Full Item Description

A siri dai is a weapon unique to the Medec tribe, also called a “farmer’s flail.”  It consists of a heavy disc of wood, about a foot and a half in diameter.  It’s approximately an inch thick in the middle, and tapers off to an edge around the outside.  A two inch hole is bored through the center of the disc.  (A variant, the siri dai-ka is a little thicker and does not have the tapered edge.) 

A sash (or sometimes a rope) is looped through the center and tied, leaving about four feet of length.  The weapon is used by throwing the disc, then using the sash to control and guide it.  In the hands of one trained in its use, the siri dai can become an effective and lethal weapon, particularly in conjunction with dai thila ohm, a form of martial arts practiced by Medec warriors.

It is carried on the back, with the sash draped over the shoulder and across the chest, laced back through the central hole, then wrapped around the waist.

The wooden discs are usually smooth and unadorned, but are occasionally seen with legends or epic deeds (usually attributed to the current owner or his ancestors) inscribed into them.  The inscriptions are carefully carved into the wood, then filled with a hard colored resin to keep the surface smooth. 

History

The Medec people are a tribe of semi-nomadic farmers living in the grasslands on the extreme border of the civilized lands, and are considered barbarians by most scholars.  The siri dai first arose as a farming implement, used to cut the grain that is still the staple of the Medec diet.  It took this form because of two peculiarities in the Medec religion, which held the circle to be a blessed shape, and forbade the use of metal tools.  (Any knives and other tools are made of bone.)  

The siri dai began to be used as a weapon and was incorporated into the Medec form of martial arts shortly after territory skirmishes between the Medec and other local tribes.  The unique weapons allowed the Medec to dominate most of the area.

When more civilized people pushed further out from the Caellan empire, the weapons proved surprisingly effective against the metal weapons of the settlers.  It was during this time period that the siri dai-ka was developed, and was used solely as a weapon.  After several years of conflict, agreements with the Medec elders were reached and the tribe and the settlers finally achieved a stable, if uncomfortable peace.

Medec warriors are expected to know how to craft their own siri dai.  Each one is apparently customized to each fighter’s height, flexibility, fighting style, and strength.  Siri dais cannot be bought or commissioned from the Medec themselves, and they take great care that the secret of making them without metal tools does not become generally known.  The process of creating them seems to be part of the dai thila ohm training, for even non-Medec fighters who have studied that particular martial art possess them.  Of course, inferior replicas are often bought by collectors.

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