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Butterfingers · 01-30-2003, 09:45 AM

Crossbows became outlawed in the middle ages after a certain type of crossbow was introduced.

It was called a Kingslayer. It had many names, but, it served one purpose. It was the world's first long distance sniping weapon. It was well machined, highly accurate, and even had a crude scope. (By today's standards... It was awesome back then) It even had a crude trim and leveler, a set of devices that allowed you to click the sighting to adjust it for wind and distance.

The crossbow was labeled a cruel and uncivilized weapon. Many countries finally outlawed it. It was not so much the crossbow always, as it was bolt design.

Most crossbow bolts were quick and clean, did death in an instant, and could easily punch right though the toughest of middle ages armors, the fine Gothic plates. It made the Knight obsolete quickly, and, with the invention of gunpowder, the Knight went the way of the dodo.

Some crossbow bolts where down right CRUEL. In particular, the Dum Dum Bolt. It was tipped with a dull blob of lead. They had poor accuracy, poor distance, but that was ok. They were fired downwards, usually from a tower, and used to break up riots or civil uprisings down in the courtyard below. They were also used on invading armies. Just like the soft lead dum dum bullets today, they left fantastically cruel wounds. Before the lead tipped bolt would impact, traveling though the air would cause the clay soft lead to spread. On impact, it would almost burst. The body would have a shockwave travel through it that broke many bones, caused internal bleeding, any shot was usually fatal, but it took a long time to die.

Other bolt designed included the Harpoon, a bolt that had barbs going in both directions. It ripped going in, it ripped when pulled out. There was the infamous Stutgart bolts. Back then, these were weapons of biological origin. These bolts were actually soaked in vats full of sewage and rotting dead stuff. They caused horrible infections. Much like the dead cow launched from a catapult, the psychological factor was the key.

01-30-2003, 09:45 AM	#10
Butterfingers Drizzt Do'Urden Join Date: November 30, 2002 Location: Five Flagons Inn Posts: 633	Crossbows became outlawed in the middle ages after a certain type of crossbow was introduced. It was called a Kingslayer. It had many names, but, it served one purpose. It was the world's first long distance sniping weapon. It was well machined, highly accurate, and even had a crude scope. (By today's standards... It was awesome back then) It even had a crude trim and leveler, a set of devices that allowed you to click the sighting to adjust it for wind and distance. The crossbow was labeled a cruel and uncivilized weapon. Many countries finally outlawed it. It was not so much the crossbow always, as it was bolt design. Most crossbow bolts were quick and clean, did death in an instant, and could easily punch right though the toughest of middle ages armors, the fine Gothic plates. It made the Knight obsolete quickly, and, with the invention of gunpowder, the Knight went the way of the dodo. Some crossbow bolts where down right CRUEL. In particular, the Dum Dum Bolt. It was tipped with a dull blob of lead. They had poor accuracy, poor distance, but that was ok. They were fired downwards, usually from a tower, and used to break up riots or civil uprisings down in the courtyard below. They were also used on invading armies. Just like the soft lead dum dum bullets today, they left fantastically cruel wounds. Before the lead tipped bolt would impact, traveling though the air would cause the clay soft lead to spread. On impact, it would almost burst. The body would have a shockwave travel through it that broke many bones, caused internal bleeding, any shot was usually fatal, but it took a long time to die. Other bolt designed included the Harpoon, a bolt that had barbs going in both directions. It ripped going in, it ripped when pulled out. There was the infamous Stutgart bolts. Back then, these were weapons of biological origin. These bolts were actually soaked in vats full of sewage and rotting dead stuff. They caused horrible infections. Much like the dead cow launched from a catapult, the psychological factor was the key.