Edgeblade

Game Stats

• Range: melee
• Base damage: 1d6-1 (slashing/impaling)
• Secondary: +5 Weapon Skill
• Concealable: no
• Civilian Carry: no

Description

The edgeblade is a long-bladed one-handed sword with a flat, slim blade designed for both cutting and thrusting attacks.  It is an unusual weapon most strongly associated with the fencing masters of Sevilla and Sevillan knights.

The edgeblade is shorter than a rapier but longer than an arming sword, and can be thought of as a militarized rapier.  In reality the two weapons developed in parallel, and are so visually similar that many non-fencers confuse the two.  The rapier emerged from unarmored duels of honor between knights, as combatants sought a blade that could honorably out-fence the heavier and shorter swords in use at the time.  The edgeblade, by contrast, arose as Sevillan knights increasingly encountered lightly armored targets on the field of battle.  A strong, well-struck blow from the classic knightly arming sword could shear through mail, but mail became increasingly less common with time.  Fellow knights in sturdier plate armor were best attacked with a heavier weapon such as a warhammer or poleaxe, while the weight and broad blade of an arming sword struck some knights as a waste of effort against the mass of unarmored levies - who were a knight's most commonly encountered opponents in war through sheer dint of numbers.  The edgeblade was developed to appeal to such knights: a lighter, more agile weapon than an arming sword that could nevertheless cut and thrust with equal ease.

Many Sevillan knights prefer the tradition of their arming swords, but there are others to whom the elegance and agility of the edgeblade appeals.  There are even a few who prefer it over the rapier as civilian dress, particularly those in dangerous country.  The weapon is taught in all the best Sevillan fencing salons alongside the rapier.  It is found in other parts of the world, but all agree that the best masters of the edgeblade learned their craft in Sevilla.

Use and Characteristics

Like the rapier, the edgeblade is defined by a long tapering blade.  Unlike the rapier, an edgeblade has a relatively flat cross-section to give its edges the proper geometry for delivering deep cuts.  As a result an edgeblade's blade contains somewhat more metal than a rapier's, and is consequently somewhat shorter on average.  A typical edgeblade has a blade length of about 32-36 inches, longer than an arming sword but about even with a bastard sword.

Also like a rapier, an edgeblade is typically "fingered" by gripping the dull bottom part of the blade (the "ricasso") with the index finger of the sword hand.  This gives the fencer greater control over his weapon, but exposes the hand to greater injury.  The edgeblade's characteristic complex hilt (always with finger rings to protect the finger on the ricasso) is a consequence of this method of handling.

In combat edgeblades depend on their speed and ability to attack from any position, cutting or thrusting as the opportunity presents itself rather than relying exclusively on one mode of attack as does the rapier.  This makes the edgeblade a more versatile weapon than the rapier.  Because it is shorter, however, it also exposes the fencer to greater danger.  Edgeblades are quicker to defend than a rapier, but sensible edgeblade fencers still typically defend with a parrying dagger or buckler held in the off hand.

Advantages

The edgeblade's principal advantage is its speed and its versatility.  It is a quick-cutting and quick-thrusting sword, designed to rain blows upon the enemy from all angles and overwhelm their defense, or cut a swath through a mob of unarmored levy troops.

Disadvantages

Though it is versatile and quick with a long reach, an edgeblade lacks the power found in heavier swords.  Against an opponent with heavy personal protection such as a shield or mail body armor, the edgeblade is at a disadvantage.  It cannot reliably penetrate metal body armor, and a skilled shield user can foil the weapon's ability to attack from many angles in quick succession.

Variants

Like most blades in Harkania and Sevilla edgeblades are produced in high-quality steel (referred to as "steel" colloquially) and low-quality steel (referred to as "iron" colloquially).  They are a popular choice for crystal edging, particularly as they tend to belong to wealthier members of society to begin with.  A few famous knights have used edgeblades of Dolotai steel, carefully preserved through the generations.  Edgeblades are not constructed from bronze, as such a thin blade would be prone to snap under the stress of forceful blows.

Party Associations

Gerund Lennaire uses a crystal-edged edgeblade as his primary melee weapon.

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