Rune CannonsFrom GensopediaA Rune Cannon was a large, rune-powered mounted firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a long distance. It was mainly used in naval warfare in the Island Nations and southern reaches of the Northern Continent from the late 200's to early 300's but also saw limited land deployment.
Development The seeds of this tree were naturally teeming with powerful runic magic, inspiring the idea for Rune Cannons. When the Kooluk Empire annexed Middleport in 295, Kooluk became aware of the existence of this Giant Tree and so arranged an agreement with the Dukedom of Gaien whereby Kooluk would withdraw from Middleport as long as the island declared independence. This allowed Middleport to trade independently with Kooluk, giving it access to this new weapon, without the possibility of losing the island, and its secrets, to Gaien through warfare. Rune Cannon technology quickly spread through the Island Nations, Gaien, Kooluk and even the Scarlet Moon Empire to a limited degree. Rune Cannon DesignThe Giant Tree itself provided the ammunition for Rune Cannons via its naturally magical seeds. As such, the Kooluk's purchase of the tree and its removal to El-Eal in the early 300's gave the nation a huge advantage in Rune Cannon development, although other nations still managed to maintain their supplies. Another component of the Rune Cannon, the muzzle, was made using "Eyes". Considered to be alive, the Eye seemingly fired a form of energy that reacted with the Rune Cannon ammunition to provide the reaction needed for attack. The Evil Eye The Evil Eyes are identical to the Eyes of a regular Rune Cannon. However, while the Eyes of a typical Rune Cannon are normally closed, The Evil Eye, on the other hand, is always open and can be readily controlled. It projects a sphere wherein people are transformed into monsters. The potential for such a weapon, if the secrets of "opening" the Eye of a Rune Cannon could be found, was so great that the year 309 saw of group of adventurers aiming to destroy the last trace of Rune Cannons, their numbers having greatly diminished with the destruction of the Giant Tree at the end of the Island Liberation War. The last surviving Evil Eye, obtained by Iskas who had it forcibly removed from a monster's eye socket, was destroyed by Kyril, ending the use of Rune Cannons in warfare, as by this time nearly every supply of muzzles and ammunition had been destroyed. Land-Based Rune CannonsThe year 309 saw the Kooluk Empire deploy land-based Rune Cannons on the border with the Scarlet Moon Empire in response to the increasingly hostile atmosphere between the two nations. These Rune Cannons were destroyed by Kyril and his companions, who were dedicated to removing the presence of Rune Cannons from the world. LegacyDespite the fact that Rune Cannons faded out of use in the early 300's, their sheer power and destructive capability made them an object of fear even in the mid 400's. The Island Nations Federation had non-functioning Rune Cannons (presumably missing key components like the muzzle) installed on many of its vessels as a bluffing tactic. Some supplies of Rune Cannon ammunition and muzzles still survive today, hidden by pirates and the like. The Obel Maritime Council has several operatives searching for such stores, hoping to reclaim them for the Island Nations Federation. Having made several finds over the years, this work was nullified in 450 when officers Yahr and Nelis not only failed to secure a store of Rune Cannons (choosing instead to destroy them after witnessing their power) but also carried out an operation where they destroyed the council's own store of Rune Cannons, becoming fugitives in the process.
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