User:Tommy9281/Anvil

"If it has blood, you can make it bleed. if it has eyes, you can blind it. If it has a mouth, you can make it scream&hellip;"

- Inscription found on an ancient lanvarok

The lanvarok employed by the Massassi warriors of the Sith species was a combination two-handed polearm weapon and projectile launcher that released sharp, poison-coated discs guided by the power of the dark side. Initially purposed as a hunting tool, the massive lanvarok was the primary combat weapon of the Massassi, both melee and ranged, and also the device brandished by Sith Lords during ceremonies. The original lanvarok was inspired by the natural left-handed disposition of all members of the Sith species, a distinction retained with the weapon's total redesign into a forearm-mounted projectile dispenser. A right-handed version was later developed by Sith Lords of Human descent.

Prevalent during the existence of the ancient Sith Empire, lanvaroks and usage thereof were confined within the borders of Sith space until exposure to the galaxy by the Massassi that fought on behalf of the Dark Lord Naga Sadow during the Great Hyperspace War. Lanvaroks were brought to the jungle moon of Yavin 4 by the warriors who joined Sadow in exile, and remained the foremost weapon of the Massassi for more than a thousand years. Either version was especially uncommon in the galaxy at large after the extinction of the Sith race, although an occasional lanvarok was found among the collections of antique dealers, the cargos of smugglers, or the arsenals of assassins. Those Massassi warriors who served aboard the Sith dreadnaught Harbinger that was propelled five thousand years forward in time brought with them lanvaroks into the modern era.

Battleaxe
The original lanvarok was a large polearm weapon that was at least as tall as the beings for whom it was designed, the Massassi warriors of the ancient Sith, a species whose inherent left-handed predilection was the weapon's inspiration. Prior to their discovery of metallurgy and the implementation of alloys thereby derived, materials such as wood and bone were used in the construction of lanvaroks and the discs with which it was equipped. Sharply speared at either end, the exotic lanvarok included a compact, crescent-shaped axehead at its summit with an opposing long spike, a shape reminiscent to some of a Dreadnaught-class warship. Several small, poison-coated discs were spring-loaded and hidden within a launcher mounted on the side of the axehead, which were then released by a swing of the polearm and guided by the dark side of the Force. The heft of the weapon was such that only the especially strong Massassi warrior was capable of using it effectively. Individuals occasionally decorated their personal weapons with tassels and inscriptions.

Redesign
The battleaxe version of the lanvarok was modernized a forearm-mounted weapon that bore few similarities to its predecessor. Forged of durasteel and sometimes plated with lightsaber-impervious cortosis alloy, the new model was no longer a halberd with ranged attack capabilities granted by an equipped disc launcher, but a device similar in function to a blaster pistol that was instead worn by its wielder. A thick, perforated metal and padded cuff around the base of the forearm supported the attached launcher mechanism, disc cartridge and emitter. The channel through which the ejected disc traveled extended from the launcher assembly and tapered at the end of the user's hand, which included a primary triggering handle that curved downward and fit into the wielder's grip. An additional release trigger was installed near the underside of the forearm cuff and required Force-manipulation to subtly activate the disc launcher. Among the design cues that were transferred to the new lanvarok were the weapon's left-handed exclusivity. However, further modifications saw the development of a right-handed version which, like those specifically suited to left-handed warriors, was not interchangeable from either side.

Usage
Brute strength was necessary to properly control the massive lanvarok, in a firm two-handed grip, with a hand at the base of the hilt and the other situated underneath the axehead. A quick forward swing and return of the weapon released a single poison-coated disc, while a longer arc cast a wider flurry of multiple discs aimed at the throat and face. The bone-carved projectiles fanned out in a wildly random pattern, and easily penetrated the scaled reptilian hides. Because of their unpredictable trajectory, Massassi used the Force to guide the discs to desired targets, with such precision as to even disarm opponents. When the lanvarok was depleted of its ammunition, the axehead became the primary means of attack. The curved shape of the blade was ideal for rending flesh from bone, as well as the clean removal of limbs and heads. The long, sharp opposite end was speared through targets in a killing maneuver.

Defensively, lanvaroks were held aloft to parry incoming attacks. In an intimidating gesture, adept warriors spun their weapons with sufficient speed to produce an audible hum, before it was jerked back and then forward to release its discs. Those with greater skill were able to effectively wield a lanvarok one-handed and in tandem with a blaster pistol. Lanvaroks were also on occasion used to pry open cargo bay blast doors. The lanvarok's pointed summit While skill was not a requirement of lanvarok usage, those wielded by adept Massassi emitted a loud hum when spun rapidly, before a spray of discs were released on the backswing. When not in use, the lanvarok was worn in a scabbard across the back, or simply held in hand, ready for action.

Neither the polearm lanvarok nor the discs with which it was equipped were able to withstand direct contact with a lightsaber's blade.

History
Forearm-mounted lanvarok|thumb|left|250px Like the Sith lanvarok, the Massassi lanvarok was an ancient weapon, designed in early Sith history for the left-handed tendencies of the Sith people. As the name suggests, the Massassi lanvarok was unique to the Massassi Sith subspecies. According to ancient Sith legend, the lanvarok was originally designed with the intention of being used as a hunting weapon.

The Massassi redesigned the original version into the wrist mount while on Yavin.

In 5 ABY, Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard discovered a Sith lanvarok which used to belong to Mara Jade, and sent a left-handed agent to use it to kill Plumba, an Imperial Ruling Council member.

Behind the scenes
DLOTS4 shows a lanvarok holding and firing 3 discs, but KOTORCG says it only can hold 1.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire 3: First Encounter
 * Crosscurrent
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith 4: Death of a Dark Jedi
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith (audio)
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 2: The Battle of Coruscant
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 3: The Trial of Ulic Qel-Droma
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 5: Brother Against Brother
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived
 * Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand 1
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron 35: Mandatory Retirement, Part 4
 * X-wing: The Bacta War
 * I, Jedi
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Exile