or sometimes
of temwood. Unstrung it is over six feet in length, and can require a pull
of up to 120 lbs, depending upon the strength of the user. The bowstring itself
is usually made of hemp or sinew lashed with silk thread. Armed with such
a weapon, a highly skilled archer can accurately strike a target the size
of a man's head at distances of up to 100 yards, and by arcing his line of
fire upward to allow for gravity can fire a shaft into a ten foot diameter
circle at up to 300 yards. The arrows of such a bow are temwood, metal-piled
and fletched with the feathers of the vosk gull. Each such arrow is approximately
three feet in length, and can be tipped with several different types of arrowheads;
of these, the flight tip (a long narrow three-sided metal spike designed for
extreme penetration) and the sheaf tip (a wide double or triple edged blade
designed to inflict maximum tissue damage upon impact) are the most common.
Special arrowheads such as ones fitted with whistles or noisemakers for signalling
or reservoirs for inflammable liquids are not unknown. It is commonly carried
slung or strapped over the shoulder of the archer when not in use, and is
accompanied by a belt or shoulder quiver containing forty (or more) shafts.
Its use requires the archer to wear a bracer of thick leather upon the forearm
of his bowarm, and to utilize a special archer's glove or leather finger tab
to protect his hands and arm from friction caused by the motion of the string
when fired. It is a difficult weapon to master, though despite that fact it
is widely used by both many members of the Caste of Peasants, and the rencers
of the Vosk Delta.
This weapon makes its first appearance in book #1, Tarnsman of Gor, and appears regularly thereafter.
Crossbow
The standard infantry missle weapon of Gor. It consists of a heavy, flexible
bow of tempered steel, perhaps 18" across (when bent), mounted on a heavy
wooden stock about two feet long, with a trigger mechanism built into the
shaped handle. It can fire several types of spiked, smooth tipped or broad
bladed quarrels, with enough force to penetrate wooden walls, doors or human
bodies with relative ease. It has an effective range of approximately 150
meters for aimed fire, and can strike a target at up to 200 meters when fired
into a press of bodies. Slow to reload, it is commonly redrawn through use
of a "goat's-foot" hook or a cranequin (bow crank). Quarrels, or
"bolts," are carried by the user in a belt-case or quiver. Common
throughout all of the Gorean city-states, and the preferred weapon of the
Caste of Assassins.
First appears in book #1, Tarnsman of Gor, and is afterwards seen often throughout the series.
Crossbow (Cavalry)
Similar in most respects to the larger crossbow, though instead of possessing
a heavy metal bow, it has a much lighter bow of layered wood and horn. It
is slightly smaller in overall size than its heavy cousin, and is equipped
with a metal stirrup at the firing end, enabling it to be more quickly restrung
and drawn from kaiila or tarnback.
Though it is originally mentioned quite early in the series as a "light crossbow" or "sporting crossbow," it is finally described (somewhat) in book #17, Savages of Gor.
Short Bow
This weapon is heavily used upon Gor for hunting, sport and warfare. Among
its adherents are the warriors of the Wagon Peoples, the panther girls (or
Talunas), the Red Hunters and the Red Savages. It is much smaller in size
than the great bow, and is better suited for use from the back of a kaiila,
tharlarion or tarn. It is often carved from a single, flexible piece of tem
wood or ka-la-na wood, though such peoples as the Wagon Peoples and the Red
Savages can craft shortbows of layered wood and horn, which gives such bows
much greater strength and durability. Among the Red Hunters, it is a common
practice to treat such bows against inclement weather by smearing them with
liquified blubber taken from the carcass of the Hunjer whale. The shortbow
can fire as many different types of arrowheads as can its larger cousin, though
with substantially less range and penetrating power. The arrows used by the
shortbow are also much shorter than those employed by the great bow, due to
the shorter range of the weapon's "pull." These bows come in all
shapes and sizes, and are found throughout Gor.
First mentioned in book #1, Tarnsman of Gor, further described in books #4 and #7, and seen throughout the series afterward.
