Hairwhip

THE TRADITIONAL WEAPON OF THE SQUAMARE TRIBE

The Squamare tribe of the grasslands west of the Forsaken Desert carry a whip at their belts, formed of their own thickly braided hair. A custom of the Squamare warriors is to wear their hair braided tightly behind their head until their 25th birthday, when the sachem would cut the long woven braid off with a curved karambit knife. The braid would then be soaked in oil from the horsehair plant until the hair within becomes strong yet flexible. Finally, a puphide leather grip would be fixed to the oiled braid to form the Squamare’s signature weapon. Despite its unorthodox usage, in the hands of a skilled Squamare warrior, the hairwhip is quite the formiddable weapon and the sound of its tip cracking the air drives fear into those intruding upon the tribe’s sacred lands.

While the hairwhip was crafted at a warrior’s 25th birthday, at their 50th birthday, a special belt would be made from their last quarter-century of hair. This beltbraid, often dappled with grey or in some cases full white, would be worn across the warrior’s chest like a gunslinger might wear a bandolier. It is a sign of great honor, as the lifestyle of the Squamare is often a continuous test of strength and those who make it long enough to earn both a whip and a belt are among the strongest in the tribe. Ogrin the Outrider, legendary Hero of the Plains and ancient champion of the Squamare, wore two silver beltbraids across his chest, a sign not only of prodigious age but also his unparalleled prowess in battle.

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