Arrows,Sheaf and Flight

The Gorean sheaf arrow is slightly over a yard long, the flight arrow is about forty inches in length. Both are metal piled and fletched with three half-feathers, from the wings of the Vosk gulls. Mixed in with the arrows were the leather tab, with its two openings for the right forefinger and the middle finger, and the leather bracer, to shield the left forearm from the flashing string." Raiders of Gor, page 68

Axes

Battle Axe of Torvaldsland This weapon is described as a single-bladed axe of steel, with a blade of anywhere from 8 to 14 inches in width, and is mounted on a thick wooden handle usually has a wrist thong attached to the end the handle, which enables it to be more easily retained during combat.

Great Axe of Torvaldsland

This weapon is similar 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. Occasionally these axes will be double-headed.

Bolo

The favored weapon of the Warriors of Wagon People. The bolo consists of three long leather straps, each about 5 feet in length, terminating in a leather sack which contains, a heavy rounded metal weight. Developed for hunting, it also can be used as a weapon of war. Thrown low the long straps, with their approximate ten-foot sweep, strike the victim and the weighted balls,whip about the victim's legs, entangling 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 bolo, another weapon is then utilized to dispatch the victim.

Bows

Great Bow A non - recurved long bow 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. The bowstring itself is usually made of hemp or sinew lashed with silk thread. The arrows of the bow are temwood, 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. 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) arrows. Its use requires the archer to wear a bracer of thick leather upon the forearm of his bowarm, and to use a archer's glove or leather finger tab to protect his hands and arm from the string when fired.

And there was, too, the great bow, of yellow, supple Ka-la-na, tipped with notched bosk horn, with its cord of hemp, whipped with silk, and the roll of sheaf and flight arrows. I counted the arrows. There were seventy arrows, fifty of which were sheaf arrows, twenty flight arrows. Raiders of Gor, page 68

This re-curved bow is much smaller in size than the great bow, and is better suited for use in close spaces or from the back of a kailla, 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 craft shortbows of layered wood and horn, which gives such bows much greater strength and durability. The arrows used by the shortbow are also much shorter than those employed by the great bow.

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 , page 66

Crossbow A standard infantry weapon of Gor. It consists of a heavy, flexible bow of tempered steel, 18" across (when drawn), mounted on a heavy wooden stock about two feet long, with a trigger mechanism built into the shaped handle. It can use several types arrows (quarrels) of spiked, smooth tipped or broad bladed quarrels, 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 cranequin (bow crank). Quarrels, or "bolts," are carried by the user in a belt-case or quiver.

..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, page 2

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. Slightly smaller in overall size, it is equipped with a metal stirrup at the firing end, enabling it to be more quickly restrung. It is originally mentioned quite early in the series as a "light crossbow" or "sporting crossbow"

Daggers and Knives

Daggers take many forms, depending upon the needs and whims of their users, and such weapons are the most common form of side-arm used on Gor. Daggers are worn openly in a belt-sheath or concealed beneath one's clothing, often strapped to the wrist beneath the owner's sleeve, tucked into the collar behind the neck, or hidden in a boot. Used by many freewomen as a personal means of self-defense.

Quiva 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 throwing knife, 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 kailla saddles.

the quiva itself is regarded, on the whole, as more of a missile weapon than a hand knife Nomads of Gor, page 124

Killing Knife A throwing knife, used by the Caste of Assassins. It is much smaller than the quiva, approximately six to eight inches in length, and its blade is tapered on only one side. Sometimes used in conjunction with poison, though trained Assassins typically disdain the use of poison. It is rarely used in hand-to-hand combat, designed primarily to be thrown at the body of an unsuspecting victim.

Knife Gauntlets A pair of thick leather gauntlets, upon which are mounted crescent shaped knife blades. Sometimes used by gladiators in arena combats.

Harpoon

A javelin-type spear, fitted with a barbed head and used with an attached line for retrieval.

Helmets

Helmets The most commonly used helmet is the standard Gorean war helmet. It is described as 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 was perfected and much in use during the heyday of the city-states of Greece. 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. The helmet itself can be painted or lacquered in any color, to represent a grouping, city or caste.

Northern Helmets
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 him-self, however, covered his neck and the sides of his face. It was horned. Marauders of Gor, page 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, page 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, page 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, page 192

Lances

Kaiila Lance of the Wagon Peoples A long slender spear, eight to ten feet long, designed to be used from the saddle of a rider on kaillaback. These lances are carried in the right fist, and are flexible and light. They are used primarily for thrusting. Black in color, they are made 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.

"Ah, yes, weapons," Kamchak was saying, "what shall it be the kaiila lance, a whip and bladed bole perhaps the quiva?" Nomads of Gor, page 123

Kailla Lance, war lance of the Red savages This weapon is almost identical to the kailla lance of the Wagon Peoples, though it is more heavily carved and decorated.

