RE: The Arms and Armor of Dungeon Samurai
Very interesting and informative, although I must confess I don't feel particularly attracted by weapondry of any kind.
Weapons are a reminder of human beings' ingenuity for evil. I know it is generally accepted that they have been used by all cultures in all eras and the world as we know it might have not come into exitence without them, but I'd rather keep dreaming with a world without weapons.
Usually weapons are used by undeserving people and mostly inocents become the recipients of their destructive powers.
That being said, I am fully aware of the history of samurais and their alleged honorable codes. I wish all men in arms were honorable. Unfortunatelly that is not the case and that makes arms somethign very unattractive for me, personally.
Weapons do not have a will of their own.
Their purpose is defined by the will of the ones who use them.
So long as men remained flawed, there will always be evil men. So long as there are evil men, we will never live in a world without weapons. The human brain is capable of crafting weapons out of anything and everything. In a world without weapons, only the wicked will be armed. In the gravest extreme, when words fail, the only way to stop the wicked is to have good men, suitably armed and trained, standing guard.
There will always be a need for weapons. But may they be used sparingly, if at all.
Amen.
True, weapons do not have a will, but they are made to caress. And, unfortunatelly for us, the good are rarely the ones pulling the trigger or striking the blow.