Firearms

"Do not speak to me of him, please. For all that you admire his ingenuity, he created a weapon capable of destroying many lives."

Utility

It was created as a means of delivering death, and so it is used. Outside of the carnage they wreak in battle, there have been reported instances from Galiya of a drunken fight gotten out of hand and abruptly finished with a single-shot pistol. This is but the same as the effect would have been with a knife, but as the range of the weapons increases there are fears of assassins getting their hands on them...

Manufacturing

Right now, each gun had to be individually made in a workshop, hence each once handles slightly differently.

Consequences

The creator of the first and second and third guns did his best to keep the intricacies of their designs away from anyone else; he knew well the danger he courted each day by using them in the presence of others. However, many people saw them in use, not least of which his enemies. Without his notes none have reached his aptitude or range, nor has any but he managed to successfully enchant a firearm. Soon, though, sharp minds will catch up. Already the speed of firing has increased in Galyian workshops.
It has to be noted that giving a covetous empire such dangerous weapons, accidental or not, would rightfully be seen as an amoral act. On the other hand, the presence and suspicious power of the weapons in the hand of the Galyian rebels were what led to the successful reclamation of their lands from the Empire.

Inventor(s)

Alastair Avendire introduced it to the mortal realms, though who gave him his inspiration is another matter entirely...

Access & Availability

Thankfully, construction of a gun still takes a lot of time, materials and intelligence. They are still rather rare, with single-shot ones slowly making their way through the Empire military from reverse-engineering. The majority, however, are in the hands of Galyians- more specifically, the Galyian rebels.

Complexity

These are highly complex machines, requiring specific presses for the making of ammunition, special tools for the creation of the hammers and other fiddly bits, and the processing of black powder.

Discovery

Family slaughtered, home stolen, a sharp mind adrift in a strange place, Alastair accidentally struck a deal. The next day, he woke up with a fantastic idea for a horrible machine and no idea of the growing grasp on his soul.