The Priest-Kings take active interest in the development of any
type of weapons and the limit of the development of such
weapons is controlled by the Flame Death for the creators of
any such new weapons.
Weapons technology is controlled to the point that the most
common weapons of war are the short sword, the crossbow,
long bow, and the lance or spear. There is no mechanized
transportation or communication equipment, there is no
detection equipment such as radar or sonar. The mere
possession of any of the forbidden weapons is to invite the
Flame-Death of the Priest-Kings.
Shield
Gorean Warrior's Shield: a circular shaped shield; generally
about 24 to 36 inches in diameter, the shield is sufficient in
size to cover the areas where a fatal blow may be struck, yet it
may also be used as a covering in a Gorean sand storm. The
shield is made of several layers of bosk's hide (generally 7 to 9
layers thick) stretched over a lightweight framework of wood
or horn, and normally are round in shape. The common shield
in use is the warrior's shield. It is worn upon the user's arm,
usually the left one, and is carried slung across the back while
in travelling.
Swords
Gorean Short Sword: The basic weapon of all warriors of
Gor, except those that fought while mounted and even they
had considerable skill in its usage. Approx. 20 inches in length
from hilt tip to blade tip, narrower at the hilt base and then
widening to a width of 3 or 4 inches and then descending to a
curved and pointed tip. The grip is generally either of polished
wood or leather. It is generally carried, in a sheath slung over
the left shoulder by means of a leather harness, but may also
be worn at the hip.
The longsword is commonly used by the denizens of
Torvaldsland. It is approximately 36 inches in length. It is
carried in a belt-scabbard or strapped across its user's back
over his right shoulder. The manufacture of these "long
swords" seems to follow the pattern of the making of the
swords of the Japanese Samurai. In this method, many lengths
of steel, both hard and soft or flexible steel are beaten together
under heat and folded within itself and beaten flat again. This
creates a blade with both a tremendous amount of flexibility
and also one that is virtually unbreakable. Most longswords
bear the name of their maker and as with ships and other
things of Gor, many believe that the sword possesses a sense
of being with the maker.
Scimitar
A long curved sword, the simitar maybe used either
one-handed or with two-hands. The curved, single-edged blade
is always honed to razor-sharpness. The simitar's blade length
is approx. thirty inches. This weapon when used one-handed
from the back of a kialla is incredibly deadly. When it is used
two-handed by a fighter while on the ground it is as deadly a
weapon as is found upon Gor.
Throwing Knives
Quiva: A balanced saddle knife, usually part of a set of seven
such weapons. It consists of a narrow double-edged blade of
between 6 and 7 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
kailla saddles. Generally the steel used in making the blades of
the quiva comes from the foundries within the City of Ar and
are carried by traders to the South and thus traded to the
Wagon People's. This weapon is so deeply ingrained within the
very hearts and souls of the Wagon People, it is a part of the
traditional Tuchuk greeting and farewell.
Spears Gorean War Spear: A heavy, yet easily thrown spear favored
by the Caste of Warriors, it is armed with a bronze blade for a
tip that is approx. 12 inches in length. While much heavier that
the "black lance", the War Spear can also be thrown with
considerable force over a fair distance. This may be due to the
gravitational differences between the Urth and Gorean
atmosphere
Wagon People's Kailla Lance:
A long slender spear, eight to ten feet long, designed to be used
from the saddle of a rider on kaillaback. These lances are not
used couched, but rather carried in the right fist, easily, and are
flexible and light. The "Black Lance" is made from young tem
trees, the design is that of a slender, flexible, and light weapon
that can be bent nearly double without breaking. The lance is
designed to be used for thrusting, swift and delicate in striking
as a saber. A loose loop of bosk's hide bound to the lance and
then wrapped twice around the bearer's hand helps the bearer
retain his grip in hand to hand combat. The lance is seldom
thrown. The lance is carried across the back of the owner
when not needed.
Harpoon:
A slender javelin-type spear, fitted with a barbed head and
used with line attached to assist in retrieval.
Trident:
The three-pronged spearing fork used by fishermen and sailors
of the island peoples of Gor. The trident can be utilized both
as a thrusting weapon and as a weapon to be thrown. It is
described as being approximately seven feet in overall length,
with 3 rather lengthy prongs. Often used with a line attached,
for retrieval should it be thrown.
Knives Quiva:
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. Designed for both stabbing
and balanced to be thrown with lightning speed and accuracy.
Generally carried in the quantity of seven in number, sheathed
and hung on the handed side of a warrior's saddle, be it a tarn
or a kaiila.
Sleen Knife:
This is a broad bladed, flat, double edged utility knife equipped
with a simple stubby crossguard and unadorned grip. Warriors
have been ordered to fight with this knife when they have been
forced to do battle with the sleen in the pit.
