For now, I'm just posting some images.
(Note: Amost all of the pictures are cut off in halves. Click right on them and open in a new window to see in full.)



























Moderator: Elder Staff
by Emilio » Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:13 pm
by Emilio » Tue Dec 17, 2013 1:29 pm
by toofast » Tue Dec 17, 2013 5:38 pm
by Brian » Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:50 pm
by Icristhus » Tue Dec 17, 2013 11:34 pm
by Emilio » Wed Dec 18, 2013 4:59 am
by Letters » Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:03 am
Emilio wrote:Sorry, but, I chose the name because it was cooler than say "Closet" or "Chest".
by Emilio » Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:31 am
by Nimrod » Wed Dec 18, 2013 3:57 pm
Letters wrote:I like the focus on cloth, leather, axes and spears.
by Emilio » Wed Dec 18, 2013 6:36 pm
Wikipedia wrote:Bows and arrows
Bows were used both for hunting and in battle. They were made from yew, ash or elm trees. The draw force of a 10th-century bow may have reached some 90 pounds force (400 N) or more, resulting in an effective range of at least 200 m depending on the weight of the arrow. A yew bow found at Viking Hedeby, which probably was a full-fledged war bow, had a draw force of well over 100 pounds. Replica bows using the original dimensions have been measured to between 100 and 130 pounds draw weight. A unit of length used in the Viking age called a bow shot corresponded to what was later measured as 227,5 m, or 800 feet. Illustrations from the time show bows being pulled back to the chest, rather than to the corner of the mouth or under the chin, as is common today.
Arrowheads were typically made from iron and produced in various shapes and dimensions, according to place of origin. Most arrowheads were fixed onto the arrow shaft by a shouldered tang that was fitted into the end of a shaft of wood. Some heads were also made of wood, bone or antler. Evidence for eagle feather flights has been found with the feathers being bound and glued on. The end of the shaft was flared with shallow self nocks, although some arrows possessed bronze cast nocks. The historical record also indicates that Vikings may have used barbed arrows, but the archaeological evidence for such technology is limited.
The earliest find of these relics were found in Denmark, seemingly belonging to the leading-warrior class, as per the graves in which they were found.
Spear
The spear was the most common weapon to the peasant class of Scandinavia and also throwing spears may have been used by the warrior class. They consisted of metal heads with a blade and a hollow shaft, mounted on wooden shafts of two to three metres in length, and were typically made from ash wood. The spear heads could measure between twenty and sixty centimetres with a tendency towards longer heads in the later Viking age.[2] Spear heads with wings are called krókspjót (hooked spear) in the sagas. Some larger-headed spears were called höggspjót (hewing spear) and could also be used for cutting. The barbed throwing spears were often less decorated than the ostentatious thrusting spears, as the throwing spears were often lost in battle.[4]
The spear was used both as a throwing weapon and as a thrusting weapon, although there was some specialization in design. Lighter, narrower spearheads were made for throwing; heavier broader ones, for stabbing.[2] Most evidence indicates that they were used in one hand. Limited evidence from a saga[citation needed] indicates that they may have been used with two hands, but not in battle. The head was held in place with a pin, which saga characters occasionally pull out to prevent a foe from re-using the weapon.
Compared to a sword, the spear can be made with inferior steel and far less metal overall. This made the weapon cheaper and probably within the capability of a common blacksmith to produce. Despite this, the spear held great cultural significance to the Viking warrior, as the primary weapon of Odin, the king of the Norse gods and the god of warfare, was the spear Gungnir.[5] The Eyrbyggja Saga alludes that a customary start to a battle included throwing a spear right over the enemy army to claim it for Odin.[6][7] Possibly due to its cultural significance, pattern-welded blades are common in spear heads, and the sockets were often decorated with silver inlaid patterns.[2]
Knife
Two distinct classes of knives were in use by Vikings. The more common one was a rather plain, single edge knife of normal construction, called a knifr. These are found in most graves, being the only weapon allowed for all, even slaves. Smaller versions served as the everyday utility tool, while longer versions were likely meant for hunting or combat or both. Weapon knives sometimes had ornamental inlays on the blade.[8] The construction was similar to traditional Scandinavian knives. The tang ran through a more or less cylindrical handle, the blade was straight with the edge sweeping upward at the tip to meet the back of the blade in a point.[8] The knife apparently played an important role for all Scandinavians. This is evidenced by the large number of knives found in burial sites of not only men, but also of women and children.[9]
The other type was the seax. The type associated with Vikings is the so-called broken-back style seax. It was usually a bit heavier than the regular knife and would serve as a machete- or falchion-like arm. A wealthier man might own a larger seax, some being effectively swords. With the single edge and heavy blade, this somewhat crude weapon would be relatively simple to use and produce, compared to the regular sword. A rather long tang is fitted to many examples, indicating they may have had a longer handle for two-handed use. The smaller knife-like seaxes were likely within the fabrication ability of a common blacksmith.
