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The Keris has been a prominent part of the martial and cultural heritage of the Indonesian archipelago, in both historic and inspired fictional setting. However, it is more than just a weapon. It is also an heirloom, a symbol of authority, as well as a vessel for certain supernatural qualities. These qualities can be positive or negative—depending on the bearer and their intentions. It was not an everyday weapon, and it is not for use by just about anyone.
The Keris is a simple weapon born of a complex process. The Keris is made of several parts, namely the Wilah (Blade) which often emblaze a Pamor (Pattern), a contrasting motif that is produced by forging together different metals, and revealed through etching. At the end of the blade, the Ganja (Collar/Crossguard) stands out, connected to the Pesi (Tang), which extends from the blade and fits into the Ukiran (Hilt).
But the most interesting part of the Keris, for me at least, is the Pamor itself! Not only because it shows a mesmerizing array of patterns unique to each Keris, but also the material used to create such an intricate shape. Many a Keris has been forged with meteoritic ore and metals, incorporated to their pamor.
YES! Space-iron. Void-wrought metal. And this… is where I think our alternative history diverged from our own. Take a look.
Weapons and Tools of the Demigods: Keris
Generations before today, even before the first kings of Singosari enact their laws on the land, Gods roam the land freely, descending from the heavens in their technologically advanced vessels. Alongside them are the Demigod royalties - the Sri Kings & Queens ruled the land.
Few can match their power and prowess in this realm. Fewer still understood the tools through which that power was wielded. The Mpu, learned scholars & master smiths, have devoted themselves to the forging of the almighty Keris, the weapons, tools, and symbols of power crafted specially for the Demigod Royalties.
Now that the world has changed, the Keris’ original, otherworldly purpose has been entirely forgotten, and their extraordinary abilities have passed onto the realm of myths and legend.
Not all Keris inhibit these special properties, though. Most are simply the works of especially skilled smiths (which still serve as a remarkable weapon). Only those that were made for and wielded by the Demigod royalties do. These Keris always incorporate star-metal in their forging process.
The Pamor
When discovering a Keris, roll a d6 and consult the list below to decide its Pamor.
Buntel Mayit (The Corpse Shroud) - Protection. Spiral or helix-shaped patterns that wraps around the Wilah.
Rojo Gundolo (The Regal Apparition) - Charisma or Authority. Shapes resembling a recognizable figure, often located closer to the Ganja.
Melati Sinebar (The Cascading Flowers) - Peace. Blossoming, flower-like shape in line across the Wilah.
Beras Wutah (The Overflowing Rice) - Prosperity. Frequent, irregular motes and specks throughout the whole Wilah.
Benda Segada (The Tree Pillar) - Honor-bound Duty. Cascading, stacking circular shapes extending from near the Ganja down the length of the Wilah.
Lar Gangsir (The Cricket’s Wings) - Mental Resilience. Complex lines that resemble the patterns found on insect wings.
When one has attuned themselves to the Keris, the Pamor manifests its unique quality onto the holder of the Keris, often subtly.
Its Original Purpose
As Keris are often symbols of power and a tool, they serve as more than just a weapon. Most of the times, its purpose is singular and unique, giving its original owners access to something that would otherwise be inaccessible without the Keris being present. However, there are also cases of mundane uses of the Keris, often present in secondary or tertiary Keris owned by an extremely powerful individual.
Roll a d12 and consult the list below to find out the Keris’ original purpose.
The Key to One of the Syandana, spaceships of past Royalties. All one needs is to slot in the key and the ship activates.
A Torch. It lights up with an intensity decided by the wielder.
A Shadow-Anchor, used to restrain a creature by stabbing its shadow onto a surface.
A Memory Melter. The Wilah can produce an intense flash of light that would ‘melt’ the memory of creatures exposed to it. 1-in-6 chance that it would ‘melt’ the brain instead.
A Bell-Clapper. Somewhere in this realm or a distant one, a bell can only be rung by this Keris to change the world somehow.
A Star-map. The Pamor is also a map towards a distant world when it is held up against the night sky. The Pattern slowly changes as the star moves.
The Plumb Line. The Keris will always point at the center of a designated planet. Useful when off-world, parlor trick on the surface.
A Battery that powers something only a Keris could. Probably one of the Syandana.
A Drinking vessel. The Ukiran can be twisted and opened to reveal a flask. Holds a lot more than it looks.
A Gun. There’s a hidden trigger in the crook of the Ukiran. It shoots a powerful laser beam.
A Message. When activated, the Keris projects a holographic image of its previous owner, speaking of a message. If it was anything urgent, it’s already probably too late to act on it now.
A Prison. When occupied, the Pamor of the Keris would change to roughly resemble the prisoner. Prison Keris are almost always occupied, though.
The Strange Quality
To the untrained eye, the Keris may appear to be just like any other blade—even those who are familiar with the mundane variants of the Keris may not be able to discern the otherworldly utilities of the Keris.
They may notice, however, strange, but mundane details that betray its ordinary appearance when not attuned.
Roll a d8 and consult the list below to determine which strange detail the Keris features.
The Wilah faintly Glimmers, even when there’s no light to reflect.
The Keris vibrates and hums softly, which can only be heard in absolute silence.
Patterns in the Ukiran changes from time to time, though not easily noticeable.
The Wilah is slightly hotter/colder than the room temperature.
The Wilah never seems to rust, even after prolonged exposure to water/dampness.
The Pamor exhibits colors that you’ve never seen before.
Whenever the Keris is unsheathed, someone always accidentally gets cut by it.
The Keris seems to ‘teleport’ from time to time. It’s never where you leave it last.
While I hope this doesn’t undermine the amazing heritage of the Keris, its creation process, and the culture that surrounds it, I think there’s something here that could be the start of the Indonesian gonzo fantasy or weird fiction. Keris is just one of the more renowned part of the culture that we can easily play into, since there are so much material of it to be found everywhere. This has made the research on this topic easier than most.
One good thing that i hope would come out of this blog is that the realization that Keris is not just like your common shortsword/daggers. There’s so much that goes into the process of its creation.
Massive shout-out to AfraidofEncounters & Citaaticat’s Oddipelago—which, at the time of the writing of this blog is still in the process of creation, more on which you can read by checking their blog in the link above. Before hearing their pitch I couldn’t even imagine how to incorporate the gonzo into Indonesian-inspired works.