Hurled at My Enemies
(Scientific/Militaristic Story: Iberios)
(+UU: Iberion Archer)
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"Is it really such a grand Idea, your highness, to invest so much of the nation's treasury into a project like this?"
The arm of the makeshift Kataapult was swinging dead in the field below the palace. It's cargo had made it twenty or thirty yards before smashing into some poor villager's home. But vengeance was provided by the Stones, as the Kataapult itself was smashed in the launch.
King Floof the Third smiled broadly, watching his men trying to repair the machine, "I believe so, we seem to have the tension element nailed, but there are great problems with keeping the thing stable. One day, I believe I shall use these devices to hurl things at my enemies from afar."
"A delightful fancy, milord, but is it practical? The accuracy will be quite low."
"The rocks will be massive, even when they miss my enemies will fear my power."
"I feel as though this money could be better spent elsewhere, if you want your enemies to fear your power."
"What do you mean?"
"You know as well as I that our resources are scarce when it comes to Bronze, much of our supply is imported, but we've found some stones that are much harder nearby. I don't see why we couldn't use that for our weapons instead."
"Do you have a sample?" the King asked.
"No, sir, as of now our samples are too large and heavy to be moved."
"Too heavy? Ha! I can't send my men out in armor that is too heavy for them, we are a quick and subtle people."
"True sir, this is not a solution for today. But thankfully we do not need to march to war today. We've all heard the news from Cyria, the docks are aflutter with it. If you spent our resources working to harness a new stone..."
King Floof nodded, "The stones would approve. When the Zulappi crafted Shinestone it is well known that the Stones blessed them with many things. To go beyond Shinestone... to see Cartagena a greater city than Zull or Syrius... to hear the panicked yelping of Saturans... it would be glorious."
"You see my point then?"
"I do. But we must deal with the future tomorrow and the present today. Today my men are working on the Kataapult research and cannot get to also discovering the new Shinestone. But I do have something for you that will offer our position today somewhat more security. An early model of the ballistics research."
The King picked up a bow from his table and showed it to the Royal Scientist, adding an arrow he fired a bolt directly into the now still arm of the dead Kataapult.
"How's that for accuracy?"
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(Iberion Archer: 4 Attack, Cost 2, +4 to Bombard)
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The Smashed House
(Commercial Story: Iberios (Dainty Wooden Statues))
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Jake of South Iber stood outside the remains of his house in Cartagena with his jaw slack, he thought he lived in a civilized place and things like this go around happening?
Thankfully some Sailors from the Iberion Navy were assigned to help him clear damage and salvage what could be salvaged.
Many of these things were wood shrapnel and splinters, all smashed when the rock slammed into the house.
"Lucky thing you weren't in there," said one of the sailors.
Jake nods, "Yeah, but my whole collection was in there."
"Of what?" asks the sailor, pulling loose beams out of the rubble.
"Carvings. I make carvings. I sell them to some of the nobles but one day I wanted to send some to Zull and see if they would sell there, or at least Waset. I hear they'll buy anything in Waset."
The sailor laughs, "I'm fresh from a voyage to Cyria and in Cyria they have a saying about trading with Saturans. They say 'Trading with a Saturan is like sharing a goat with a pack of wolves. Neither one is going to leave any meat on the bones'."
Jake laughs but is soon reminded that he is clearing the rubble of his house and returns to frowning.
"Hey, let me see some of these carvings, do you have any left?"
Jake nods, "I was working on one when it happened."
And out of his pocket he produces a stunning model of a sailing ship, carved out of pine, with every detail carved from the lines to the rails, the doors and rowing hold, the Sailor nods.
"Cheer up, doing work like this you ought to be living in a much nicer house anyway. We've got a goodwill mission to the Zulappi coming up after shore leave, I think we might be able to break into that foreign market."
And so with a smile Jake continued clearing the wreckage of his house.