KAA-51
| KAA-51 | |
|---|---|
| Basic Information | |
| Type | Heavy crossbow bolt |
| Origin | United Domains of Krossen |
| Creator | Ardgate Arsenal |
| Details | |
| Material | Vandinium |
| Abilities | Effective range of approximately 1,500 meters when paired with the KAA-33 heavy crossbow
|
KAA-51 is a specialized heavy crossbow bolt developed by Ardgate Arsenal, the Assembly Army's arsenal within the United Domains of Krossen. It is more widely known by its codename, Black Mamba. Forged from the rare metal Vandinium, which conducts both mana and Thymos simultaneously, its performance varies dramatically depending on how skillfully its user channels Thymos into it.
Overview
Unlike most items classified as Relics, KAA-51 carries no Imprint of its own — its capabilities derive entirely from material properties and conventional mana-engineering. Its actual reach depends on the crossbow it is fired from; paired with the KAA-33, the Krossen military's standard-issue heavy crossbow, it achieves an effective range of roughly 1,500 meters.
Form and Material
The bolt's head and shaft form a single continuous spiral. This is not ornamental — the twist reduces air resistance in flight and imparts a stabilizing spin, improving accuracy. The entire body is forged from Vandinium, whose distinctive black luster is widely believed to be the origin of the "Black Mamba" name.
Variants
KAA-51 exists in two variants, distinguished by a generational suffix.
KAA-51A1 (Prototype)
The original design. Its more intricate spiral geometry gives it superior aerodynamic performance, but the complexity of manufacture makes mass production difficult, and few heavy crossbows are compatible with its dimensions.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 232.5 cm |
| Head diameter (max) | 8.5 cm |
| Shaft diameter | 4.1 cm |
| Weight | 65 kg |
| Material | Vandinium |
KAA-51A2 (Improved)
A simplified successor developed from field data gathered during A1's combat use. Its performance is comparable to the prototype, but production efficiency and compatibility with standard-issue crossbows are substantially improved.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 232.5 cm |
| Head diameter (max) | 7.23 cm |
| Shaft diameter | 3.44 cm |
| Weight | 53.34 kg |
| Material | Vandinium |
Neither variant requires a dedicated launcher; either can be fired from any heavy crossbow of matching specification.
History
The KAA-51 project did not enjoy broad support within Ardgate Arsenal from the outset. It had originally been designed with large-bodied races in mind, and a basic question dogged its early development: against whom, exactly, was such a weapon meant to be used? Even so, the tensions that had accumulated with the Old Ones over the course of the Second Dark Age (AY 122–152), and a growing sense that humanity needed to build strength of its own, could not be dismissed outright. For these reasons, KAA-51 was developed as a classified project.
In December of AY 149, Kosmi commander Roderick Vance used a prototype KAA-51A1 to strike down Altanos, a white dragon of the Wendigo continent whose mind had grown unstable. The bolt struck the heart; Vance then delivered the killing blow by decapitation (see Operation Black Mamba). The operation's disclosure brought the previously classified KAA-51 into public knowledge as well, and it became widely known under its codename. Lessons drawn from that combat deployment were incorporated directly into the design of the succeeding KAA-51A2, and the process stands as a representative example of the close working relationship between Ardgate Arsenal and Kosmi.