Amaya Blackstone (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
special_rabbit) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2023-02-07 05:11 am
special_rabbit) wrote in fandomhigh2023-02-07 05:11 am
Entry tags:
Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [02/07].
Today was finally the day where that castle sitting up there on the hill overlooking their Danger Shop training field became so much more than only a model...
It was going to become the target.
And the weapons they were using today were definitely not going to fit on a table or a rack.
"Siege weapons!" Amaya announced happily, excitedly, gesturing to the small collection of various delightful mechanical wonders around her. "Specifically, petrary weapons, which are a classification of siege weapons that involve flinging heavy objects or missiles, typically large stones, though not always. And before anyone asks, no, we will not be flinging each other, even if it is the danger shop. I'll admit, it's kind of a jump from some of the more traditional melee weapons we've been covering so far, but they're fun, and a nice little break for your arms this week, so you're welcome. They're not exactly the most practical of weapons in this particular day and age...they're not really the most practical of weapons outside of war in general, for that matter, if I'm entirely honest, but I dare anyone to give one of these a try and then look me in the eye and tell me that they didn't have a good time with it."
A faint blush may have sprung up with those words this time around, but Amaya was clearly moving forward.
"Petrary weapons were developed as a way to break down fortresses and walls to gain points of entry into enemy strongholds. Some of them are gravity operated, like a trebuchet, where a large counterweight is used to propel the missile, or they're tension operated, like a catapult, where the throwing arm is pulled back and then released.
"Today, you'll have the chance to give four different petrary weapons a try: the classic catapult, the traditional trebuchet, a biting ballista, and the more manual mangonel..."
And if anyone in particular was wanting a complete and detailed dissection on exactly what made each one different in painstaking detail, you were in luck! Because that was exactly what you were getting, as Amaya launched into how each one was made, how to use one, what the benefits and downfalls of each design was, and all the thrilling science behind it all. Look. They were both weapons and machines. She was going to geek out about them. It could not be helped, especially since she was covering both sides of the class that day. Rosa was still absolutely there, she wouldn't miss siege weapon day for anything if she could help it, but Amaya definitely had more experience with them than she had, in a rare turn of events, so she was more than happy to let the blacksmith take the entire lead on the class.
She would, however, be testing the machines right along side the students. Bashing down fake castles never got old.
Amaya knew that the students, too, would likely be itching to go break down some fake walls on that nice stately castle (even if it was only a model), so she wasted no more time after she'd concluded her exhaustively handwavey lessons on each one.
"If anyone wants me to go over anything again once they actually get up to one of the machines and start to figure out how to put all of this into practice," she said, "just let me know. But I think you're ready to give it a try, so go ahead," she lifted her hands, pounding one fist into her palm, "and let's get our siege on."
It was going to become the target.
And the weapons they were using today were definitely not going to fit on a table or a rack.
"Siege weapons!" Amaya announced happily, excitedly, gesturing to the small collection of various delightful mechanical wonders around her. "Specifically, petrary weapons, which are a classification of siege weapons that involve flinging heavy objects or missiles, typically large stones, though not always. And before anyone asks, no, we will not be flinging each other, even if it is the danger shop. I'll admit, it's kind of a jump from some of the more traditional melee weapons we've been covering so far, but they're fun, and a nice little break for your arms this week, so you're welcome. They're not exactly the most practical of weapons in this particular day and age...they're not really the most practical of weapons outside of war in general, for that matter, if I'm entirely honest, but I dare anyone to give one of these a try and then look me in the eye and tell me that they didn't have a good time with it."
A faint blush may have sprung up with those words this time around, but Amaya was clearly moving forward.
"Petrary weapons were developed as a way to break down fortresses and walls to gain points of entry into enemy strongholds. Some of them are gravity operated, like a trebuchet, where a large counterweight is used to propel the missile, or they're tension operated, like a catapult, where the throwing arm is pulled back and then released.
"Today, you'll have the chance to give four different petrary weapons a try: the classic catapult, the traditional trebuchet, a biting ballista, and the more manual mangonel..."
And if anyone in particular was wanting a complete and detailed dissection on exactly what made each one different in painstaking detail, you were in luck! Because that was exactly what you were getting, as Amaya launched into how each one was made, how to use one, what the benefits and downfalls of each design was, and all the thrilling science behind it all. Look. They were both weapons and machines. She was going to geek out about them. It could not be helped, especially since she was covering both sides of the class that day. Rosa was still absolutely there, she wouldn't miss siege weapon day for anything if she could help it, but Amaya definitely had more experience with them than she had, in a rare turn of events, so she was more than happy to let the blacksmith take the entire lead on the class.
She would, however, be testing the machines right along side the students. Bashing down fake castles never got old.
Amaya knew that the students, too, would likely be itching to go break down some fake walls on that nice stately castle (even if it was only a model), so she wasted no more time after she'd concluded her exhaustively handwavey lessons on each one.
"If anyone wants me to go over anything again once they actually get up to one of the machines and start to figure out how to put all of this into practice," she said, "just let me know. But I think you're ready to give it a try, so go ahead," she lifted her hands, pounding one fist into her palm, "and let's get our siege on."
Sign In - Weaponry, 02/07.
Listen to the Lecture - Weaponry, 02/07.
Class Activity: Get your Siege on! - Weaponry, 02/07.
Or just wonder what all the fuss is all about when the ballista is clearly the best.
Talk to the Teachers - Weaponry, 02/07.
OOC - Weaponry, 02/07.
Re: Talk to the Teachers - Weaponry, 02/07.
Honestly, it's got her in a great mood, so this might be one of the better times to bother her!
Re: Talk to the Teachers - Weaponry, 02/07.
Trebuchets were a bit more distracting, these days.
Re: Sign In - Weaponry, 02/07.
Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weaponry, 02/07.
Because, thank you, Graham, this what exactly what Amaya needed, more encouragement to talk.
"Question!" he announced. "As a potential future defender of both crowns and castles, can you also go over a little bit of what might be a good way to defend against petrary weapons? Since I'm going to be a Knight of the Realm, I imagine I'll have more experience on the far end of a siege weapon than I will on the sieging side itself."
Re: Sign In - Weaponry, 02/07.
Re: Listen to the Lecture - Weaponry, 02/07.
She'd be trying to come up with new ideas to tweak things later, too.