It’s stated in the weapon’s description that “for reasons untold, the hunters of Archibald’s time did not fully take to the device,” and I think I know why.
What if earlier versions (as in made before the one you find in Yahar’gul) had a tendency to shock the wielder? Now, on closer inspection, its handle is made of wood, which is obviously nonconductive. However, as any Hunter will attest, any given hunt will rapidly get extremely bloody. And as you know, blood conducts electricity. So, what if there were incidents where a Hunter got into a fight, sparked the Tonitrus, and suddenly the lightning arced down the bloodied handle and zapped them right as a Scourge Beast was about to maul them? Of course, there’s also the possibility that its comparatively low durability made it unsuitable for extended combat, but both reasons can be true.
That said, it’s also stated that Hunters did make good use of Archibald’s Bolt Paper, despite it (presumably) sharing the same issue. Perhaps it was a later invention with less voltage and therefore less risk of backfiring?
