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Author Topic: Rune Race: Loji Thread  (Read 31767 times)

Madman198237

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #300 on: May 19, 2019, 12:30:59 pm »

We didn't have to design the Chanting runic object/thing that lets people Chant (which as of now is a focus unless somebody has a better idea OR Talion actually named it at some point) for the Voiceguard and their new divisions, we probably don't need to specifically design the Empowerment Rune for the Voiceguard. That quote doesn't mention the Voiceguard so I'm going consistency unless Talion says specifically otherwise.

Yes, I am there referring to objects carrying the Empowerment Runes. A little clumsy, perhaps, but it should by no means be confusing. I seem to have got a couple Chants backwards, I thought the smoke thing used Shape(Air).

I'm not sure why we can't get Chanting to be very widespread---the Voiceguard is an elite unit, providing a Cheap chanting focus would allow many more soldiers to chant. Perhaps not the entire army, but certainly a large proportion (based on the functionality of Cheap equipment).
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TricMagic

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #301 on: May 19, 2019, 01:02:34 pm »

By nature, the basic chants at their lowest level can be said to be spread about already. We never have to worry about not having them when we need them. I asked that of Talion once before.

Another thing I asked leads to those who practice chanting exclusively are weaker martially. Therefore, there is no system in place for our regular soliders to learn chanting of any spell. Like the Voiceguard, we would need to design a specific type of unit, who would fall under the Very Expensive status of heroes.

They meanwhile have used what I believe is the thing needed for tattoos to channel magic in scrolls, and produced enough of them to be effective. It's an object they make, the soliders themselves likely aren't chanters, as the scroll is single use. We are likely to see more of them in coming turns.
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Atomic Chicken

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #302 on: May 19, 2019, 01:18:43 pm »

We didn't have to design the Chanting runic object/thing that lets people Chant (which as of now is a focus unless somebody has a better idea OR Talion actually named it at some point) for the Voiceguard and their new divisions, we probably don't need to specifically design the Empowerment Rune for the Voiceguard. That quote doesn't mention the Voiceguard so I'm going consistency unless Talion says specifically otherwise.

That would be because there's no such object. By word of GM, Chanting works something like this: A combination of runes (3D constructs having absorbed an element of Mana) is prepared and expended in a ritual used to imbue air with Mana. This air is subsequently inhaled by a Chanter, and persists within their lungs for the length of a season, enabling the Chanter to perform the specific chant corresponding to the rune combination used.

The way I interpreted it, Empowered Rune inscriptions work like the Air Phasing inscription in that they're meant to be applied to a piece of equipment, as opposed to the rune itself. This is why I don't think the Voiceguard has access to them yet.

I'm not sure why we can't get Chanting to be very widespread---the Voiceguard is an elite unit, providing a Cheap chanting focus would allow many more soldiers to chant. Perhaps not the entire army, but certainly a large proportion (based on the functionality of Cheap equipment).

Apologies if I came off as condescending. It'll certainly make the chant more widespread, and isn't a bad idea; I just meant to point out that we probably shouldn't expect get our entire army chanting.
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As mentioned in the previous turn, the most exciting field of battle this year will be in the Arstotzkan capitol, with plenty of close-quarter fighting and siege warfare.  Arstotzka, accordingly, spent their design phase developing a high-altitude tactical bomber. 

Madman198237

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #303 on: May 19, 2019, 01:31:58 pm »

By nature, the basic chants at their lowest level can be said to be spread about already. We never have to worry about not having them when we need them. I asked that of Talion once before.
As of now the only Chanters we have are members of the Voiceguard. NOBODY else can Chant because we haven't provided the components necessary for them to do the ritual that leads to them being capable of Chanting at all.

Another thing I asked leads to those who practice chanting exclusively are weaker martially. Therefore, there is no system in place for our regular soliders to learn chanting of any spell. Like the Voiceguard, we would need to design a specific type of unit, who would fall under the Very Expensive status of heroes.
We don't need a fancy system in place, we just need to provide the components and they'll learn it, though not so much that they're doing real damage to their combat skills. Rather like how we don't need to design a training system to teach people how to use an axe and shield in battle, just provide them the equipment.

