Lantern Shield

Description
"Arus stood in a vast corridor, lighted by huge candles in niches along the walls. These walls were hung with black velvet tapestries, and between the tapestries hung shields and crossed weapons of fantastic make."

- The God in the Bowl

Shields traditionally serve a single purpose defense. The lantern shield attempts to broaden that definition, however, by providing adventurers with a series of options for both attack and defense.

Developed in Argos, this small shield was originally designed to protect the watchmen of that city as they went about their nightly rounds, providing them with a handy light source for the darkest alleyways and corners of the city. However, the wily gladiators of Messantian fighting pits soon saw that the focused light of the lanterns mounted on the shield could be used to bedazzle and confuse their foes especially in the darkness.

Lantern shields come in many designs, from buckler shapes with jutting sword breakers and attached gauntlets, to simply large shield with an enclosure for holding the lantern that gives the shield its name.