Since we're going to war, here's an omake about the artillery used by our military. I also have another one already written about airships, but I'll wait to post it.
From The Guns of Gryphus: A Guide to Imperial Artillery, by Gustav Weisstail, published 29 AD
Bolzenwerfer Modell 3/26 [1]
The Bolzenwerfer was the first type of artillery invented (or perhaps reinvented--scant records from the First Empire indicate a similar weapon was in use then) [2] in Gryphus after the conclusion of the Age of Discord, in 3 AD during the lead-up to the Unification War against Aquileia. Created, as with much of the Empire's more advanced weapons, by Chief Researcher Archimedes at the request of then-King Garrick of Griffonia, the Bolzenwerfer took the form of a massive, reinforced bow, with a long cradle for the projectile. The thick cable serving as the string of the "bow" is pulled back with a large crank until it is locked into place behind the trigger mechanism. For a significant boost in stopping power, the weapon possesses two large torsion strings made of sinew, which twist as the bowstring is pulled back, building up energy as they do so. When the Bolzenwerfer is discharged, the energy of both the taut string and the coiled torsion cables is released at once, propelling the bolt to great velocities.
Bolzenwerfer ammunition resembles massively oversized arrows, typically as thick as a griffon's leg. Over the years, many different types of bolt-heads have been developed for use with the Bolzenwerfer. These include the standard conical steel head, for punching through wood or bodies; pitch-covered incendiary heads for igniting flammable materials and causing panic; and a heavy, rounded steel "siege head," for breaking through stone fortifications in lieu of cannonballs. Some experts have even suggested that bolts be made that are tipped with orichalcum or blacksteel, to neutralize powerful battlemages; this type of ammunition has not been manufactured, as of yet, due to orichalcum's rarity and great expense, not to mention the risk of the enemy retrieving the thrown bolt and reforging the precious metal tip for their own purposes.
The Imperial Bolzenwerfer arsenal underwent near-complete replacement in 26 AD, due to various small improvements being made to the original design. Because none of these improvements changed the basic design too drastically, neither was the designation drastically changed, and the Bolzenwerfer of today is still regarded as the same weapon as the one invented in 3. [3]
Today, Bolzenwerfer continue to see field use due to their versatile projectiles and greater mobility than cannons. In addition, many are mounted aboard the patrol cogs of the Imperatorliche Marine, where they play a critical role in the elimination of piracy.
Sechspfünderkanone Modell 11/25
This steel cannon, firing six-pound (2.7kg) iron projectiles, was the first gunpowder artillery piece ever created, birthed from the mind of Archimedes. Its increased power and relative simplicity of construction in comparison to the Bolzenwerfer gave the Empire a deadly edge against the forces of Sombra in the Winterkrieg, especially after the introduction of guncotton propellant and scattershot (or grapeshot) canisters for anti-personnel use. Though quite heavy, it is still mobile on the field, thanks to its wheeled carriage (the limber), also introduced by Archimedes. To remain stable while on its wheels, the gun features a "tail" which reaches down to the ground and prevents the cannon from rolling backward upon firing. The tail also features a hitch, allowing the gun to be attached to a harness worn by two or more crew members, who then pull it to wherever it is needed.
The Modell 11, later modernized to the Modell 11/25 in a similar process to the Bolzenwerfer a year later, was the foundation upon which the modern Imperial artillery train was built, and many of its features also show up in later cannon models. After the introduction of the twelve-pounder Parrot rifle, however, it has been mostly relegated to light support roles. Modell 11s were also the first guns mounted aboard the Marine's heavy war carracks, and some still exist in this role, but again, the Parrot rifle has superseded them.
Zwölfpfünderkanone "Papageiengewehr" Modell 23
The most recent model of field gun currently in use by the Heer, the twelve-pounder Parrot rifle (named for its designer, Oberst Gerhard Parrot [Gerhard Papagei]) fires a projectile twice as heavy as the old six-pounder field gun, and with greater accuracy, thanks to Parrot's innovation of rifling--that is, engraving spiral grooves into the cannon's bore. The grooves cause the shot to spin while being fired, increasing its stability in flight, and thus its accuracy across longer ranges. Aside from this, the Parrot rifle shares most of its characteristics with its smaller predecessor: muzzle-loading, guncotton propellant, limbered, and made of steel.
The Parrot rifle's size and raw power has made it the premier weapon for blasting through fortifications and formations alike with round and scattershot. The Marine has also begun replacing the old six-pounders on its war carracks with a naval rifle variant of the Parrot, though this process has yet to be completed.
Halbpfünder-Schwenkkanone "Regenfederkanone/Sebastian" Modell 29 [4]
These brand new and diminutive, yet effective pieces are found almost exclusively aboard vessels of the Imperatorliche Marine, from the mighty war carracks of the battle line to the nimble patrol cogs, which before only had Bolzenwerfer for protection due to their hulls being too fragile for full cannons. The swivel cannon is the creation of amateur inventor Sebastian Rainfeather [Regenfeder], a close friend of Kronprinz Gawain, who conceived of it and several other inventions during a stimulant-fueled idea spree. Unconventional origins aside, the swivel cannon has already proven its worth, not only as a versatile weapon, but also as a utility. It can target enemy crewmembers or structural weaknesses aboard a ship, and also launch harpoons to initiate boarding or to spear fish, and even whales. Some naval officers have even contemplated using the little guns for signalling purposes, such is its adaptability! Rainfeather, the inventor, has earned a place of honor in the language of the sea; his new guns are called "Sebastians" by sailors after him.
OOC Footnotes
[1] Numbers denote the year of creation, in the AD calendar from my last omake, or for the purposes of the quest, the turn when they were created. I based the system on that used by weapons companies in the late 19th/early 20th century, for example with the Mauser Modell 98, made in 1898. The / denotes a refit or partial modernization of the weapon; a real-world example would be the Mosin-Nagant M1895/30, originally created in 1895 and modernized in 1930.
[2] I figured that the old Empire must have had some kind of field artillery, and since it seems to be the Rome to our modern state, and the ballista is a Roman weapon, I thought that maybe we weren't the first to invent the ballista, but the design was entirely forgotten in the Age of Discord.
[3] These partial modernizations weren't the result of any actions on the part of the questers; rather, I felt that the design would naturally be reviewed over the years, and if someone thought of an improvement, it would be rolled out along with several others when possible. I know that we have quest actions to create new weapons--it's how we got the ballistae and cannons, and how we can get mortars if we're so inclined, but hopefully this excuse is acceptable. The military would want to update their weapons with the times, after all.
[4] I had no idea that Sebastian had invented swivel guns until recently; I thought I had made them up myself, but no, we canonically have them! I hope that my placing them aboard cogs, which were stated not to be able to pack large cannons, is acceptable; I figured that the swivels would be small enough to be mounted on them for extra firepower. Surprised that they haven't added any naval bonuses, swivel guns are pretty useful.
