Odelian Ark

The Numinous Laws states that all who committed an act of sin shall weep streams of tears to earn forgiveness for their crime.
It never specified that it had to be tears of pain.
~ Noach, Divine-Engineer

An Odelian Ark is a strange, almost brick-like looking flying vehicle, which on the first and all following looks appears far too heavy and less aerodynamic to even get off the ground.
Yet regardless of all these impressions, Odelian Arks are not only able to quite easily take off but are actually quite nimble flyers, thanks to the highly esoteric machinery slumbering with their brass-clad belly.
As if their defiance of gravity wasn't already enough, these "flying" chunks of brass, also have the highly unnerving property of inducing smiles, snickers, and outright laughing fits in anyone and anything within their immediate surrounding.

Power Generation

At the heart of an Odelian Ark lays a Jubilate-class Divine Engine -also called a "Joyful Cheat Engine"-, which supplies the Ark with the reality-defying energies required for its propulsion, weapon, and utility systems.

Propulsion

Anything can fly if you violate the rules that prevent it from taking off.

Odelian Arks don't possess a classical propulsion system, due to the fact that their movement is not based on the exertion of any kind of "propulsive" force.
Instead, the Arks move by utilizing their Cheat Engines output to counteract any and all forces that normally prevent an object of their weight from soaring through the sky like a little bird.

Weapons & Armament

Odelian Ark's are usually armed with three "Rotary Divine Cannons", which utilizes the reality-defying energies of the Ark's Cheat Engine, to damage the metaphysical integrity of their target.

Armor and defense

Don't get hit, make them miss, and brace for impact.
~ The three Pillars of Ark defense.

The main defenses of an Odelian Ark are its incredible speed and impressive maneuverability, which make it very hard to even get a proper view on an Ark during combat.
In the case that this is not enough, the Ark can make use of its so-called "Guardian Halo", which is a modified version of the Ark's propulsion system, that utilizes the Divine Engine's power to massively interfere with the flight capabilities of enemy projectiles.
Should a project nevertheless manage to hit the Ark, it usually simply bounces off from the Ark's sturdy brass frame.
Which while lacking the regenerative capabilities of a Samada Rivership, still can take considerable amounts of punishment.

Additional & auxiliary systems

Serving as a living engine coolant is far more enjoyable than it sounds.
~ Avah, Penitent

In order to "repent" for the Sin created by its Divine Engine, the Ark is equipped with two "Tear Box" extractor chambers, which are small holding cells that each contain a restrained Penitent.
The insides of these cells are lined with various massaging tools, such as wooden rolls or simple feathers, whose purpose it is to tickle the Penitent, in order to cause them to weep tears of joy.
These tears are then first collected within small brass cups, before being feed directly into the Ark's Divine Engine via a complex tubing of brass pipes.
This small yet constant trickle of tears then degrades the "Sin" accumulated by the Engine and thereby prevents it from suffering a "Universal Retribution".

Nickname

Laughing Dove, Weeping Joy, "Brass Brick"

Related Professions

• Divine Engineer

Rarity

Uncommon

Length

26.28 m

Height

7.7 m

Weight

12,248 kg

Speed

216-365 km/h

Complement / Crew

Pilot, Co-Pilot, three weapon operators and two "Penitents"

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

49 Passengers

Divine Science

D = Vin³
~ Dogma–Velocity equivalence

Divine Engines, like the ones powering an Odelian Ark, are highly advanced esoteric-mechanical constructions.
These engines are able to perform supernatural feats by overdrawing their assigned reality value and manifesting their "Crimes against Reality", into a physical object called "Sin".
This debt owned to existence itself is then repaid via a penance ritual, which offers up something of equal value to the "Sin" created.
Given that the required exchanges are usually rather drastic, the true genius of a Cheat Engines construction lies in the targeted abuse of several loopholes within the Natural Order, to abolish the engine's Sin for a frequently, obscenely cheap price.

When Stones Laugh

The so-called "Jolly Aura" is a rather unnerving phenomenon that is caused by the divinely energized laughter of the Ark's Penitents.
While each individual experiences this Aura differently most describe it as an almost impossible to ignore tickling sensation over their entire body or as a deep desire to burst out laughing.
Thanks to the Engines reality-defying engines these feelings are also able to affect inanimate objects, which frequently results in heavily distorted pieces of matter, that attempt to form their best impression of a smile.

To avoid causing diplomatic complications, it is hereby disallowed to fly Odelian Arks within 1,000 meter of a funeral procession.
~ Missiv to all individuals piloting an Odelain Ark