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Tumbler

Tumblers as illustrated in The Traction Codex

A Tumbler is a small manned short-range missile intended for suicide bombing runs. Tumblers were used extensively by the Green Storm in their war against the Traction Cities.

Etymology[]

The name "Tumbler" comes from the aircraft's erratic, spinning flight that makes it difficult to hit with anti-airship batteries.[1]

The additional epithet "Whirling Sycamore Seeds of Death"[1] is derived from the craft's similarity in shape to a Sycamore seed.

History[]

Early History[]

It is not exactly known when Tumblers were first created, but they were likely invented during or before the Green Storm War.

The first Tumblers were automatic/unmanned, relying on Stalkers' brains to guide them toward their targets. These were discontinued after it was discovered that human pilots were more effective in evading enemy fire, highlighting the Green Storm's growing ruthlessness and disregard for the lives of their troops. Late-era tumblers were piloted by fanatical young volunteers "eager for glory and ready to die in the name of a world made green again".[2]

Infernal Devices[]

During the Battle of the Rustwater a Green Storm soldier reported that General Jiang Xiang Naga's division was using Tumblers to counterattack the Tractionists. One of the Tumbler pilots was Zagwan volunteer Theo Ngoni. The Tumblers attacked the city of Jagdstadt Magdeburg, Theo missing his target and instead crash landing in a farming district. Instead of manually blowing up his Tumbler, Theo surrendered to the townspeople, who treated him kindly. Due to the danger of keeping Green Storm combatants as prisoners, Theo was regretfully sold as a slave. The fate of the Tumbler itself is unknown.

Tumblers were used again in the Battle of Brighton, attacking fortresses and gun emplacements on the cities of Kom Ombo and Benghazi.

Design[]

Tumblers are described as looking like "silver seedpods"[2] from afar, with a shape similar to that of a Sycamore seed, hence the name "Whirling Sycamore Seeds of Death".

Each tumbler consists of a small one-man pod flanked by two heavier-than-air wings. The Green Storm's symbol is painting on the wing tips. The nose-cone of the pod is filled with explosives that detonate on contact with a target,[1] and manual overrides are built in so the pilot can trigger the detonation themselves should the tumbler fail to explode[2].

Tumblers are designed to be deployed en masse from air destroyers, much like planes dropping bombs. Their small size allows for many pods to be stored on racks in a Tumbler-bay and released once the destroyer is above the target.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Traction Codex
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Infernal Devices
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