"A weapon ye seek, eh?" The armorer laughs jovially as you glance about his shop. "Ye've come to the right place! Most of the weapons you'll find on Gunnarsland are made of wood, but we have a few made of bone, iron and even steel."
He points to a rack of axes. "We've got yer axes and battle axes."
He gestures to the bows. "The finest bows and crossbows in Dunedunn!"
Tossing a fine dagger at a corkboard, he says "Daggers, Dirks, Knives"
"There's the meanest Morning Star ever made." It rests next to a flail.
Showing you wood in a lathe, "That'll be a javelin or a spear."
"Then you've got your pole-arms, of which the Trident is a favorite."
He drags a massive Warhammer out next to the whips for your inspection.
Looking past a Quarterstaff, you spot the gleaming swords. He grins.
The armorer holds a standard axe. He talks about it exhaustingly. "The axe, most often used for cutting wood, is rarely used in combat, except as a thrown weapon, because of its otherwise limited range. However, as a thrown weapon, it can be extremely dangerous in skilled hands. Not generally very accurate, it is often used as an initial strike weapon, from a distance. Its advantage is that it is very light, and requires little strength to use. It is easy to make and is very common, so it is fairly inexpensive."
His eye twinkles as he grabs a battle axe. "Now, the battle axe is a large, heavy, and somewhat awkward weapon. It can have either one or two sharpened edges, depending on personal preference, and has a relatively short handle to make it more maneuverable a weapon, despite its weight. It is often popular among warriors because of its devastating effect when it makes contact solidly. As far as weapons go, it is more available than others, as it is sometimes also used simply to chop wood, faster than the normal axe, and is also relatively inexpensive."
Showing you the bows, the armorer speaks. "Whether a longbow or a shortbow, it is a popular hunting weapon, capable of killing from great distances. Its accuracy is dependant upon numerous factors, and it requires tremendous skill, patience, dexterity, and timing to master. Few ever become Master archers, because of the difficulty involved. The bow is easily available, as many people hunt for their food using one." He adds a caution, "Shooting a bow into combat has as much chance of hitting a friend as an enemy. People fighting seldom stand still and hack away at each other for an easy shot by the archer."
"Now, the crossbow is a weapon far easier to use than a long or shortbow, as it has a wooden framework that enables its user to steady his or her aim against an object, or a part of their own body. Its accuracy is greater than that of a bow as a result, but it is much harder to reload a crossbow. To reload a crossbow," he demonstrates the technique for you, "one must lower the weapon, press the butt end of the trigger mechanism into their belly, or against a solid object, and.. draw the.. string.. back into.. position. Then the.. bolt must be.. slotted into place," he smiles with satisfaction as he finally manages it, "before the weapon can be fired again. Not my favorite weapon, obviously." He chuckles, "It's also very difficult to make, so it'll be very expensive."
The armorer walks you past a shelf containing a dazzling array of short blades. "I'm sure you're familiar with the dagger. It ranges from six to twelve inches in length, and is usually double edged. Some are even balanced for throwing, and are referred to as dirks when this is so. Daggers are easily concealed, and are thus popular among youths and thieves, as well as more devious warriors. Daggers are moderately priced, unless made ornate by gemstones or gilding of expensive metals for decorations. Decorated daggers seldom have the durability of ones made of solid metal, but as you can see, we carry all kinds.
"The knife, on the other hand," he begins as he shows one off, "is a blade of up to six inches in length, and generally single-edged. Being a utility more than a weapon, it is laughably cheap, but it can be dangerous nonetheless."
The armorer shows you some of his more unusual weaponry. "A flail is a hinge or swivel-jointed club, made up of two pieces of wood. One is the handle, the other is club-like. The flail was invented to defeat the use of a shield in combat. It requires some skill to use this weapon without clobbering yourself, but is not beyond the average person. The flail is relatively easy to make, and therefore, not very expensive. Should the club end of the mace be metal-worked, the price will be much higher."
