A softnose laser is a weapon, made unique by the fact that it places a speed inhibitor on the blaster, allowing the laser to travel at a slower speeds, giving the lasers mass, allowing it to penetrate the target. Softnose lasers were originally intended to be used for mining purposes, but were quickly adapted by weapons manufacturers. The softnose laser was outlawed quickly due to the fact that it can only kill rather than incapacitate. In the Arctic Incident, the goblins obtained softnose lasers and got AA alkaline batteries from the surface. When powered by AA Alkaline batteries it gets 6 shots per battery, while if powered by Solar Cells It will last for nearly a decade. This caused extreme panic in the Lower Elements: first that the goblins were using the lasers, and second that a human was providing them with batteries to power them. Later in the book, the goblins used the weapons to fight the LEP in the Police Plaza. Like other blasters, it has a handgun version and a rifle form.
History[]
The Softnose was originally designed for mining. However, the design was quickly snapped up by various weapons manufacturers as potential weapons. The Softnose was just as quickly outlawed, as it was designed to kill and not incapacitate. The Centaur Foaly supervised the meltdown of the weapons. Unfortunately several people manage to sneak out a couple of softnoses and sold them and their designs on the black market, the demoted and half-insane Briar Cudgeon began arming the B'wa Kell Goblin Triad with the weapons. With the help of Opal Koboi, the weapons were modified to use human AA batteries as their power source, instead of the antique Solar cell that the original weapon used which is extremely rare and no longer produced. The batteries were supplied by human Luc Carrere, who was acting under the influence of Cudgeon's mesmer. The batteries came through chute E37. The LEP found out about the batteries after a brief skirmish in E37 (in which LEP private Chix Verbil was scarred for life when he was wounded in the wing by a blast from a Softnose, rendering his wings useless), and with the help of Artemis Fowl and Domovoi Butler, succeeded in stopping the shipments. Unfortunately, by then it was far too late.
Two known softnose variants exist: The Redboy (Briar Cudgeon's weapon of choice), an unknown softnose rifle that Holly uncovered after nearly getting killed in a chute and the Softnose Cannon.
The Softnose Laser was a weapon that was made infamous by its role in the B'wa Kell rebellion.
Characteristics[]
The Softnose worked by placing a speed inhibitor on the blaster, allowing the bolt to travelled at slower speeds so that the laser gains mass. Allowing it to actually penetrated the target. The weapon could therefore punch through rock and even the standard LEP Recon suit. Opal Koboi helped modifiy the weapons to use human AA Alkaline batteries as their power source, instead of the antique/rare Solar cell that the original weapon used. However they can only fire six shots per battery.