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A mechanical bow with a slow rate of fire
Arus felt his skin crawl, and he fingered his crossbow tensely, of half a mind to drive a bolt through the stranger's body without parley, yet fearful of what might happen if he failed to inflict death at the first shot. - The God in the Bowl
Until the invention of the crossbow, those kingdoms who had no cultural relationship with archery were at a disadvantage in battle. However, the creation of this mechanically loaded bow erased that advantage.
Using a bolt locking mechanism, this crossbow can be used by even the most unskilled peasants to make a decisive difference in battle. When loaded with the correct type of bolts, it has a long and accurate range. However, a skilled archer will always be able to fire arrows faster with a longbow.