They meanwhile have used what I believe is the thing needed for tattoos to channel magic in scrolls, and produced enough of them to be effective. It's an object they make, the soliders themselves likely aren't chanters, as the scroll is single use. We are likely to see more of them in coming turns.
The scrolls are probably an Inscribed object that allows the user to cast some form of spell which we may perceive as Chanting, or maybe it really is somehow Chanting-related. THAT, or it's a completely different form of magic we've not yet discovered, which may be whatever it is that allows you to imbue a living thing with magic.
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TricMagic

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #304 on: May 19, 2019, 01:32:54 pm »

Tricross Ballistae

Taking our Sailcarts, we upsize it a little, then add bolts to be screwed down into the earth. From there, we build a Triple Crossbow atop a mount to provide simple height and aim for it. The Crossbows are wound with an attached winch, basically a carved log with steel bar wounded through the four compass points on both sides.

Spoiler: image (click to show/hide)

Our Sailcarts will let us move it quickly, and when we need to start firing, we use the bolts to stabilize the Sailcart and lock the wheels.

For Ammo, we use Windforged Steel shafts with an attached Fire Steel head like this.(see picture) The Ammo has Air Phasing inscribed. We place it in the crossbow, activate it, then aim and fire. The heat of the head makes it so that the ammo carves through the enemy army, and Air Phasing prevents deviation, making it accurate for extremely long ranges.

The Triple crossbow is made up of parts, so those are set into the thing. With this, we can use our maneuverability on the field to set up out of their range, then use our range to completely break apart their army from the side. We can even set them up in defensive positions as well.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2019, 01:39:32 pm by TricMagic »
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TricMagic

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #305 on: May 19, 2019, 05:09:46 pm »

Voiceguard Organization.
The Voiceguard needs a tune up with all the new things coming into common knowledge. Mostly in Divisions.

General to all divisions. If Possible, the most powerful runes will be used.

Windsingers: In charge of inspiring the army on the march.
Windsingers: Masters of Wind, they create the breezes which drive us forward and bring the whirlwinds which disrupt our opponent's arrows.
 With the addition of the Shape(Air) Runic Vessels, they can now lighten their loads by affecting greater areas. And a few do use the terrain type of Vessel.Thankfully, you can in fact turn them off and on when you have some time, and the Runic Vessels are passed out to everyone who use them.(This is something to note for all units in the Voiceguard. Practice Proper Energy Conservation.)

Enkindlers: Light fires with which to purge the wicked.
Enkindlers: Debunked. The Hellbringers are far more effective in this role. But they do have new purpose with the addition of the Shape(Air) Runic Vessel. With it, they can apply a terrain effect to set an area to being ready to light, and light large areas. The combination of these two let them work their new purpose on a truly wide scale. As saboteurs who harm the enemy before they even manage to fight us.
 Spike of Embers Chant folded into Enkindlers Group. Enkindlers now named Embers.

Hellbringers: Bringers of the unholy fire to purge the enemy with pillars of flame descending from on high.
Hellbringers: Always a touchy subject, the addition of the Shape(Air) Runic Vessels means wider effect with their chants when they choose to use them. Which is often for the weakest one. The Terrain effect they bring is heat, and as such, normally would be used in the mountains to cause snow melts in the opponents way to prevent passage, or with the Enkindlers in sabotage in the jungle heat. Truly hell on earth to baked alive in the jungle.

Shroudweavers: Battlefield warriors trained to hide soldiers from the enemy.
Shroudweavers: They've had trouble working correctly. Hiding is well and good, and they still do that as needed. But in open areas, using your Chant to cut off enemy retreat before moving the smoke into the enemies backline to choke them is good on it's own. Just make sure you work with the Stillbrought as needed to prevent your Chants from choking your allies.

Apothecaries: Make soldiers ready for battle.
Apothecaries: Debunked. They serve as medics and experimenters, picking out poisons from the jungles to mix new concoctions, beneficiary and not. Out of battle, their job is to heal those sick from enemy poisons. Hopefully the stronger runes will allow them new insights.
 Still named Apothecaries. Focus is more on medicine, experiments, and healing.

(New!)Stillbrought: The Stillbrought. They are focused out of battle on training our warriors to fight in the horrid conditions they can bring, bringing them to great heights of strength.. The Shape(Air) Runic Vessels mean they come into this being able to vary their chants strength, as well as apply a terrain effect on an entire area to mess with movement through it. In battle, they use flat planes to capture foes in wide swaths, varying their height and thickness to ruin aim and movement, and letting the Jarls of the Maelstrom do their own thing, dismissing their own and placing their fields with acuity. The Stillbrought further work with the Shroudweavers to better corral the expanding smoke, doing the envelopment and entrapment mentioned before.
 Put most simply, it take a lot of meditation and mental strength to be one of the Stillbrought, to be calm in the face of fear and adrenaline to bring your allies victories.

