You step quietly into a well-kept shop, and your eyes pop at the sight before you: rows upon rows of weapons. Every wall is covered from floor to ceiling with everything from daggers to battle-axes. You look to your right and see a vixen, black from head to tail, and reclining easily, booted footpaws upon a wooden countertop. She looks up momentarily from a parchment scroll she is reading to study you. "Can I help you?" she asks. You nod, remembering your purpose in coming here. She puts down her parchment and stands up. "Good. I’m Dierdre Wraithshadow," she announces, spreading her paws wide, "and this is the Nomad League weapons store. Do you know our weapons system?" You shake your head. "Well, here in the NL, you have six slots. Each weapon takes up a certain number of slots. For example, if you purchased a dagger, which takes up one slot, you would have five slots left. You cannot go over, even by half a slot. Also, most weapons have three ratings: novice, standard, and expert. The higher the rating, the higher the quality, but also the higher the price. Some weapons have only standard and expert ratings, meaning that standard is the lowest quality you can buy. Some have none at all. Got it?" You nod and wander off to look around.
Knives
Knife - a small, slender-bladed weapon with two edges. It’s about the
length of your paw. Surely you know what a knife is beyond that. A
dagger is the same thing as a knife. Good for one-on-one or melee
fighting.
Required slots: 1
Novice knife: 35n (nolads)
Standard knife: 55n
Expert knife:65n
Throwing Knives - same as a regular knives, only they’re thrown. You
can throw a regular knife and vice-versa, but it’s not as effective.
They come in sets of 3.
Required slots: 1
Standard set: 45n
Expert set: 65n
Swords
Broadsword - a dangerous weapon that has one long blade that comes up
to its wielder’s chest. It is very heavy and must be held with two paws
to control its movement. Not for duels.
Required slots: 3
Novice broadsword: 70n
Standard broadsword: 100n
Expert broadsword: 160n
Rapier - a delicate but graceful weapon. Its two-and-a-half foot blade
(depending on wielder’s height) is usually one finger thick and has a
basket hilt. Its light weight allows it to be swung with blinding speed
and accuracy against one opponent. It is, however, awful for fighting
large numbers, as it can be easily broken.
Required slots: 2.5
Standard rapier: 65n
Expert rapier: 100n
Saber - a long, gently-curving sword similar to the rapier. It is very
light and is equipped with a basket hilt, but it is also twice as thick
as a rapier, and its curved blade allows for more complicated
maneuvers. It’s still not the greatest weapon you can buy for
large-scale battles, though.
Required slots: 3
Standard saber: 75n
Expert saber: 115n
Scimitar - a weapon with a thick, curved blade. It’s a bit heavier than
a saber, but still can be controlled effectively enough to make a good
fencing weapon. It also works against multiple enemies.
Required slots: 3
Standard scimitar: 85n
Expert scimitar: 115n
Cutlass - a weapon similar to the scimitar, only shorter and heavier.
It also has a basket hilt. Good for melee fighting, fair for
one-on-one.
required slots: 3
Standard cutlass: 90n
Expert cutlass: 120n
Claymore - a weapon that appears to be a shortened cross between a
broadsword and a rapier. It has a straight, thick blade, but it also
has a basket hilt. Its shorter length takes enough weight off so that
it may be wielded with one paw. Good for both melee and duel fighting.
Required slots: 3
Standard claymore: 85n
Expert claymore: 100n
Flamberge - an exotic, wavy-bladed weapon. It is about the same weight
and length as a broadsword, but its blade is adorned with rounded
waves. This not only makes the weapon more beautiful, but creates a
more gruesome wound, as well.
Required slots: 3
Standard flamberge: 110n
Expert flamberge: 170n
Other Blades
Dirk - a weapon that has a blade longer than a knifeblade, but shorter
than a swordblade. It’s wielded with one paw, and is good for
one-on-one, but if your opponent carries anything that’s much longer,
it puts you at a sore disadvantage.
Required slots: 1.5
Standard dirk: 70n
Expert dirk: 100n
Kartar - Same length as a dirk, but it extends straight out from the knuckles, as opposed to from the side of the fist like a normal dirk or other blade. Not very good for fencing, but you can put a lot more force behind a stabbing blow than most other weapons.
