Steam-Powered Rotary Gun
The steam-powered rotary gun was a Wyranth Empire artillery piece combining a steam-driven chassis with a rapid-fire rotary gun. It represented a notable example of Wyranth military engineering, designed for mobile offensive use in urban and battlefield environments. A separate but conceptually related weapon, the aether-powered rotary gun, appeared in The Steam Knight as a compact, man-portable Rislandian firearm powered by aether fuel rather than a steam engine.
Description
Steam-Powered Rotary Gun (The Fight for Rislandia)
The steam-powered rotary gun was described as "a piece of artillery that chugged along on steam, a smokestack blowing exhaust into the air as its wheels turned down the street." The weapon moved under its own power on wheels, propelled by a steam engine that vented exhaust through a smokestack mounted on the chassis. A large rotary gun was affixed to the vehicle, fed by a bin of bullets stored at the rear of the machine; the bullets were conveyed from the bin into the gun through a tube. Three soldiers were required to operate the weapon: two fed bullets into the gun while a third turned a crank to drive the rotary mechanism and fire the weapon. The gun was capable of blasting dozens of bullets in a single engagement.
Aether-Powered Rotary Gun (The Steam Knight)
In The Steam Knight, a distinct weapon referred to as "a new aether-powered rotary gun that allowed thirty bullets to fire in automatic, rapid succession" was described. Unlike the Wyranth steam artillery piece, this weapon was a man-portable firearm stored in a long case. From the barrel rearward it resembled a conventional gun, but attached to the stock was a copper tube with a small compartment for aether fuel. Inside the stock, a small steam motor turned internal gears to fire bullets in rapid succession. A long magazine of bullets protruded from the bottom of the weapon. The gun required significant strength to keep steady when fired; during a test firing, the barrel lifted and kicked to the left, and approximately twenty bullets were discharged in a single burst, striking the target with roughly two-thirds of the rounds. The weapon was described as new at the time of its introduction, and rumors existed of elite knights possessing bullet-repelling armor on certain missions.
The aether-powered rotary gun was also observed to be heavy in use. When fired, its gears produced an audible whirring sound. If the weapon jammed, the gears would clack together and come to a screeching halt, and smoke would waft from the aether reservoir. In at least one instance, the weapon was employed as a club when it could not be fired.
Role in The Fight for Rislandia
In The Fight for Rislandia, the steam-powered rotary gun was deployed by Wyranth military forces and moved through the streets on its wheels, directing fire against Rislandian soldiers. Its crew of three operated the weapon during the engagement, with two soldiers feeding ammunition and one turning the crank. The gun blasted dozens of bullets at Rislandian troops before the soldier operating the crank was shot, causing the weapon to fall silent.
Following the crew's incapacitation, Corporal Tyson suggested turning the artillery piece around and using it against the Wyranth forces. The weapon's bin of bullets and rear-fed ammunition tube remained available for such use.
Role in The Steam Knight
In The Steam Knight, King Malaky XVI authorized the allocation of one aether-powered rotary gun for the mission to capture Lou (Knight of the Crystal Spire). Both James Gentry and Ethan von Lantern reacted with excitement at its mention. Ethan von Lantern was assigned to carry the weapon and was made responsible for ensuring it did not fall into enemy hands. James Gentry and Ethan von Lantern had previously had access to an automatic gun on an earlier outing as knights, and James had hoped that Dr. von Breech's luggage might contain another such weapon.
During the mission, Ethan von Lantern fired the rotary gun. On a later occasion, when James Gentry attempted to fire it, the weapon jammed—its gears clacking to a halt—and smoke wafted from the aether reservoir. Unable to fire it, James used the gun as a club, striking Lou in the shoulder with it.