Gunnery in Stribrna Joraje

Gunnery is a field of military engineering relating to the usage and studying of firearms and gunpowder artillery. In Stribrna Joraje, gunnery also refers to the various types of firearm and cannon used there on a broad level, from small hand-cannon to the great Murderer guns.

## History of Gunpowder in Joraje

### Shrouded Origins

Gunpowder came into Juhnvechteya about 150 years ago (between the years 450 and 470 of the Joran Calendar, or 200 and 230 of the Vechtese Calendar), and though the exact origin is debated, most scholars agree that it originated in either one, or multiple, Werran Abbeys. From its monastic origins, gunpowder would quickly spread to military uses.

### Introduction to Joraje

By about 500 of the Joran Calendar, gunpowder was recorded as being used at several sieges, mostly in the forms of primitive cannon (which would fire large arrows or javelins), or used in mines to breach castle defenses.

By about 530, the first bombards were being employed in Stribrna Joraje. However, unlike the great pieces of today, these bombards were small, often being less than a meter in length, and with only a small bore. The largest guns of this period were small, only about 2 meters at most. The first recorded massed use of cannon came during the Siege of Buorna, in which, there were reportedly 400 guns in use by Grishing's Crusaders, though about 90% of these were thought to be hand-cannon and other light pieces, incapable of doing damage to the city's walls. These early guns were supplemented by large numbers by traditional siege engines, such as trebuchets, and served as just another alternative weapon to use, often taking numerous weeks to batter down a stone wall.

### Modern Gunnery

At about 580, gunnery had come to improve in Joraje (see *Modern Developments*), leading to bombards becoming ever more powerful, and thus more commonplace. During sieges, cannon are now the primary weapon used to batter down walls, though it can still take some time for all but the most powerful of cannon (called *Murderers*) to destroy walls. Bombards can be found in nearly every army of moderate size, though their cost and the associated requirements for crew and logistics makes larger guns uncommon in all but the armies of the counts and the Dukes.

By about 590 or 600, hand-cannon have also begun to be introduced to Joran armies, though these unwieldy firearms are more often employed in static fortifications for defense, rather than in the open field, as their recoil is heavy, and they are, like their larger cousins, slow to shoot.

#### Modern Developments

Between 580 and the present day, bombards, and the process of constructing them, had evolved. Instead of the relatively short barrel, the barrels had lengthened, allowing more time for the pressure from the powder to build behind the shot. The iron used in the construction processes of iron-cannon has also improved compared the the past, and the construction of the guns is stronger, making them less susceptible to breach failures. However, unlike other Juhnvechtese regions, Joraje has not adopted the use of corned powder, instead persisting in the use of fine powder, a less efficient form of propellant.

## Types of Guns

There are two main types of gunpowder weapons found in Stribrna Joraje, the Bombard, and the recent Hand-Cannon.

### Bombards

Bombards are the large calibre guns employed by armies, often to knock down stone defenses, and more rarely in field battles.

Bombards consist of two sections, the powder chamber, and the barrel. The powder chamber is a separate section of the gun, which holds the gunpowder, and is screwed onto the barrel, which holds the shot. This method of loading, however, does cause the guns to explode when overcharged, often killing it's surrounding crew and overseers (Such as at the Iron Basilisk incident, where Sabastion of Danau and Boris Ilden were killed).

Bombards can range in calibre from 4 inch bores, up to 15 inch shot. There are even larger pieces, called *Murderers*, which can fire shot up to a meter in diameter, though they are extremely rare, with only about 40 thought to exist in all Joraje.

### Hand Cannons

Hand Cannons are a new development, having only recently been adopted. These are small calibre weapons, usually with a bore of about 3/4 of an inch, which are often mounted on poles. These are used in field battles and sieges, often from behind large pavises or ramparts, and are primarily used for scaring horses and men, though their armor-piercing potential has been noted by several field commanders, such as Marsillius, Constable of Karred.

Hand Cannons were first used en masse during the Raven's Revolt in 610 of the Joran calendar, when Baron Darolf employed them against a large company of highland reivers in the Skirmish at Klandahau.