Technology & Gadgets

Mobile Artillery

Mobile artillery was a steam-powered weapons platform used by the Wyranth military, capable of maneuvering cannons rapidly across the battlefield. In For Steam and Country, Wyranth infantry deployed these machines during attacks on the Gentry farm and Plainsroad Village.

Mobile Artillery

Mobile Artillery

Mobile artillery, also referred to simply as cannons in common parlance, was a category of steam-powered weapons technology employed by the Wyranth Military during the events of For Steam and Country. The defining characteristic of the weapon was its capacity for rapid repositioning on the battlefield, a quality that Mr. Gentry identified as the source of its tactical superiority over conventional, stationary cannon emplacements.

Description

Mobile artillery units were large metallic machines that rolled along the ground. Steam spewed from the top of each unit, and large gears protruded visibly from the sides. A giant open barrel extended and cranked outward from the front of the device, serving as the primary firing mechanism. The weapons fired round metal balls capable of crashing through walls and structures.

As Mr. Gentry described the technology:

"Mobile artillery. Cannons become a lot more effective when you can maneuver them quickly."

Role in For Steam and Country

In For Steam and Country, mobile artillery was used by Wyranth Military infantry in at least two documented engagements.

During the attack on the Gentry Family farm, Wyranth infantry deployed mobile artillery units against the property. The weapons fired round metal balls that crashed through the walls of the structure.

Mobile artillery was also used by Wyranth forces during the assault on Plainsroad Village, where the machines barraged the home of James Gentry. As recorded in James's own account:

"They brought mobile artillery as well and barraged our home with it."

See Also

In A History of Rislandia

According to A History of Rislandia, mobile artillery — described in the sourcebook as "steam-powered cannons on wheeled platforms that could track and fire at airships" — were a Wyranth development. The sourcebook's description notably emphasizes their anti-airship capability, a function not mentioned on this page, which focuses solely on their ground-attack role against structures and infantry.

Unveiling and Combat Record

According to A History of Rislandia, mobile artillery was publicly unveiled on Day 35 of the Month of Princes. The sourcebook records that the weapons successfully shot down The Kerli, a named airship, marking a documented use of mobile artillery against an aerial target.

The sourcebook further records that mobile artillery units were subsequently destroyed by the Knights of the Crystal Spire on Day 13 of the Month of the Fool.