Treasures

Airships by T.A. Saunders - ©2009, revision v1.7, 6.23.05

Types of Airships

Below is a listing of the various types of airships throughout Imarel history. This list is not exhaustive and does not include special types (like The Nemesis, The Sea Sprite or The Vindication).

Anthalaen Yhir-Slin (Wind-Cutters)

These were the very first airships. They do not have Windfire engines and rely on Starweave Sails to power its flight. Starweave is a special fabric that can gather magical energies from the air. They were susceptible to magic-dead areas and were little more than flying galleons, running about one hundred feet, end to end. All airships use Starweave masts to this day, in the event something should shut down the Windfire engine…falling from the sky isn't fun for anybody on board.

Anthalaen Rhai Taron (Storm Riders)

 These were the first vessels to employ the Windfire engine. These vessels are significant in that they were the first vessels made out of the old Anthalas shipyards that were made to be wartime air-frigates against the Dragons. Outfitted with a single Lightning Thrower ballista and twenty sorcerously enhanced six pound gunpowder guns, these vessels chased down and harrowed the Dragons fleeing from the Battle of D'Mir. While the Dragons that remained proved to be a match for these vessels, it wasn't long before improvements were made. These vessels are roughly one hundred and seventy feet long and carried three sets of sails.

Anthalaen K'Vor (Dreadnaught)

 These were the main vessels of the Imperial Era, with three Windfire engines, eight decks, two hundred and fifty heavy tuned Witchfire Cannons and the first Radiance-Charged main guns (Dreadnaughts sport four of these devastating weapons). Nicknamed ‘city-burners,' the typical tactic employed was sending a convoy of these vessels placing them around an enemy city. A Shar'Vaire representative (or a sorcerously projected image later after many such representatives were slain) would be sent down to politely request the surrender of the city. Refusal meant annihilation for any who dared, compliance came to mean capture, torture for secrets and eventual freedom, only to face the same doom in another city. In this way, the Van`Su and the Zissah were for all intents and purposes, utterly wiped off the face of Imarel, save for a few surviving tribes. These were also the first vessels to incorporate boromandite hulls.

The Dreadnaught class has been improved over the centuries and still remains in service to this day, though in lesser numbers due to a favoring of smaller, faster vessels for combat purposes. Still, few things can inspire terror like a Dreadnaught parking itself over one's city. These vessels are a whopping three hundred feet long, have seven sets of sails and were rumored to be able to block out the sun as they amassed over enemy territory. Newer Dreadnaughts also have special bays to deploy Ether Charges and are armed with a weapon the Shar`Vaire merely call the Black Flash. This weapon is rumored to simply drain all energy from anything within 100 feet of the vessel and impart it to the Dreadnaught's energy needs.

Anthalaen J'Ryn (Viper)

 The Viper class airship is the mainstay of the present-day Shar'Vaire armada. A healthy two hundred and ten feet in length and five decks, most carry roughly sixty heavy tuned Witchfire cannons, Ether Charge bays and one Radiance-Charged main gun. Quite maneuverable for their size, the Vipers have been known to out-dance smaller and reputedly more agile vessels in conflicts involving pirates outfitted with Sky Frigates or the more rare Storm Riders. These vessels are also known for their incredible adaptability as far as carrying different armaments and for surviving harsh weather conditions. These vessels also have the ability to sorcerously cloak themselves, nearly on the fly which not only hides the vessel, but any sign of a magical signature in which one might otherwise trace it.

Tallis-Shei Lisiru-Ahir (Sky Frigate)

 The Moon Elves were given the knowledge to create their own airships to foster trade between the two cultures before the War of the Eternals. These vessels look and handle much like the Shar'Vaire Storm Rider vessels, with some changes to suit the Elvish sensibilities. There are very few of these vessels that survive to this day and those that do are in the hands of private owners or pirates.

