Numec Weapons and Armor

Hepekeria is known far and wide for its superior Taugari steel, named after the Taugari cultists who produce it. According to legend the Taugari mine the steel in outcrops in the heart of the desert and there they forge the steel using their secret processes and magicks. While their origins are mysterious it is clear that the Taugari have been in Hepekeria since roughly TR 10. The exact location, or locations, of their settlements is a closely guarded secret as the Daoudim jealously protect the Taugari from outside contact and hence maintain a monopoly. The Taugari are not permitted to leave their desert settlement(s) and must conduct all their trade with Daoudim.

The secret of making Taugari steel is the subject of many legends and has been the goal of many failed expeditions into the heartlands of Hepekeria. Ivinian settlers on the northern coasts in particular are persistent in their attempts to learn the secret. So far they have been unsuccessful, in large part due to the fanaticism of the warriors who protect the Taugari cultists.

Taugari steel is rarely traded outside of the Daoudim, indeed it is rarely seen outside of the Daoudim Ghaziyen. It is never used for common tools, being much to costly to produce, and is reserved for only the best weapons. Most Daoudim Ghaziyen would happily kill to retrieve Taugari steel which has fallen into the hands of non-Daoudim. Nevertheless, many non-Daoudim Ghaziyen own Taugari blades and a few have found their way out of Hepekeria entirely.

The most prized of the Taugari blades is the Thanath though no non-Daoudim is known to possess one. The name Thanath does not denote a particular type of sword but rather the magical process by which it is created and matched with its owner. Most are large two-handed blades similar to the killj and many non-Hepekerians believe that all Thanathyen are so, but some are made as either saifs or shamshirs. Thanathyen are made from only the best steel and by the most senior swordsmiths of the Taugari. Only a few are ever produced and only the highest ranking warriors will have a Thanath. What magical properties Thanathyen possess is not known outside the Daoudim Ghaziyen or the Taugari.

The principle weapons of Numec warriors, both of the Korluim and Daoudim, are the Saif, Shamshir, Killj, and Jambiya. The shamshir is a curved, single-edged sword with a long thin blade. It is often highly decorated with gold and silver, and the pommel is typically curved. It is prized as a calvary weapon and isfrequently used in conjunction with a medium-sized roundshield or a buckler. The saif is closely related and similarly shaped but the blade is substantially heavier and somewhat shorter and the pommel has a characteristic hook. It is used on foot rather than mounted, though again with either a roundshield or buckler. The Killj is a relatively recent addition to the Numec armory, in part a response to heavier armor styles made popular by Ivinian invaders. It is a heavy curved blade with a thick, strong back. The crosspiece is relatively long and the base of the pommel has a substantial counterweight, usually disk-shaped. It is a two-handed weapon, heavy enough to cut through Ivinian mail. The Jambiya is a curved, double-edged dagger, worn over the navel. The metal-covered wooden scabbard and handle are often elaborately decorated and inlaid. Nearly all Numec men, excepting the Fada'ilyen, wear a Jambiya.

Daoudim warriors do not use missile weapons of any sort, believing that all killing should be personal and anything else is dishonorable. This tradition is quite ancient and has survived the transition to the new religion of Ziryabism. Stealth is nevertheless prized and Daoudim warriors routinely attack from ambush. Daoudim warriors do use the sling for hunting and protecting their flocks from predators. In addition, Daoudim warriors do not believe in using armor, feeling that it is cowardly.

The Korlic peoples routinely use the bow in warfare, and also wear armor whenever they can afford it, two of the many reasons the Daoudim despise them. These bows are mostly simple, made from local trees. In 713 Clan Rashan of Korlua brought in a Reksyni bowyer as a slave and has put him to work. To date he has made a small number of composite bows; currently all are owned by members of clan Rashan. Isynen has made repeated overtures in the past two years to have some of their own bowyers trained by the Reksyni, but so far Clan Rashan has refused.

Native Korlic armor styles seem to owe more to Azeryani influence than Ivinian or Trierzi. Among those who can afford it the most common heavy armor is a lamellar corselet which covers the trunk down to the hips. Hard leather or sometimes lamellar strips hang from the shoulders and hips protecting the upper arms, thighs and groin. Helmets are typically open-faced, conical, with horsehair or feather plumes at the crest. Chain aventails are common, coving the neck and occasionally the lower face. The concept of heraldry is unknown in Hepekeria, though most of the Korluim warriors decorate their shields in some manner or other.

Both Daoudim and Korlic peoples favor the use of cavalry, the Daoudim primarily on camelback and the Korluim on horseback. While the Daoudim rarely use any infantry, preferring a hit-and-run style, the Korluim routinely recruit peasant militias as foot soldiers. Korlic cavalry, like the Daoudim cavalry, is normally used for its mobility and speed, unlike northwestern Lythian feudal heavy cavalry. For both the Daoudim and Korluim the Ghaziyen serve as elite troops, feared both for their skill and their fanaticism.