Wyranth Anti-Airship Artillery
The Wyranth anti-airship artillery was a weapon system operated by the Wyranth Empire designed to fire projectiles at airborne targets. Across the conflicts depicted in For Steam and Country, The Fight for Rislandia, and The Iron Wedding, the system proved a persistent threat to Rislandian aerial operations, most notably against The Liliana (Airship).
Description
Anti-Airship Ballistics
As depicted in For Steam and Country, fixed anti-airship ballistic emplacements were described as strange-looking devices featuring large gears and what appeared to be the barrel of a gun. Several of these devices lined the Border River, forming a defensive perimeter against airships crossing from Rislandian territory. They fired large cannonballs at high speed and were noted for their straight-shooting accuracy, making them more effective against airships than the related war machine contraptions.
In The Fight for Rislandia, the artillery was described as having long barrels and being mounted on treads for mobility, powered by steam engines. In this later depiction, the weapons fired explosive shells capable of detonating in the air near a target airship, rather than simple cannonballs. Whether this reflects an upgraded variant, a distinct weapon type, or a difference in depiction between the two books is not fully resolved by the texts.
Wyranth War Machine Contraptions
A secondary category of Wyranth anti-airship weapon encountered in For Steam and Country, referred to as war machine contraptions, consisted of whirring mechanical devices also capable of firing cannonballs into the air. These contraptions were considered less effective than the straight-shooting anti-airship artillery. Unlike the fixed Border River emplacements, the war machine contraptions demonstrated some degree of mobility, having previously attacked the Gentry Family's farm and later appearing at the base of Devil's Mountain during battle. At least one was destroyed by concentrated cannon fire from The Liliana (Airship).
Role in For Steam and Country
In For Steam and Country, the anti-airship artillery was first encountered by Zaira von Monocle and the crew of The Liliana (Airship) during a test flight near the Border River. The fixed ballistic emplacements along the river opened fire on the airship, with three cannonballs arcing past the vessel during the initial attack. One cannonball flew directly past Zaira's face on deck, as she later recounted: "We'd come across the Wyranth anti-airship artillery. A cannonball flew right past my face." A separate hit struck the Liliana on the aft starboard side during the engagement.
Zaira estimated that the Liliana could have passed the barrage within a few minutes at top speed. She also expressed concern that the Wyranth might relocate these weapons to the base of Devil's Mountain, a strategic position that would significantly complicate Rislandian aerial operations.
Later in the conflict, war machine contraptions were present at the base of Devil's Mountain during battle, where one was destroyed by fire from the Liliana's cannons.
Role in The Fight for Rislandia
In The Fight for Rislandia, the Wyranth anti-airship artillery continued to pose a significant threat to Rislandian airships. The weapons, described as featuring "the long barrels of the artillery placed atop treads for mobility," were powered by steam engines and capable of firing explosive volleys that detonated in the air near their targets. Their presence was cited as a direct tactical constraint, with characters noting that "the Wyranth will be ready for us with anti-airship artillery," preventing The Liliana (Airship) from approaching from the south during at least one engagement.
During the final battle sequence depicted in the excerpt, three blasts were fired at the Liliana. Two artillery units fired on the airship before being destroyed by the cannoneers aboard the Liliana.
Role in The Iron Wedding
In The Iron Wedding, the anti-airship artillery was referenced by Ivan, the Iron Emperor as a strategic counterweight to the advantages offered by airships. Ivan noted that "with anti-airship artillery, it's not as big of an advantage as you might imagine," underscoring the degree to which the weapon system had come to limit the strategic value of Rislandian aerial assets by that point in the conflict.