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 approximate 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.
This weapon first appears in book #4, Nomads of Gor.
Shields
Several different types of shield are described in the series. Typically they
are round in shape, though they range in size from the huge shield used by
the Gor-bound Kurii to the small bucklers wielded by gladiators in the Stadium
of Blades in Ar. The most common shield in use upon Gor is the standard warrior's
shield of the civilized cities. This is a largish round shield comprised of
many concentric overlapping layers of dried shaped leather, probably stretched
over a wooden or metal frame, and banded for extra strength with brass or
iron bands. It is fitted with a pair of straps whereby it can be worn upon
the user's arm, typically the left one, and is worn slung across the back
for ease of movement while its user in travelling from place to place. Among
the civilized armies of Gor such shields are normally painted boldly and have
infixed in them some device for identifying the bearer's city. The Warriors
of the southern city of Turia are known for their usage of distinctive shields
which are oval, rather than circular, in shape. Shields appear in every book
of the series.
Helmets
There are various types of helmets in use by soldiers and warriors upon Gor.
The most commonly used is the standard Gorean war helmet, popularized and
manufactured in the larger city-states by the thousands. It is described by
Tarl Cabot as being a close-faced helmet which encloses the entire head, with
a distinctive "Y" shaped opening in the faceplate to admit air and
to allow breathing. This style of helmet seems to be based on the Barbuta
style helmets which date from classical antiquity on Earth, perfected and
much in use during the heyday of the Athenian city-states of Greece. Typically
mounted atop each example of this type of helmet is a crest plate, upon which
can be displayed the symbol of a city or organization. The crests themselves
adorn the top of the helmet either crosswise, from one side of the neck to
the other, or lengthwise from the back of the neck to the upper forehead like
half-fans, and can be fitted with any number of accoutrements, from sleen
fur to tarn feathers and the like; in addition, the helmet itself can be painted
or lacquered in any color, to represent a grouping, city or caste. As described
in the books they are hammered and riveted together in several pieces, though
the pierced faceplate itself is depicted as "a single piece of iron."
Due to the highly developed metal-working capabilities of modern Goreans,
however, it is a safe assumption that they are actually of tempered steel,
which is lighter and stronger, and that Cabot's reference to them as iron
is merely a fanciful allusion on the part of the author. Additionally such
helmets can be hammered from bronze, also an inferior metal, though such examples
are probably symbolic of some cultural significance and not intended to be
used in actual combat. According to Cabot each such helmet is fitted with
removable padding of rolls of leather, stuffed with softer material and laced
into the helmet to insure a superior fit. These helmets are often stripped
of their crests and padding to be used as crude cooking vessels by soldiers
on the march. This type of helmet is first described in book #1, Tarnsman
of Gor, and appears regularly in later books. Another example of a Gorean
helmet is that often worn by the desert tribesmen and denizens of such southern
cities as Turia and Tor, as well as by the nomadic warriors of the Wagon Peoples.
This helmet is similar in design to the mongol/saracen battle helmet of Earth
and is a cone-shaped steel defense worn atop the head, often fitted with a
nasal guard of narrow flat construction. Such helmets may be adorned with
a ring of fur or fabric which encircles the browband area, and can also be
found mantled with either a cloth covering or a camail of linked chain. These
helmets are closely fitted to the wearer's head, padded with a thick cloth
cap which laces into it, and are often fitted with a leather or cord chinstrap
to secure the device in place. This helmet type first appears in book #4,
Nomads of Gor. A final example of Gorean helmetry is the Spangenhelm-type
worn by northern warriors, which is in effect a steel or iron bowl constructed
from heavy metal strapping. A single metal browband encircles the head, with
two or more curved metal straps attached to it in the pattern of an "X",
covering much of the wearer's skull. Curved plates are riveted in place to
fill the gaps between the strapping, resulting in a layered metal cap with
covers the entire head. These helmets are often fitted with cheek and neck
guards, chainmail camails or even metal faceplates which conceal the face
or portions of it like a metal mask. The horns of animals or metal spikes
may be attached to the helmet as decoration or to add some measure of protection
to the apparatus, though this usually makes them rather bulky and difficult
to wear in combat. These helmets are padded with leather or lined with thick
fur, and can also be fitted with a leather or cord chinstrap to insure a reliable
fit. This type of helmet makes its first appearance in book #8, Marauders
of Gor. I conjecture that upon Gor, as on Earth, there are as many different
types of helmet in use as there are people to create them. No doubt different
military uses and terrain types encourage such variations... I therefore draw
a parallel to the the Roman Legions of Earth, who at any one time had within
their ranks soldiers who wore literally dozens of helmet-styles as dictated
by their rank and the particular needs of their divisions in battle. An archer,
for example, is not likely to wear the same type of helmet as a heavy infantry
field commander. Add to this the different types of metal obtainable, use
of leather and alternate materials in areas where such metal is scarce, variation
in available smithing techniques, and even the changing dictates of the whims
of fashion, and it is understandable why a comprehensive listing of Gorean
protective headgear is virtually impossible.
