"In the time of Gods, when the Four Kingdoms still stood upon the lands of Remnant, the ancient Huntsmen used weaponry capable of ten shots without reloading with but a single barrel. Such wondrous tools have been lost to the sands of time."
-On Huntsmen by The Nameless Scholar
While Huntsmen and Carrion Lords make use of weapons of magnificent make and function, the commoners must make do with the tools they have on hand. Most families have a short spear used for both defense and hunting the beasts of Menagerie, a necessity when the harvests fail. In villages outside of the direct control of the Carrion Lords, the homes most at risk from the dangers of the Grimm, household tools were slowly transformed into implements of death.
Among the oldest of such tools is the Igorot, a wood carving axe with an edge not unlike that of the farmer's scythe and a thin spike on the poll used to pierce even the toughest hide. Also known as the Headhunting Axe, the Igorot is a common feature among the tribes of Menagerie, where it's lighter weight allows a raider to move swiftly. Many families still possess old Igorots, heirlooms from their more savage past.
For displaying valor in battle, a levied solider may be gifted a spear-rifle, a longer spear able to hinge open to reveal a smooth bore musket. While inaccurate and prone to destroying the spear portion if the hinge is closed while it is loaded, the weapon is a point of pride for many warriors, even if they cannot afford the ammunition.
If the spear-rifle is a rarity, then the Zouave rifle is the mark of a true elite. The rifle is the culmination of the latest in Menagerai technology and the greatest of master craftsmen. The long, rifled barrel is made out of stronger metal than the spear-rifle, allowing it to fire further and more accurately through the use of stronger Dust charges. The manner of loading is more advanced than the spear-rifle, involving specially prepared paper cartridges loaded from the rear of the barrel, with a needle point on the firing pin to cause the shot. These masterworks are a bare step from the ancestral weapons of the Carrion Lords, and most rifles bear the names of those who wielded them. This history, and the difficult nature of their manufacture, has lead to a warrior culture among the Zouave. After all, who better to wield a weapon with a long history than a professional soldier?
While one may have gotten the impression of strangeness being restricted to weapons for use in melees, I am afraid I must disappoint you. The insanity which addles the common sense of many a so-called inventor is no stranger to the Menagerai. One day, an overly clever youth had stumbled out of a tavern and happened upon a cannon being loaded onto a sailing ship. The youth, his mind as addled by drink as his overly imaginative nature, had asked himself a question. "Why don't they make cannons a person can carry?" Years later, another youth asked "Why don't I give it three barrels and make it smaller?" Thankfully the youth who asked "What would happen if I made the gun use a lot more Dust?" died before he could finalize his foolhardy ideas.
Those familiar with the weaponry of Menagerie know I have described the horrific weapon known as the Grimm Gun. Where the Zouave rifle is a weapon of historic precedence, the Grimm Guns are ugly weapons. Short, heavy barrels which can barely contain the overcharged cartridges crudely wielded to blocks of iron bereft of any artistic merit, the Grimm Guns look more like an explosive rock than a true weapon. Nevertheless, some swear by the weapons which are as likely to explode in their hands as pierce through the thickest armor. In this scholar's professional opinion, never trust such a man, for they are clearly suicidal.
Yes, I would like one but not under fraudulent pretenses. In the meantime, I'm going to have to read over the thread again to catch up on what's happened and what's happening.