So, as the title suggests, this article isn’t just about Gor’s best-known caste, the warrior caste, also known as the rarii (singular: rarius), but about everything to do with war on Gor.

And war being one of the fundamental means of this violent world, there’s going to be a lot to talk about, so we can get started! And I’ve written to music, with a philharmonic orchestra playing the music from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, excellent inspiration!

Disclaimer: I’m going to use John Norman’s novels as a direct reference, as well as the sources of his own historical inspirations, which are mainly the armies of Greco-Roman antiquity. So, I may not be describing the Gorean warrior and the warrior caste as some old gamers engulfed in a very phantasmal and false vision of Gor and History believe. And on a personal note: self-proclaimed purists and “real old Gor”, I’m not writing for you. Anyway, you don’t read me, except to find out-of-context arguments to discredit my work and call me “woke”. Hint: I am one, and proud of it!

Sources: my sources, when they can’t come from the Gor Saga novels, all come from : La vie quotidienne des soldats romains à l’apogée de l’empire : 31 avant J.-C. – 235 AD, Worlds at War – Volume 1, From Prehistory to the Middle Ages, Encyclopedia Britannica, and Wikipedia.

1- War on Gor

The world of Gor has preserved a form of warfare that is directly related to the warfare of Greco-Roman antiquity. But what are we talking about? To put it simply, unlike the medieval world, where the soldier is a man-at-arms, rarely a professional, in the service of a local lord, himself a vassal of a regional lord, himself a more or less loyal vassal of a king, the ancient soldier is, for the most part, a citizen trained for war, in the service of his city, and who takes his orders not from a lord, but from the authorities of the city of which he is a citizen, be it an elected council, or an Ubar.

Note: an Ubar is a political warlord, in Gor’s world, i.e. a despot, which in the etymological sense means: an individual who has received absolute power from the ruling authorities, but in the interests of his city-state. Yes, an Ubar is not a tyrant; a tyrant has gained absolute power illegitimately, and uses it in his own interests, disregarding the interests of his nation. An Ubar is therefore elected or appointed, and remains in office until the war for which he has been appointed is over. That said, many cities have a tradition of having an Ubar at their head who remains in office for life, and who can, but again with the agreement of the city authorities, designate his successor. Yes, the people of Gor are torn between a desire for democracy and absolute authority.

War on Gor is all about legions, pitched battles and sieges. Raid battles do exist, but they’re primarily a method of plundering, not used by the rarii, but rather by the outlaws, mercenaries, panthers and other raiders of Torvaldsland.

Most battles are a kind of rendezvous, where two armies manage to meet, either after a successful siege, when one army advances to another siege, or retreats, or before a siege has taken place. The terrain is therefore very important, as is the stewardship that must follow the armies to ensure their supplies. This is where scouts are vital, as are strategists. Scouts track down the enemy army to find out where to meet it, while strategists decide which terrain to choose, and when, as well as which military formation is best suited to confronting the enemy. But that doesn’t mean there’s no looting! We’ll talk about that below.

A small point very particular to the world of Gor: scouts are most often tarnsmen, elite warriors riding tarns, giant eagles. While tarns may not be all that effective on the battlefield (a tarn is ultimately rather fragile against bows and crossbows), they are still an aerial commando force capable of both scouting and neutralizing enemy scouts; not to mention that tarns can swoop down on an army’s command to destroy its organization and kill its leaders. Thus, tarnsmen, in attack, vanguard and defense, are particularly sought-after.

A Gorean army

I use the term legions to describe Gorean armies, because it’s more generic than phalanx, which refers to a specific formation of Greek warriors. The Gorean legions form a troop of around 3,000 to 5,000 infantrymen, 300 to 500 cavalrymen and around 50 tarnsmen. Archers, artillery and engineers are usually auxiliary troops.

A city like Athens, at the time of Alexander the Great, had 300,000 inhabitants and the equivalent of 8 legions, i.e. more than 26,000 elite soldiers. As for Rome… the Roman Empire at its height had 27 legions (125,000 soldiers) and cohorts of auxiliaries (artillery, slingers, cavalry, etc.) also totalling 125,000 men, for a total of 250,000 men. But then, covering the whole of Europe, the Maghreb and part of the Middle East, that’s not all that impressive.