(New!)Helbringers: The opposite of the Hellbringers, they are ones who freeze the blood in their opponents bodies, destroy muscles with their cold winds, and encrust gear with ice. The Shape(Air) Runic Vessels are by nature, rather useless to them, as their most Powerful Runes require all their focus to attain perfection, in that one focused perfect moment when the sphere of icewind encases their foes, and they shatter.
 This is not to say they have no use for this Vessel though. They can use it's terrain effect to cool their allies in the heat, and stop the flow of water in the mountain thaw, allowing their chants to grant safe passage and secure campsites when the water flows.


Quote from: Votebox
Empowered Runic Vessels aka Rune Pendants: (1) TricMagic
Voiceguard Organization: (1) TricMagic

Do I need to say anything? These are valid, and include the new Vessels. And note, we can turn inscripted equipment on and off, so no issues there.
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Madman198237

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #306 on: May 19, 2019, 05:33:56 pm »

Quote from: Votebox
Empowered Runic Vessels aka Rune Pendants: (1) TricMagic
Voiceguard Organization: (1) TricMagic
Voiceguard Orders Reorganizations: (1) Madman
Chants of the Masses: (1) Madman


Quote
Stormcrown Tongues
With the discovery of the powers of Empowered Chants and the acquisition of enough experience and Mana to deploy Powerful Chants backed up by Powerful Empowerment, the Loji have realized that within their hands is now the ability to enforce their will even on the very weather of the world.

With these revelations, it was further realized that the Temple of the Voiceguard, while useful, was not a suitable location for the testing and usage of large-scale weather manipulation. Instead, a fortress was built in the northernmost, most desolate region of our territory, though its westerly position along the coast means that it is closer to the enemy than our heartlands. The coast is a series of wave-battered cliffs with a single substantial hill along the coast, called the Stormcrown. We have built sets of walls and moats and ditches around the hill, a fortress surrounded by irrigation channels. The land, before we built there, was cold and desolate. Nothing would grow there, but now the trainees learn by altering the weather to the extent that the land becomes arable and crops can be grown around the fortress. Trained members reside in this new outpost of our Chanters, journeying out each season to aid our soldiers and harm our enemies with the weather.

Winds of Cold and Flame can cool and heat various regions of air across a lane of advance, combined with Wind to mix them together just right to create the weather we desire. Thunderstorms, torrential rains, snow and sleet and pounding hail, all within our grasp. The Stormcrown Tongues use all three Chants with Powerful Runes and Powerful Empowering inscribed objects, though primarily Wind, preferring to manipulate preexisting air rather than heat or cool massive amounts of air. They can, by using different arrangements of Chants, create any kind of weather we require to bring down our enemies. They wear engraved Windsteel crowns, which are inscribed with the Powerful Shape(Air) Empowerment inscription and shaped like the fortress they take their name from.

Without a specified focus, the Stormcrown Tongues will work from far behind the front lines of the military, bringing torrential rains down on our enemies' lines of advance, sending their armies to a mud-soaked crawl. We will easily outpace them and choose to confront them on prepared ground, with rain pouring down on their heads until they reach the dry field of battle, to face our well-rested, Sailcart-carried soldiers and their crossbows and Chanting and axes. They leave combat Chanting
and the arts of war to the Voiceguard, focusing instead on the arts of reading the weather and nudging it to suit their desires.

Quote
Cold Chant of the Masses
We have finally realized our mistake. Something happened to the orders somewhere (several dozen runners were probably eaten by bears, it happens sometimes), and the Voiceguard's chanting rituals were not being provided to anyone else and were also not being used on more than a relatively few applicants, constricting our numbers of Chanters far below what the enemy is capable of even when utilizing cheap and weak Chants.

