Arms and Armor

Bertrem's Note

Much of the history of our land is, sadly, the history of war. Run your eyes over the chronicles of Ansalon and it may seem as if our world has been nothing but a neverending struggle between contending armies. Though there have been long periods of peace and prosperity, it is in the nature of historians to record most fully those times of strife and disaster and let the good times take care of themselves.

Nonetheless it is true that the art of arms and armor-making has reached a high pitch among the various folk of Ansalon, and it was with this in mind that I asked my researcher to gather information about this. Some information on this topic was already available, most notably in the compilations by Caramon and Tika Majere, titled Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home and More Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home. Further information can be found in the Solamnic Compendium of the Military Arts, Velna's The Science of War, Lord Gunthar's War Journal, and other books. Though some of these were lost in the disaster of the Chaos War and Astinus's departure, I have recovered many, thanks to the military libraries maintained by the Knights of Solamnia and Knights of Neraka, as well as various copies scattered in private households throughout the land. My researcher, though, as befits a true scholar, did not confine his attentions to these documents. In addition he went among the people, compiling information not only on the arming of well-equipped soldiers but on how the common folk defend themselves in times of war, and what weapons they bring when called to join an army. Thus his portrait of Ansalon armed is, I feel, more comprehensive than any previous attempts, and for this I am grateful.