Kailla Lance, Red Savage hunting lance Similar to the kailla lance of the wagon peoples, the hunting lance of the Red Savages is commonly longer, heavier and thicker. The point of this lance is longer and narrower than the war lance, designed to pierce deeply into a kailiauk's heart. The shaft is made from temwood. The tip can be metal, carved bone or shaped stone,(depending unpon what is available) and made be lashed to the shaft with boiled sinew or rawhide, or even attached with metal trade rivets.(again using what is at hand) Leather grips, hand loops, and decorations all made be present also.

Tharlarion Lance A thick spear, approximately ten to fourteen feet long. It has a lanceolate sphear tip that attaches to a thick shaft ... at the thickest part the shaft of the lance is about four inches in width and is often fluted to lighten it. Usualy carried when on the tharlarion, couched beneath the right arm of the user, the lance itself crossing over and above the neck of the mount, 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. Tarnsmans of Gor, page 115

Tarn Lance of the Red savages Similiar to the war lance, except that it is longer and more slender, easier use from tarnback.

Scimitar of Tahari

A long curved sword, used either one-handed or with two-hands, depending upon the situation. Forged in the Damascus maner, it has a wickedly curved, single-edged blade, honed to razor-sharpness. Even a light stroke of a Tahari scimitar will pass effortlessly through the flesh, leaving a carved mark 1/4" inch deep in the bone beneath. The overall blade length is perhaps thirty or more inches, with an eight inch long "false-edge" across the back of the tip, for backhanded slashes. Used one handed from kailla back it is incredibly deadly; used two-handed upon the ground it is equally terrifying.

Rope

On the saddle there also hung, on one side, a coiled rope of braided boskhide ... Nomads of Gor, page 11

Shields

Gorean Warrior's Shield a circular shaped shield; made of several layers of bosk's hide generally seven to nine layers thick stretched over a lightweight framework of wood or horn, generally about twenty-four to thirty-six inches in diameter. The shield is often banded with strips of iron to further strengten it. The shield, thought seemingly small, is sufficient in size to protect the areas where a fatal blow may be struck, yet it may also be used as a covering in sever weather. It is worn upon the user's arm, usually the left one, and is carried slung across the back while traveling. The shield is usually painted and sometimes carries a design or device that denotes the warriors city.

and the rounded shield of layered boskhide, with its double sling, riveted with pegs of iron and bound with hoops of brass;... Raiders of Gor, page 68

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, page 113

Spear

The typical Gorean spear is approximately seven feet in length, with a fitted wooden handle up to two inches thick, capped by a leaf-shaped, tapering head eighteen inches in length. The handle itself is usually made from ka-la-na wood, and banded with metal near the juncture of the spear-head socket to prevent the handle from shearing when thrown.

Swords

Gorean Short Sword The basic weapon of all warriors of Gor. Approximatly twenty to twenty-two inches in length from hilt tip to blade tip, the blade is doubled-edged, and leaf shaped ... narrower at the hilt base and then widening to a width of three or four inches and then descending to a curved and pointed tip. The grip is generally either of polished wood or leather covered wood, with an oval cross-guard. The Gorean short sword is hand forged of hight carbon steel. The leaf shaped blade is ideal for thrusting ... Perfect for close combat, its point giving it excellent armor penetrating properties. It is generally carried, in a sheath slung over the left shoulder by means of a leather harness

I had again my sword, that wine-tempered blade of fine, double-edged Gorean steel, carried even at the siege of Ar, so long ago, with its scabbard; ... Raiders of Gor, page 68

Long sword The Long sword is commonly used by the warriors of Torvaldsland. Approximately 36 inches in length, the forging of these "long swords" follows the pattern of the swords in the Damascus style. In this method, many bilits of steel, both hard (high carbon) and soft or flexible (tool) steel are beaten together under heat and folded back upon itself and beaten flat again. This is repeated many times. This folding creates a blade with both a tremendous amount of flexibility and also one that is virtually unbreakable. It also, when treated with a mild acid solution, reveals the pattern formed by the layers of the different steels ... This pattern is different from blade to blade and gives the sword it's unique appearance. This blade is used as a slashing weapon ... often it is used to batter an opponents shield to bits ... It is carried in a belt-scabbard or straped across its user's back over his right shoulder. Most long swords are "named" blades... they carry the name of their maker or are named by their owner ... names like 'Gramr'('fierce')and 'Fotbitr' ('leg biter') are often used. The warriors of Torvaldsland belive their swords, as with their ships, possesses a 'soul'.

He wore beneath his cloak 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, page 172

Trident

The three-pronged spearing fork used by fishermen and sailors of the islands of Gor. Can be utilized both as a thrusting weapon and as a throwing weapon. It is also used, in conjunction with a hooked net, in various gladitorial arenas throughout Gor. (rentiri) It is briefly described as being approximately seven feet in overall length, with prongs of 10" inches or more. 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