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With
no outside military threats, weapons development
in Anduruna has been modest throughout most of
its history. In earlier ages of warfare, dreamkeepers
harnessed their powers for combat. The assault
value of a specialized power-using dreamkeeper
dwarfed any primitive slings and arrows, so armament
focused almost entirely on rudimentary, hand-held
implements like clubs, daggers, or short spears.
But after the Last War of Powers, prevailing law
banned destructive powers use within Anduruna.
However, a way to control renegade power-users
was necessary - without resorting to a detrimental,
explosive showdown. Eventually weapons development
was driven not for military application, but for
policing purposes. The earliest projectile weapons
were variations on slings and slingshots, firing
rounded ball-shaped projectiles. The ability to
knock an offending dreamkeeper unconscious from
a distance proved to be enormously helpful in
subduing powerhouse criminals.
Eventual innovation led a crossbow-like design,
where a flat horizontal piece of wood would be
winched back, and then trigger released to 'slap'
the projectile forward. A barrel was soon added
for a modicum of accuracy. This wasn't a highly
powered weapon, but eventually more advanced ways
of propelling the ball through the barrel were
developed, culminating in the springer cartridge.
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