Farwindian Alantia (Traveler)

 The Alantia class airship is the most common airship in use today. They are most often used as merchant freighters for those that can afford them and are also converted into pleasure cruising ships for those private owners that want nothing but the best for themselves. These vessels are eighty five to one hundred feet in length, have four decks, an ample cargo hold and a four sail configuration. Because of the threat of piracy, all Alantia vessels carry at least twelve six pound guns, or can be made to carry Witchfire cannons if the buyer can afford such armaments.

Farwindian Jirai (Lancer)

 The Lancer class airship is exclusively built in Farwind for the kingdom's defense. Not sold to any other nation, these large vessels act as heavy support for the Farwind Dragonriders. Boasting a two hundred and eighty feet in length and six decks, these vessels are armed with 70 Radiance-Charged deck cannons and a unique Sunstrike Main Gun.The Sunstrike Main Gun gathers sunlight through a series of sorcerously modified M`aati crystals situated around the base of the barrel. When fired, the Sunstrike Main Gun unleashes a focused blast of flame as hot as the sun. This gigantic fireball is capable of knocking another airship out of the sky in a single shot, if the vessel isn't properly protected.

These vessels also sport special landing decks for a pair of average sized-dragons should there be a need to recoup and recover from a battle. While rather handy, this does make the mighty vessel suffer a bit in the cause of maneuverability. With the sort of firepower these vessels carry, being agile isn't much of a concern.

Sundown Dawnfire

 With Sundown only recently entering the airship construction business, the Dawnfire class is a solid and reliable first attempt at crafting such vessels. With a great deal of help from the Quar`Vess of Farwind, the Humans of Sundown have constructed a two hundred foot vessel with four decks. Not quite as agile as the Shar`Vaire Viper Class, the Dawnfire makes up for it in survivability and firepower.

Sporting fifty heavy Witchfire cannons, thirty twelve pound rifled cannons and a Radiance Main Gun, this vessel doesn't need to move; it makes its enemies move instead. Coupled with a special enchantment referred to as the Recursive Mana Enchantment, placed upon their boromandite hulls that takes some of the damage of sorcerous energy attacks and redirects it into the vessel's own sorcerous energy needs, a Dawnfire is a vessel certainly to be reckoned with.

Sundown Nova

 Sporting a Trio of Radiance Main Guns, one hundred and twenty heavy Witchfire Cannons and another fifty twelve pound rifled cannons, this vessel addresses the role of heavy support for the Windsong Republic Navy. At three hundred feet long and seven decks, they are also utilized as supply and troop-moving vessels for the Republic in difficult-to-land places.
For all this room and firepower, however the Nova class has the maneuverability of a thrown brick. They are equipped with two Chaos-Energy engines but they are slow to get up to speed and nearly impossible to slow down once they get moving. Like the Dawnfire, these vessels don't need to dance; with the heavy plated boromandite hulls, with a similar Recursive Mana enchantment, the punishment they can withstand is considerable.

Tallis-Vyssian Tazyri (Saber)

 The smaller and maneuverable Saber class airship is the mainstay of both the Grand Duchy of Brookshire and the Kingdom of Vyss. Manufactured by the Shadow Elves, the Saber class vessels are armed with eighty rifled twelve pound guns that shoot Fireseed shot and sport a pair of Lightning Ballista that can be rotated to fire at enemy targets, giving a full range of coverage against flying enemies, such as Xannti dragons. To protect the underside of the ship, there are a pair of stationary Lava Cannons. These sorcerous cannons are drawn into the vessel while on the water but are deployed when the vessel enters combat, though the process takes several minutes, via crank and winches to pull the bay doors open and to roll out the cannon.

These vessels are made out of sorcerously reinforced wood, with special enchantments to make them highly resistant to frost damage. While plenty durable against the Xannti Dragons, one of these vessels probably wouldn't last long against the more heavily armed and fortified vessels from Tal`Rah. They are still quite serviceable as airships and moreover, they are easier to maintain.