Ready-Stick

A young woman turns a corner to enter a narrow alleyway in the streets of Felt.
She wants to get out of the cold evening as fast as possible and the alley is a shortcut.
A figure suddenly steps out a few paces ahead of her, barring her way.
She holds her breath and looks at him, ready to run away at any sign of trouble.
A smile spreads across her face as he pulls a long stick from his belt and dashes toward her.
She pulls out her own and sinks into her defensive stance.
Just a regular night in Felt.

Manufacturing process

Most sticks are made by simply carving them directly from a piece of straight wood. Everyone takes some time to decorate the handle of their stick with some inscription, while master craftsmen can spend days creating a single stick.

Significance

The sticks are a cultural heritage to the military history of Felt. For as long as the city has carried its name it has been customary for every citizen to serve at least 4 years in the army. To uphold their skills even in times of peace the citizens created games where they fought each other with blunt weapons to simulate combat. Erina the Third watched one of these games and came up with an idea to make it more like real combat, by simply never having the game end. Those who wished to join in the end were allowed to fight each other wherever, and whenever, they wished as long as it was done with officially sanctified sticks. The popularity of the game spread like wildfire through the city and soon every single citizen was playing.
Whatever the rules of the game may have been they have been long forgotten. Nowadays it is simply part of Feltian culture to constantly be ready to defend yourself against an assailant. As such the weapons used in this manner have been dubbed Ready-Sticks.

Rarity

Every citizen of Felt owns at least 3-5 sticks, and carries one wherever they go.

Weight

1kg

Dimensions

1,3 meters long, 2,5 cm thick

Base Price

Basic ones cost 1sp, but more extravagant sticks can cost a fortune.

Raw materials & Components

The sticks are made of wood, most commonly maple and birch. More expensive ones are often oak or even rarer materials. The stick is varnished with oil to avoid spilnters.

Tools

Basic woodcarving tools