L O S T
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a personalized weapon for [member='Mysa Snowstrider'] following the loss of her previous bow.
- Image Source: Old Chinese Bow, Shelly Lee @ Artstation
- Canon Link: Not Applicable
- Restricted Missions: Not Applicable
- Primary Source:
- Manufacturer: [member='Mysa Snowstrider']
- Model: The Arm of Éar Longbow
- Affiliation: [member='Mysa Snowstrider']
- Modularity: Not Applicable
- Production: Unique
- Material: Wood of the Wroshyr Tree; Älk Hide Grip; Midvinter Native Plant Fiber Bowstring; Stygium and Kasha Adornments
- Classification: Longbow
- Size: Hand Held
- Length: 157cm
- Weight: 1.5kg
- Ammunition Type: Arrows
- Ammunition Capacity: Typically one; sometimes an archer will choose to draw two or three at once, but this is a rarity.
- Effective Range: Approximately 200m; a more practiced archer could achieve toward 250m.
- Rate of Fire: Single Action
- Improved Focus (Kasha Crystal)
- Improved Stealth (Stygium Crystal)
- Odd Size and Weight (Personalized)
The longbow has four crystals embedded throughout; two close to the grip, which are Kasha, and two capping the edges, which are Stygium. They allow enhanced focus, and improved stealth abilities, when the wielder utilizes the Force. It requires a constant connection to the Force in able to be effective. Due to the smaller stature of Mysa, and the added weight of the crystals, it is now a bow that can simply be picked up and used... An individual must train with it in order to use it effectively, even if they're already an established archer.
Strengths:
- Due to the dual bands of Kasha which are embedded toward the grip of the bow, Mysa is able to focus her attentions more readily on her quarry, blocking out distractions with the aid of the crystals. She, obviously, must be holding onto the bow in order for this to work.
- Likewise, the two pommel-like Stygium additions which finish off the bow allow Mysa to draw attention from her presence; this is especially useful when hunting, as it ensures that the beast she is hunting will not notice her until the arrow is loosed.
- The bow has been personalized solely to Mysa's needs; it is smaller than the average longbow, so that she can better draw its string, it contains small etchings on the underside in Runian which act as a focus to the Gods (although they do not physically alter the bow in any way)
- Heavier than its counterparts due to the addition of the crystals.
- Smaller than many longbows, due to Mysa's smaller stature, it does not draw quite as effortlessly as its larger counterparts. As a result it is slightly slower to draw.
- It can only really hold one arrow at a time, which must be manually nocked, as a result the first shot is usually the most important and if the arrow misses there's a chance that the target could be compromised.
- When in the hands of another, it is less effective; the size is by no means standard, it is heavier than it looks, which means that in the hands of one who has not been trained to use this bow specifically their aim and draw will be completely off.
- Requires a Force Connection to be entirely useful, making it impractical in the hands of a Non-Force User; it requires constant focus in the Force to utilize which in the long run can prove taxing to most Force Users.
- Due to the aforementioned steady connection to the Force, when wielded this bow will make the user more readily targeted by fellow Force Users who can sense such things.
- Once an arrow has been shot, unless the injured creature is non-sentient they have a chance to figure out the direction of the attack; for a few moments after, the Stygium is less effective... This means that the first shot is the most important, and any after could be compromised.
Following her abduction from Midvinter, and consequential loss of weapons she had grown accustomed to using, Mysa realized that she would need to replace the bow she relied on greatly when hunting the beasts of her homeworld. Rather than simply picking up a precrafted bow, she decided that she would create the replacement by hand and as such was able to implement certain features that were specific to her needs as a hunter.
The majority of the bow itself is made up of fine Wroshyr wood, chosen by hand to ensure it is both strong and subtle enough for the job. Given that it is one long length without additional support, she tested it almost religiously before adding any adornments. In fact her first two attempts at creating the limb were unsuccessful as the first had not enough give and the second snapped under the strain. It has been finished beautifully, with a dark stain and non-porous varnish.
As for the bowstring itself, Mysa spoke with several craftsmen on Midvinter to decide the best material, and in the end she chose one of the hardy plants of the world as a fibrous base, the likes of which the Valkyri had been using for generations. Again she tested several different plants, and techniques for creating the bowstring, before settling on her final choice. In truth she toiled moreso over the limb itself, though, as the string was easier to replace.
When all was said and done, she added the adornments; Stygium she collected from Maramere, and Kasha she had shaped into two bands to fit around the limb itself. On the inside of the Kasha there were numerous glyphs etched by the Cereans, said to enhance the potency of the crystal. Once the four crystals were set, she set about engraving ancient Valkyri words into the limb, a prayer to the God Éar whom Mysa holds in complete reverence.
