Aklys

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The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2008)

The aklys is a spurious "thonged club" - which appears in various fantasy novels, games, and universes, particularly in Dungeons and Dragons and NetHack [1].

Sometimes described as originally developed in either Indonesia or Australia^{[citation needed]} and as a flat wooden club made of polished paddle-shaped hard wood that measures about a foot long. It has a leather thong (or strap) that goes around the wrist to prevent being disarmed. The aklys is shorter than most mêlée weapons such as swords and spears, but it is nevertheless still quite deadly.

[edit] Origin of the name

It's unclear who first came up with name of the weapon, but it was included the Dungeons & Dragons manual Unearthed Arcana in 1985 and in NetHack at least as far back as 1987[2].

The name aclys is given for a Roman weapon, which is described variously as a dart (Stone 2) or a throwing stick or boomerang (Burton 35). The latter reference may have given rise to the current fantasy usage of this name.

[edit] References

Stone, George Cameron (1999). A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Time. Courier Dover Productions, 694. ISBN 0486407268. 

Burton, Richard F. (1987). The Book of the Sword. Dover Publications. ISBN 0486254348.