Human Swords
A sword is a bladed weapon intended for slashing or thrusting that is longer than a knife or dagger, consisting of a long blade attached to a hilt. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographic region under consideration. The blade can be straight or curved. Thrusting swords have a pointed tip on the blade, and tend to be straighter; slashing swords have a sharpened cutting edge on one or both sides of the blade, and are more likely to be curved. Many swords are designed for both thrusting and slashing.
Age of Creation
The swords of the ancient days developed from the knife or dagger. A knife is unlike a dagger in that a knife has only one cutting surface, while a dagger has two cutting surfaces. When the construction of longer blades became possible, first in arsenic copper, then in tin-bronze. Blades longer than 60 cm were rare and not practical until humans discovered iron because longer bronze blades would bend easily. The development of the sword out of the dagger was gradual; the first weapons that can be classified as swords without any ambiguity are those from the jungle of Koshat Dér, reaching a total length of more than 100 cm.First Era of the Man
From the first age AAA with the arrival of Alessor and the discovery and colonisation of new lands new ways of making blades were discovered. The most prominent of them the discovery of steel and the heattreating technique. Also the folding of low quality steel turned it into higher quality that would not break nor bend easy.Melistern Empire
With the rise of the Melistern Empire multiple diffrent types of swords where deviced to serve in different situations in the large Empire. In the northern forrestlands and fields the old dagger-swords turned with the new steel into the longer ''spatha''. The spatha was a type of straight and long sword, measuring between 0.75 and 1 m, with a handle length between 18 and 20 cm. These swords were popular in the intire northern hemisphere for almost the intire age, until slowly involving into the more versitile ''arming swords''. The mountainous areas swords were not used much at all. Spears were always more prevelant. Over the years there were a few diffrent types deviced, but these were always in the first place a tool, not a weapon. Famous examples of this are the ''falchion'', wich was used to cut wood and cook with, or the Espanada, used as a hunting knife.Nomads of the Desert
Types
The pre-imperial nomadic peoples of the desert used many types of swords, but these are the most famous and widespread ones.Yatağan
The yatağan is a type of knife or short sabre used from the beginning of the 4rd century AAA. It is still being used by the Empire of Prabai . Yatağans consist of a single-edged blade with a marked forward curve and a hilt formed of two grip plaques attached through the tang, the end of the hilt being shaped like large ears. The gap between the grips is covered by a metal strap, which is often decorated. The blade varies from 60 centimetres (24 in) to 80 centimetres (31 in) in length and is curved forward, sometimes reclining backwards again towards the very end. This blade form is often referred to as being 'recurved.' While the back of the blade is made of softer steel, the sharp edge is made of hard, tempered steel for durability. The hilt has no guard; 'bolsters' of metal connect the grips to the shoulder of the blade. The grip plaques are typically made from bone, ivory, horn or silver, and spread out in two 'wings' or 'ears' to either side at the pommel (a feature which prevents the hilt slipping out of the hand when used to cut). Regional variations in the hilts have been noted: Northern yatağans tend to have larger ears and are often of bone or ivory, whilst Eastern yatağans characteristically have smaller ears which are more often made of horn or silver, while Southern and Western nomads carried T Hilt yatağans . Sophisticated artwork on both the hilt and the blade can be seen on many yatagans displayed today, indicating considerable symbolic value. Having no guard, the yatagan fitted closely into the top of the scabbard; this was customarily worn thrust into a waist sash, retained by hook.Shamshir
The shamshir is a one-handed, curved sword featuring a slim blade that has almost no taper until the very tip. Instead of being worn upright (hilt-high), it is worn horizontally, with the hilt and tip pointing up. It was normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting, the drastic curvature of blade made accuracy more difficult. It has an offset pommel, and its two lengthy quillons form a simple crossguard. The tang of the blade is covered by slabs of bone, ivory, wood, or other material fastened by pins or rivets to form the grip.Kilij
A kilij is a type of one-handed, single-edged and moderately curved saber used by the later Prabaiian Empire, but invented first by the old nomadic people of Prabai. The older examples sport a long blade curving slightly from the hilt and more strongly in the distal half. The width of the blade stays narrow (with a slight taper) up until the last 30% of its length, at which point it flares out and becomes wider. This distinctive flaring tip is called a "yalman" (false edge) and it greatly adds to the cutting power of the sword. The quilons are usually of brass or silver, and sported a rounded termination to the grips, usually made of horn.Talwar
The talwar (pronounced [t̪əlʋaːr]), also spelled talwaar and tulwar, is a type of curved sword or sabre. The talwar was produced in many varieties, with different types of blades. Some blades are very unusual, from those with double-pointed tips (zulfikar) to those with massive blades (sometimes called tegha - often deemed to be executioner's swords but on little evidence). However, all such blades are curved, and the vast majority of talwars have blades more typical of a generalised sabre. Many examples of the talwar exhibit an increased curvature in the distal half of the blade, compared to the curvature nearer the hilt. Also relatively common is a widening of the blade near the tip (without the step to the back of the blade characteristic of the kilij). A typical talwar has a wider blade than the shamshir. Late examples often had European-made blades, set into distinctive Indian-made hilts. The hilt of the typical talwar is termed a "disc hilt" from the prominent disc-shaped flange surrounding the pommel. The pommel often has a short spike projecting from its centre, sometimes pierced for a cord to secure the sword to the wrist. The hilt incorporates a simple cross-guard which frequently has a slender knucklebow attached. The hilt is usually entirely of iron, though brass and silver hilts are also used, and is connected to the tang of the blade by a very powerful adhesive resin. More ornate examples of the talwar often show silver or gold decoration in a form called koftgari.Sheathing
During the early years, the nomadic peoples of The Great Desert sheathed their weapons in baldrics. The use of sword and baldric was consciously abandoned by the Khatari Sand-King Batuwaaxil (447-461 AAA) in favor of the saber and belt. But the use of sword and baldric seems to have retained a ceremonial and religious significance. For example, the Prabaiian Emperor Arteer II (746–774 AZ) was anxious to demonstrate that he was a pious traditionalist, searching out the old methods preferred by the old Sand-King. Consequently, among his reforms he re-adopted the custom of wearing a sword suspended from a baldric.
Item type
Weapon, Melee
Subtype / Model
Comments