Well, we've rectified that. We've designed a Weak Wind of Cold focus that will be cheap but can be used with many people to grant them the ability to Chant a rather simple version of Wind of Cold. We've shaped it so that it can be easily dispersed across a wide area, and next time the enemy's green flames of fear come to scare us, they will find that the northern frosts bite much harder than their green blasphemy. Every non-Voiceguard Chanter in our armies will coordinate to freeze our sodden enemies and force them to confront a rested and warm enemy while shivering and hypothermic. When they run out of breath, they wait and rest while all the crossbow-armed soldiers (Which should actually be a majority of our army now that we aren't reliant on marching everywhere and have Cheap crossbows, which require little training to use even if the normal footsoldiers won't be terribly accurate with it) engage the enemy before battle begins in earnest.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2019, 07:37:23 pm by Madman198237 »
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TricMagic

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #307 on: May 19, 2019, 06:57:26 pm »

While not what I wish, the design is valid. And doable with the right roll, the terrain effects are a boon to this. +1 to both for me. Just add me in.
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Madman198237

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #308 on: May 19, 2019, 07:00:56 pm »

Quote from: Votebox
Stormguard: (2) Madman, TricMagic
Cold Chant of the Masses: (2) Madman, TricMagic
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Atomic Chicken

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #309 on: May 19, 2019, 07:21:42 pm »

Quote from: Votebox
Stormguard: (3) Madman, TricMagic, AC
Cold Chant of the Masses: (3) Madman, TricMagic, AC
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As mentioned in the previous turn, the most exciting field of battle this year will be in the Arstotzkan capitol, with plenty of close-quarter fighting and siege warfare.  Arstotzka, accordingly, spent their design phase developing a high-altitude tactical bomber. 

Jilladilla

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #310 on: May 19, 2019, 07:43:45 pm »

While it's not quite what I wanted; the exact effect of Shape(Air) Empowerment was not quite what I expected so I'd probably have to ditch it or reformat the ideas.
This is a good synergistic combination and a worthy alternative. Let's do it.

Quote from: Votebox
Stormguard: (4) Madman, TricMagic, AC, Jilladilla
Cold Chant of the Masses: (4) Madman, TricMagic, AC, Jilladilla
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Madman198237

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #311 on: May 19, 2019, 07:44:46 pm »

Quote from: Votebox
Stormcrown Tongues: (4) Madman, TricMagic, AC, Jilladilla
Cold Chant of the Masses: (4) Madman, TricMagic, AC, Jilladilla

Just a name change.
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Talion

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #312 on: June 27, 2019, 01:16:39 pm »

Design Phase

Stormcrown Tongues
Quote
With the discovery of the powers of Empowered Chants and the acquisition of enough experience and Mana to deploy Powerful Chants backed up by Powerful Empowerment, the Loji have realized that within their hands is now the ability to enforce their will even on the very weather of the world.

With these revelations, it was further realized that the Temple of the Voiceguard, while useful, was not a suitable location for the testing and usage of large-scale weather manipulation. Instead, a fortress was built in the northernmost, most desolate region of our territory, though its westerly position along the coast means that it is closer to the enemy than our heartlands. The coast is a series of wave-battered cliffs with a single substantial hill along the coast, called the Stormcrown. We have built sets of walls and moats and ditches around the hill, a fortress surrounded by irrigation channels. The land, before we built there, was cold and desolate. Nothing would grow there, but now the trainees learn by altering the weather to the extent that the land becomes arable and crops can be grown around the fortress. Trained members reside in this new outpost of our Chanters, journeying out each season to aid our soldiers and harm our enemies with the weather.

Winds of Cold and Flame can cool and heat various regions of air across a lane of advance, combined with Wind to mix them together just right to create the weather we desire. Thunderstorms, torrential rains, snow and sleet and pounding hail, all within our grasp. The Stormcrown Tongues use all three Chants with Powerful Runes and Powerful Empowering inscribed objects, though primarily Wind, preferring to manipulate preexisting air rather than heat or cool massive amounts of air. They can, by using different arrangements of Chants, create any kind of weather we require to bring down our enemies. They wear engraved Windsteel crowns, which are inscribed with the Powerful Shape(Air) Empowerment inscription and shaped like the fortress they take their name from.

Without a specified focus, the Stormcrown Tongues will work from far behind the front lines of the military, bringing torrential rains down on our enemies' lines of advance, sending their armies to a mud-soaked crawl. We will easily outpace them and choose to confront them on prepared ground, with rain pouring down on their heads until they reach the dry field of battle, to face our well-rested, Sailcart-carried soldiers and their crossbows and Chanting and axes. They leave combat Chanting and the arts of war to the Voiceguard, focusing instead on the arts of reading the weather and nudging it to suit their desires.

Normal: 5

The people have laboured hard this season to build a grand new fortification for Loji. Fortress Stormcrown shall guard our flanks and the path to the mountains, preventing our enemies from pushing through them to attack our heartlands without first sieging it down. Even though it does not stop enemies from attacking by other paths, the fort shall hold open the way to the mountains preventing us from being cut off from that land. Nor will any attack from the mountains threaten our heartlands while it stands.

