*The following is printed in one of the opening pages of a popular Bree-Town newspaper.*
BLACKWOLDS WATCH OUT! New axe gives affordable and easy to use weaponry back to the masses
WITH the recent threats that have plagued this town in the last few months, weaponry prices have been sky-rocketing beyond what any sane citizen would have imagined possible until recently. Long gone are the days when the average man could purchase a beautiful ceremonial sword or dagger for his home or personal use with price tag lower then 20 silver or roughly so. Long gone, too, are the times when a certain degree of innovative design was expected in steel and iron - When the demand is this high, everything but pure practicality goes out the window. Not since last year have we seen a trend in weaponry, (Other then the trend of high prices!) In fact, only last month, our rival paper, the Bree Watcher, printed an article regarding the death of the link between fashion and weaponry.
Well, perhaps that was true, until this morning saw the sudden and unexpected onslaught of a new strikingly designed and priced weapon, of which the market has yet to give an official name or title, but it's reputation is all ready assured. The axe, which fills the selection of most down town smiths near the West Bree gate, is priced at a phenomenally cheap sum of only 4 silver a piece, easily undercutting any other product, even the cheapest and crudest of daggers, on the market! And it is by no means crude. Adorned with a bold and dark design, the axe is a true collectors item, not to mention a deadly weapon!
So how can leading blacksmiths afford to produce such an item at low price! We we're able to secure a exclusive interview with Smithy Ben Whitley, one of the few who profited most from this new sensation.
"A lot of people have been asking how we we're able to secure the funding for such a venture, and how we came up with the design." He said. "Actually, both come from the same source. One of my partners received a substantial amount of gold along with the specific instructions as to the design. He was told to "Make as many as he could" and was required to give no payment to the doner, who wished to remain unnamed." He smiled and leaned back on one of his newly acquired oak chairs, which we're being delivered to his new house during the interview. "I suppose she... Heh, or he, did not realise what they were giving up!"
"Anyway, production has really worked it's way from there. The axes are pretty easy to produce - The instructions specified that sheer numbers were more important then quality - and after the initial influx of the trend they have practically sold themselves." He laughs. "I don't even make anything else any more. I don't think I'll ever need to again." We asked him about an "Original" to the design, however, he replied that the design was printed on paper, and he doubted such a thing even existed.
As he says, despite the Axe being only two days old, it has already secured it's place in the homes of most reputable Bree-Folk, and is being used by many up-and-coming warriors. Blackwold bandits beware! However, the Watch has issued an official warning towards the "Unexplainable Craze" stating that the axe is "Unsafe for practical use" and "Should not replace your normal weapon". But, in our opinion, even if it serves no other purpose then restarting the trend of, well, trends in weaponry, it has more then solved it's purpose.
The axe has currently sold around 300 units, and it is estimated most warriors in Bree will own one before the end of the month.
((Only Felaion will get this, but what can I say. I was bored.))