Nasharian Hammers (Submission Article #5)

The Katanari's use for weapons is limited. They are the only civilization in Vol Yhaera (or so they think), and due to the harshness of their environment internal conflict is heavily frowned upon. Disagreements between families or individuals are resolved by councils of peers, and the Katanari have never experienced large, organized conflict.
However, they are not without need of protection.
The Irzhi beasts are savage and numerous. Hunting in packs ranging from two to twenty individuals, they can each grow up to fifteen feet in length, and they possess incredible speed and agility for their large size, as well as impressive strength for their wiry frames. Though they are not always hostile to Katanari, when they do decide to strike it comes nearly without warning, and has led to the vanishing of many Katanari settlements with hardly a trace.
Irzhi hide is tough; conventional weapons like spears and blades are only partially effective, incapable of puncturing the beasts leathery skin with anything but a direct strike. However, tough as they are, the Irzhi have trouble standing up to the devestating power of a shot from a Nasharian Hammer.
The Hammers are extremely large, averaging five feet from barrel to stock. Their barrels are as thick around as a fist, extending into a large, round chamber where burning Ichor provides the energy to launch hard iron pellets at blistering speeds. They are too large and powerful to be handled by anyone except the largest and sturdiest Katanari, as their kickback is enough to knock a lesser wielder to the ground.
Since their invention the Nasharian Hammers have provided the Katanari with a fighting chance against the Irzhi in open combat, and have saved more Katanari than any other innovation since the invention of their protective cloaks. It is for this reason that they are named after Bal Nashar, the loosely messianic figure that is the focus of their religion and mythology. For indeed, the strength of a shot from a Nasharian Hammer seems a blow from the fist of god himself.