Commoner Weaponry (Soot-Tech)
1. The Pressure-Flail
A simple weapon consisting of a heavy iron ball attached to a hollow, reinforced pipe. It is connected to a small canister of pressurized steam worn on the belt.
The Mechanic: By pulling a trigger on the handle, the user releases a jet of steam through the flail's head, giving it a sudden, bone-shattering boost of speed.
The Secret: If the canister is damaged, it can leak superheated steam onto the user's hand, a common injury known as "The Scalded Grip."
2. The Miasma-Diffuser
Not a weapon of death, but one of survival. It is a handheld bellows-like device filled with neutralized chemical salts and charcoal dust.
The Mechanic: When pumped, it sprays a thick white cloud that neutralizes the toxic Miasma in a 5-foot radius for several minutes.
The Secret: It can be refilled with "Lead-Silt" to create a blinding, metallic fog that can choke out common monsters like Gravelings.
3. The Piston-Maul
A massive, two-handed sledgehammer with a spring-loaded head and a slot for a "Pressure-Shell" (essentially a large, blank gunpowder or steam cartridge).
The Mechanic: On impact, the pressure-shell detonates, driving the piston head forward with five times the force of a normal swing.
The Secret: It is incredibly loud—using it in a quiet ruin is a "dinner bell" for every Shambler in the area.
4. The Scrap-Shocker
A crude polearm tipped with copper coils and jagged metal, wired to a hand-cranked dynamo or a depleted Miasma-battery.
The Mechanic: It delivers a powerful electrical jolt that is designed to disrupt the nervous system of both humans and mutants.
The Secret: Because it's made of scrap, it has a tendency to "arc" back to the wielder if they are standing in water or wearing too much conductive metal.
Advanced weapons
1. The Steam-Caster
A heavy-duty industrial firearm that utilizes a miniaturized boiler to launch lead or silver slugs. It is the backbone of Deep-Dweller defense.
The Mechanic: It features a "Purge Valve" that can release a cone of superheated steam to repel encroaching mutants.
The Secret: If the pressure seals are intentionally broken, the Steam-Caster acts as a high-yield thermal pipe bomb.
2. The Chain-Saber
A massive, motorized blade with rotating serrated teeth, powered by a small Miasma-Core. It is designed specifically to saw through the hardened shells of high-level mutants.
The Mechanic: The teeth move at such high speeds they create a "blood-mist" that can be ignited by the weapon's sparks.
The Secret: The Miasma-Core is unstable; over time, the machine "claims" the wielder, causing their hand and arm to fuse with the lead and brass hilt through a process called Clockwork Blight.
3. Lunar-Glass Needles
Ethereal, translucent throwing daggers crafted from refined Miasma-silica. They are nearly invisible to the naked eye under the hazy skies of Aethervale.
The Mechanic: Upon impact, they don't just cause physical trauma; they resonate at a frequency that causes the target's Aetheric veins to "hiccup," temporarily paralyzing their abilities.
The Secret: In the hands of a Lunar-Valari, these needles can be remotely recalled using a thin "Aether-thread."
4. The Crank-Bolter
A massive, tripod-mounted or shoulder-braced crossbow that requires a mechanical crank to cock. It is the primary tool used by the human Purge Seekers to reclaim lost territories.
The Mechanic: It fires hollow glass bolts filled with pressurized liquid-light. Upon impact, the bolt shatters, bathing the area in "Synthetic Sunlight."
The Secret: While designed for monsters, the light is equally lethal to high-level Ascendants (Level 5+), as it causes their highly concentrated Miasma-blood to boil instantly.