Quill Rifle

The Quill Rifle is a fully automatic ranged weapon that fires Seeker Quills, organic projectiles that curve toward the center of mass of the target nearest the crosshair. Its behavior is similar to other rapid-fire guns such as the Montese SMG, Grinder, and Patois Rifle, but with noticeable recoil and crosshair rise. Despite being described as a rifle, it can be used while a shield is equipped.

On impact, the quills deal 35 Sharp damage and can also apply an acid burn that inflicts acid damage over time. The homing effect is useful for tracking moving enemies, but it has limits and can make weak point shots harder to land because the projectile will try to drift toward the main body instead of the precise target area. The weapon is especially effective at medium range where its guidance has room to correct the shot, but the recoil still makes sustained fire less precise than the name suggests.

• Seeker Quill ammo can often be recovered after firing, both from surfaces and from corpses, although some quills break and disappear on impact.
• Harvesting remains returns any quills stuck in the body along with the normal butchering loot.
• Projectile Pickup, gained at the fifth level of Throwing, automatically retrieves the quills as well.
• The weapon’s organic, homing design has been compared to the Hivehand from Half-Life, which also fires guided projectiles and is an enemy-derived biological weapon.