Axes:
Torvaldsland Battle Axe This weapon is described as a
single-bladed axe of hardened iron, with a blade of anywhere
from 2 to 3 times the width of a man's hand in width. The
head of the axe is mounted on a thick wooden handle.
The Bola
The bola is a weapon peculiar to the Wagon Peoples. Tarl
Cabot describes it thus: It consists of three long straps of
leather, 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.
The technique for attacking with the bola is as follows: It is
thrown low, so that it wraps around the legs of the victim.
With its ten-foot sweep, and the swiftness of the throw, it is
almost impossible to evade. The leather straps strike the victim
and immediately tangle around the legs, the weight of the metal
balls pulling the leather tight. The force is such that the victim's
legs can actually be broken by the clinch of the straps. Thus
bound, the victim is an easy mark for the Tuchuk warrior,
who leaps from his mount and slits his throat with one sweep
of the quiva.
Variations to this basic technique include the throwing of the
bola so that it binds the victim's arms to his sides; the throwing
of the bola at the throat, so that it crushes the windpipe and/or
strangles the victim, and the most difficult of the casts: the
throwing of the bola so that it wraps around the victim's head,
the metal weights crushing the skull.
The Lance
The lances of the Wagon Peoples are black and are made of
the wood of young tem trees. They are so supple that they can
be bent almost double without breaking. A mounted warrior
holds the lance lightly in his right fist, where it is secured by a
loop of bosk-hide wrapped twice around the hand. It is used
like a saber in hand-to-hand combat, and can be handled very
deftly. It is very rarely thrown. It is used for short thrusts, not
for long charges at full tilt, and is never couched against the
saddle. When not in use, it is carried on the warrior's back.
Bows and Projectiles
Great Bow of the Peasants:
The Great Bow was generally made from the wood of the
ka-la-na tree or sometimes of temwood, this bow is over six
feet in length and require great strength in order to pull it fully.
The string of such a bow is usually made of hemp line or
animal sinew wound about with silk thread. The arrows of
such a bow are generally made of temwood, steel tipped and
feathered by the feathers of the vosk gull. Each such arrow is
approximately three feet in length. It is commonly carried slung
or strapped over the shoulder when not in use, as is the quiver
containing numerous shafts. (40 or more) The Great Bow is a
difficult weapon to use well. It is commonly called the Weapon
of The Peasants because of their common use of it. It is also
used by the rencers of the Vosk Delta.
Crossbow
The standard infantry weapon of Gor, for distance in fighting.
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. Quarrels, or "bolts," are carried by the user in a
belt-case or quiver.
Tarnsman's Crossbow
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 kailla or tarnback.
Horn Bow
A weapon favored by the Wagon People, it is small, double
curved and about 4 feet in length. This is a bow made of
layers of a bosk's horn that has been split and cured. It is
banded and reinforced with leather from hide of the bosk; it is
banded with metal of 1/2 inch width at 7 points, including the
grip. The horn bow is a rather stubby bow, but due to the
many layers of split, cured and shaven bock horn that is bound
together with glues and strips metal and of bosk hide, it is an
extremely powerful and accurate weapon. Arrows are
generally carried in the number of 40 to 50 and they are
carried in a lacquered, narrow, rectangle shaped quiver, made
from bosk hide cured and dried over a frame work of light
wood or split horns.
Punishment Items
The Lash - Snake
A single bladed whip, weighted of braided leather, eight feet
long and about a half an inch to an inch thick. It is capable of
lifting the flesh from a man's back - sometimes it is set with
tiny particles of metal.
Gorean Slave Whip
Has five broad striking surfaces and commonly used on
females, punishes terribly. It has, however the advantage of
not marking the victim
Kailla Quirt
Made of leather and about a half inch in width and a yard long
Sheilds and Helmets
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-state.
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. This type of helmet is first described in
book #1, Tarnsman of Gor, and appears regularly in later
books.
Wagon People's helmet: Another type of a helmet is that
often worn by the desert tribesmen and warriors of such cities
as Turia and Tor, as well as by the nomadic warriors of the
Wagon Peoples. This helmet is cone-shaped steel, often fitted
with a nasal guard of narrow flat construction. Such helmets
may be trimed with a ring of fur or fabric which encircles the
brow, or with either a cloth covering or chain mail at the back
of the helm, that covers the neck. These helmets are closely
fitted to the wearer's head, padded with a thick cloth cap. This
helmet type first appears in book #4, Nomads of Gor.
Norther warriors helmet: A final example of helmetry is the
helm worn by northern warriors. is in effect a steel or iron
bowl. 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 though this
usually makes them rather bulky and difficult to wear in
combat. This type of helmet makes its first appearance in book
#8, Marauders of Gor.
Other weapons
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.
Spiked Hand Wraps: 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.