Spiked Hand Wraps
Similar to the Earth Cestus, or heavy cloth or leather strips bound about
the hand, with projecting spikes which cover the wearer's knuckles.
Described in book #14, Fighting Slave of Gor.
Spiked Leather
A pair of spiked leather balls (?) which are worn upon the hands of gladitorial
fighters; the spikes of these devices can be very long.
Mentioned in book #14, Fighting Slave of Gor.
Knife Gauntlets
A pair of thick leather gauntlets, upon which are mounted crescent shaped
knife blades. Sometimes used by gladiators in arena combats.
Mentioned in book #14, Fighting Slave of Gor.
Kurii beam projector
A handheld device of some kind, big enough to fit comfortably in the hand
of a Kur. This missle weapon fires a highly concussive heat blast, which strikes
its target fiercely, often leaving a 3/4" wide hole at the point of impact,
and an exit wound of upwards of ten inches across, where applicable. It is
described as having only a limited number of charges, similar to a revolving
cartridge weapon.
Used only by the Kurii. Described in book #10, Tribesmen of Gor.
Kurii Dart Thrower
A breech loading missle weapon which fires a six inch long conical gas propelled
dart. Its configuration is similar to an Earth rifle. Kurii Dart Throwers
have carved wooden stocks, upon which are incised eccentric designs. These
tubular weapons discharge with a hiss, which is not particularly loud. Several
types of darts may be fired from such a weapon, including poison tipped, explosive
tipped, and tranquilizer darts. These weapons are used exclusively by human
agents of the Kurii. The actual firing button is located on the forepart of
the stock, and the weapon itself seems to be a one-shot weapon, requiring
reloading after every firing.
Used in book #12, Beasts of Gor.
Silver Tube
This is a charged, cylindrical weapon, perhaps two feet in length, manually
aimed and operated; it incorporates principles much like those of the Priest-King's
Flame Death mechanism. When not in use, it is encased in a sealed plastic
quiver for storage. When fired it generates a fierce blast of blue flame from
its tip, as the air within the path of its beam ignites into flame. It is
effective at distances of up to 100 meters, and its use can be aurally detected
by the audible hiss caused by the ignition of the air in the beam's path.
Any living creature within the path of the beam, as well as any organic matter
caught therein, will instantly erupt into a ball of bright blue flame as the
target consumes itself from within. A silver tube will sputter and become
inert once its charge is fully expended, though a typical charge will last
for literally hundreds of firings. These weapons can only be found within
the Nest Complex of the Sardar, and none who do not dwell there can possess
them. An additional example of this type of weapon also makes an appearance
in the series, and is described as a narrow, cylindrical, silverish object
small enough to be concealed in the palm of a human hand. When used upon its
lowest setting, such an object produces a small flame suitable for igniting
brush and kindling; however, it can be reset to fire one short burst of high
intensity blue flame, after which the weapon's charge is expended.
Both versions of this weapon appear in book #3, Priest-Kings of Gor