HK-36
The Iron Lord Protector (Neutral Good)
Image: Taken from Wookieepedia, article on the Shock Whip (Link here)
Intent: To utilize the recently submitted Graphite Wire technology and create an exotic melee weapon for would-be adventurers and soldiers who are more into uncommon weaponry.
Development Thread: If necessary
Manufacturer: Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers
Model: Whip of Rae
Affiliation: Barony of Abregado-Rae, Partially Omega Protectorate (See Production)
Modularity: None, simple structure, just comes in one whip format of identical length and weight.
Production: Minor (Enough to supply the Iron Company and Militia of Abregado-Rae, any additional production would require a development thread with backing from another manufacturing company, i.e. Omega Corps buying off the design to manufacture the weapon for Protectorate forces)
Material: Echani Graphite Hilt and Echani Graphite Wires and Filaments with Bronzium details
Description: Whips have been a common tool on Abregado-Rae, especially among Gados and other natives who live on the Plains of the planet, where domesticating the large Magru as well as fighting off an occasional Nocur attack makes a difference. As such, HK decided to modernize the weapons based on the older designs of Shock Whips via his Echani Graphite Wires.
These weapons are more or less entirely made from Echani Graphite, only the details and electronics are made from a mostly-Bronzium material, giving them a pleasing golden-look on the mostly black main body. The filaments of Echani Graphite are twined together into a strong but flexible wire, able to be snapped like an actual whip while withstanding strikes from a lightsaber in a melee fight, giving the weapon an option of arcing or coiling about the blade of a lighsaber in a fight, becoming a deadly weapon against lightsaber-wielding foes in trained hands.
The filaments around bound together with a cylindrical Graphite clasp near the end, keeping the structure secured together while letting the strands split apart, creating a "cat-of-nine-tails" effect during strikes as the individual strands cut and pierce into the body when properly hit, creating multiple slashes. Due to durability of the Graphite, these slashes can be strong and deep enough to affect Durasteel armor, up to rating of 6 this is rather easy, however after that multiple strikes are required to pierce such and armor with this slashing effect.
This weapon also has electro-shocking systems lined about the Graphite filaments, when activated, these systems cause the whip's wire to glow in a blue electric light, and they can be set anywhere from a stun setting to deadly limb-ripping, frying amplitudes of electricity, this is obviously much more effective against mechanical units, as it can interfere with electronic systems like the droid's body, or a vehicle, although it can be used against armored foes as well, especially if their armor has electronic supports that could be damaged.
Adding to the electric systems are the electro-magnets on the end of the weapon's filaments, these can be controlled, much like the electro-shocking systems of the weapon's, by a button on the weapon's hilt. When activated, these magnets could be used to directly attach to a metal surface, if that surface is made from a metal that reacts to magnets, or used to cause the whip to securely wrap about itself, allowing it to be used like a handheld 4-meter grappling hook with which the user can swing around on stuff or pull objects closer. The problem with these electro-magnets is, they cannot be activated at the same time as the shocking-systems, that will cause the two systems to interfere and fry out, so it is either magnetic augmentation in wrapping around objects or frying them.
Now what's the drawback of these weapons? Even when they are curled up, at 4 meters of length, they take up some space on the belt, making them a rather large weapons to carry. They are also vulnerable to other electric weapons. When stricken with electric or ionic attacks, the systems of these weapons can be shut down temporarily until restarted, a period that usually lasts few minutes. However, their durable structure allows them to be still used against opponents even with electro-shocking systems deactivated, although without the obvious boon of these systems.
However, the biggest drawbacks is their exotic nature and difficulty in wielding. It takes a considerable amount of training for these weapons to be used properly without the user wrapping the whips around themselves or whipping themselves in the face. As such, they are a scarce sight on the battlefield, even when used by the Iron Company, as soldiers prefer to use a more standard and simpler weapons rather than take their time to learn how to wield these larger melee weapons.
Due to their beginnings on Abregado-Rae, where they became popular outside of farming communities by the way they were used by amateur and professional adventurers, this updated version of Gados whips is as well associated with a mark the originals were. This mark being the trademark leather fed'rae the Gados adventurers wore when getting themselves in misadventures in the wilderness of Abregado-Rae.
Classification: Whip
Size: One-handed
Length: 4 meters (Based on original canon Shock Whips)
Weight: 2.3 kilograms (Based on original canon Shock Whips)
Other Features: Lightsaber resistance, electric-shocks, electro-magnetic ends