Required slots: 1.5
Standard kartar: 70n
Expert kartar: 100n
Spear - a long pole with a blade attached to the top. It’s a pretty
all-purpose weapon--it can be used in duels, large group fighting, or
it can be thrown, but is heavier and less accurate than a javelin (see Projectiles).
required slots: 2
Standard spear: 75n
Expert spear: 100n
Pike - similar to a spear, but is usually longer, heavier, and comes
equipped with a hook near the blade. It can be thrown, but I wouldn’t
recommend it.
Required slots: 2.5
Standard pike: 90n
Expert pike: 110n
Ax - a huge and powerful weapon that requires a vast amount of strength
to wield. Single-bladed axes have one blade and a small spike on rear
for the backswing. Double-bladed axes have, well, two blades. Neither
are for one-on-one combat, but both are useful for other things
non-battle-related.
required slots: 2.5
Standard ax: 75n
Expert ax: 95n
Required slots: 3
Standard double-bladed ax: 100n
Expert double-bladed ax: 135n
Halberd - a weapon that is a cross between a pike and a single-bladed
ax. It is basically a pike with an axblade mounted to it, and it has
the weight of an ax and the length of a pike, a very impressive weapon.
It’s really awful for fighting one enemy, but it has a devastating
effect on large numbers.
Required slots: 4
Standard halberd: 140n
Expert halberd: 170n
Machete - a short, double-edged weapon without a point. It can only be
used for chopping, so it makes a really bad fencing weapon, and it
isn’t all that great in a large battle, either. The only thing it’s
really useful for is hacking through dense undergrowth.
Required slots: 2
Machete: 40n
Blunt Weapons
Staff - a long oaken stick, used mainly for giving creatures just
enough pain so that they’ll go away. If you’re lucky, you can sometimes
knock your enemy out cold, but it requires a direct hit with a lot of
force behind it.
Required slots: 1.5
Standard staff: 35n
Expert staff: 45n
Ball-and-Chain - a big metal ball attached to a chain. Dangerous, but
hard to wield.
required slots: 2
Ball-and-chain: 55n
Mole Mallet - a large, cartoony wooden mallet. Usually wielded by
moles.
Required slots: 1.5
Mole mallet: 35n
Warhammer - a blunt weapon about the length of your forearm, with a
large metal head that has a spike for the backswing. It can do an
incredible amount of damage, but is too heavy to be used in a duel.
Warhammer:
Required slots: 1.5
Warhammer: 75n
Projectiles
Sling - a length of vine or cloth used to throw small rocks with great
force and accuracy. They don’t usually cause much damage or fatalities,
just broken bones and headaches. They are cheap though and are a good
deterrent for not-so-committed assailants.
Required slots: 1
Sling: 15n
Slingstones: 1n each
Ammo pouch (holds 25 stones): 15n
Bow - a device used to launch arrows. Need I say more?
Required slots: 3
Novice bow: 35n
Standard bow: 65n
Expert bow: 85n
Standard arrows: 2n each
Expert arrows: 5n
Small quiver (10 arrows): 15n
Large quiver (25): 25n
Longbow - a powerful bow about the same height as the creature using
it. It can throw an arrow an unbelievable distance with enough force to
blow clean through one enemy and into the creature behind it.
Required slots: 4
Standard longbow: 80n
Expert longbow: 100n
Arrows: 7n each
Quiver (10 arrows): 25n
Barbed Arrows - a normal arrow with a head that has one long barb
protruding from the side. They almost always cause fatal wounds (though
not immediately fatal), as they are very tough to remove. The barb
however, decreases distance and accuracy.
Barbed arrows: 7n each
Barbed longbow arrows: 10n each
Bodkin Arrows - an arrow with a long, thin head. Its aerodynamic shape
allows for further flight, greater accuracy, and deeper wounds. Both
the barbed arrows and the bodkin arrows run at expert level.
Bodkin arrows: 7n each
Bodkin longbow arrows: 10n each
Javelin - a long wooden pole with a sharpened tip. Fair distance and
accuracy, and can even be used as a close-range weapon, but they are
easily broken.
Required slots: .5
Standard javelin: 10n
Expert javelin: 15n
Crossbow - basically a bow turned on its side, mounted to a length of
wood, and fired with a trigger. Considerably more accurate than a bow, and almost as powerful as a longbow. However, they are difficult and slow to load.
Required slots: 3
Crossbow: 65n
Crossbow bolts: 3n each
Paw-Crossbow - like a pistol version of a crossbow. Miniature
poison-tipped quarrels have a range of about 15 feet.
