Hi all! The second round of the Siksraja shop updates are now in QC, and with this comes the updates and lore expansions for Rakash cultural weapons and armor.

* Some weapons and armor that were previously released with specific Rakash-language names are no longer going to be made with Rakash-language names. If you have one of these now-legacy items, please note that the ones already in circulation aren't being changed. However, you also will not be able to have these items altered, be it through a live merchant or a scroll alteration of any kind.

The list of weapons/armor with Rakash-language nouns that are no longer valid going forward are: variog (shield), akren dzelt (stone sting), varda svidaw cirvi (bearded throwing axe), rufjs zobens (rude scimitar), vargs zovens (severe sword), divirala cirvi (double-headed axe), uguns nuja (fire staff), ozols nuja (oak staff), tawvgali sis (small beater), nuja (staff), zovens (sword), cirvi (axe), zobens (scimitar), stroko sis (striking beater).

All Rakash-language weapons already in the player crafting systems remain in use.


* All remaining weapons and armor with Rakash-language names now have descriptions that explain why they are different enough to warrant their special name!

WEAPONS
* Note * All of these weapons MUST use their entire name for any that are two words.  These are the full names of these weapons, and without both of the words, they would not merit a Rakash language noun.  The only exception to this is the ava, which has a base type and two distinct subtypes.  These subtypes of ava still require that they retain both their noun and adjective for any alterations, however.

svidaw sis (throwing beater) heavy thrown blunt - Having its grip in the narrowed middle section, both ends of this heavy blunt weapon designed by the Rakash serve equally well for martial applications.  When thrown, the technique requires an across-the-body motion, causing its twin club-like ends to rotate in such a way as to take full advantage of the weapon's weight during even a glancing impact.

cuska (snake)  light thrown blunt - A cuska is a Rakash weapon consisting of rocks or metal weights, often sealed within leather pouches, that are joined to a handle with distinctive, sinuous chains.  These pouches, or bare weights if they are not pouched, are always in groups of three, with one attached to the end of each chain like the head of a snake.  Cuska may be used like a flail or thrown in a manner similar to a bola.  Cuska means 'snake' in Rakash, and this weapon gets its name from the specific style of chains used in its design.

grusana kaft (putting knife) - The blade and handle of this Rakash combat knife are forged from a single piece of metal, without any joining whatsoever.  Additionally, all grusana kaft have an outwardly curving, almost ovular, grip that transitions into a straight, sharply pointed blade best suited for thrusting.  The name ‘grusana kaft’ is an idiom that in Rakash roughly means ‘knife that will not fail you when repeatedly shoved very hard into something’ -- presumably in juxtaposition to knives comprised of blades attached to a separately created handle that might come loose or break at the joining with heavy use.  This use of grusana -- a form of the verb grusanat which means ‘to put’ in Rakash -- as a substitute for the concept of vicious stabbing is considered extremely tongue-in-cheek.

vilks kodur (wolf bite) two-handed blunt - Just shy of reaching polearm status, the long, thick wooden haft of this Rakash two-handed blunt weapon supports a heavy metal cylinder covered with small spikes.  These spikes tear at flesh as they slide along during impact, leaving a pattern not unlike tooth marks.  It is from this wound pattern that the weapon gets its name, which translates to ‘wolf bite’ in Common.

ava (halberd) polearm - A tri-bladed traditional Rakash polearm with a large crescent-shaped blade backed by a smaller triangular blade.  Like the more common halberd, it has a spear tip at the end of the haft.  Unlike the more common halberd, the curved blade of an ava is always concave, never convex.

awgravet ava (engraved halberd) polearm - While frequently mistaken as a standard ava by many non-Rakash over the years due to it being the most popular version of the weapon in modern times, an awgravet ava has two important differences.  The first is from which the weapon gets its name -- an awgravet ava is always engraved with either religiously significant images or nature scenes.  These engravings are generally only upon its blades, but versions exist where they extend to the haft as well.  The second is that both the triangular blade and spear-like blade are larger and more prominent on an awgravet ava than that on a standard ava or gultne ava, nearly matching the size of its curved blade and giving the weapon a much more balanced appearance as a whole.

gultne ava (channeled halberd) polearm - The gultne ava is designed with an eye to puncture over slice, and is one of the more common ceremonial weapons used by followers of Coshivi due to its tendency to rend the flesh in such a way as to produce a great deal of blood from the wounds it creates.  A gultne ava has channels that run down the haft and extend along the crescent blade.  All three of its blades have serrated edges, with the serrations often crafted to resemble myriad small claws.

ilglaiks skefne (long spear) polearm - The longer of the two traditional Rakash spears, an ilgaikas skefne is largely differentiated from a common spear by its distinctive spearhead.  Semi-ovular, its edges bow outward slightly before meeting in a deadly point, while its surface bears intentional spurs and grooves that maximize the damage upon both entry and exit.  Rakash historians posit that this unique finish is based upon the characteristics of a special stone that was used to create spearheads long ago, attempting to recreate its natural features while benefiting from the strength and durability of metal.

duraka skefne (mist spear) polearm - The smaller of the two traditional Rakash spears.  In addition to the distinctive spearhead that it shares with the longer ilglaiks skefne, a duraka skefne has a hollowed shaft that enhances its lift.  It is said that this allows a duraka skefne to float like mist while in transit, thus its name which roughly translates into Common as ‘mist spear’.

ARMOR
battle odaj (battle robe) - The term battle odaj always refers to armor, and never just clothing. It is a more recent development, having first begun as makeshift armor during the fights against the undead prior to the Great Migration. Rakash of that era would sometimes add scraps of metal or leather to their odaj, affixing them in whatever way they could to give themselves a measure of additional protection.

Though superficially differing from the more common armored robes mainly in the odaj-esque styling, a modern battle odaj is a much less haphazard creation and is actually quite difficult to make due to the balancing of the armored properties with the movement and flow expected in an odaj. Usually crafted either wholly from leather or from a combination of chain atop cloth, a battle odaj will always cover both shoulders and be ankle length. Oftentimes, a battle odaj will have some sort of decorative pauldrons as well. When these are present, they are most likely to be designed to reflect the religious leanings of the wearer.


-Persida


This message was originally posted in The Races of DragonRealms, Rakash - Rakash Pack. To discuss the above, follow the link below.

http://forums.play.net/forums/13/115/791/view/1417