The Bandit Shortsword is an Oceanykan shortsword that emerged during the chaotic period known as the Dark Ages, when feudal hosts, fragmented deserters, and brigand bands roamed the countryside. Intended as an affordable alternative to a proper longsword, it was designed for close-quarters fighting and quick strikes, pairing naturally with round or oval shields. Its blade is short, double-edged, and slightly thicker at the top, tapering to a sharp thrusting point. This versatility made it equally capable of cutting and stabbing, ideal for ambushes, skirmishes, dismounted assaults and street fighting. The hilt was wrapped in coarse leather or fabric scraps, and the pommel was often plain iron, though more successful well-off combatants occasionally adorned theirs with looted silver or bone.
While conceived for militias and peasant levies, the weapon’s proliferation among criminals earned it infamy. Highwaymen, mercenaries, and deserters carried the Bandit Shortsword well into the Revolutionary Wars. Though simple and unrefined, it is reliable, easy to repair, and brutally effective when push comes to shove.