The Axe originally had been a tool used to cut down trees and refining the tree to suitable pieces of firewood. Later on the Axe was more and more used for self-defence, and it ended up as a weapon of its own, of which there exist various different varieties.

Image description. A fight with a light axe against a swamp wyrm. Picture drawn by Eratin.

The Axe is used either as a one-handed, or a two-handed weapon. It is made up of two parts, the shaft and the head. The shaft is usually of wood, but some types are made of steel or iron. The shaft is used as a handle for the tool, the place where you hold the Axe. On the top of it sits the head. The head is the most important part of the Axe. It serves for cutting or bludgeoning, and sometimes possesses on or more spikes or an additional blade at the back of it. The head is made either of steel or iron. The weight of the Axe is concentrated here. There are several types of axes: Usages Axes, Light Axes, Medium Axes, Heavy Axes and Throwing Axes.

Description. In the beginning the Axes where made out of wood, flint or bone. The flint or bone were attached to the shaft by strips of leather or other strong and though material. The first Axes were used as primitive weapons and tools to gather wood or food. Later on, when the knowledge of metals emerged, new Axes were made out of bronze, then improved ones by using steel and iron. These were the first Lumberjack Axes. An Axe is wielded by swinging the shaft at the target, so that the blade on the head hits the target.

Notes on Axe measurements: Hold the Axe with the shaft horizontally. One end to the left, and the other to the right. The head must be at your right side, blade pointing down. This way you can determine the following measures:

• Base Height
  The base height on an axe is the area in the axe, which the shaft penetrates. The base height is therefore the same height as the shaft.

• Length
  Take the base height, and take a vertical line from it to the edge of the blade. That’s the length of it.
• Breadth
  Take the end of the right side of the blade, and make a horizontal line from it to the left side. Then you got the breadth of it.

The following terms are of relevance when talking about Axe handling:

• Sharpening
  Whenever an Axe-blade is becoming dull, it needs a decent sharpening. When the Axe is sharpened, a small grindstone is stroked on the sides of the blade.

• Re-forging
  When an Axe is being re-forged, the blade is usually broken, or needs an alteration of the current shape. Usually, the smith adds small pieces of metal on any cracks, or adds/subtracts metal pieces from the blade.
• Re-shafting
  When the shaft snaps, it needs a replacement. Then the old shaft piece that is left is pushed out, and the new one is pushed in.

Weapon Types. The following Axe types are the most commonly known ones:

• USAGE AXES (Lumberjack Axe, Farm Axe)

• LIGHT AXES (Light Axe, Spike Axe)
• MEDIUM AXES (Broadaxe, Double-edged Axe, Nail Axe, Oks-Axe, Formation Axe, Star Axe)
• HEAVY AXES (Dareg Axe, Two-handed Axe, Bilier, Battle-Axe)
• THROWING AXES (Throwing Axe)

A. USAGE AXES

• The Lumberjack Axe
  The Lumberjack Axe is the most ancient and most simple of all axe types and serves as a working tool. The head part is rectangular shaped, with a light curve in the blade. The main use of this tool was simply to cut down trees and to chop the wood into smaller pieces of firewood. The Lumberjack Axe wasn’t designed to kill. Later on in the currents of time, this Axe was used for defensive reasons, and small alterations were added to it. The blade became broader, and the shaft stronger. From the basics of this re-forged type of weapon emerged the Broadaxe. The Lumberjack Axe can be used two-handed to cut down trees and one-handed to seperate the log from the branches.

• The Farm Axe
  The workhorse of the farmer, woodsman, and builder, this broad bladed Axe is single sided. The blunt end is about the size of a human’s clenched fist, and can be used as a maul. The sharp side is wedge-shaped in cross-section, and from one to two handspans long. The handle is often curved slightly for comfort and have a better leverage when swinging.
   

B. LIGHT AXES

Image description: The crude workmanship of a typical Ashmari axe. Picture drawn by Erelen.

• The Light Axe
  The Light Axe is the smallest type of Axes. The shaft is short and light, the square head is small, and the total weight of this Axe is less than it looks. The Light Axe is not suitable on foot, as the range is short, and the blade easily gets stuck in melee combat. Then again, it is quite effective on horseback. The Light Axe is used to swing down on the heads of the foot soldiers, and slash their heads and necks. As it is small, light, and quite manoeuvrable, it is dangerous in the hands of skilled fighters. There is another version of this Axe, with a longer shaft, which is used as primary weapon, instead of the usual secondary place the ordinary Light Axe has.

• The Spike Axe
  The Spike Axe is the most unique of all the Axe types. The blade is shaped as one long piece of metal, bent down in a deep curve. The blade, which resembles a large, bent spike, is as sharp as a razor, and at the end of the spike is a pointed end. The weapon is wielded with great speed, as it is lighter than most swords. The cutting edge is designed to slash open armour and deal devastating wounds, and the pointed end is used for dealing the final kill.
  
