Mantis Equipment

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Mantis Equipment
The Isles of Silk and Spice have a diverse culture and a wide range of fighting styles, and the Mantis bring many influences from this region to their own way of doing battle. This can make them unpredictable foes for traditionalist samurai whose training has focused on the battlefield weapons and armor of Rokugan

Mantis Weapons
Unlike many clans, the Mantis Clan pushes its individual members to prove themselves by standing out rather than meeting a specific, exacting standard. Among its warriors, this means encouraging students to experiment with many weapons until they find a distinctive fighting style that suits their nature and role

Butterfly Sword
Short, slashing blades often designed with hooks above the guard, these blades are extremely versatile—easily concealed on one’s person, offensively and defensively potent, and useful as a tool. Often wielded in pairs and usually custom-made for an individual wielder, butterfly swords are a favorite of many Mantis sailors.

Eku
An eku is a weaponized oar, wielded as a polearm. Like the smith’s hammer or the farmer’s hoe, it likely came into being as a tool and was turned to violent purpose when seafarers came under attack and needed something with which to defend themselves. Heavier than a staff and harder to wield, the eku is a surprisingly dangerous weapon, best used for sweeping attacks. Mantis sailors tell of similar weapons made of wood or even whale-bone wielded by warriors of other seafaring cultures they have encountered

Sai
A sai is a forked weapon that appears in many places and may be an ancestor of the jitte. Unicorn travelers have even reported seeing such weapons in the Ivory Kingdoms, and some archives in Rokugan from ancient days contain drawings of similar designs. The sai is commonly used in the Isles of Silk and Spice, wielded as a pair and usually blunted at the tips to allow a warrior to trap, control, punch, and jab to subdue a foe.

Tinbe-Rochin
A tinbe-rochin is actually two weapons wielded as a pair: a short spear (the tinbe) and a small shield (the rochin), both excellent for close quarters or the rolling deck of a ship. The haft of the tinbe is cut short, and the head is often shaped to accommodate both stabbing and slashing motions. The rochin can be made of many different materials, including wood or turtle shell, and is generally used to deflect rather than block with full force. If executed properly, this allows the wielder to open their opponent to a killing strike with the tinbe.

Tonfa
Another ancient design of uncertain origins, the tonfa is a thick stock attached at a 90-degree angle to a handle that allows it to spin freely. An incredibly versatile defensive weapon, a tonfa can be used to reinforce blocks and launch blisteringly fast short circular attacks. Tonfa are often wielded in pairs, or alongside an open hand.

Mantis Armor
Some Mantis wear heavy armor like any other samurai even in shipboard battles—to go overboard in the chaos of battle is often a death sentence whether or not one is wearing armor. On the other hand, space is ever at a premium aboard a ship, so many Mantis sailors prefer light armor or inventive solutions that provide them protection without requiring space for storage or hindering their movement on the deck or in the water.

Sailor’s Garb
Mantis sailors generally dress in practical clothes made of sturdy, resilient cloth that will not fall apart when soaked by the sea or baked by the sun. These clothes are also generally easy to repair, even aboard a ship where supplies are often very scare.

Shark Leather Armor
While the flesh of beasts is considered unclean by some traditionalist samurai, leather can also be harvested from fish such as sharks and rays. Rokugani swords often incorporate this leather in their grip, and through special treatment, it can be used to make lightweight armor, especially if reinforced with wood or metal bands. Leather does little to deflect oncoming attacks, but it is hard to pierce, protecting the wearer against telling blows. Many Mantis samurai who can afford it favor its light weight and striking looks

Sailors’ Equipment
Shipboard living teaches members of the Mantis Clan to value their tools, but also to minimize their possessions as much as possible, for additional keepsakes mean less cargo. The following are a few items that members of the Mantis Clan often find indispensable on their nautical journeys.

Astrolabe
Rokugani scholars have long studied the sky and the movement of celestial bodies, and their records date back to the start of the Empire, but the refined use of this information for navigation has been refined even further in other lands. Traders who encounter vessels from the Qamarist Caliphate often go to great lengths to acquire the navigation devices called astrolabes, or star-takers. Developed using advanced mathematics to identify and precisely note the position of celestial bodies in the sky, these devices are costly to acquire—but invaluable to any sea captain who ventures into waters uncharted.

Fishing Rod and Line
On long voyages or while moored at far-flung ports, fishing is not only a profitable activity, but also a way to pass the time in quiet contemplation. As such, many members of the Mantis Clan carry a fishing rod, and spend their spare time tying or cutting lures. So popular a pastime is fishing that an old story claims the iconic, sickle-shaped kama was first picked up by a curious Mantis captain who mistook it for a fishhook.

Taraibune
Sometimes called “tub boats,” taraibune are small, barrel-shaped, circular vessels five to six feet in diameter, designed for one operator who steers by oar. Sturdy and cheap to build, they serve as additional vessels for families in many fishing villages across Rokugan, and as single-person landing craft aboard some Mantis vessels.