Lor

"Wielding one is impossible for the untrained. A wrong step, a mistake in stance, inelegant wielding and bones may be shattered, limbs torn. But for he who channels its weight as truly befits the weapon, all may be crushed before him."
— Grey the Insurmountable

A famous weapon used by the Aradin, traditionally wielded by their cultural hero Drand, the lor resembles an enormous wooden pillar. Heavy enough to crush armor and body, and indeed used to do so, it is infamous for its size and unwieldiness. Lor warriors, known as loran, train for many years to be able to use them effectively. Failure to utilize proper techniques and footwork can easily result in death or catastrophic injury.

Appearance

Lor are made to suit their wielder and thus vary individually. They are built at a length matching the user's arm as well as half that more and tend to be as thick as whatever trunk from which it was made. A bronze ring wraps around each end of the tool to give it more durability and impact power. Flowing carvings run down their lengths, sometimes personalized to tell stories of their loran. Each will typically be one of three colors depending on the tree from which the lor was cut. Most are made from shaved palm trees and their brown wood or, particularly those that originate in the tribes of the Ranad Mountains, from the orange-red wood of zabias. Rarer and intended to signify spiritual wisdom or the status of war leader are lor made from the ebony wood of shadow trees. Drand was thought to use such a lor. Legends about the Mokaled tribe suggest that their pale white lor are made from giant bones.

Function

Lor are used as weapons. Their sheer weight, size and durability allow them to crush even the most armored opponents completely, killing outright and if not shattering bones at the very least. However, the advantages of a lor as a blunt pulverizing instrument are also great disadvantages for its user. Loran must train for years to correctly use one and require a great deal of strength to do so. Typically carried on the shoulder outside of combat, when in use the loran plants their feet to stabilize their body and spins the weapon above their head, carefully balancing its weight with both their arms without actually gripping it, and then directing it towards their opponent as a means of attack. Improper form on the part of the wielder in any way, relating for instance to footwork, arm movements or weight distribution, can have disastrous consequences including severe muscle tearing which can cripple a warrior for life or even kill him. There are three primary styles of lor usage known as odo, ado and edo which loosely mean, in the Aradin tongue, soft, balanced and hard, respectively. Most loran will have at least rudimentary knowledge about all three, as they are useful in a wide variety of scenarios, but will typically attempt to master one. None involve gripping the weapon; such an inherently poor technique is referred to mockingly as udo. They are:

Odo style, or soft style, which places the minimal amount of weight of the lor on the body. In odo, the loran rotates the weapon above their heads and then around their bodies in an arc-like, sweeping motion which can be used to strike a target at a great range without losing the momentum of the swing. Because of the speed it maintains, it allows for fast strikes and is effective, therefore, in duels. However, there is the risk that it will pick up too much speed and become difficult to control. The style is the most technically difficult and requires a fair amount of agility, however, as in order to maintain the lor's motion, the wielder must maneuver their body out of the way of its path so as not to injure themselves or stop it abruptly. Some practitioners and masters of odo style will have longer, thinner lor. As palm trees are perfect for this, it is a favorite style of tribes along the Meleatte River.
Ado style, or balanced style, which places a medium amount of weight of the lor on the body. Though its name may suggest a mix of defense and offense, this is untrue. Ado is a mostly aggressive technique. As with most maneuvers, it begins with the spinning of the lor above the head after which it is then brought down upon an enemy from above or thrown a great distance towards them, though the latter is more difficult as it must be done, as always, without gripping. The strength of the loran determines the damage the technique can do but often the weapon's weight is enough to kill regardless, especially after enough momentum has been built up by the overhead rotation. Ado requires only a limited amount of technical skill due to the ease at which the blow can be directed. Its weakness, however, is that once the lor is released in the downward blow or throwing attack, it must be picked up again afterwards and momentum reestablished. This makes ado a particularly effective finisher. Drand was known to prefer ado.
Edo style, or heavy style, which places the most weight of the lor out of all three styles on the body. Normally, the weapon's weight is evenly distributed by holding it above, thereby giving easy access to both ends of the tool, but in edo style the lor is rotated to the front or to the side. It therefore requires more strength to keep aloft but allows for the loran to use it to block incoming attacks. Blows that make use of edo are typically engaged from below in an upper-cut fashion which relies of momentum and physical power to deal damage.

Significance

For the Aradin, the lor and the warriors capable of using them are a great point of pride. It is often said that only their people alone are strong enough to wield them. The most famous and widely cherished heroes of their myths and legends, beginning with Drand who is said to have invented the weapon, all made use of lor as did many other important figures, leaders and guides. There few people more revered among the Aradin for their martial prowess than the loran. To Thripians and the other cultures of Arad, the loran are likewise held in great esteem. Stories of the loran and their unique physical prowess are intertwined with the populist folklore of the Aradin and the host of rumors surrounding their people.

Item type

Weapon, Melee

Used by