Galeric Rail Titan

"Titan is a barony's crown gem. Moreso than any city they were built to support." - Draysen Corvo, Dune Ronen

The Galeric Rail Titan is the largest and most powerful class of pax-railborne Sailtrains in the desert lands of Galeria. Each Rail Barony's Rail Titan symbolizes the might of their military, the security of their treasure, and the extent to which they project "civilized" life into the largely untamed sands. Rail Titans wield the largest and most powerful weapons, sport the latest advancements in technology, carry the most prized and valuable goods, and ferry the wealthiest, most important passengers with a level of material luxury on offer unheard of within the harsh sands of the desert. Rail Titans are most often propelled via enormous wind-powered sails as they glide across the paxanium tri-rail networks, using Galeria's naturally windy conditions as a boon for regular transit, but different baronies have developed alternative forms of power in the event of poor windage or sail malfunction.

Power Generation

Rail Titans, like most sailtrains, rely largely on environmentally prevalent high wind for movement.

However, alternate methods for mechanical power have been utilized for low wind scenarios or hill-climbing. These include primitive steam engines known as Aeolipyles, and magical, sand worm oil-burning combustion engines called Blusters.

Baronies have also increasinly taken to magically generated wind to aid their sails when needed, employing Windmages in great number.

Propulsion

Rail Titans take advantage of high wind conditions to glide them across the paxanium rails by way of (typically) twelve to fifteen 5,000 sq ft canvas sails, typically reaching 150' in height. These succeed in driving the Rail Titan to speeds of upward to 15 or 16 railknots (or rails), though most cruising target speeds are around 10-12 rails.

It's been reported certain Gethreim mountain baronies to the south are developing alternate sail designs, including long tubular sails that stretch several car lengths and are set just above the base of the carriage trunk, and aided by large fans set inside the sail. These designs are dismissed as hogwash by Rail Titan traditionalists.

Weapons & Armament

Most common Armaments included Mounted mangonels (typically 6-10 per titan), heavy ballistae (typically 8-12 per titan), 12 lb cannonade (2-4 per titan) and numerous scorpions, hwachas, and other arrow launchers complimenting and supporting the larger weapons. More advanced Rail Titans, such as The Sand King of the Northern Galeric Rail Barony, also carry weapons like the Heavy Pax Mortar, which was used to devastating effect in the tragic conflict known as The Oases Revolts.

Armor and defense

Each Rail Titan uses cars reinforced with Paxanium frames with paxanium plating, with Maentium joints and fittings.

Every Rail Titan has a committed Rail Security detachment of no fewer than forty veteran rail-infantry, and will often also carry auxillary detachments, mercenary companies, armed prospectors, and Rail Transit Authority constabularies.

Additional & auxiliary systems

Every Rail Titan maintains a dozen secure freight cars which can hold up to 4,000 tonnes of payload. Each car has its own security detachment to track its well-being throughout a long journey across the desert.

Rail Titans also offer the height of luxury within - or even without - the desert. The most refined dining cars offer bespoke cuisine cooked by fine chefs, tavern cars hold raucous parties for passengers in need of libations, greenhouse cars permit the growth of strange herbs and flowers long thought extinct, theatre cars offer live entertainment by the famed Bards from the College of Rails, and sleeping cars so comfortable its becoming increasingly common to see wealthier passengers try to pay to stay aboard permanently.

Image generated via Midjourney AI

Price

5,000,000 Dunarri

Rarity

8 Currently Operational - 6 Decomissioned - 4 Destroyed

Width

9' base, 25' max width

Length

900-1,200 ft (30-40 railcars)

Height

20' (average carriage height), 150' (masts and crows nests)

Weight

5,000 Tonnes without payload

Speed

Cruising Speed: 8-10 rails, Max Speed: 14-17 rails