#Lore24 – Entry #181 – Wild West Month #30 – Those who Make the Thundering Weapons
As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra
Though the Kerra-Kerra have long sought not to make use of Thundering Weapons, as our lands are threatened more and more by the Many People from Beyond the Great Walls, so too must we learn to use them if we wish to keep our sacred places as they should be. Our ways of living upon the Bitter Frontier mean that we cannot make the Thundering Weapons for ourselves, and that those who seek to do us harm will try to keep them from us. Should you ever find yourself in battle and slay one using a Thundering Weapon, if you can, take it and its bullets with you; if you do not use it for yourself, then someone in our tribe or another will. As such, you should be aware that not all Thundering Weapons are created equal, for some are better than others, and will see you live where a poorer weapon would see you dead.
As our people have learned, through use and conversation with those who do not seek to harm us as they explore the Bitter Frontier, be aware of the revolving Thundering Weapons that bear the mark of the young Filly. Filly pistols are amongst the finest made, and among the most common you will find for this reason. They are reliable, accurate, and deadly. Their ammunition is short, marked with the numbers “45” in the common tongue. If you cannot have a Filly, then those from “Weston & Smythe” are nearly as good, though their bullets are not always of the same size, and sometimes harder to find. There have been many gunslingers who carry those W&S weapons which break open from the top, for they are quicker to reload, and easier to do so from horseback.
For the hunter, the long Thunder Weapons bearing the name “Winchauster” are regarded as the best. The make the “shotgun” like no other, for it can spread many tiny bullets far and wide. They make them with one or two barrels, some that can even hold more than one or two cartridges. These weapons, up close, can tear a man in half. Never ever underestimate the power of such a weapon. Likewise, the “Winchauster” also make the best “rifles”, the kind of Thundering Weapon that shoots bigger bullets for longer range and greater power. Their “rifles” hold many bullets and load and reload quickly, using the lever on the bottom to do so. There are others who make such weapons, but the quality is not the same, nor are their ammunition, which is harder and harder to find.
Special “rifles” of note are those that are very long and very heavy compared to the “Winchausters” and bear the name of “Keens”. Sometimes you will find them with a Tube of Crystal and Brass atop them, devices that will allow you to clearly see the much further than normal, but most often not. They use the largest of the solid bullets and are loaded one at a time from the rear. These are very powerful, best used for hunting the largest of buffalo, and can even pierce the shells of the giant scorpions in the Great Scorpion Flats at distance. These are rare compared to others, but highly prized.
A new kind of Thundering Weapon is becoming more common upon the Bitter Frontier now, and can be found upon the Howling Steel Chariots, and are a terrible sight to behold. These are called the “Ripley Guns”, and they can lay waste to entire war parties, for they fire many, many rounds one after the other without need to reload. You will know them for they have many barrels, arranged in a circle around a center tube, and are fired by turning a crank on one side. They are mounted and stationary but are often hidden behind walls of steel, firing through smaller openings. It is best to run when one of these Thundering Weapons is brought to bear against you, unless you are able to take out the ones firing it from cover. We do not favor such weapons, for they are heavy and hard to carry. Destroy them if you can, but do not risk your life to do so.