Required slots: 1
Paw-Crossbow: 30n
Quarrels: 2n each
Ballista - a gigantic siege weapon that looks like a big crossbow. It
can launch logs or giant arrows huge distances and in a straight line.
They do take a few days to build, however, and this only buys you the
training.
Ballista training: 50n
Catapult - another siege weapon that looks like a large spoon. It
throws boulders, flaming pyre, or anything else you can think of up and
over high walls.
Catapult training: 50n
Other Weapons
Hook - a large metal hook with a wickedly sharp point. It can be used
to rip open your enemies, or to catch their weapons and then tear them
out of their grasps. The tip is small enough to fit in between chain
mail links or metal armor plates. Kind of nasty, but very effective.
required slots: 2
Hook: 40n
Bola - a length of cord with multiple metal balls attached to it. It
can be thrown (it wraps around a target and crushes it with the
weights) or it can be used as a flail. Rather gory either way.
Required slots: 2
Bola: 40
Mace - a deadly weapon. It is comprised of a short metal shaft with a
spiked or ridged head mounted to the top. Its massive weight is used to
crush and tear open plate armor or skulls.
Required slots: 2
Mace: 75n
Morningstar Flail - like a ball-and-chain, only its head is covered in
two-inch-long spikes. Extremely deadly.
Required slots: 2
Morningstar flail: 65n
Trident - a long three-pronged weapon that is used like a pike. It can
be used to easily disarm creatures, but is also capable of creating
horrendous wounds if used correctly.
Required slots: 2.5
Trident: 100n
Caltrop - a small, four-spiked apparatus used as a booby-trap. When
thrown, the caltrop lands on three spikes with the fourth sticking up
to be stepped upon. It causes a painful wound that can cripple. They
can also be strewn about a battlefield so that the advancing army must
maneuver around them, making them easy prey for archers. You get enough
caltrops to cover 625 sq. ft. (25ft. by 25 ft., or 8 meters by 8 meters) in a pack.
Required slots: 1
Pack of caltrops: 45n
Poison - clear, tasteless, odorless liquid that kills when it comes in
contact with a creature’s bloodstream. It can be put on your weapon or
in an enemy’s food or drink. Standard poison takes effect in about a
half hour, while expert poison takes a minute or two. This, however,
does not mean expert poison is better for every job than standard.
Required slots: 1
Standard poison: 45n
Expert poison: 65n
Grenade - a deadly and powerful weapon capable of decimating armies or
blasting small holes in stone walls. However, very dangerous and
unpredictable, particularly if not thrown far enough. They are hugely
expensive, but a resourceful beast can create a less-powerful
substitution for a lot fewer nolads. Think about it.
Required slots: 1.5
Grenade: 250n
Supplies & Equipment
Rope - 50 feet of braided hemp fibers. This doesn’t take up any slots,
but you can only carry two.
Rope: 10n
Grappling Hook - three-pronged metal hook. Its tips are blunt, so don’t
try to use it as a weapon. A rope to go with it would be helpful. You
can carry two.
Grappling hook: 10n
Rope and Grappling hook: 15n (save 5n)
Torch - a big wooden stick with an oil-soaked top. It burns for 1 hour,
and you can carry five.
Torch: 5n
Water Bag - carries a four-day supply of water. You die if you don’t
have water for three days. You can carry three.
Water bag: 15n
Healing Supplies - includes cloth dressings, soothing salve, and herbal
antiseptic. An expert kit has more and better equipment than a standard
kit.
Standard healing supplies: 35n
Expert healing supplies: 55n
Arrow-Proof Tunic - a standard tunic cannot be pierced by regular
arrows (includes barbed, bodkin, and miniature quarrels). An expert
tunic cannot be punctured by regular arrows, longbow arrows, or
crossbow bolts.
Standard arrow-proof tunic: 75n
Expert arrow-proof tunic: 100n
Cloak - a thick garment large enough to cover the entire body. It also
has a cowl which is very useful for keeping the rain off or the sun out
of your eyes. A great help in winter missions.
Cloak: 35n
Boots - calf-high leather boots crafted to make their wearer walk
completely silently, provided that they’re not in a forest in autumn or
something like that. They come in a variety of colors and sizes.
Boots: 40n
Bracers - leather objects ringed in metal worn on the wrists to protect
them. The metal rings allow for more movement than solid metal would.
