From On Weapons and Magick, a compendium of iconic weapons throughout the history of Teras. Ivera was home to some of the most skilled engineers in Teras. Thanks to them, Riya—known as the Marigold Mercenary—had access to a pair of distinctive flintlock pistols fitted with specially-crafted black-smoke cartridge boxes that held seven rounds each.

Black-smoke cartridges are named as such because the powder within them gives off a black smoke when ignited.

Standard firearms were inaccurate and slow to reload, but these flintlocks sidestepped that issue with their unique design. The blueprints belonged only to the twin inventors from Vikshagiri, known for their groundbreaking creations and eccentric tastes. Unless part of a designated pair, no two weapons were of similar make, so getting one’s hands on a custom-made firearm was an expensive feat. But money was no issue for Riya, mercenary and bounty hunter extraordinaire. There wasn’t a contract she couldn’t close, and there wasn’t a job she couldn’t finish.

Perhaps the limited supply of high-quality flintlocks allows for traditional combat to still thrive across Teras. Widespread usage of firearms would render even Eridian plate armor as useless as a piece of scrap metal, and war itself would be unlike nothing we’ve ever seen. Swords would fall in favor of guns, and armor would be replaced by light cloth, the remaining resources being diverted to the production of firearms.

[The following section was removed as the author goes on a tangent about the usage of firearms and their links to violence and crime. The full book can be found in the Spiral Library, located in Emerald Point, Erid].

Along with her flintlocks, Riya had a piece of technology in the form of a modified quartz crystal strapped to her wrist. With that, she could communicate with the Bounty Hunters’ Guild to confirm killed or captured targets. This form of long distance communication allowed her to move from region to region, hunting down notorious criminals and their ilk.

One cannot go to Ivera without hearing about her daring feats. She had become a local legend, and a hero to most. Though, those on the receiving end of her wrath would say otherwise, if they lived to tell the tale.

One bystander says it best—she was like a whirl of saffron and a flash of black-smoke.