Uniforms
Weapons
Harlech Long Rifle
The venerable Harlech Long Rifle is one of the longest-serving military arms of the Quar, first tested in 1698 as the Royal Coftyran Arsenal Four-Line Rifle (a “line” being a now-obsolete armorer’s unit of length). At the time, its design incorporated the best features and innovations in firearms design, and in the years that followed only small modifications were undertaken. The current standard infantry issue model is the Year 28 Carbine, but its operation would be familiar to the grandfathers of today’s Crymuster. With a fixed five-round magazine, the rifle is incapable of the Bogen’s volume of fire, but it is much longer ranged and generally more accurate. One of the highest compliments that can be paid this rifle is that Crusader-designated marksquar will often carry this rifle in conjunction with, or in lieu of, their heavy Afirs.
Cryfen LMG
The evolution of the machine gun in the Crymuster has been as an adjunct to the basic infantry rifle, resulting in a light weapon intended to be used by a single rhyfler. Using the same ammunition as the Harlech, the Cryfen (named for the foundry where the weapon is produced) operates on a long-recoil action with a complicated feed of a fabric belt of rounds fed from a hopper. The Cryfen has a slow rate of fire, especially compared to the machine guns of the Crusaders, but earlier models with higher rates of fire were prone to jamming and fouling. This complicated weapon is delicate, and requires careful maintenance and cleaning on the battlefield. It is usually carried by a Milwer, or a veteran rhyfler who needs no reminding of a rhyfler’s duty to keep his weapon ready for action.
Doru SMG
One of the most surprising innovations in modern weaponry is the brainchild of Caerten Doru of the Royal Coftyran Arsenal. Officially the Special Purpose Submachine Gun, the weapon is more commonly known by the name of its inventor. This SMG fires 7mm pistol cartridges from an ingenious open bolt design that is both robust and easy to construct. While SMGs are known in other armies, the Doru is much more reliable. But the demand for this weapon far outpaces the supply, as it is widely coveted by the daring trench raiders, cavalry, artillerists, and ordinary rhyflers. At present, the Royal Arsenal cannot manufacture the weapon to meet demand, limiting its availability. Woe betide the rhyfler who would hoard or lose this valuable weapon!
M3-b Heavy Machine Gun
Heavy machine guns are considered light artillery by the Coftyrans, organized and commanded outside of the light infantry Catrawds. The standard HMG of Coftyr is the powerful 20mm M-3b. The “three-bee” is so robust and so straightforward to build and operate that it is the standard HMG for all branches of the Coftyran military, and can be found on land, on sea, and in the skies in one form or another. It fires the same sized round as the Ryshi heavy rifle, but the long barrel of the three-bee gives it a superior range, and its rate of fire is much higher as well. In the hands of well-trained machine gunners, the three-bee is the terror of infantry, vehicles, and aircraft, and its distinctive shape and ubiquity has made it a symbol of Coftyr.
CH-99 “Uflaen” Heavy Support Gun
The Crymuster’s choice for Heavy Support Gun is the venerable Canister, Heavy, Pattern 1699, a multi-barrel affair whose distinctive basso ‘burp’ led soldiers to nickname it after the Coftyran fire toad, or uflaen. The CH99 is mechanically robust but heavy and somewhat old-fashioned. The crisis along the Last Wall caused the Crymuster Armory to refurbish guns that had been relegated to museum pieces and patriotic displays as every last available weapon was needed on the front lines.
A running joke among gunners assigned to the Uflaen is to claim to recognize every Uflaen as the one that stood outside the Motte of one’s hometown, based on the distinctive bend of one barrel which resembles one’s uncle’s snout. It is not a very funny joke, but the repetition of it still drives many gunners into fits of sniggering.
RCO Field Howitzer Model 60
The Royal Coftyran Ordnance Field Howitzer Model 60 is the pride of the Crymuster artillery—a powerful 101mm* cannon mounted on a rolling carriage with a sophisticated recoil-dampening system. It can fire without re-laying the gun between rounds, and the rounds contain both high explosive and warhead in a single brass case, which means the field gun has a rate of fire far superior to most artillery pieces. Each gun is a work of the highest quality from the hands of the master armorers of the Royal Foundry. But this quality comes at a high cost, and loss of this crucial weapon cannot easily be made up.
RCOs typically have a crew of 6 led by a yawdryl. Most of the crew carry crates of shells and help pull the gun when no cadier are available.
*Just kidding. Its 100mm.
Sidearms and Blades
The officer class of the Crymuster, being ever royalist, is primarily staffed by members of Coftyran royalty that have purchased or inherited their commissions. With this comes the privilege of each officer providing their own kit and larder and armsquar.
A young is-Caerten’s kit invariably includes a pistol of some type. These range from ancient revolvers passed down through generations, battlefield trophies or new minted automatics. As the Crusade has ground on there are many new officers with newly made weapons.
The varied weapons with their own spare parts and ammo needs has caused no end of headache for the Logistical Corps. Young quar out for their first “great adventure” pack plenty of scotch and marmalade and precious little ammo.