He grins as he shows off his most prized creation. "This morning star, also known as the ball and chain, is made almost entirely of metal, and, like the flail, was designed mostly to defeat the use of shields in combat. Typically, the morning star is a handle, a chain varying in length from twelve to thirty six inches in length, and a spiked, heavy ball. In the case of the morning star, iron is preferred over steel, as the heavier it is, the more damage it can do. The morning star is a moderately priced weapon, considering that it is made mostly of metal."
The armorer shows you his lathe, on which he was working on a new javelin. "The javelin is essentially a lightweight spear that is balanced for throwing. At approximately five pounds in weight, it is not too difficult to throw, even for weaker folk, and is balanced in such a way that it feels lighter than it is. Javelins are favored during wartimes by infantry troops, because they can be thrown before melee combat is engaged. The javelin is difficult to make properly, but is mostly wooden, so the cost is relatively reasonable."
He turns and indicates a row of spears. "The spear is a hand-held weapon, consisting of a shaft of about four feet in length, with a metal bladed head. While it can be thrown, it cannot be counted upon for accuracy. Used only as a thrusting weapon, the number of attack types are extremely limited, and thus predictable, making it a relatively unpopular weapon, for the most part. Still, it is fairly cheap to make one and can be even cheaper if the bladed head is made from something other than metal, such as bone, or stone."
The armorer takes you past a rack of varying pole arms. He says, "Pole arms are many and varied in type, but generally consist of a long pole with some sort of blade mounted on the end. Typically, they are used by infantry to counter a cavalry charge. Few dare to try to use one in hand-to-hand combat, because they take too long to move about. For this reason, pole arms are generally restricted to military use. As you can see, we've currently got an Awl Pike, a Fauchard, a Glaive, a Guisarme, a Ranseur, a Spetum, and a Voulge, all popular forms of pole arms."
"While technically a pole arm," he continues, "the trident has earned its own position in weapons lists throughout the world through legends, and lore. Typically, it is a staff of about five to eight feet in length, with a three-tined fork at one end. It is limited to thrusting attacks, but with its length, it can hold the advantage even over a two handed sword in melee. The trident is moderately priced, but also difficult to use effectively."
The armorer shows you what is basically a huge hammer with a massive iron head. "It is heavy, awkward, slow, and extremely dangerous, if not outright deadly. The warhammer is not so much a quick killer, as a torture device. If it connects, there is a good chance that bones will break, organs will rupture, or both. The warhammer is a moderately priced weapon, but requires a great amount of strength to wield effectively."
The armorer then walks over to his whip and cracks it, for effect. "Typically eight to fifteen feet in length, the whip is a weapon of cunning, speed, and torture. Originally created to entangle one's opponent's weapon, or limbs, it has found other uses. The whip requires much skill to use to the peak of its ability, and much dexterity, but can be used with relative ease by almost anyone who can remember to flick their wrist when they snap their arm about. The whip is a very cheap weapon, usually made of braided leather."
The armorer proudly displays his impressive collection of swords. "The sword," he says, "is probably the most versatile weapon for hand-to-hand combat in existence. It can be used to hack, slash, thrust, or even to bludgeon, if you use the flat of the blade. Made entirely of metal, preferably steel, it is also extremely expensive. The main types of swords we stock are the short sword, which is moderately expensive, the long sword, which is very expensive, the broad sword, which is also moderately expensive, and your two-handed swords, for which you must be extremely wealthy."
With a brief nod to the corner of the shop, he adds, "The quarterstaff is the most easily created weapon in existance, and is considered the weapon of serfs. It can be made at a cost of absolutely nothing save for the life of a sapling tree and a knife to whittle away branches. The quarterstaff has ever been an under-rated weapon by nobility and warriors alike. While not generally lethal, the quarterstaff is quick, efficient, and painful. Both ends can be used to strike, making it possible to even fight multiple opponents, if used by skilled hands."