Sky Sweeps

Sky sweeps are vehicles powered by Lift Crystals, using the forces generated to propel them forward and into the air at great speeds. Most sky sweeps use crystals located either at the front or back of the sweep to actuate forward force, with sails and screws used to steer and orient the sweep.   Smaller sweeps use front-mounted Lift Crystals to drag the sweep forward and are often known as sled ships, and can drastically change the orientation of their crystal to change the direction of force, with quality sweeps being able to perform complicated maneuvers. Sled ships often have a crew of less than four, with the largest ships holding up to ten crew members, and are built for speed and maneuverability over capacity and survivability. As sled ships do not have any downward-facing crystals, they must either land on skids, lower themselves into water, or be arrested before crashing.   The larger variant of sweep uses both a front and rear mounted lift crystal on rotating mounts, and are commonly known as sky sloops. The lift crystal can be rotated to face downwards, but unlike Sky Ships, cannot hover or gain altitude, rather being entirely focused on slowing descent. Sky sloops rely on sails, screws, and small wings to both provide lift and auxiliary thrust when crystals are rotated; piloting one is a daunting task prone to error, and sloop pilots must be highly trained to avoid calamity. While a fraction of a true sky ship's cost, sloops are severely limited by using multiple, smaller Lift Crystals, with the largest sloops reaching no more than 25 meters.