Within the fortress, our newly crowned kings and queens of the chant take up their practice to master the flows of air needed to control the weather. Normally this would seem no easy feat, but with the tides of the chant and the power of inscription in our hands, it is mere child’s play. Well in truth perhaps not, but it is within the grasp of our greatest chanters. The Stormcrown Tongues wield the force of flame and cold in pairs each equal in ability. By operating in shifts they are able to maintain fine-tuned control of the weather across the island. Soon vast rain clouds develop as water is evaporated from the sea and drawn to the heavens. In time these clouds can even be cajoled into giving cry to potent flashes of lightning and thunder. It is as if Eristria herself were crying for the blood of our enemies. Alas, we have not worked out a way to direct the lightning as yet, but no matter. What we have already achieved will be enough to send them cowering before our might.

You may designate the weather for each lane. In the mountains, this can affect access to Arcanis. The thaw may be delayed until summer or brought forward to winter.

Cold Chant of the Masses
Quote
We have finally realized our mistake. Something happened to the orders somewhere (several dozen runners were probably eaten by bears, it happens sometimes), and the Voiceguard's chanting rituals were not being provided to anyone else and were also not being used on more than a relatively few applicants, constricting our numbers of Chanters far below what the enemy is capable of even when utilizing cheap and weak Chants.

Well, we've rectified that. We've designed a Weak Wind of Cold focus that will be cheap but can be used with many people to grant them the ability to Chant a rather simple version of Wind of Cold. We've shaped it so that it can be easily dispersed across a wide area, and next time the enemy's green flames of fear come to scare us, they will find that the northern frosts bite much harder than their green blasphemy. Every non-Voiceguard Chanter in our armies will coordinate to freeze our sodden enemies and force them to confront a rested and warm enemy while shivering and hypothermic. When they run out of breath, they wait and rest while all the crossbow-armed soldiers (Which should actually be a majority of our army now that we aren't reliant on marching everywhere and have Cheap crossbows, which require little training to use even if the normal footsoldiers won't be terribly accurate with it) engage the enemy before battle begins in earnest.

Easy: 3+1 = 4

Our first chant designed for use by our rank and file Chanters. The Cone of Chill as they are calling it creates a narrow cone of wind that spreads out to a much more impressive width at the further reaches of its effect. On its own the chant is an unpleasant experience, sapping energy from those affected and leaving them shivering from the cold. In summer the effect may be weakened or even beneficial, preventing heatstroke. In combination with the cold and wet we expect to be able to create with the aid of our Stormcrown Tongues, this chant will likely prove quite debilitating.

It is now Spring, Turn 4 Revision Phase

Spoiler: Equipment (click to show/hide)
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TricMagic

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #313 on: June 27, 2019, 01:45:53 pm »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Snow Steel
An issue with Fire Steel is it can render a blade unusable. Snowsteel is the solution, hopefully.

It uses two chants. The Spike of Smoke is kept carefully in place in a Barrel, and infused with the 3x Wind of Cold to condense it into an almost liquid. In this form, it's cold enough to quench metal. Iron is forged, quenched, then reheated, multiple times, until it takes on a cloudy pattern. It is then cut and/or folded into the needed form, heated one last time, before being hit with a full powered Wind of Cold to cool it completely.

The result is a purple/white steel, harder than most metals, and incredibly heat-resistant. Once forged, it can only be broken down by immense heat, and that heat wicks out of it almost immediately. Other than being very strong and useful for defense, it serves as the perfect counterpoint to Fire Steel blades, being able to both sheath it, and act as a handle.
« Last Edit: June 27, 2019, 02:12:23 pm by TricMagic »
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Madman198237

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Re: Rune Race: Loji Thread
« Reply #314 on: June 27, 2019, 04:01:45 pm »

Quote
Burned Axe
This improved War Axe is lighter in the hand and sharper, thanks to its lighter construction and Fire Steel makeup. It is no longer a tool, but a weapon of war, capable of carrying a much improved, reinforced edge that is sharper and more likely to cause a lot of damage to even an armored man. The heat causes even more damage and injury to hostiles, even though the warmth may be unwelcome in summer it will be a much more capable weapon and does not have to be carried on the soldiers, given our use of Sailcarts for logistics and transport.
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