Athanasius Kircher, the leader of the Order of Solomon faction, is known not only for his mastery of kung fu and the automatic crossbow he brought from China. His inventions can also prove extremely useful during any mission.

We have already mentioned them in the post introducing Kircher’s character; today, we will delve deeper into the inspirations behind them.

Weapon telescope

The scope is an invention that needs no introduction today. Its advantages are also quite obvious. In the 17th century, crafting a telescope that could be mounted on a rifle to aid aiming was not a problem. The real challenge came after firing the shot. Such a scope couldn’t withstand the shock. It would be one-use only, making it impractical and costly. However, Athanasius put in considerable effort trying to solve this issue. The results are not entirely satisfactory – the scope survives only a few shots. Still, that’s enough for it to be worth taking on a high-priority mission.

Automaton puppet

Automatons are the favorite creations of our inventor. This latest mannequin looks almost like a human from afar. The intricate mechanism inside allows it to move. But what if we were to dress it in one of the team’s member’s clothes and send it ahead…

The design of our puppet is inspired by an automaton probably dating back to the mid-16th century, attributed to Juanelo Turriano, though it’s unclear who exactly created this machine. The original is housed in the National Museum of American History.

Smoke grenade

A fairly simple design, it closely resembles a regular grenade from that time. However, this one makes less noise and won’t kill anyone. Instead, it creates a smoke screen, allowing one to sneak up on the target unnoticed. A particularly irritating gadget for enemy gunners.

Silk Caftan

Finding protection against the enemy’s weapons is just as important as finding a weapon that can break through their defense. Metal armor provided excellent protection until firearms became widespread. The problem was not only piercing the armor but also the force of the impact. Athanasius Kircher experimented with silk, a material that is light and thin yet resistant. His vest is difficult to pierce and spreads the force of a projectile across its entire surface, theoretically protecting the wearer… in theory. In practice, it doesn’t work as well. However, it is lightweight and can be worn under clothing, offering some level of protection.

Rapier with combined pistol

Strictly speaking, Kircher did not invent the rapier with a pistol. He saw a very similar weapon during one of his travels. Immediately, he thought of his friend, Massimo Piccolomini, and decided to create one for him. He never had the chance to gift it. Now, the weapon will prove useful during the investigation into his death.

This type of weapon is not our invention, and several similar examples have survived to this day.