Swords

I think you'll find a world of opportunity out there kid, all you need is the right in your hand and the right folks to point it at. Now, can I interest you in Balmoran Steel or maybe something silvered?

— Shopkeeper to an impressionable youth

The sword. Tairos offers so much in the way of possibility, terror and adventure that one might overlook a detail as basic as the sword when trying to understand this place. Any yet, Tairos is defined by its struggles. By the sword.

The methods of engineering, craftsmanship and function are going to be as varied as the many nations of Tairos itself but certain commonalities will exist. Truly ancient blades from the time of Skyrir will be made from Copper or Bronze. Many of these blades were considered flimsy by modern standards but a skilled weapon smith would have been able to reinforce certain areas of the blade by varying the amount of tin in the alloy. Iron had a brief time in the spotlight as a popular sword making material due to improvements in mining technology and the overall abundance of the ore. The rise of elven society brought with it improvements in the techniques it was the Dwarves who truly ushered in Tairos Steel-age.

It's not known exactly when the Dwarven people first started creating steel alloy using charcoal (and in some cases lava rock from the Cinderstone volcano. However, the technology was quickly shared with the elves in exchange for arcane advancements.

While the purpose of a sword is fairly universal across all cultures the importance of one can vary greatly. For example, elves, Humans and dwarves will often place a great degree of reverence in some of their weapons. This means cherishing the battles it has participated in and the history of its wielders. For Elves this importance usually slants more toward the blade's importance toward a bloodline while for dwarves the battles the weapon has been involved in holds more sway. Human culture varies to either extreme. Balmorals associated a sword's importance with the house of its makers as would the Baradradi but the Frostmerites on the other hand would judge a weapon by the battles it has seen. Stormlanders favor both equally but only in the context of whom the weapon belonged to before they stole it. More tribal races place little value on weapons beyond how effective they are in combat. For people like the Gnolls, Sahuagin , goblins and kobolds a sword is little more than a tool. Only Orcs place any importance on a weapon beyond utility as they often see certain weapons as being part of the family or clan.

Fae take passion for weapons to new heights as they often attach many of their myths, legends and histories to specific blades. Heroes among their people (whether real or fantasy) are of equal popularity to the weapons they took into battle. To them, separating a great hero from the artifacts attached to their epic story is a near impossibility. This behavior leads to things like cults built around legendary weapons, personal quests to unearth lost swords and even elaborate rituals carried out to honor one's blade.

While the admiration many cultures have for weapons is common sages and philosophers will often debate why it is that almost all of these many diverse people tend to venerate the sword above all others. Most assume it is because of the broad purpose a sword fulfills when compared to many other weapons. Spears and polearms have their functions in ranged combat, dismounting and fighting at a distance. Axes and hammers excel at massive blows meant to rend and shatter armored opponents. Arrows pressure enemies from afar while daggers are the refuge of desperate close combat. A sword however, a sword functions in so many capacities and also allows for the wielder to incorporate personal style. This idea is reinforced by the dwarven (and Duergarian ) love of axes and hammers for they have turned that weapon into their own general-purpose tool for combat with many unique styles to using it. It is easy to love a weapon that the user can both find a great deal of utility in and one that they can put their own personal flourish on

Manufacturing process

Varies from culture to culture and on the base material selected for the blade

Significance

Varies from culture to culture.

Item type

Weapon, Melee

Rarity

Common

Weight

Varies

Dimensions

Varies

Base Price

10-40 gold for most standard types

Raw materials & Components

Copper or Iron are common base materials (Iron being most common in modern times). Tin is often added to Copper to strength the alloy and create Bronze. Some type of carbon is generally added to Iron during smelting to create steel, the preferred material for all modern weapons.