For example, Ar, Gor’s most populous and powerful city-state, and its satellite cities, which total some 3 to 4 million inhabitants, had 15 legions of 5,000 infantrymen, for a total of 75,000 soldiers, and no doubt as many auxiliaries.

A legion on the march is more than just 5,000 infantrymen. For every rarius, there must be at least one civilian member of the quartermaster and supply staff: servants, slaves, cooks, blacksmiths, drapers, lumberjacks, engineers, doctors, etc. A troop of 10,000 people had to be fed and cared for, requiring considerable financial resources. That’s why big wars don’t last, because the longer they last, the greater the risk that the army will die of starvation, ruin its city-state, or be decimated by epidemics.

In fact, it’s the supply problem that causes the most damage to civilians. The army needs to eat, heat and shelter, and if it has to pillage villages in its path, it won’t hesitate. For the peasants and villagers of these communities, the only way out is to flee, at the risk of losing everything. But the rarius in the field also hopes for booty; thus, during the advance of a legion, looting to capture slaves, especially women, is not at all uncommon. Commanders tend to let this happen, under a certain amount of control, so as not to alienate the troops.

Why go to war?

The main excuse for medieval wars was legitimacy and inheritance, since the feudal system gave power to the same lines of nobility. In antiquity, this was not the case, nor was it the Goreans’ main excuse. As a general rule, a war begins with a problem of misunderstanding following an unhonored alliance between city-states. Some unions are simply intended to seal alliances, but as power is generally managed by an elected Council of High Castes, these alliances between families can be denounced by the authorities, who decide that there is no reason to respect them.

But the real reason for war is economic or socio-cultural. There are three main causes of war:

– War of conquest : a city-state is in economic competition with its neighbors and can’t find an outlet for its own markets; so it attacks one of its neighbors to open up new economic markets. These are mostly siege wars, often over a long period of time. And in the process, the victor plunders the treasure of the target city, and makes slaves.

– Wars of honor : one insult too many, one betrayal too many, an misalliance too many, and a city-state considers that its prestige and honor depend on its ability to make its enemy pay for the affront it has suffered. These are short wars, rarely sieges, in which the victor will demand tribute or ransom to free prisoners, but will rarely demand the capture of territory.

– Defensive war: this is undoubtedly the worst type of war, as the attacker himself is backed into a corner. Most often, the aim is to conquer a neighbor in order to fortify one’s own borders against another adversary, or to gain new territory for survival, having lost one’s own to another adversary. Defensive wars are conflicts in which the attacker has no choice, or even nothing to lose, and will therefore pursue the conflict to the limit.

There are many other types of warfare, such as prestige war, economic war and political war (waging war on the outside, to gain political leverage in one’s own city-state), but I’ve stopped at the three most common.

A final point on this subject: wars are not massacres. I’m referring here to ancient and medieval battles. As a general rule, between wounded and dead, an army prepares to admit defeat and retreat as soon as it loses more than a tenth of its men. And an army rarely loses more than 15% to 20% of its men. A rarius is expensive and precious. Losing 20% of auxiliary soldiers or conscripts isn’t so bad. But losing 20% of your Gorean legionnaires is a total catastrophe. And while the enemy will finish off the dying left on the battlefield, they will generally not execute prisoners or captured civilians, which would be a dishonorable act. It’s far more interesting to exchange them for ransom, or to enslave them.

Warriors in general

Not all warriors are rarii, and not all rarii serve in a legion. The use of legal force and the carrying of weapons are not really regulated in the world of Gor. A man entering a city-state in war gear, if unknown, will have to answer questions, but city gates, in the novels, are always open (during the day) to all travelers, including armed ones.

The big difference is that the warrior, in the minds of SL Gor players, belongs to the warrior caste. But this is by no means a generality. Many mercenaries are, for example, sailors, hunters, peasants, low-caste workers and so on. They are more or less trained in weaponry, are wealthy enough to own equipment, and hire out their services for a more or less extended period, as they have not renounced their caste, but simply found an occasional trade that brings them a welcome additional income.

