Starting an army? Need weapons and battle skills? Look no further and enter the domain of The God of War. The ultimate place of worship to all things bloody & brutal. Be it world domination or defying the other Gods, Ares is Olympus' original bad boy. Here comes the history of the War God.

Ares, son of Zeus, king of the gods, and his wife, Hera, queen of the gods, were the Olympian gods of war. The Romans identified Ares with Mars, also a god of war. Aggressive and blood-thirsty, Ares personified the brutal nature of war. He was unpopular with both gods and humans. Among the deities associated with Ares were his consort, Aphrodite, goddess of love and sex, and such minor deities as Deimos (Fear) and Phobos (Rout), who accompanied him in battle. Although fierce and warlike, Ares was not invincible, even against mortals.

The worship of Ares, believed to have originated in Thrace, was not extensive in ancient Greece, and where it existed, it lacked social or moral significance. Ares was an ancestral deity of Thebes and had a temple in Athens, at the foot of the Areopagus, or 'Hill of Ares'.

Ares has been instrumental in the course of Xena's destiny since her exile from her home town of Amphipolis. It was with Ares' help that Xena became the lethal force that she was when she was first introduced to us as the Warrior Princess.

In one of Ares' more sinister plans, he helps Callisto return to life through the guilt of Xena. Having momentarily given up on Xena rejoining his side, the God of War enlists the services of the crazed woman warrior Callisto. In Intimate Strangers, Callisto and Xena switch bodies - initially trapping the Warrior Princess in Hades and freeing Callisto to cause havoc on the world again. However Ares soon realises that the madwoman Callisto cannot be controlled enough to share his vision of world domination.

And so, when his Godhood is stolen by Sisyphus in Ten Little Warlords, Ares joins Xena, Gabrielle & Joxer in a mission to restore it. On the insistance of Gabrielle, Ares agrees to switch Xena back to her own body.

Unable to give up on Xena, Ares calls on the Furies to try the Warrior Princess for failing to avenge the death of her murdered father. Ares convinces them to punish Xena with persecution and madness.

Alecto invokes the judgment of madness while Xena is fighting off some bounty hunters. She tosses away her sword and fights on in a lunatic manner. Gabrielle gets worried when she finds out that the bounty was put on Xena's head by a priest at the temple of the Furies. The priest at the temple confirms that the Furies have given her the double punishment for the crime under their law of failing to avenge her father's murder. The punishment will continue until his death is avenged. Xena flees the temple and runs through the forest beset by hallucinations. Gabrielle calms her madness just long enough for Xena to tie her up and prevent her following while she is so dangerous to be around. Xena is being tended by her mother Cyrene when Gabrielle catches up with her. Cyrene tells Gabrielle that when Xena was seven she killed her husband to prevent him sacrificing Xena to Ares. Ares appears to Xena as she prepares to throw herself off a cliff. She seems persuaded by him to kill her mother instead of herself with the proviso that the Furies are present at the kill. Ares agrees to have them appear and Xena departs to fetch her mother. Xena goads her mother into telling how her father returned from war unexpectedly one night, the night Xena must have been conceived. Mother and daughter depart for the Furies' temple. Ares summons the Furies to witness the act of vengeance. Xena, despite her madness, convinces the Furies that Ares is her father therefore she cannot be guilty of the crime with which he charged her. Moreover, he sought to have her driven mad to make it easier for him to bring her to his side.

When Ares steals the secret to the metal of Hephaestus, Xena, Gabrielle & a bunch of criminals group together to stop the God of War.

Along with his new protege Agathon, Ares plans to create the worlds most unstoppable army. Unfortunatly for Ares, Xena & Gabrielle are there to stop them in their evil tracks. Causing a huge explosion the warrior and bard and send the weapons back to Hephaestus.

It seems that Ares' biggest challenge in regaining his Warrior Princess is in fact Gabrielle. With the bard at Xena's side, the ex warlord has found her true redemption. It would become logical then  for Ares to try and drive a wedge between the two women. Fortunatly for the War God, after the birth of Gabrielle's daughter Hope, things were already becoming shaky in the warrior and bard's relationship. So, when Xena is called to Chin to avenge a debt which would do no more than make her a murderer, Gabrielle accepts Ares' offer to help stop her best friend. This, among other things, would lead to Xena & Gabrielle turning against each other. Hurt and embittered over the loss of their Children, the two women almost kill one another. Were it not for the healing powers of Ellusia Xena and Gabrielle would've been lost to each other forever.

Even after reconciling with each other something was not quite right between Gabrielle & Xena. It wasn't until entering the temple of Mnemosyne that Gabrielle fully got over the guilt for her actions. Discovering the cause of her angst was the God of War and his role in her betrayal of Xena, she attacks and in doing so frees herself from Ares.

Or so she thought. When Xena and Gabrielle have to stop the followers of Dahok from resurrecting Hope, Ares is initially in fully agreement. Feeling threatened by the evil One God, Ares calls for all of his best armies to help him destroy Dahok. However, after being confronted by the One God, Ares soon changes his allegiance. Calling in the debt owed to him by Gabrielle - Ares states that if Gabrielle does not stop Xena from killing Hope then the Fates will cut the life thread of the Warrior Princess.

Later, just as Xena is about to kill Hope, Ares reminds Gabrielle of the consequences of Xena's actions. Yelling for her daughter, Gabrielle grabs Hope and the pair fall into the lava pit below. As Xena looks on heartbroken, Ares vanishes knowing that his commitment to Hope and Dahok are over and his one major obstacle in reclaiming Xena has just fallen to her certain doom.

