The longsword is commonly used by the denizens of Torvaldsland, Asperiche, Scagnar, and other such northern cold-weather climes. It is approximately 36 inches in length, though longswords in excess of 40 inches can also be found, depending upon the reach and preference of the user. It is carried in a belt-scabbard or leather support loop on the wielder's off side, or strapped across its user's back over his right shoulder. The Northerners employ it to great effect with their thicker thews and greater arm length. It is primarily used for slashing, to batter an enemy's shield to pieces, after which the wielder follows through with a killing stroke. Universally hand forged, these swords are "pattern blades" constructed in the Damascus style, whereby many braided rods of both soft flexible steel and stronger, more brittle steel are heated and worked into a single piece, then hammered flat for shaping and tempering. In this way the blade is imbued with both great flexibility and superior strength. Because of this, when rubbed with a mild acid or oxydizing compound, the finished blade will display a twisted, snake-like pattern caused by the different carbon contents of the woven steel, embedded in the polished surface. Each of these weapons is typically named by its creator, and it is even a common belief among some northerners that such blades are sentient beings, possessed of souls. This weapon makes its first appearance in the series in book #8, Marauders of Gor.