That said, in Gor’s mind, the true warrior is the rarius. But this is a fairly populous caste. And a city-state doesn’t necessarily need legions ready for battle at a moment’s notice. Also, many rarius work in the private sector, in the service of a family, a guild or another caste. They work as bodyguards, caravan escorts, guild or embassy guards, private guards, or even bounty hunters tracking down criminals. But mercenaries are very rare. A mercenary fights for money alone, which the rarii consider a dishonor. Oh, there are some, but they’re no better than outlaws to the rest of the caste.

Note that I’m not talking about the profession of slave catchers. This is almost never a profession practiced by rarii, but usually by mercenaries, or hunters and other low-castes hired by slavers. Once again, for a warrior, it’s not a very honorable job.

2- The rarius and the warrior caste

The rarius, Gor’s soldier, serves a city-state, the one for which he has sworn on the Home stone. Even if he works for the private sector, he is still in the service of the city and will join a legion as soon as the authorities call for war.

All rarii have undergone rigorous elite training as legionnaires, starting in childhood. Not only have they learned to fight alone and as a unit, but also to function as military formations, where each man’s shield also protects his neighbor. The weapon of choice for a rarius is not the sword, but the spear, as it is the master weapon of a square of legionnaires protected by their shields. The sword, though formidable, is a hand-to-hand weapon, when the formations of spears and shields are broken and the battle becomes a melee where the spear has no further use.

From the age of 14 or 15, rarii specialize in one type of service or training, until the age of 21, when they are considered warriors ready for service. The only special case is that of tarniers, who receive specialized training from childhood.

Note: no, rarii do not despise reading and writing. They may not all be very literate, but they have all learned to read and write, because it’s a necessity. How can you read a plan, an order or an official letter without it? By the same token, they are very clean-cut men who take great care over their appearance. It’s part of their military discipline! Even a penniless warrior will never appear before his equals in dirty or worn-out clothes.

A rarius is therefore highly disciplined, with a strong esprit de corps. But he’s not just a warrior. His kit includes shovels and pickaxes, for setting up camps, digging trenches, building fortifications, bridges and war artillery. But above all, a warrior is a man of honor.

Honor is the driving force behind the rarii way of life and discipline. The solitary warrior who obeys only himself and respects neither authority, nor hierarchy, nor laws, nor caste precedence, does not last long. Warriors have their own code, some of whose principles we know from the Warrior’s Aphorisms quoted by Norman, but their honor also depends on their respect and discipline, which is not limited to obeying their officers. The warrior serves the city, and obeys its laws and civil leaders.

The color of the rarii is red, and they always wear it. It has to be said that they are rarely seen in civilian clothes.

The warrior code

Norman quotes some of them, I haven’t taken them all down as they are, but as the novels progress, we learn part of the rarii code, which is as follows. It’s not absolutely complete, but it’s enough to understand the rarii sense of honor. For more info on the concepts of honor, I refer you to this article: https://www.psychee.org/gorpedia/honor-a-social-virtue/ :

– Every challenge must be met on time.
– Whoever sheds your blood, or whose blood you shed, becomes your brother in arms. To disrespect a man (and especially another warrior, even an enemy) with whom you have fought is a serious act.
– Warriors never break their allegiance.
– The only acceptable death for a Warrior is in battle.
– The claim to the right of the sword is the right to challenge another Warrior for his slave; the challenged Warrior chooses the dueling weapon.
– Respect intelligence as well as strength.
– Warriors never commit suicide.
– Warriors share a common Home stone. Its name is “battle”.
– Slaves are a Warrior’s joy and convenience. The capture of slaves is not only permitted, but encouraged.
– If a man raises a weapon against a Warrior, the latter is authorized by his Codes to kill him.
– Stay alive as long as you can regain Freedom and Honor. (Yes, a rarius can flee or surrender when the situation is hopeless.)
– Poisoned steel is against the Codes.
– Ninety-seventh Aphorism of the Warrior’s Codes: “What is impossible to see or touch but more beautiful than the richest diamond?” The answer is “Honor.”
– Even the fiercest warrior prefers peace and family to war and fighting.
– Any woman, any possession, any good, can be taken by the sword (this is a debatable point in the code, as it’s still theft, in one’s own city-state, with the risk of being harshly judged, even banished or killed).
– A non-warrior who accepts a duel deserves honor and respect.
– A market is sacred, and the marketplace must be bloodless (warriors respect the Law of Merchants, which considers all trade sacred and bloodless).
– Whoever asks a warrior for protection owes him a debt. If it’s a woman, the warrior is free to take her neck as compensation.

