Sonic Horns Bug Obliterators

CategoryMarvels
ContinentKarterus
RegionAzrik
AliasBug Obliterators
OwnerBa'lith
Built1672 - 1694
MapVetoubahr

The Sonic Horns, or Bug Obliterators, are engineering marvels invented by the Gimrune. These inventions were instrumental in bringing an end to the Locust Encroachment (1412 - 1694). The construction of these sonic energy weapons came from the Treaty of Droorlow whereby the Torgilm Confederacy (1475 - 1719) would provide technological aid to Ba'lith in dealing with their bug problem. Planned from the start, this neighborly help would stabilize Ba'lith's southern border, allowing them to focus on taking all of Azrik under one minotaur empire in the Brothers Enmity War (1697 - 1723).

A Sonic Horn is a massive device that causes sonic damage. The sonic technology in these devices was invented by the Auhtai. They called this use of sound Päiki-Synhö.

Most of Ba'lith's Sonic Horns are in southern Azrik. They are spread along the four-hundred-mile-long wall Moralak. There the Sonic Horns range in height from fifty feet to five hundred feet. The towers are very thick and have many openings in them. These openings face south, east and west. Behind each opening are a series of funnels and chutes, within these are enormous brass chimes and hundreds of hardened chitinous bells. These bells come from knell beetles. Retrieving these bells resulted in the loss of thousands of soldiers in the borderlands between Azrik and the Hive. When wind is forced through these chutes and out the apertures, a sub-sonic sound is produced. The sound creates a feeling of unease, causing headaches, and dizziness to those with sensitive ears. The effect to those with very sensitive ears is much more catastrophic. Insects and animals like dogs suffer severe confusion, internal bleeding, and the rupture of organs. The effects are more pronounced, as these creatures get closer to a Sonic Horn. The area of effect of these Sonic Horns is relative to the tower size with each 50' of tower height extending the range of sonic damage to 5,000'. The towers were expensive to build, but quickly paid off. After seeing the dastardly effects on attacking Hive Swarms, the minotaurs nicknamed these towers the "Bug Obliterators". In 1694, Ba'lith's sonic defenses were put to devastating effect when a swarm of several hundred thousand were slaughtered all along the Moralak

The sonic effects of an active Bug Obliterator is noticeable by slight ripples in the air. The minotaurs employ crews of undead skeletons to rotate fans within the towers, thereby forcing air through a maze of chutes and large musical instruments.

- Mogert, excerpt from his manual - "Armaments of Ba'lith"

Related Information