Briarsbane, also known as the Graythorn stick,[1] was a gentleman's cane that could be converted into a slashing weapon and used as a single-shot gun.
Description[]
Briarsbane usually appears to be a normal walking stick. However, when Percival de Rolo tapped it in battle, hundreds of tiny razors appeared all over the shaft and he wielded it as a +1 finesse slashing weapon doing 1d8 base damage.[2]
As a gun, Percival first confirmed he was about 15 feet from his target (perhaps indicating its range) before taking a single shot.[3] Taliesin Jaffe (its creator) commented that Briarsbane's range as a firearm was "terrible".[4]
History[]
Percival de Rolo created Briarsbane some time between the end of Campaign One in 812 PD, and Vox Machina's appearance in Campaign Three in 843 PD, where he used it when the party attacked the fortress surrounding the Malleus Key. There are several references to Lord de Rolo leaning on a cane (possibly Briarsbane) for aid in standing or walking at that point in his life.[5]
The cane was first shown when Percival used it in the battle at the Malleus fortress, first taking three slashing attacks with it[6], then converting it from sword to gun and taking a single shot.[7]
Trivia[]
- The name of the weapon seems to be a reference to the Briarwoods, who were bitter enemies of Lord Percival.
- Briarsbane is based off a combination of several real-life weapons. There are many instances of canes that were crafted to hold a single-shot firearm. In the 19th century in France, canes that held retractable razor blades were created to be used to start riots by slapping a horse with them and then retracting the blades so they were undetectable.[8]
References[]
- ↑ Although Taliesin called it "Briarsbane" in the CR Cooldown - C3 E113 at 3:55 (subscription required) (Transcript), in "Fight for the Bloody Bridge" (3x114) at 1:48:26 he referred to it as the "Graythorn stick".
- ↑ See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 3:22:13. Taliesin stated the damage was "1d8 plus seven". Percy's Dex modifier is +6, so the sword must be using Dex (finesse) and be +1.
- ↑ See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 3:24:20.
- ↑ See CR Cooldown - C3 E113 at 9:29 (subscription required) (Transcript).
- ↑ For example: See "A Gathering of Heroes" (3x76) at 1:45:40. See also "The Promise and the Price" (3x77) at 3:19:04 and "Fractures" (3x78) at 0:49:01.
- ↑ See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 3:22:02.
- ↑ See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 3:24:29.
- ↑ See CR Cooldown - C3 E113 at 9:10 (subscription required) (Transcript).
Art:
- ↑ Official art of Briarsbane (from a larger image), by GalacticJonah (source). Used with permission.