As the wars across the world heated up, and chaos stirred in the north, the stars themselves showing ill omens of the Chaos Gods themselves stirring there was great unease in Ulthuan. With the seemingly only thing standing between the forces of Chaos and the destruction of the world being a bunch of snow-addled, bear-riding humans, the High Elves decided that maybe, just maybe, their tried-tested and true methods weren't so solid as they thought, and thus began an unprecedented spur of innovation.

Looking at their artillery, they decided that the old Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower just wouldn't cut it. Nevertheless, it seemed like a good place to start. Taking advantage of their natural affinity for magic, they began to infuse the bolts with magic. Specifically, Shyish, the Wind of Death. Early tests proved somewhat lackluster as the infused magic did little to enhance the already inherent killing potential of the system. As funds and patience began to run thin, a breakthrough was made when a stash of sub-standard bolts were infused and fired. The flimsier bolts shattered upon impact, causing the pent-up magic to explode outwards, causing a great deal of damage. The result was the new Shyish Bolt Launcher. It has proven quite devastating against enemy infantry, but the necessary weakening of the physical bolt has rendered the piece useless for damaging structures.

While none could deny the effectiveness of the new Shyish Bolt Launcher's effectiveness at mowing down ranks of infantry, the fact that it could barely dent a wooden cabin, let alone a stone wall, left a sour taste in the mouths of the White Tower's mages and artisans, as well as a few generals. Inspiration was gained when a diplomatic delegation to the Empire returned to Ulthuan, having witnessed some drills of the Empire's forces, including their artillery, specifically the Empire's "Great Cannon". While the thought of using such a horrible smelling (and noisy) concoction as Gunpowder was highly unappealing to the refined tastes of the Asur (to make no mention the connections Gunpowder has with the Dwarves), the basic principle of firing a highly destructive projectile out of a long metal barrel seemed sound.

With inspiration in hand, the mages and artisans of the White Tower acquired a couple of cannons from an Empire merchant ship in Lothern and set about their work. Historical Note: What exactly the White Tower paid to get their hands on the weapons has been suspiciously removed from any and all records pertaining to the project. Deciding this time to use the Hysh, the wind of Light, to better match the Glittering Host of Ulthuan, the Hysh Cannon is a powerful weapon, capable of flattening stone, metal and flesh with ease.

It was only when several raiding parties against the shores of Ulthuan reported a terrifying new adaptation of the Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower flattening rank upon rank of disciplined, bloodthirsty Druchii Corsair did the Black Court of Naggarond learn of the Ulthuani's development programs. After flaying several spymasters (and hanging several more with their own intestines) for their incompetence and failure to report this development, Malekith immediately ordered similar projects to begin.

The early products of these projects were rather disastrous. In their effort to outdo their cousins, the Dark Elves ended up creating a host of machines that were equally (and in some cases more) dangerous to the operators as the target. This resulted in countless slaves and more than a few Druchii, dying horrible deaths. As the body count rose, tempers flared, and the stench of so many dead was over running every major city across Naggaroth. However, where most were looking for someone to blame for the smell, one enterprising Dark Elf Artisan decided to stitch the myriad corpses into a sphere. Talking with an alchemist friend, the artisan had the corpses injected with some sort of alchemical concoction, and loaded onto a catapult.

The result? The Druchii Corpse Thrower, a catapult which hurls a disgusting mass of sewn together (usually) dead bodies in the direction of the enemy. On contact with a solid surface, the projectile breaks apart letting loose some sort of alchemical/biological mix that would give even Nurgle and Clan Pestilens pause. Those unfortunate enough to not immediately die suffer debilitating and damaging aftereffects. However, the fragile nature of the projectile (made even more so by the Gods-only-know-what that is injected into it) means that the weapon is rather useless at destroying structures.

Following the surprising success of the Druchii Corpse Thrower, the Sorceresses and Artisans of Naggaroth decided to follow the philosophy of "Keep it Simple, Stupid". Rather than design some grand contraption to impress the Black Court, they decided to return to their roots: the humble Reaper Bolt Thrower. Inadvertently taking a page out of the Asur's book, they infused a bolt with a curious mix of Fire Magic and a small handful of souls. The result was an explosive projectile that literally screams across the battlefield, terrifying anyone unfortunate enough to be hit by it. Additionally, the explosive nature of the projectile allows the weapon to destroy the pitiful fortifications that people set up to try and keep the Druchii out.