Taser
A self-defence weapon
A TASER, or Taser, is a self-defence weapon that humans are permitted to use and carry. It is a telescopic carbon fibre rod which emits a very low-level burst of aether from the tip. This aether is too low to cause scaring, but it can cause the victim to feel a sharp searing pain, and in Ananans, it can cause fainting.
The name TASER is an acronym standing for The Aetheric Self Emitting Rod. To taser someone or to be tasered has become an acknowledged phrase in Favontille.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
The taser is powered by a level 1 quartz crystal, which emits a very low current of aether, just enough to incapacitate, but not enough to kill. A push of the button on the side of the rod activates the crystal and sends out a small spark of aether.
The telescopic casing is made from carbon fibre, a non-conductive material, keeping the handler safe. It can be used at any length for close or distant situations.
History
The original TASER was designed in 817 by Jan Linde, an inventor from Accreton, after riots at the town's cotton mill. The Department of Defence approached Linde for a tool that was simple and lightweight that their human employees could use to subdue the rioters.
Shortly afterwards, all members of the Department of Defence were required to carry one, even the Magi members.
During the Stiriphesian tourism boom in 1034, there was a sharp rise in taser attacks on Ananans, after the guidebook, Guide to... The Stiriphese, encouraged visitors to do so.
Following the Reconstruction in 1045, most householders came to possess a taser to protect themselves from any slave who may cause them harm, or to cause punishment in general.
However, before this, they were already popular amongst women as a self-defence weapon.
Significance
The invention of the taser allowed for the power of theMagi to be in your pocket. It gave confidence to women on their own and was the subject of many a narrow escape from a potential murderer or rapist. The fact that it could be used at any length was a great bonus. No training or documentation is required, making it accessible for anyone.
The taser became a particular threat to Ananans. The aetheric current causes them to lose control of their own magic and often their own body, rendering them unconscious. Just the sight of one can cause them to panic.
Amongst the slave population, it is seen as much a tool as their subjugation as the whip, and most have experienced the sensation of its sharp jab.
I, myself, possess a taser, which I have kept in my handbag since my first day as a researcher (sometime in 1035!). An interviewee became a little too handsy, and though I escaped relatively unscathed (at least physically), I immediately ran to the nearest guildhall for the Department of Defence and purchased myself a taser. I've never used it, not even on my slave, but just knowing it's in my handbag has given me confidence.
TASER
The Aetheric Self Emitting Rod
Jan Linde
Official System Record
Updated by Lemi Louf, Senior Researcher
Approved by Department of Standards
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