Crossbow

Crossbow / noun :

First Page Mentioned (By Name) : ch. “The Ex-Vacation?” – pg. 50

Dating back to the medieval period, crossbows were an advancement into human projectile technology. The design of crossbows incorporated a compound bowing system near the front, laid horizontally, and mounted on a trigger controlled hand held stock – the two main sections thus 'crossing each other'. The result allowed the user to pull and store a far greater amount of foot-pounds per inch into the bowing system, locking that stored energy into place with a latch, and releasing it on whim through the use of the trigger, which then sends the crossbow bolt (the ammunition of the crossbow) flying at tremendous speeds.

While the people of Geb possess the ability to produce gunpowder based weaponry, crossbows are favored by the guards, due to their low noise and magic compatibility. This isn't to say that no guards use gunpowder based weapons (indeed some do sport some advanced firearms, such as special protection details that do not mind disrupting certain forms of magic). It is a fact, however, that the sudden burst of kinetic energy, from the explosive detonation of gunpowder, can directly interfere with both magical empowerments and certain forms of spell casting (not to mention disturbing local wildlife). Since the effectiveness and firing rate of firearms and enchanted crossbows seem to be about equal, the choice depends on the desired result of the user.

Related Entries:  Geb (The Island Of); Magic

Check out the Copyright Information and Allowed Use here - Understanding Copyright (especially written for kids)