recursive bow (thing)

One of the many weapons made during the Enlightenment based upon mathematic mechanics. Few examples of this wonderful weapon, due to the difficulties in maintenance and operation.

When used, the bow would fire a single broadhead arrow. Approximately a half-second later, an infinite cascade of arrows, each half as small as the previous, would bury themselves in the target at higher and higher velocities.

Some of the problems inherent with the use of the bow include the fact that the user must clearly understand the principles behind recursion. Ignorance of aforementioned principles could result in the following:

• The post-launch arrow would begin following a recursive flight path, circling around itself in smaller and smaller circles until it committed a act of self-destruction demanded by the laws of physics.
• When nocked onto the bow, the arrow would sometimes spontaneously 'fractalize', causing smaller arrows to be expelled from along the radius of the arrow, usually causing extreme pain.
• Other bad stuff.

It is theorized that this weapon was designed to protect the spirit of scientific inquiry, since a knowlege of 'pagan' mathematics was needed to operate it, and most Church officals wouldn't care to learn them to operate such a weapon.