Custom Weapons

The following are weapons available in the world of Layonara that are not standard NWN weapons.

Falchion

A falchion (pronounced fal-shun) is a single handed, one edged sword. The weapon combined the weight and power of an axe with the versatility of a sword. Falchions are found in different forms. In some versions the falchion looks rather like the scramasax and later the sabre, and in some versions the form is irregular or machete like. The blade designs of falchions vary wildly but almost always included a single edge with a slight curve on the blade towards the point on the end; they also were affixed with a quillioned crossguard for the hilt in the manner of longswords.

Fashion Accessory

For those times when one wishes to appear unarmed but yet be able to protect themselves, or just for those who wish to be more elegant, weapons can often be disguised as fashion accessories such as a lady's fan or parasol.

One of the beautiful martial arts weapon, the fan or iron fan can flick deadly force with the grace of a dance. The iron fan is normally constructued out of metal with eight to ten rods that collapse and open as required. In a more deadly form, the ends of the fan can be spiked to a point for further damage. The fan can be used in either a strike or piercing manner when completely closed or open in either a blocking or slicing motion.

The key to performing a good fan technique is having strong wrist muscles. The movement to open and close the fan is a slight flick of the wrist that sends a sharp crack of sound as the fan slices open or closed.

Traditionally, the fan seems to have been a favorite weapon among many women and men tended to shy away from it because of the delicate gracefulness. Some have wrongly interpreted this softness to weakness in the weapon. But when moves are executed correctly, it is as deadly as any blade or other weapon available.

Goad

A goad is a large hook, used by herders of oxen.

Greatsword, Mercurial

Quicksilver flows into the blade of this greatsword from a reservoir in its hilt, increasing both the blade's weight and its capacity for damage.

Katar

A katar is a type of short punching sword. It is notable for its horizontal hand grip, which results in the blade of the sword sitting above the user's knuckles. Typically, katars were used in close range hand-to-hand combat, which is effective in armour piercing. The blade was often folded or corrugated for additional strength. Some katars have a mechanism responsible for making the blades split. This happens when the user pulls the hand grips together. In this variety of katar, two hand grips are used, so that the mechanism can be activated. This feature was often used to inflict a greater damage to the enemy, having the blades splitting inside of them and slashing their insides.

The katar is unique because to stab an opponent one has to punch instead of thrust, unlike when using a regular knife or dagger. This leads to much more acrobatic fighting styles. It is more like an extension of the fist than a dagger, and it seems more natural to attack and defend with a katar. Sometimes, a katar is also used as a main-gauche in dual blade fencing.

Longsword, Mercurial

Quicksilver flows into the blade of this longsword from a reservoir in its hilt, increasing both the blade's weight and its capacity for damage.

Maul

A maul is a heavy, long-handled hammer. Originally used for splitting a piece of wood along its grain, it did not take long for people to determine that it could be equally effective at hurting enemies. Traditionally, mauls have a wedge-shaped head, but some modern versions have conical heads or swiveling sub-wedges. The original maul resembles an axe but with a broader head.

Mace, Heavy

An advance on the club, a mace is a strong, heavy wooden, metal-reinforced, or metal shaft, with a head made of metal. The head is normally about or slightly thicker than the diameter of the shaft, shaped with flanges, knobs or spikes to allow greater penetration of armour. The length of maces can vary considerably. The maces of foot soldiers were usually quite short (two or three feet). The maces of cavalrymen were longer and better designed for blows from horseback. The heavy mace is a larger version of the light mace.

Nunchaku

nunchaku is two sections of wood (or metal in modern incarnations) connected by a cord or chain. The ideal length of each piece should be the length of the users forearm; the bone between elbow and wrist. Traditionally both ends are of equal length (although asymmetrical nunchakus exist). The ideal length for the connecting rope/chain can be calibrated for each individual by letting the rope hang over the wrist, with the sticks hanging comfortably pointing straight to the ground, but without giving more rope than is necessary for it to do so. Weight balance is extremely important. The weight should be balanced towards the outer edges of the sticks for maximum ease and control of the swing arcs.

Pick, Heavy

A heavy pick usually consists of a large metal head with a sharp point at either end mounted to a wooden haft. A more peaceful use of the pick is to mine ore and break rocks but it has proven to be very effective in combat.

Pick, Light

Similar in construction to the heavy pick but the head may have only pointed end. As its name implies, the light pick is lighter and more suitable for one-handed use.

Sai

Sai are often believed to have originated as an agricultural tool used to measure stalks, plow fields, or to hold cart wheels in place, though the evidence for this is limited. Its basic form is that of an unsharpened dagger, with two long, unsharpened projections (tsuba) attached to the handle. Sai are constructed in a variety of forms. Some are smooth, while others have an octagonal middle prong. The tsuba are traditionally symmetrical.

The sai's utility as a weapon is reflected in its distinctive shape. With skill, it can be used effectively against a long sword by trapping the sword's blade in the sai's tsuba. It has been alleged that skilled users were able to snap a caught blade with a twist of the hand. There are several different ways of wielding the sai in the hands, which give it the versatility to be used both lethally and non-lethally.

Scimitar, Double

The double scimitar is similar to the two-bladed sword, which is a marriage of concepts forged on the battlefield, combining the quickness and versatility of the quarterstaff with the edged effectiveness of two fearsome scimitar blades.

Trident

A trident is a three pronged staff or spear. It was used by fishermen to catch fish but has been proven useful in combat. Most commonly used by Sea Elves.

Wind Fire Wheel

Sometimes just called a wheel, the traditional wind and fire wheel has three limbs of three blades attached to its outer edge.