Keris
Also sometimes called a kris or kriss, this unconventional blade has a curved, nearly pistol-like grip that rests in the hand and allows the forefinger to guide the weapon. Its blade may be wavy or straight, and the hilt is likely to be sculpted in sumptuous abstractions of Hindu or Islamic iconology. Using the weapon is meant to be natural, acting nearly as an extension of the arm. The keris isn’t meant for slashing. The blade is thrust forward in close quarters, the goal being for the blade to slip between the ribs and perforate a lung. Unfortunately, although the dagger is meant to be easy to wield, it’s awkward for untrained users. A user without an appropriate Keris Specialty suffers a –1 modifier to her attack roll. (Note that the Specialty still grants the bonus die.)
Few daggers are as replete with legends as the Malay keris. The idea behind every keris is that it is a mystical weapon, forged out of Tosan Aji (“magical metal”) and given a mind of its own, and many keris blades are engraved with images of the Naga, the legendary snake creatures from Hindu myth. Straight blades are considered sarpa tapa, or “snake in meditation,” while wavy blades are sarpa lumuka, or “snake in motion.” Stories persist about keris daggers that leap from their sheaths to behead hidden enemies or daggers that murder their users to expose the corruption in their hearts. Some owners don’t use the keris as normal daggers, and instead hang them from their rafters or doorways because the blades will (according to myth) attack evil spirits invading the home.
The wavy-bladed keris has entered pop culture’s consciousness as the traditional weapon of robed cultists, though these props often lack the unusual pistol-like grip. Keris daggers without these grips have a Damage trait of 1(L), but don’t require a Specialty to wield effectively.
Few daggers are as replete with legends as the Malay keris. The idea behind every keris is that it is a mystical weapon, forged out of Tosan Aji (“magical metal”) and given a mind of its own, and many keris blades are engraved with images of the Naga, the legendary snake creatures from Hindu myth. Straight blades are considered sarpa tapa, or “snake in meditation,” while wavy blades are sarpa lumuka, or “snake in motion.” Stories persist about keris daggers that leap from their sheaths to behead hidden enemies or daggers that murder their users to expose the corruption in their hearts. Some owners don’t use the keris as normal daggers, and instead hang them from their rafters or doorways because the blades will (according to myth) attack evil spirits invading the home.
The wavy-bladed keris has entered pop culture’s consciousness as the traditional weapon of robed cultists, though these props often lack the unusual pistol-like grip. Keris daggers without these grips have a Damage trait of 1(L), but don’t require a Specialty to wield effectively.
Item type
Weapon, Melee
Size: 2/J
Durability: 3
Cost: ••
Notes: -1 Damage without Specialty