Sling

Amicia de Rune uses her sling to engage the armored Conrad Malfort

The **sling** is Amicia's main weapon and is used both as a means of defense and a way to overcome obstacles.

## Usage

The sling is one of the first projectile weapons ever invented and is believed to have been created as far back as ten millennia. Being merely two straps and a pouch, it is light and easy to carry or conceal. Not merely a weapon, Amicia can also use it to, for example, shoot out a link in a chain, causing a box to drop.

To fire, first, the projectile, most often a stone, is placed in the pouch. The middle finger or thumb is placed through a loop on the end of one cord, and a tab at the end of the other cord is placed between the thumb and forefinger. The sling is swung in an arc, and the tab released at a precise moment. This frees the projectile to fly to the target. The sling essentially works by extending the length of a human arm, thus allowing stones to be thrown much farther and faster than they could be by hand.

The sling does take a moment to prime and then charge, which forces Amicia to stand still to aim, leaving her vulnerable to counterattack and necessitating a planned shot. Using it also makes a loud *crack*, alerting enemies in the area. It also has a limited range compared to weapons like a bow and requires a solid blow to an unprotected head to deliver a clean kill.

## Upgrades

The sling starts out simple and of limited capability, but both the strings and pouch can be upgraded over time. While crafting can be done anywhere, upgrades require a workbench to be done.

The headshot upgrade is required to made first which then allows other upgrades but only costs one tool point which is found next to the first workbench.

 Strings II
 Strings III

 Pouch II
 Pouch III

## History

### The de Rune Legacy

Amicia's sling was gifted to her by her father Robert de Rune, a toy to help her cope with the distancing in their relationship. When out on their walk in the forest, she brings it along and uses it to undertake the Knight's Challenge under his supervision to knock six apples from a tree in ten seconds. When their dog Lion caught the scent of a wild boar nearby, she uses it to stun the creature with a blow to the head, but the creature quickly got back up and ran away. When the Inquisition invade their family estate, the sling is of no use against the soldiers.

### The Strangers

After being forced to flee for their lives, Amicia and her brother Hugo find themselves seeking shelter in the home of a kindly old lady named Clervie. She offers the use of her workbench to repair and upgrade Amicia's sling, giving it the throwing power to kill a person with a blow to the head. This proves useful when, shortly after, Amicia is forced to fight and kill a militant villager and the leader of the local brute squad Conrad Malfort. His crude armor deflects her sling attacks, but using the sling she removes the vulnerable clasps fastening his armor to then remove the plates and helmet to expose his head to a killing blow before fleeing into the church.

### The Apprentice

Amicia's sling proves useful for more than just hurling stones when she uses it to fire Ignifer at a burning windmill, igniting the arms into flames to help scare away rats as they flee.

### The Ravens' Spoils

While ineffective against the steel helmets of the English troops, Amicia can use her marksmanship to take out the lanterns that they use to ward off rats, allowing the vermin to overwhelm and kill them.

### Damaged Goods

When captured, Amicia's sling was taken away from her and locked away in a box near where they later find and free Hugo. When the Inquisition arrives, Amicia must use it to hold off oncoming soldiers while Mélie opens an escape route.