Relic Rifles

Since time immemorial, Mankind has held many aces up it's sleeve, the greatest of which are the irreplaceable Relic Rifles. Thought to be gifts from the grand God of Humanity, Coloniae, the Relic Rifles have been in the hands of Relicar Houses since the dawn of the Duchies of Alecalder, over one thousands years prior. Records of just how these divine instruments have been put into the possession of the family are old, and subject to hundreds of years of amendments, unique to each family. The Relicar house of Von Malthe has stated that a prophet made insane by speaking directly to Coloniae hand delivered the family's artifacts a thousand years ago. Others have made explanations of Angels hand delivering them upon the birth of the progenitors of the Relicar houses, some believing them to have been found within a vast vault in an unknown mountain and divided between the intrepid explorers. Regardless of the myriad reasons behind the artefacts appearance, there effectiveness in battle is undeniable, and has been known to sway the momentum of the battle in the opposite direction with just one well placed shot.
     Perhaps the most mystical property of the relicar rifles is the lock in place upon the rifle. Upon being held and fired by the first individual that picks it up, the rifle is bound to that person. Presumed by the soul of the individual, the rifles remain unable to be fired by any who are not the original owner of the rifle, the trigger pull failing to result in any loaded ammunition discharging. The result of this is the Relicar Houses that dot the minor nobility of Alecalder, with generations of relic firearms being passed down to the firstborn of the rifles user.
     The inner workings of the Relic Rifles are kept as a well guarded, however incredibly poorly understood secret, with efforts made by the relic families to keep it as such. The inner workings of the relic are sealed shut, the only openings being when the bolt of the rifle is put out of place, and the weapons themselves impervious to any attempt to damage them to get to the internal contents. All that is truly known about these weapon is that they require ammunition just like crossbows and trebuchets, and that groups of rifles fire out only certain shapes and sizes of ammunition. Consequently, the Relic families have over time traded their relics amongst themselves to centralize certain cartridges within a family.
     House Von Malthe carries the proud tradition of use of the 30-06 round of ammunition, Identified as such by the ancient marking on the original cartridges, the meaning of which is generally obscure to all but the users of the relics, and the artisans that produce the ammunition within the house. Rifles possessed by House Von Malthe include three Springfield Rifles, the M1917 Enfield, and the long lost, legendary Grand Rifle.