The Seax was in widespread use among the Migration period Germanic tribes, and is even eponymous of the Saxons. It appears in Scandinavia from the 4th century, and shows a pattern of distribution from the lower Elbe (Elbe Germans) to Anglo-Saxon England. While their popularity on the continent declines with the end of the Migration period, though they remained in the British Isles where it was taken up by the Vikings. The large, sword-like seaxes are primarily found in connection with Viking settlements in England and Ireland, but appear not very common in Scandinavia.[3]
Sword
The Viking sword was the primary weapon of the Viking and was for single-handed use to be combined with a shield, with a double edged blade length of typically around 90 cm. Its shape was still very much based on the swords of the Dark Ages and on the Roman spatha with a tight grip, long deep fuller and no pronounced cross-guard. This was in keeping with the rest of Europe as, at that time, this design of sword was the most widespread.[10] The double-edged blade design hints toward combat based on thrusting as opposed to hacking.[2]
Swords were very costly to make, and a sign of high status. Like Roman spathae they were worn in leather-bound wooden scabbards suspended from a strap across the right shoulder. Early blades were pattern-welded, a technique in which strips of wrought iron and mild steel were twisted and forged together, with the addition of a hardened edge. Later blades of homogeneous steel, imported probably from the Rhineland, bore inlaid makers' marks and inscriptions, such as INGELRII or ULFBERHT. Viking craftsmen often added their own elaborately decorated hilts, and many swords were given names, such as Leg-biter and Gold-hilt.[11] Swords with pattern-welded cores gave greater strength and flexibility.[2] The sword grip was usually made of an organic material such as wood, horn, or antler (which does not often survive for archeological uncovering) and may well have been wound around with textile.[12]
Owning a sword was a matter of high warrior honour. Persons of status might own ornately decorated swords with silver accents and inlays. Most Viking warriors would own a sword as one raid was usually enough to afford a good blade. Most freemen would own a sword with goðar, jarls and sometimes richer freemen owning much more ornately decorated swords. The poor farmers would use an axe or spear instead but after a couple of raids they would then have enough to buy a sword. One sword mentioned in the Laxdæla saga was valued at half a crown, which would correspond to the value of 16 milk-cows. Constructing such weapons was a highly specialized endeavour and many sword-blades were imported from foreign lands such as the Rhineland. Swords could take up to a month to forge and were of such high value that they were passed on from generation to generation. Often, the older the sword, the more valuable it became.[13]
A distinct class of early single edged swords is known from Eastern Norway at the time. These had grips similar to the double edged swords, and blades of comparable length. The blades varied from long and slim, like the more common two edged swords, to somewhat heavy, giving the weapon a more cleaver-like balance.[14] Confusingly the same finds are sometimes classified as "sabres" or "seaxes" in English literature.[15]
As mentioned above, a sword was so valued in Norse society that good blades were prized by successive generations of warriors. There is even some evidence from Viking burials for the deliberate and possibly ritual "killing" of swords, which involved the blade being bent so that it was unusable. Because Vikings were often buried with their weapons, the "killing" of swords may have served two functions. A ritualistic function in retiring a weapon with a warrior, and a practical function in deterring any grave robbers from disturbing the burial in order to get one of these costly weapons.[7][12] Indeed, archeological finds of the bent and brittle pieces of metal sword remains testify to the regular burial of Vikings with weapons, as well as the habitual "killing" of swords.[16]
Axe
Perhaps the most common hand weapon among Vikings in modern fiction was the axe. Swords were more expensive to make, and mostly wealthy warriors could afford a sword. The prevalence of axes in archaeological sites can likely be attributed to its role as not just a weapon, but also a common tool. This is supported by the large number of grave sites of female Scandinavians containing axes.[17] Several types of larger axes specialized for use in battle evolved, with larger heads and longer shafts. The larger forms were as long as a man and made to be used with both hands, called the Daneaxe. Some axe heads were inlaid with silver designs. In the later Viking era, there were axe heads with crescent shaped edges measuring up to 45 cm, called breiðöx (broad axe). The limitations of the weapon are limited reach and a slow recovery time after striking a blow. The double-bitted axes depicted in modern "Viking" art are likely pure fantasy.
Vikings most commonly carried sturdy axes that could be thrown or swung with head-splitting force.[18] The Mammen Axe is a famous example of such battle-axes, ideally suited for throwing and melee combat.[19]
An axe head was mostly wrought iron, with a steel cutting edge. This made the weapon less expensive than a sword, and was a standard item produced by blacksmiths, historically.
Like most other Scandinavian weaponry, axes were often given names. According to Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, axes were often named after she-trolls.[20]
by Icarus » Thu Dec 19, 2013 12:25 pm
by Emilio » Thu Dec 19, 2013 12:44 pm
by Octavius » Thu Dec 19, 2013 12:57 pm
Emilio wrote:Vikings were raiders and bandits. They always attack by surprise and avoid pitched battles. They valued speed and agility over heavy protective armor. Their axes were more to chop off arms and legs as well as splitting heads. Bearded axes were used to pull down their opponents' shields. They fought with wild savagery.
by Throttle » Thu Dec 19, 2013 1:01 pm
by Letters » Thu Dec 19, 2013 1:22 pm
Throttle wrote:Be careful not to make equipment too boring. Some form of metal-based armor should be realistically obtainable, like ringmail. I think a lot of players will feel underwhelmed if their warriors have to spend their lives in leather armor -- it's still a fantasy setting. It also needs to be somewhat balanced so that you don't get this huge gap between the haves and the have-nots. If it takes too long or too much effort to get decent armor, a bunch of problems crop up. There also needs to be some distinction between light and heavy armor or else every character in the game will take hide/sneak and just stealth around everywhere, which is obnoxious but inevitable if leather armor is the only thing most people can get.
by Emilio » Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:13 pm
by Throttle » Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:07 pm
by Octavius » Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:03 pm
Icarus wrote:Some may note that there is very little "armor" in those pictures, and a lot of cloth.
Iron will be a rarity. Your suit of chainmail will be worth as much as a small farm. Most folks (all folks) will be running around in thick padded armor or leather buffcoats.
This is a feature.
by Emilio » Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:19 pm
by Throttle » Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:27 pm
So, brainstorm up more levels on the low-end of your scale.
Metal is going to be rarer than that.
by Emilio » Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:52 pm
by Brian » Fri Dec 20, 2013 4:10 pm
by Throttle » Fri Dec 20, 2013 4:22 pm