The Big Bomb
The Big Bomb was a large explosive weapon used by Rislandian forces during the 2nd Wyranth War. It was notably more powerful than the exploding shells fired by The Liliana (Airship)'s cannons, and its deployment required improvised rigging due to its size and weight.
Description
In The Fight for Rislandia, the bomb was described as a large metal cylinder strapped onto a pallet with several chains. It was approximately as large as a single person — "It was as big as any one of us" — and was too heavy to move without the Steam-Powered Lift. Because of its dimensions, it could not be loaded into The Liliana's cannons at the time of its use.
The weapon detonated on impact. However, a later log excerpt in chapter 15 of The Fight for Rislandia noted that the bomb had proved too volatile, detonating before reaching the ground rather than on impact, suggesting some inconsistency in its behavior or in the after-action account of the event.
Deployment
The bomb was located in a storehouse and moved using the Steam-Powered Lift. It was secured to ropes dropped from The Liliana (Airship) by means of clips attached to its chains. Once attached, it swayed dangerously below the hull of the airship as the vessel maneuvered into position.
The Liliana hovered above the Wyranth forces assembled outside the front gates of Rislandia City. The ropes were cut, releasing the bomb, which landed directly in the heart of the Wyranth formation and caused a large hole in their ranks.
Role in The Fight for Rislandia
Following the successful deployment of the bomb against the Wyranth mountain, Zaira von Monocle expressed a wish to use another such weapon in the ongoing battle: "I wish we had one of those big bombs we dropped on the Wyranth mountain." However, the Rislandia City Weapons Facilities that had produced the bombs had been destroyed by the time of the later engagement, and no additional bombs were found in the city's remaining stores.
Notes
The bomb's exact classification within Rislandian military technology is unrecorded. Its one-time use and the subsequent destruction of the facility that produced it made it effectively irreplaceable during the conflict depicted in The Fight for Rislandia.