Somach

A somach [s.O-m.a.ch] (sOh-match) is a small, ancient weapon obtained from the cones of Tsomachoideae (tsomach) trees.

Description
Somaches are made by stripping most of the scales from a tsomach tree, leaving a scaly base and a central spine. The cones are chosen from tsomach trees  partly because of their common presence in Russen (located in the south-east of what is now Urral), the ancient nation from which the weapon originates, and partly because the cones of these trees are particularly long, with strong central spines.

To stop the scales at the base of the cone from dropping off, the cones were dipped in a thick, gluey oil similar to varnish called osmar. This is done as soon as possible, since the base scales can come apart from the rest of the cone far more easily if the rest of the scales have been removed. The tip of the spine is then sharpened and soaked in the osmar for a day to strengthen it.

The stalk of the cone is sometimes used as a redamentary handle. Usually, the stalk isremoved and a larger, manufactured wooden handle is attached in its place. The base  scales may also be removed and replaced with a manufactured hand-guard. Whether or not these additions are made depends largely on the local culture. Some believe somaches should traditionally be 'pure' and only have natural features, whilst others argue that this makes them uncomfortable and near-unusable, and that since osmar is traditionally used to treat somaches, they are partly manufactured anyway.

Use
Originally, the somach was used as a weapon to stab enemies in the throat. They were associated with stealth, as somaches are small and their use against someone wielding a sword or even dagger would be extremely difficult. As a result, warriors using somaches avoided being noticed at all costs.

Despite their impracticality, somaches were used for nearly 300 years as a weapon of symbolic importance. Even today, somaches are shrouded in tradition and culture.

Somaches are used in festivals celebrating the resources nature provides. They are sometimes demonstrated by impaling a vegetable or sack of grains. More commonly, they are used for decorative and symbolic purposes, often being laid around rooms or hanging from walls during yamr, a religious period of the dry season. They are also associated with Oaras, the ufmeyarmeyt  godess of the the ruyysrum, the natural struggle between organisms..