Jarl of Clan Galaar
K A ' R T A - T A R J A
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: A bowcaster for the Mandalorian Enclave
- Image Source: Sergey Kolesnik, Divider modified by myself, post format and original divider by
The Quartermaster
- Canon Link: Bowcaster
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source:
- Manufacturer: Clan Galaar smiths
- Affiliation: The Enclave, Clan Galaar
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Kar'ta-Tarja Mandalorian Bowcaster
- Modularity: Optics, bayonet can be removed or replaced
- Production: Minor
- Materials: Beskar, bowcaster components, rylith power cell
- Classification: Bowcaster
- Size: Large
- Weight: Heavy
- Ammunition Type: Quarrels, can be loaded with tipped bolts if the plasma system is disabled
- Ammunition Capacity: Very Small (5)
- Effective Range: Long Range
- Rate of Fire: Average
- Damage Output: Extreme (High if the plasma system is disabled)
- Recoil: Low
- Variable zoom optics
- Automatic cocking mechanism
- Beskar bayonet
- Heavy Hitter: Bowcasters are famously powerful, and this one is no different. The rylith power cells help give the already powerful weapon an extra kick, giving it a better chance of threatening all but the toughest armor.
- Up Close and Personal: Bowcasters are deadly weapons at close range already, but the addition of a beskar bayonet under the barrel allows the wielder to have a melee weapon without needing to give up their ranged weapon.
- Steady Does It: While the Kar'ta-Tarja is fairly big and heavy, this helps to offset the recoil that would otherwise be produced by the bowcaster's heavy firepower.
- With Great Power Comes Great Weight: The Kar'ta-Tarja is a strong weapon, and it requires an equally strong wielder. Its large size and weight make it difficult for weaker individuals or smaller races to effectively use without cybernetics or a powersuit.
- Reload Often: The bowcaster's low capacity, especially when compared to contemporary blasters, means that the wielder will need to replace a fresh magazine of quarrels often.
Strong men require strong weapons. That's always been Jiriad's view. Back on Midvinter, the Clan made heavy use of a large crossbow called hjartagat, or heart-piercer, for its propensity for piercing through even the most masterfully-crafted chain mail and striking a fatal blow. The Kar'ta-Tarja, Mando'a for "heart-seeker," is the hjartagat's Mandalorian successor, albeit more technologically advanced thanks to the resources now available to Clan Galaar as a member of the Enclave. Linguists in Clan Galaar have argued whether the name should be spelled Kar'ta or Ka'rta, with one being a more archaic form, so both are used interchangeably.
As a bowcaster, the Kar'ta-Tarja fires quarrels much like those of a normal crossbow, albeit encased in an envelope of deadly plasma. A switch near the trigger allows the plasma encasement to be disabled, allowing for quieter firing and the use of quarrels with modified tips, such as poison, explosives, or EMPs. The rylith cells the bowcaster uses for its power supply allow for a greater damage output than normal, making the weapon more than capable of living up to its name and the reputation of its predecessor.
With these strengths, of course, comes equally high downsides. The bowcaster is large and heavy, which combined with its high recoil makes it difficult for those with lower strength to use effectively. Another downside is the weapon's use of quarrels which come in magazines of 5, so the bowcaster will need to be reloaded often in protracted firefights. All things considered though, if you're a Mando in need of a powerful weapon and don't mind weight or a low ammo capacity, this might just be the tool for you.
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