Warrior life

The warrior caste, on closer inspection, is not a rich one. It’s the lowest of the five High castes, and it’s at their service. As the warrior caste’s only skill is war, and despite the importance of the subject to the world of Gor, they don’t have much to sell or monetize. And if you’re wondering what the Initiate caste can sell, it sells hope and faith, and that sells very well!

Also, the only thing a warrior can sell for money is his strength, his arm and his military skills. Which isn’t worth much, even if it is invaluable in the event of war. Also, warriors don’t roll in gold, and those who aren’t lucky enough to receive a (modest) paycheck from their city-state are willing to take on any guard work to earn a living. Which introduces a somewhat dismal detail. Alongside the scribal caste, which isn’t always wealthy, it’s the warrior high-caste who are most likely to sell their daughters to improve their standard of living.

And this is both sinister and logical: in the warrior caste, women have little use beyond their ability to give birth to new warriors. If a daughter can be married off to a representative of a higher caste for a fruitful alliance (or to a merchant, for the same reason), it’s not that common. Warrior caste women have little rank or usefulness: scribes are preferred for stewardship and management, builders for military engineering, and physicians to treat the men. The woman of the warrior caste rarely has the opportunity to be anything other than a mother. That said, there are a few stewards, strategists and managers who have been able to stand out from the crowd. But it remains rare. And even more than in other Gorean castes, warriors are terribly macho, even sexist. This makes it even more difficult for a woman in the caste to climb the social ladder.

By the way, not every warrior has a slave girl, far from it. If that’s the goal of any warrior’s prestige, a slave girl is pretty expensive, for a warrior’s modest pay. So, more often than not, if he manages to win one during a military campaign, he’ll sell her to feed his family. Only non-commissioned officers and veterans own a slave they can afford to keep.

So why do we talk so much about the wealth and glory of the greatest warriors? Because it’s the high-caste that offers the greatest opportunity for social advancement. Goreans recognize merit before rank or status. A warrior can start out as a simple city gate guard, and by dint of exploits and prestige, become a senior officer, covered in wealth, glory and respect! And as an Ubar is, barring exceptions, always a member of this caste, it’s the only one that really offers access to the highest power in the world of Gor. Only the highest magistrates of the scribe caste can claim such an equivalence.

Note: this is why it is the lowest of the 5 high castes, and owes obedience and respect to all the others. The warrior caste can easily seize power in a city-state, so it is placed lowest in the hierarchy. Once again, the warrior is at the service of his city and his community, never the other way around! Only in times of war does this caste have authority, and then only in matters of security, military and war.

The military ranks

There aren’t many references to the Gorean names for the military ranks within the warrior caste, so I did a little research, based on the few quotations on the subject, and on the military organization of the Roman legions.

To understand the ranks, you need to understand the formations of the legions. These differed according to the type of corps. What works for infantrymen differs for cavalrymen or tarniers. I indicate with each division of a legion the rank of the man commanding it. I should point out that this is not entirely historical, as Roman ranks were a nameless mess, whose titles and ranks have changed a lot in the course of history.

– Legion: 3,000 to 5,000 men. Headed by a legatus (equivalent to a general or high-ranking colonel).

– Cohort: unit of 1,000 men, all with the same military training (legionnaires, cavalrymen, etc.). Led by a centurion (a commander) or a legide (a colonel).

– Manipule: unit of around 300 men, under the same cohort. Led by a princeps prior (a captain).

