A gunsen, also known as an iron fan, war fan, or tessen,[3] was a primarily defensive weapon used in Kara-Tur.[4]
Description[]
The gunsen was similar to a buckler, but it was held by a handle like that of a hand fan, and so it was not possible to also hold a weapon in that hand.[3] Most were about 1 foot (30 centimeters)[1] and weighed about 1 pound (0.45 kilograms).[3] Most were made of iron.[4] They were typically used as shields but could be used as weapons if the situation called for it.[4][3][5] They were frequently used by geisha-ninjas.[6]
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Background[]
In the real world, there were three types of Japanese war fan, the gunsen, the tessen, and the gunbai. The gunsen was essentially a hand fan used by soldiers to cool themselves, like a normal hand fan. It was not used as a weapon. A tessen was a war fan used as a weapon. Both could fold. The gunbai was a non-folding, fan-like item, essentially the item described in this article. Strangely, 1st edition called this latter type of fan a gunsen, while 3rd edition called the same item a tessen.
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 39. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
- ↑ Aaron Allston (1995). The Complete Ninja's Handbook. Edited by Barbara G. Young. (TSR, Inc), p. 76. ISBN 0786901594.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 James Wyatt (October 2001). Oriental Adventures (3rd edition). (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 76–77. ISBN 0-7869-2015-7.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 46. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
- ↑ Aaron Allston (1995). The Complete Ninja's Handbook. Edited by Barbara G. Young. (TSR, Inc), p. 67. ISBN 0786901594.
- ↑ Gregg Sharp (May 1987). “The Geisya”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #121 (TSR, Inc.), p. 39.