Groundless Clippers

"...Most common of all Groundless ships is the clipper. Not as manoeuvrable as the shorts, not as spacious as the hulks, not as grand as the galleons, clippers, when untethered, are the jack of all trades when it comes to sky transport."
Aeron Durnin, Memoirs of the Captain of the ES Skeni-Skeen

Purpose / Function

Clippers are to the Groundless as small apartment blocks are to those who live on land. Beneath the main deck, the standard clipper will have six private dwellings and a shared communal space.
Given their purpose is primarily domestic, they tend not to move from their tethers on Groundless hubs, but can if required.
The upper deck usually serves as a form of courtyard, where children play, plants are grown, and washing is hung out to dry.
Each clipper tends to be home to a single, extended family, with great emphasis on community. Why they resemble sea-ships is unknown, as they are not usually sea worthy.

Architecture

Clippers are made of wood, though the particular type of wood varies greatly. The quality and rarity of the wood, especially in quantities large enough to build a clipper from, is a status symbol among Groundless.
A secondary sign of status comes in the form of decoration and adornment. Fresh paint in bright colours, thriving ornamental gardens, and enchanted lights are all common indications of the wealth of the occupants.
The ornamental gardens, in particular, speak volumes. They indicate no need to grow produce for consumption, and if they are particularly elaborated indicate that those aboard feel secure enough to never move the clipper from its tether.

History

In early records of Groundless society, these mid sized ships are not mentioned. The vast galleons and the minute shorts predate them by many generations.
Clippers seem to have come about due to rapid population expansion - too many to fit in the small ships and too quickly to make building the large ships viable.

Type

Apartment building / Tenament