The probably oldest weapon of the races is the own body. Early in history, it were strong strikes with one's fist to overwhelm the opponent. A little later, it were simple things to extend the reach and damage of an attack, such as stones of all sizes and thick branches of trees, known as clubs. These were and still are natural enhancements of the fist and the arm. Even today, one that is not versed in using a weapon like a sword at all can grab a heavy object and strike it down on an opponent, only relying on strength and the force of the impact.

Description. The damage of Blunt Weapons relies only on the brute force of their wielder. A troll would laugh at you, would you try to stab a sword into his head. But hit him with a big club or a mace, and he'll wake up with a descent headache the next morning.

Weapon Types. In general there are 3 groups of Blunt Weapons: Clubs, Hammers and Maces. These Blunt Weapons can be described in detail as follows:

Image description: A Peat giant sporting a spiked club. Picture from the game Mystical Empire, used with permission. Image drawn by Faugar.

• The Club
  "Club" can be used as the universal term for simple Bunt Weapons, mostly made of wood. Clubs can come in all sizes, and in general one can say: The bigger the club, the harder the bash. Meaning that the damage caused by the club exhalts with the size of the club. Clubs can be small enough to be hidden under a cloak or they can be so big that only ogres can wield them effectively. A club can be the thick branch of a tree, the leg of a chair, of a table, or in very barbaric cases, the leg of a man or animal.
  
  Sometimes you might come across a popular variant of the club, the Spiked Club. Metal spikes and thornes, long nails for example, are driven through the middle of the club's head to stick out on the other side to enhance the damage caused. Spiked Clubs are probably the antecessors of the everywhere known and feared Spiked Mace.

• The Hammer
  Hammers can be found all throughout the world of Caelereth. They all consist of a shaft, usually made of wood, and a head, usually made of metal, comparably to an axe. Be it the simple hammer of a carpenter or a blacksmith, or the priced and rune-encarved hammer of a dwarven forge-master. A sledge hammer can crush big rocks into small rubble - just imagine what it can do with your opponent's head!
  
  Of course there are several different types of hammers. While the shaft of a common hammer is about 1 fore in length, the shaft of a Sledge Hammer is usually thrice as long and can thus be wielded with both hands for more damage.
  
  Then there is the Rider's Hammer, which is mostly used from horseback. A common hammer´s head is blunt on each side, but a rider's hammers has only one blunt side. Attached to the other side, however, is a thick metal spike. The shaft is reinforced by metal stripes, and the handle is usually wrapped up with fur for better grip.
  
  A very well known and even more feared hammer is the bulky Great Maul. This is probably the largest variant of a hammer. Either the wielder has to use both hands to deal effective blows, or he has to be an ogre. Well aimed strikes with a Great Maul can bash-in the skull of a troll or crush the thorax of a full-grown Cartashian bear.

• Image description. A dwarf demonstrating a typical flanged mace. Image drawn by Quellion.

  The Mace
  Maces are club-like, bludgeoning weapons of war created to smash and pulverize the thick and strong armour of heavily armored units to a pulp which normal blades cannot do without a lot of force behind them. These weapons are usually easily and quickly made in order to provide a vast army which is capable of overcoming its opponents with sheer numbers and in one swoop can crush and pulverize an armored unit of soldiers. Maces were mainly constructed against the growing threat of heavy armored units during the great Sarvonian Wars in order to destroy the enemies' defenses with single blows of these versatile weapons. There are three main types of Maces: The Spiked Mace, the Flanged War Mace and finally the Dowl Pin Mace.

Usage. Blunt Weapons are mostly used to do the hard work. Ever tried to tear down a wall with a sword? Right. It just won't work. Blunt Weapons are weapons which are commonly used in cases where the sharpness of a sword or axe is useless, to crush bones or to target helmets and armour.

Blunt Weapons like clubs are widely spread, as it is a very simple weapon, which needs little craftmanship to construct it. Practically everyone can grab a piece of wood, and - if necessary - adjust it to one's needs (e.g. add sharp spikes at the club head etc.) and swing it at an adversary. If a fighter loses his primary weapon for some reason, finding a substitute like a simple club can save lives.

Fighting Style. To cause serious damage with Blunt Weapons, they have to be swung at the target with as much drive and force as possibly. Lashing out with a sword at a fully-armored horseman won't do diddely, but the brute force of, let's say a sledgehammer's impact, can knock the horseman off his mount and cause severe injuries. While a Blunt Weapon probably won't kill a foe instantly as sharp weapons can,  

History/Origin. Ever since people had conflicts with each other, they used all sorts of weapons to see who was right and who was wrong. Be it with stones, rocks, wooden clubs or even limbs of dead enemies. Today, clubs, maces and hammers are still the prefered weapons of uncivilized and barbaric races and tribes, such as ogres, trolls, and also the barbaric tribe of the Northlands known as Ashmari.

"Your mind is as blunt as your club, troll...hey! Put me down!" - last words of Gotrek Gemhold, dwarven miner.