– Centurie: unit of around 100 men, under the same maniple. Led by a princeps ( lieutenant), assisted by two optios (sergeants).

– Unit: group of 10 men under the same centurie. Led by an evocatus (a corporal, always a veteran soldier).

Cavalrymen are grouped in maniples of 250 to 300. Tarnsmen in a centurie of 50. They always have their own princeps prior, sometimes even their own centurion. Naval soldiers are organized like legions of infantrymen, with one ship for every 100 warriors on board. Auxiliary troops were organized into cohorts, with their centurions under the command of the legatus of the legion to which they were attached.

3- Warrior expertise

Let’s look at a few types of Gorean warriors who were members of the caste.

The legionary: the most typical warrior. He serves in a legion of infantrymen, and specializes in formation combat, with helmet, shield and sturdy spear. He usually lives in barracks, and only non-commissioned officers and veterans can afford a wife and children. A legionnaire who is not in the field is on training or urban guard patrol. It’s a totally military life, where leave is rare.

The urban guard: the gatekeeper, the rampart guard, the patrol soldier, etc… Not exactly the most honorable position in a rarius, but indispensable, since it ensures the security of the city-state. The urban guard has only two functions: to sound the alarm and be combat-ready in the event of enemy intrusion, and to maintain order. He is not there to police or enforce the law, which is the job of magistrates and their delegates, the quaesitorii (see below), but only to enforce order. While many legionnaires assigned to barracks patrol the city and countryside, the urban guard is sometimes either an old veteran rarius who is spending his retirement this way, or a young legionnaire considered unfit to take his place in a combat formation.

The cavalryman: riding a terrible war tharlarion, the cavalryman is a member of a shock unit charged with overrunning enemy lines. Cavalrymen can also be scouts or vanguards, but tarnsmen are preferred for reconnaissance missions. This is a corps that suffers many losses in battle, which is the price of its formidable effectiveness.

The tarnsman : an article should surely be dedicated to this unit alone, which forms a warrior sub-caste in its own right. It’s an elite force among the rarii. Tarnsmen ride war tarns, fearsome giant prey birds, and their mission is reconnaissance, targeted blitzkrieg and aerial harassment. Again, this is a corps that suffers many casualties in battle. It’s difficult to become a tarnsman, as this category of warrior is trained from father to son, from childhood onwards.

The marine warrior: like a legionnaire, this infantryman specializes in boarding, preferring the crossbow, saber and light shield to the legionnaire’s spear and heavy shield. Marine warriors avoid helmets and heavy equipment, in the hope of surviving drowning. And they’re taught to swim, of course!

The elite guard : unlike the urban guard or patrolman, the elite guard is a prestigious position, open only to the best, requiring expertise, experience and total devotion. He is attached to the guard of the city-state’s highest authorities, ready to die to fulfill his duty to protect them. The elite guard is part of the personal guard of the Ubar or the Council, and is often considered the city’s most prestigious military unit.

The strategist: a small caste within a caste, strategists are selected from among the most intellectual warriors, those whose intelligence, cunning and experience are more valuable than their strength. They are trained in the study of military strategy and tactics, and incidentally, are generally all excellent kaissa players. They are, of course, all, at the very least, non-commissioned officers of good rank.

The engineering warrior: military works, artillery weapons and the skills needed to dig tunnels and knock down walls are the prerogative of the builders’ guild. But they are assisted by specialized soldiers who, under their direction, implement engineering machines and tactics. They are indispensable in siege battles. This is the military branch of the builders, and they have their own command, supported by members of the builder caste.

The archer : archer units are auxiliary troops in the legion organization. They are therefore never legionnaires, and their training differs, from their ^15th year onwards, or even younger. For a rarius, it’s a less-than-honorable position, where members of the caste considered not strong enough to do anything else end up. That said, they’re still highly regarded, for their efficiency on the battlefield against all the other auxiliaries, but also against the cavalry and the tarnsmen!

