Not a Chapter but extra: Culverin

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Bonus Chapter. Only read if you're curious about culverin. 👋😊

Treat this as an extra. We will not feature this type of kingdom-building, as, unlike other MCs, Lansius is fully aware of the dangers of an arms race.

First of all, there is no definitive depiction of a "small" culverin like the one used in our story. As one of the earliest transitional designs, very few have survived. While similar examples exist, they are not made of bronze (such as falconets) and belong to a different category.

Still, let's try some visual references, as describing it purely through text would be difficult.

This is a surviving Lantaka, a muzzle-load, bronze portable, swivel "cannon" (culverin). It's relatively small compared to an apple.

As you can see, pieces like this is often incorrectly referred to as a bronze "cannon."

It is important to note that the term "cannon" is actually very broad. It encompasses both the smallest and largest and is often mistakenly applied to other types, such as the culverin.

A comparison:

Compared to its larger "cannon" counterparts, the culverin is typically the slimmest and longest. Due to these characteristics, it usually offers better accuracy.

So, how heavy is a small culverin?

That picture should sum up the issue. While some culverins or demi-culverins were mounted on carts, some types were light enough for an adult to carry and, surprisingly, to fire if desired.

And yes, the one in picture is one of the more advanced model with the breech loading capabilities.

Culverin is one of many swivel guns that can be comfortably mounted on a ship’s wooden railing. The recoil from their blast isn’t strong enough to damage even the smallest of railings.

We can see the usage of swivel gun in this picture taken from the Pirates of the Caribbean. Obviously that is not a culverin, but likely a small cannon but the usage and mounting is the same.

Again, a breech loading "cannon" of unknown type, it might be bronze or cast iron. We can't be sure.

This kind of swivel weapon can even be mounted on small pole. There exist several youtube video demonstrating the firing.

And now, why culverin?

Well, it’s because nobody seems to tell stories about this and just assumes that the cannon is the only thing that ever existed.

In reality, bronze "cannons" were used first. The Chinese and Mongols used them in the 13th century, long before the earliest matchlock muskets. In Europe too, people didn’t start by building large cannons; they began with smaller, bronze pieces. These early designs were mildly useful because bronze had advantages over cast iron, such as resistance to corrosion and good accuracy.

A few other things:

• As you can see from the musket bullet dents, early musket can be stopped reliably by a good breastplate and helmet. In Japan, the proliferation of arquebus (matchlock) created a shift into nanban armor (western plate armor) style, because it's the only thing that can stop a musket.

• Our story's culverin is bigger in diameter (baby's fist) than a musket but not yet mainstream "cannon".

Lastly, we can address the myth that "Anyone with half a brain who sees gunpowder weapon should want it and make a lot of them because it works." 😅

As crazy as it sounds, historically, nations have often rejected new, potentially powerful weaponry simply because they didn’t feel the need for it or were unwilling to invest in unproven technology.

• 1st Example: The first large cannon in Europe ended up in Ottoman hands after the Byzantine Empire rejected the Hungarian engineer Orban’s designs, citing their high cost. As a result, the inventor offered his expertise to the Ottoman Sultan, that ironically produced the massive cannons that played a role in the 1453 Siege of Constantinople.

• 2nd example: A similar case occurred with the torpedo. Robert Whitehead, the inventor of the self-propelled torpedo in 1866, demonstrated it to the British Royal Navy. Initially hesitant, the Royal Navy only approved its use after the inventor began selling the technology to other nations, including Germany, which demonstrated its value.

So we can see that even the most persistent inventors faced skepticism from nobles and rulers who didn’t trust their ideas or saw little immediate need for them.

Another example: Before the Mongols, no significant advancements were made in weaponizing black powder in Jurchen-controlled China. Only during the Mongol sieges of the 13th century, desperate to defend their capital, they experimented with various uses of gunpowder, including rudimentary cannons and fire lances. Ironically, these innovations ended up empower the Mongols in their conquest.

The Mongols spread it far and wide, and some nations developed it further. For example this beautiful double barreled breech loading bronze Cetbang from Indonesia (South East Asia).

Again, treat this as extra. We will not feature this kind of development since the least Lansius wanted is an arms race..

As always, thank you for reading! 💖