Airships

Although airships are widely used by the military and trade organizations of the three empires, such technology is uncommon elsewhere.

Current airship technology is based around the binding of air elementals into specialized rings. The binding and control magic allows the ship’s mage to command forth a jet of air from the centre of each ring, effectively generating manageable lift and propulsion.

Two other theoretical methods of allowing objects to float into the air exist, but are generally considered less practical and less reliable. The first, Levitation Stones, is not new at all, rather it was popular in the days of the Dorian empire but has since fallen out of use. This technology relies on casting permanent Levitate spells on stones or crystals, and is generally seen as easier to accomplish, but less reliable, as the spells are often not as permanent as one would like, and are easily messed up by a misplaced dispel magic spell. Furthermore, while this technique provides lift, it does not provide propulsion and it is difficult to control the altitude after the spell has been placed. Very old airships thus had sails, which often made them quite vulnerable to the whims of the wind and weather. As such, this technology is only used these days to allow extremely large objects, such as castles, to float.

More recently, a theoretical and as yet untested theory of airship floatation has be suggested involving the use of super light aether. It is believed that far above the sky, the stars and planets exist in a substance known as aether, which is lighter than air. If one could collect aether and trap it inside an airship, the airship should upward float without any need for special magic, though the process of trapping aether itself would probably require magic. Efforts so far by mages to create aether in the alchemist’s lab have been less than successful.

Debate continues to this day over whether airship technology was first developed by Granditore or Avantgardia. Many however credit Meister Cidric Davincius as the first great Airship Innovator.

Warships

Military grade airships are rare and extremely expensive to build and maintain. Few countries possess such ships, and only four (Granditore, Athaeria, Zhakhustra, and Avantgardia) have significant standing fleets. Most other Sky Navies consist of converted civilian transports and merchant ships.

Ship Designations and Their Equivalents

Weapons

Ship-based weapons vary by country. Some more basic systems involve carrying a high level mage and casting fireballs at enemies, squads of crossbows, or ballista turrets. More advanced weapons include Granditore’s Scorching Ballistae, the Athaerian Lance of Heironeous, or Zhakhustra’s Acid Trebuchet.

Further information on specific models of airship can be found in Soreno’s Almanac of Airships.