Bracers: 30n
Chain Mail - a suit of armor made out of tiny metal rings linked
together. It can’t stop an arrow or a dagger thrust, but can save you
from being slashed or hacked to death.
Chain mail: 135n
Armor - armor made of thick metal plates fitted together. It stops all
but the most powerful weapons. A few drawbacks are that, one, weapons
can fit through the seams and, two, it’s really heavy, if you fall, you
can’t get back up, so you’re as good as dead unless someone helps you
up.
Standard armor: 175n
Expert armor: 275n
Lantern - a small device used for seeing in the dark. It uses a small
flame which is fueled by oil. It uses a pint of oil at a time and burns
as long as you have oil.
Required slots: 1
Lantern: 20n
Firewater - a fancy name for lamp oil. It is highly flammable and can
be used as an explosive as well as in a lantern. Floats on water. It comes in ¾ gallon (3 liter)
jugs.
Required slots: 1
Firewater: 25n
Firepitch - it has the texture of tar, and burns like firewater. But,
unlike firewater, it can stick to walls or ceilings without running and
doesn’t float in water. It can be applied to branches to make homemade
torches. Comes in the same-sized containers as firewater.
Required slots: 1
Firepitch: 25n
Flint - Just a small bit of rock that sparks when you strike it with metal. Doesn't sound very useful, but it's nice to be able to light a fire whenever you want. It's suggested you buy some if you get any torches, firepitch, or firewater. Each piece is good for starting 5 fires.
Flint: 3 for 5n
Magical Items
Spellbook - a book containing tomes for two healing spells ("heal
wounds" and "heal sickness"), four nonkilling spells ("levitation",
"globe of darkness", "faerie fire", and "light"), and four injuring
spells ("punch enemy", "kick enemy", "throw enemy", and "knock enemy
unconscious"). Sorry, no spells that kill directly, but if used in the
right way, you can kill with them. Each spellbook comes with a
description, instructions, and hints for each spell.
Required slots: .5
Novice spellbook: 70n
Standard spellbook: 85n
Expert spellbook: 100n
Piwafwi - a cloak that not only keeps you warm, but makes you
completely invisible at night. Essential for an assassin. Warning: the
magic of a piwafwi thrives in darkness, and overexposure to light will
cause it to melt.
Piwafwi: 70n
Speed Bracers - bracers enchanted to increase the speed of their
wearer’s arms by 1 ½ times. Good for the wielder of a heavy weapon such
as an ax, but not recommended for the expert fencer, as your speed
leaves little room for improvisation on moves.
Speed bracers: 60n
Speed Anklets - a sort of bracer for the ankles, also enchanted for
speed. Much better for a fencer than speed bracers.
Speed anklets: 60n
Runic Candle - a metal candle adorned with fire runes. When touched,
the fire runes cause the candle to ignite and burn until touched again.
These will burn as long as the runes are still there, but don’t produce
much light.
Required slots: 1
Runic candle: 30n for 3
Scrying Mirror - a small mirror about the size of your palm enchanted
to seek out any beast in the world. If the creature you’re looking for
is within a 30 mile radius, it will show you what they are doing and
will direct to them by using heat (kind of like the game Hot/Cold). If
they’re further away than that, it can only tell you if you’re going in
the right direction.
Required slots: .5
Scrying mirror: 40n
Chalk - yellow chalk designed to keep magical things in or out.
Prevents divining (scrying) spells and magical attacks finding you, and
keeps magical items in one place. It comes in four-ounce vials, and is
used by putting down a line of chalk around yourself or the item or
whatever.
Required slots: .5
Chalk: 20n
Bag of Holding - a small, unassuming pouch (a little smaller than a
grocery bag IRL) that is enchanted to hold something as large as a
broadsword (translates into 3 extra slots). Warning: DO NOT EVER put
one bag of holding inside another! The result may be a tear in the
dimensional fabric.
Bag of holding: 30n
Custom Weapons
Don’t see something you want? E-mail me, and I’ll make it for you.
"Find everything okay?" Dierdre calls. You nod. "Whenever you’re done, e-mail me at kordella@wirefire.com with your purchase," she says as you pick out your weapon. You lay the object on the counter and pull out the appropriate number of nolads. "Just so you know, you can only sell a weapon for ¾ of its original price," she warns. This doesn’t deter you, and you pay her, strapping on your new equipment. As you step out the door you hear her shout, "Come again!"
