Bowed weapons are fired weapons shot at opponents from a distance. These include the bow, crossbow and the sling.
Weaponry Break Down
Here is a list of bowed weapons typical to Aelyria. This is not an exhaustive list.
Bow
The bow is a common tool used both for hunting and for battle. With the shaft of the bow made of wood and a string made of fibers or gut, they are an easy weapon to obtain in wooded regions throughout the empire. Bows come in a variety of different sizes and styles, including but not limited to the longbow and the shortbow, and may be used either on foot or on horseback. Longbows are considered to be larger (five and a half to six feet) with a more difficult draw to the string, making them ideal for muscular or bigger individuals and impossible to use while on horseback. The shortbow is about three to four feet in size, with a more compact draw and easiest to use while on horseback, with the drawback being a shorter shooting range than the longbow. All bows shoot arrows, long-shafted wooden projectiles that are tipped with a variety of arrowheads. Arrowheads have been constructed from stone, metal and even glass, in a number of different shapes and sizes ranging from pointed or serrated, solid or hollow, narrow or broad. All arrows have feather fletching to help steady the arrow in flight.
Crossbow
The crossbow is a small, compact weapon that packs a good deal of penetration power and a decent range. Whereas the bow is a weapon primarily made of wood, the crossbow is a solid mixture of wood and metal, with gears in place that must be turned or otherwise shifted to help draw back the taunt string. The crossbow is not a fast-paced weapon, often requiring a solid amount of time between shots to reload, but it is versatile, allowing wielders to shoot it from nearly any position or placement. Bolts are the crossbow's projectiles. These are wooden shafts banded with metal to project against the sharp ejection from the bow. The point is narrow with the same width and size of the bolt shaft and the fletching on the arrow shaft is considerably smaller in size when compared to bow fletching.
Sling
The sling is a primitive weapon of various constructs. Some slings are fashioned solely from cloth, with a pocket for a projectile to sit in while the cloth if drawn back and the projectile ejected. Others are fashioned from wood and gut. In some instances leather and metal are used to help brace the sling junctions and projectile pockets. Projectiles can be anything, but are typically rocks picked up off the ground, making the sling a very inexpensive weapon. When compared to other distance weapons, the sling has a range that is highly dependent on the arm of the one wielding it. If used and aimed properly, the sling can pack a solid wallop and prove even to be deadly.
Regional or Racial Popularity
Both the bow and the sling are common among low-income individuals that have access to the materials required to craft these weapons. Slings are often popular with young children. The crossbow is almost strictly a military weapon, ideal for sieges where the wielder can reload behind a solid wall for protection. It is not unknown for independent adventurers to have come into position of a crossbow, however. The elvish are well-known for their prowess and their innovation when it comes to the bow, making them popular in areas heavily settled by the
Elves, such as in
Natura.