The quaesitor : while the engineering warrior is assigned to the builder caste, the quaesitor is a rarius who has become an agent of the magistrates of the scribe caste. Hand-picked, made up of veterans with proven intellectual and moral abilities and a certain diplomatic flair, the quaesitorii are Gor’s police officers. They are responsible for arresting criminals, apprehending and interrogating suspects, punishing offenses (usually with an immediate fine), and securing crime scenes for the magistrates’ investigative work, in which they often participate.

4- Gorean weapons & armor

Let’s start by clarifying one point: Gorean warriors never wear metal torso armor. Nor are they bare-chested! Like everyone else, they can get cold, and an army that starts seeing its warriors fall ill is in big trouble.

But, yes, wearing metal armor is a taboo, a religious taboo. I find it hard to see any concrete explanation for this decision, apart from the religious prohibition, so I won’t dwell on the causes of this choice. That said, while the Roman legions wore chain mail and metal breastplates, heavy armor has never been the norm in the history of warfare. Simply because it’s expensive! A good shield, a sturdy helmet and padded clothing do the trick just fine. A Gorean warrior will add armbands and metal leggings for added protection.

Are there any exceptions? Yes, there are a few in the novels. The richest warriors in Tovaldsland are proud of their chain mail, and the greatest military officers wear breastplates, which are more decorative than protective. Nor is it uncommon to see elite troops wearing armor reinforcements in chain mail or plates, for their shoulders and arms, or in loincloths and skirts to protect their lower abdomen and thighs. Leather is also tolerated. It can be slightly reinforced with metal nails. Non-quilted leather, however, is no better than fabric in terms of protection, and it’s heavier and more expensive. Yes, I know, in the movies, everyone loves leather. But that’s because it looks better on TV. It’s no better than good, thick, padded, reinforced fabric.

The typical equipment of a warrior is therefore a helmet, an infantryman’s spear, a sword (usually a glaive, i.e. a fairly short, handy weapon) and a large shield, either round, like a hoplite’s shield, or rectangular and elongated, like the Roman legionnaires’ scutum. As the latter provides greater coverage, strength and sophistication than the round shield, it’s far more effective in training than the round shield, which I’m sure was somewhat neglected by the Gorean legions. Added to this is a tunic of padded fabric that can absorb shocks and avoid sharp blade blows, and metal leggings that protect shins and calves, up to the knee. Armbands to protect the forearm are less common, but widespread. And of course, a warrior wears gloves and a leather cap under his helmet (metal and scalp don’t mix well over time).

No, there’s no bow! Or a slingshot, for that matter. Handling a bow or slingshot effectively (never neglect this weapon, it was formidable in Roman auxiliary troops – a lead slingshot bullet could pierce a skull, through the helmet, at a distance of fifty meters) requires specific training that is not part of the basic training of the rarius, but of specialized units, or civilian auxiliaries (peasants and others), who are recruited only for the duration of a war campaign.

Warriors must pay for their own equipment. The latter is often standardized, and the warrior caste hires and pays its own craftsmen, but the warrior must finance his own uniform and weapons. And this is no small investment; while the warrior caste helps its own, the young warrior’s family has to save for a long time, or even go into debt, to pay for this equipment. That’s why every warrior takes great care of it, and hopes to pass it on to his son.

Note on the spear: the Gorean spear is a melee weapon designed to pierce the enemy while keeping him at a distance. It is a stabbing weapon. The spear’s metal tip, shaped like a willow leaf, is sharp and razor-sharp. The shaft is set into a solid wooden stick, about 2.50 m long, for a total length of 2.80 m. Its other end is fitted with a short metal point, to balance the whole. In all, the weapon rarely weighs more than two or three kilograms.

Other rarii weapons:

The javelin: a weapon not to be overlooked, in which legionnaires are trained, it’s a light auxiliary weapon that can break up a formation by hitting the enemy over his shield. A good barbed-tipped javelin easily hits the bull’s-eye at twenty meters, and causes fearsome damage.

The crossbow: a highly prized weapon for defense, on ramparts, or by tarnsmen and cavalrymen, the Gorean crossbow is most often a light crossbow, which can be held with one hand to fire. Its only drawbacks are its reloading time, which is much longer than that of a bow, and its cost. The weapon is expensive, and so are the arrows. On the other hand, it can pierce a shield more effectively than an bow arrow and, above all, is much easier to handle than a bow.

