Firearms

A **Firearm** is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube/barrel to launch projectiles. The method of propulsion is fuelled by volatile explosive black powder in 1014AE, and more commonly gunpowder in 1086AE. Guns were first deployed en-masse in warfare for the Aradian Civil War starting in 1016AE, and formally took over as the main weapon of the Pirate War around 1046AE.

The true progenitor of the modern firearm cannot be pinpointed; in the West, House Cogworth were the first to add cannons onto their warships, and also the first to utilise smaller handheld variants of the guns for their infantry. Drow like Garin Dul-Sansiska are also known to frequently wield guns.

Arms manufacture is a key component of the modern Aradian economy in 1086AE, supplied to officers of law enforcement as well as overseas colonization efforts. Some of the variants of guns are listed by manufacturer below.

## Ravenkraft

Owned by Caradoc Rookwood, with manufacturing plants in Longbarrow and Nagari. Formed and operated from the remnant manufacturers of House Cogworth. Considered more expensive, but more forward-thinking than competitors, often trying to push the envelope and more likely to experiment.

##### Ravenkraft .45 Revolver

Commonly nicknamed the Kraft 45. A six-round pistol with a revolving chamber. its easily concealable and portable nature, coupled with its easy firing mechanism, has made the weapon popular; it sees frequent use among law enforcement as well as outlaws and bandits.

## Knox & Worcester

Owned by Odysseus Knox. Factories in Worcupia and Nagari. Considered the standard "baseline" benchmark against which many other manufacturers are judged-solid, inexpensive, dependable, unimaginative.

#### Know & Worcester MKIII Repeater

The standard infantry bayonet of the Blackjackets.

## Arms of Karnahk

The hallowed tools of the Clockwork Order of Karnahk, a cult dedicated to Industrial progress. Run an extensive mechanical research division overseen by Brother Metatron. Highly exclusive, highly advanced--the bleeding edge of firearms, every piece a custom work of art, almost impossible for a normal consumer to obtain no matter how wealthy they might be.

An expanded list of the Clockwork Priests' weapons can be found here

#### Vigilance

The personal sidearm/badge of office for Brother Lazarus. Extremely large, heavy six-shooter revolver built in part by its wielder. Almost impossible for average person to aim and fire owing to size, weight and recoil.

## Maiden Mavericks

Based out of Relic-Asgar, this manufacturer is the only solely drow owned operation in Aradia at the moment, it's owned and operated by the Xeno-Paras Partnership, they specialize in robust, if outdated, firearms and related maintenance equipment for those unwilling to work with Knox or Rookwood interests. Their reliability is known to make up for their lack of R&D or forward thinking visions of the changing industry.

### The Relic

A single fire, break action 10mm handgun, aptly named because of the archaic functionality in the era of repeating revolvers, but revolutionary in its heyday. Sees action mostly by adventurers and treasure hunters due to the reliable firing power even when submerged underwater or in muddy conditions. Garin Dul-Sansiska favors this weapon over modern styles due to the ease of use and reliability, the only moving parts are the trigger and hammer, making it a nearly never fail weapon of such well made design that it's nickname is the Reliable Relic.

## History of Firearms

Pre-Monarchy Firearms (???-1016)- Matchlocks, Ship Cannons, Wheellocks. Rudimentary firearms that date back as novelties and large-scale pieces of equipment meant only for warships, dunno how long this would have been back to but it was pretty clear that the Drow had been using gunpowder for explosives for centuries, Xankresh clearly knew how to develop firearms and cannons, and the West had its tinkerers who made their own strides. But nobody really pushed the envelope so to speak because it was cheaper and easier to arm a peasant with a pike. Ships were armed with incredibly heavy and expensive rudimentary cannons, but it was not seen as needed or even feasible to deploy these naval weapons as parts of a land army.

Aradian Civil War Firearms (1016-1024)- Improved Matchlocks and Wheelock mechanisms, Mortar Cannons, Cannons, development into improvements on firing mechanisms, production, and the mainstream production of black powder and the predomination of the gunsmith. They used the same weapons that were already there, with the upper crust and officers using the far more elegant wheellock systems, and their troops being armed with expensive, yet durable, matchlock rifles as part of a pike and shot formation system that saw the battlefield become an arms race to see who could get more guns on the field in formations of attack. Mortar cannons and the development of land-based cannons ended the era of the castle siege with a bang, and the Civil War was marked by an explosion in the use of firearms that began to force the knight class irrelevant and give the peasantry more than just being mere fodder to hold the line or settle in for a siege. Magic being cut off placed importance on heavy support being taken up by manning cannons and mortars rather than flinging spells as a living artillery piece on the battlefield. This time was dominated by the innovation and production of both factions.

Interwar Firearms (1024-1040)- Invention of the flintlock, blunderbuss, and musket, deployment of the bayonet, development of different cannon shot, improvements to mortars, the proliferation of standardized weaponry in the royal army, and the beginning of professional soldiers. While the use of martial arms was still impactful, it was beginning to see a wane in use and the royal army needed a massive overhaul to keep up with the churn of innovation, and thus new developments came about that would give a far more reliable armed approach to conflict. The age of footmen and knights was over, by and large, it was now the time of the soldier and cannon. This era's firearms saw much use putting down several notable rebellions and dire incidents of brutality with the new more reliable firearms.

Pirate War Firearms (1040-1052)- Percussion caps, paper cartridges, rifling, ammunition developments, flintlocks versus percussion.

Post Piracy Firearms (1052-1070)- Break action pistols, shotguns, bolt action firearms, the Gatling gun, and the development of smokeless powder for cartridge-based weapons. The first taste of 'modern' weapons in development.

Brecilidian Rebellion Firearms (1070-1076)- Percussion cap muskets, lever action repeating rifles, the revolver, heavy use of snipers, and a finale to the use of single shot frontloaders by the armed forces.

Republican Firearms (1076-1090)- Mass Production, Proliferation of cheap firearms, standardized calibers, telescopic lenses, domination of revolver and the repeater. Development of semi-automatic firing, clip fed ammo, and the development of the magazine to happen late during this time.

??? Firearms (1090-???)- Automatic weaponry, heavier calibers, mass production of explosives, rapid developments in warfare.