  There is another version of the Spike Axe, which resembles more a sword. The difference between these two versions is that the other’s blade is bent upwards instead of downwards. The shape of the blade is also a bit different. It is shaped more like a scythe blade, but the edge is on the other side.
   

C. MEDIUM AXES

• The Broadaxe
  A shorter and stronger shaft than on the Lumberjack Axe builds up the Broadaxe, and a broader and more curved blade. The head is considerably larger, as the blade is thicker and sturdier. The Broadaxe was the first weapon designed solely to kill. From the designs of the Broadaxe came several other variations, from where other types of Axes emerged. Other versions of the Broadaxe are the Nail Axe, the Double-bladed axe and the Oks-Axe. The Braodaxe is used one-handed.

• The Double-edged Axe
  This Axe is an additional version of the Broadaxe. It possesses one additional blade at the back of the head, lending the Axe its name. One-handed.

• The Nail Axe
  This Axe is an additional version of the Broadaxe. It is larger than the Broadaxe, and it has five spikes at the back of it. One-handed.

• The Oks-Axe
  Oks-Axes are built like Broadaxes, but the blade is more square, and the shaft is longer. One-handed.

• The Formation Axe
  The Formation Axe is a one handed heavy Light Axe in fact, created entirely out of steel. The head is square, with a lightly curved blade, and a half fore long faintly curved spike at the end. The Formation Axe is very manoeuvrable, and can compete with any sword in formation fighting. Formation Axes are best wielded with a shield. The Axe was created as a weapon to be wielded on foot, but it is a very handy secondary weapon at mounted warfare as well. The Formation Axe is preferred by several foot soldiers, as the design of this Axe makes large bumps and cracks in shields and plate armour, and easily cracks bone through mail. Use one-handed as well.

• The Star Axe
  With a zigzag shaped bladed Axe, the Star Axe is one of the strangest Axes in Caelereth. The blade is put together by five pieces of steel. One that serves as the "backbone", and four triangular pieces placed on the backbone. The triangles slash down into enemy armour, and as they are blocked by the backbone, the slash won't go very deep. Thus it is easy to pull out. The Star Axe can either be used as a one-handed or two-handed weapon in a larger version.
   

D. HEAVY AXES

• The Dareg Axe
  The Dareg axe is a heavy one-handed axe. It has one piece of heavy head, with a broad, curved blade. The unusual part of this weapon is that the blade curves inwards. The curve disables enemy troops to slip away during the blow, and thus cut deeper, and cut through limbs. The Dareg Axe is preferred by heavily armoured foot soldiers.

• The Two-handed Axe
  The Two-handed Axe is a common very heavy Axe trough. The head’s shape is related to the Lumberjack Axe, which is a square head and has a faintly curved blade. The weapon is not as heavy as it might look, but it is necessary to wield it with both hands as the shaft is more than one and a half peds long.

• The Bilier
  The Bilier is known as the axe-counterpart to the flamberge. It is large, very heavy, and easily slices through armour, shields and body parts. The head is larger than the shaft, more than one ped long. The giant blade is square, and is similar to a cleaver. When wielding this weapon, you only have one chance to hit at each attack as the Axe is very heavy and hard to swing, and it is almost impossible to get another strike on your enemy if you haven't finished the previous blow. There is a smaller version of the Bilier, which has a much lighter blade, and is possible to be used one-handed. The Bilier is a two-handed weapon, but the small-Bilier is a one-handed one.

• The Battle-Axe
  The Battle-Axe is a neat moderately heavy Axe made up by two large curved blades. The head is not large, consisting only of a piece of metal a hand broad. The blades tough are about two fores and a half broad, and nearly half a fore long. The slash of a battle-axe makes nasty gashes in any armour. Battle-Axes are used two-handed.

E. THROWING AXES

• The Throwing Axe
  The Throwing axe is quite similar to the Lumberjack Axe, with a rectangular head, and a faint curve at the blade. The only difference is the short shaft. This is a common throwing weapon, thrown with one hand.

Usage. The axe is used either as a weapon, or as a tool to cut down trees, and chop the tree down to suitable pieces about the size fitting a fireplace. To master an axe is not simple. It is not hard to learn the basics, but in order to become an expert, it requires more than that.

Fighting Style. Chop and cut. The fighters wielding an Axe can usually be found in the center of the battle action, either mounted or on foot. The axe is swung up, and then swung down on the enemy.

Origin/History. There have always been Axes in the memories of men. But as the knowledge of making them out of metal improved and the smiths got more experience, the Axes became more elegant and smooth.