The saber: prized by naval warriors, cavalrymen and pirates alike, this is a highly effective weapon in melee combat when the opponent has little armor, as is the case at sea, where it’s best to carry lightly to avoid drowning, but also in arid or hot regions, where armor and protection are, here too, a handicap.

The two-handed sword : a rare weapon, it is nevertheless available in certain legions, for a handful of warriors hand-picked for their size, daring and strength. A group of men charging with their two-handed sword whirling above them can easily break through a formation of spears and shields, if the group attacks in the right places, such as corners and sides.

The sarissa: a very long spear measuring from 4 to 7 meters, it takes a great deal of training to learn how to wield it, always in compact units. It is a formidable weapon against round-shielded formations and charges of poorly equipped infantry or cavalry. But the square formation with rectangular shield and infantryman’s lance of the rarii makes this weapon somewhat obsolete, so it’s rare to come across units equipped with sarisses.

Some common Gorean weapons:

Hunter’s bow : this is the so-called short bow. Most often made of wood, it can also be made of horn and braided sinew. It requires good strength to get the most out of it, but, as mentioned, it’s a common bow, at least in its wooden form, ideal for hunting game.

Cavalry bow: similar to the hunter’s bow, the cavalry bow is almost always made of horn, and braided sinew. Small and maneuverable, its powerful draw makes it a formidable weapon against infantrymen, almost as effective as a crossbow, at a lower price – but with considerably more training.

The war bow: this is the English longbow, very long, made of well-chosen wood and strings, requiring advanced training. It’s a rare weapon, difficult to handle, and the peasants who train with it are much sought-after – and well-paid – as auxiliaries. A war bow has an impressive range, and is formidably effective, even against shields. In Gor’s world, these archers are by far the least common.

Bolas: mainly used for hunting and capture, bolas are fairly easy to use, and are easily lethal against poorly protected infantry or cavalry. A well-thrown bola can break a tharlarion’s leg. It’s a popular weapon with certain war units in the jungles of Schendi and the southern plains.

The slingshot: as mentioned above, the slingshot is a common ranged weapon, used for both hunting and warfare. There are specialized craftsmen who make slings and slingshot bullets. Good training is required to use them, and they are a formidable, low-cost weapon.

Swords: the sword of the rarius is the glaive, a short sword, but there are also longer, finer-bladed swords, known as one-and-a-half-handed swords, often designed to face an opponent wielding a glaive and shield. There are also rarer two-handed swords. And to break a myth: swords never weigh much. A glaive weighs 500 to 700 grams, a one-and-a-half-handed sword rarely more than a kilogram, and a two-handed sword never more than two-and-a-half kilograms.

The hunting stake: a weapon similar to the infantryman’s spear, but heavier, and fitted with two perpendicular rods at the base of its iron, to prevent the target from moving up the wood of the spear that impales it. This is very useful when hunting snarling animals and wild beasts, which can ignore pain and lash out in fury.

Guisarme: a form of halberd, with a pointed and hooked blade, often with a cutting edge. This defensive weapon is just as effective against pedestrians as against horsemen, but is less maneuverable than the lance. It is highly prized by city and private guards.

The axe : more common in low castes, or in the hands of Nordic warriors, the axe is an effective weapon that’s fairly easy to handle (though less so than the glaive), but it’s also more suitable as a hand-to-hand weapon, when the shock of spears and shields has passed and melee begins.

The war mace: not very common, even if it does exist, the war mace is a blunt weapon, especially effective for knocking out and crushing skulls under their helmets, but less useful in front of shields. In full melee, however, it can wreak havoc.

The dagger: a common weapon, even in the equipment of a Rarius in the field. It’s never a primary weapon, but if you’ve lost your spear or sword, it can be a lifesaver. In fact, the dagger is not a knife at all: we’re talking about a 20-35 cm blade, triangular in shape and wide at the base, for maximum damage when piercing the enemy.