I was foolish to do it, but that's in the past now. While doing the quest to deliver swords to the Yolaru, in order to allow me to carry them all at once (inventory space is at such a premium in this game!), I left some not-currently-being-used items on the ground near the chieftan's hut. Mainly, weapons I was not using, like a large supply of rifle bullets, the fire axe, and many spears.

Upon completing delivery and gaining the support of the Yolaru in the war on the Myrmidex, I retrieved my items but noticed some had vanished, particularly the bullets and the axe. This disturbed me because the axe is a fine melee weapon, but it is also necessary to manufacture rifles, which I had not done yet.

Am I thoroughly boned without the fire axe, or is it critical to a main plot point? I'll have an uphill battle without the homemade rifles, but dual-wielding the obsidian swords seems to do a good job of killin' stuff in their absence.

The fire EXTINGUISHER is safe, thankfully.

Actually, you can make rifles just fine without the axe, so never mind.