The History of the Chakram

The Chakram or Chakra was used mostly by the Sikhs of north west India for hundreds of years. The chakram is a flat steel quoit (ring) with a razor-sharp outer edge. The Quoit is generally 6 to 8 inches in diameter.

The Sikhs became martial under Guru Govind Singh and used the Chackra effectively against the Moghul dynasty. The Chackrum has a history that is as old as Indian civilization itself. It's useage is embedded in Indian myth and legend. In the epics..the Mahabharata for instance...an asura trying to get heavenly nectar from the moon had his head chakra-ed off. Still he tries to swallow the moon and succeeds ever so often before the moon escapes through the cut neck...an eclipse myth. Sculptures and paintings of many gods and godesses show the chakra being twirled. Several quoits were worn around a tall, conical turban and were either whirled around the forefinger before throwing or held between the thumb and forefinger and thrown underarm much like a frisbee. Some chakrams are mere rings of flattened steel. Others actually have aerodynamic configurations as part of their overall design. They will cut, fly and perform to a more refined degree than a flat one could. Some chakrams have eye catching engravings and inscriptions to adorn them and their beauty is surpassed only by their deadly purpose.

If it is thrown correctly the target never hears or sees it. However, some of the more elaborate rings had small holes bored into them to produce a whistling sound as they spun in the air. The deep thunk of a solid hit when the chakram sticks is reward enough for the hours of practice one spends mastering this weapon.

History of The Sai

Like all the traditional Okinawan weapons, the exact original of the sai is not known although a few theories exist. One theory is that the sai was derived from a type of hoe. This hoe was used to dig a furrow in the ground. At selected points within the furrow, deeper holes were made with the point of the hoe in which seeds were planted. Later, the hand guards were added. A second theory is that the sai was a direct import from China or Indonesia. This theory states that there was no Okinawan tool upon which it was based. The rational for this theory is that there is little iron on Okinawa which would be needed to make the sai. Thus, the case for the sai being an import.

Even though the sai are sometimes called "short swords", they were not used as a traditional sword word be. Sai were primarily a defensive weapon. They were used more as a club would be. Following are some techniques of sai use:

* With the blade retracted, the sai would cover the forearm to augment blocking techniques. Also the butt end could be used as an effective punching implement. * Flipping the long end out, you effectively have a whipping, striking tool. The long end could also be used for poking and blocking techniques. * The hand guards were effective to catch a strike from a weapon like a staff. These guards would protect the hand from damage.

The prongs of the sai are good for blocking, catching and trapping bo or sword strikes. Once the prongs complete the trap, the defender can use the sai to twist the attacker's weapon from their grasp or even breaking the opponent’s weapon. Because of the flipping techniques employed in use of the sai, strong and limber wrists need to be developed if one is going to master their use.

History of the Bo Staff

The bo staff is probably one of mankind's oldest weapons. They belong to the same family as spears. The bo was commonly used to carry buckets of grain or water, one on each end of the staff for balance purposes. When attacked, the defender could easily slip the buckets off each end and have a very handy weapon. Or staffs would be used as a walking implement. When attacked, what seemed a harmless tool, became a deadly weapon. The staff is nothing more than long stick. Traditionally it measured six feet in length, but both shorter and longer versions were used depending on the situation and practitioner.

The bo staff, because of its length, was not a weapon for close in fighting. Rather it was used to defend one's self from a distance. The staff operates best from outside your opponent's attack zone. It is also most useful in relatively open spaces. The staff is best used when both hands manipulate its use.

Greek Fire

This oil, which has been heated in the ground, was found in the village attacked by the Scythians in "In Sickness And In Hell". The Scythians wanted to use it to "rule the world." In "Purity", Greek Fire is mentioned by Joxer. He thinks it was used to blast a hole in a monastery wall but Xena tells him that wasn't Greek Fire but Black Powder.

Bull Whip The whip has many uses, but for the most part Xena uses it to save herself and others from horrifying ordeals, like falling from great heights or escaping from quick sand.

EVERYONE has used a sword in the Xenaverse at some point from Ares to Minya. They are a tool of survival and most people Xena & Gabrielle come across can weild one. Here are a few of the best sword moments to date:

Sword Of Hephaestus This sword features in the episode "Prometheus". It is the only tool that can break the chains that bind Prometheus. It was found in the Cave Of Hephaestus on the north side of the Vulcan Mountain.

Swordsmith Gabrielle enters the swordsmith's shop, pretending to be a great warrior in need of a new weapon. Shunning the sword she is shown, she buys a breast dagger which the swordsmith tries to put down her blouse!

Axes While slow on the attack, axes do a lot of damage when they hit. Expert axe fighters gain a little more speed on their attacks while master axe fighters can deliver extra damage.

Blunt Weapons Mace skill covers all kinds of blunt trauma weapons ranging from large clubs to flails. Expert mace swingers do extra damage with their weapons. Masters and grandmasters can stun or paralyze their opponents.

Bows Bow skill covers both bow and crossbow usage. Expert archers gain a speed increase with their weapon, while master archers can fire two arrows with every attack.

Daggers While daggers don’t do the kind of damage that a sword or an axe can deliver, they are very quick—sometimes letting you get two attacks for every one of your slower opponents'. Expert dagger fighters can wield a dagger in their left hand while using another weapon in their right. Master dagger fighters have a chance of doing a triple damage attack.

Shields Shield skill directly improves a character’s armor class while a shield is employed. Expert and master rankings in the shield increase this defensive bonus.

Spears The spear skill allows use of bladed pole weapons. Expert spearmen strike for greater damage, and masters can wield spears in one hand.