Dvergar Flame-lance

Listen up, you know your training, I know you will hold. But by the mountain mark me and mark me well. If you see the glow and steam of those ruby tipped lances rise out from their ranks. You fall back and run like your bloody lives depend on it. Sod your ancestors, your shield won't save you. I've seen too many lads try to be heroes and die needlessly because of those things, you just run.

— Dwarin Greybeard to his warriors before the battle of the Thernedur tunnel.

Amongst the terrifying arsenal of military weapons the Dvergar possess, none strikes more fear into their hearts of their enemies than the Flame-lance, rising out amongst their armoured ranks, red fire leaping out from ruby tips. Many brazen Dwarin Thegn has fallen victim to their kins deployment of this terrifying weapon, rendering the traditional Dwarvin ethos of cooperation and discipline to protect each other and allow the enemy to break against an impenetrable wall of shields and axes, totally ineffective. The flame-lance was originally conceived by the Dvergar to combat their Dwarin kin, the flame-lance renders heavy armour and shields that they and their cousins favour useless by reducing them to molten slag, incinerating flesh and bone and boiling their victims alive. First appearing during the conflicts between the Dvergar and Dwarin during the late First Age to break the deadlock of the shield wall (The standard military tactic utilized by both Dwarin and the Dvergar due to their shared ancestry and military traditions). The flame lance has evolved and developed over the millennia's becoming a specialist weapon used by Dvergar during times of war.

Development

Considered to be perhaps the pinnacle of Dvergar military technology, the flame-lance began its development as a mining tool to break through stubborn bedrock and other obstructions. However, it would prove to be unreliable for long period of use and tended to destroy valuable deposits unlike other mining methods. However, many miners discovered its effectiveness against large elemental rock creatures and stone trolls that hampered, splitting then opening and reducing them into molten rock.
The effectiveness of the lance against larger foes was taken notice of, and soon military engineers took its precursor, realising its potential against larger monsters it did not take long for them to discover the destructive potential it had upon alloys. Augmenting the design a d significantly upgrading it into a formidable military weapon, thus the flame-lance was born. Early designs were crude and unreliable, and it was deemed that the original cores used in the mining equipment were inadequate. A new and more suitable source needed to be devised. The foragemasters of the Dvergar looked to their forbidden techniques of Vulkan, entrapping elemental souls. After much trial and experimentation, it became understood that the most effective source of power came from binding elementals into its core, particularly the soul of an Arshinus . Typically one core is capable of reliably lasting between fifteen to twenty minutes when first activated.

Legacy

With the later conflicts with their kin and the wars with the Dral'azie of Menor'cress. The Dral'azies use of powerful magic and their kins rapid deployment of primitive, but powerful blackpowder based weaponry, forced the Dvergar to re-strategized. A successor to the flame-lance was devised to meet these new challenges was devised, the Xhazzail; a long ranged firearm with similar principles to the flame-lance, benefiting from the centuries of refinement and polishing out the design flaws of its precursor.

Appearance

The flame-lance is a long, unwieldly weapon, held in two hands it can easily be mistaken for a and cumbersome spear, except for the muzzle at its tip with a pulsating ruby light emendating from deep within. Typically when utilized in battle only a dozen flame-lancers are assigned per battalion and primarily used in medium to short range. The flame-lance is activated it by pulling the handle on the base of the lance, its core is ignited discharging an intense ruby fire from the muzzle at the end. The beam of heat released is more intense than the crucible of any forge, and typically has a range of ten to twenty meters. It can also be used in short rapid bursts in close quarters, however this will lead to a greater chance of the lance overheating.

Design Flaws

The major disadvantage is that it cannot be operated instantly, having to take a couple of seconds to prime, before it is ready to discharge. Another drawback is that it often will grow too hot to handle when used for long periods of time. The intense heat unleashed by the core inside the lance often leads it to overheat, causing third degree burns or worse to the wielder. As a preventative measure, thick padded gauntlets, shoulder pads and hauberks are given to their wielders to try and prevent injuries. Most veteran flame-lancers adopt the three bursts a minute rule, allowing ten seconds in-between bursts for the core to cool enough as to not overheat too quickly.
Despite this it's greatest drawback is the Dvergars assess suitable essence to create the cores of the Lance. The Arshinus being their primary target, have over the centuries wised up, becoming highly adept at protecting their own and repelling the Dvergar raids, fortifying their settlements and becoming wary of outsiders. The result has seen the Dvergar resorting to lower grade elementals, producing lower yield cores for the weapon of this nature. The consequence has seen wielders increasing having to cartridges of lower grade cores on them at all times due to the reduced lifespan. Resulting in reloading times becoming another major drawback for the weapons.