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The Invisible Horse

In my time at King Roald's court, I've seen many a nobleman arrive and depart. Most of them travelled by horse. The few lords who wanted to make a more humble appearance came on foot, though I'm sure they had their horses hidden just around the corner. Those who thought way too much of themselves travelled in a grand carriage with golden embellishments and at least four horses. But even the fanciest of those stands no comparison to the vehicle the dwarven King Uldarr used when he visited from all the way up in Heleg'Orodim.   At first glance, I thought it to be one of those grand carriages, painted all in red with golden embellishments and drawn by two horses in all golden barding. As it came closer and closer, I noticed all the detail on the horse's armour. Ever finer engravings became visible which formed an irregular yet somehow beautiful pattern. A true example of dwarven craftsmanship. By the time it came to a halt in the courtyard, I realized the true wonder of this carriage: There were no horses in the barding! Just the hollow plates held together by some invisible force. And yet, it moved.   To the day, I have never again seen such a strange and wonderous vehicle.
Duke Egor, former aide to King Roald
 

Manufacturing

This mysterious "creature" was named Invisible Horse for its looks. To the laymen, it is an invisible horse clad in a delicate and expensive barding, but it really is not. In fact, it isn't even alive by most standards but an incredibly complicated example of Runesmithing. All parts are held together and moved by the arcane energy woven into it. Its fine engravings are not merely decorations but part of the runes which make the entire magic possible. It is steered using a rein as one would do with any normal horse.   The two horses which draw King Uldarr's carriage are the only two that have been ever manufactured. In part, this is due to the fact that they offer no practical benefit over a real horse. While they do not eat, they are also harder to steer and cannot move faster than a trot. They exist first and foremost as a symbol of status and pride in the nation's achievements.
The Runeweavers of Heleg'Orodim are known all over the world for their expertise in manufacturing golems that move on their own or at least are able to perform certain tasks by themselves. The arcane power to do so is mostly drawn from demons carefully sealed into the contraption. Experiments with other arcane sources have been conducted, but have proven less suitable for this endeavour.   Typically, such golems would be tools of war—such as moving human armaments—or perform dangerous and hard tasks—such as clearing a collapsed tunnel. The grandmaster Runesmith is said to have cursed for three days straight when his king ordered him to build something so "mundane" as a metal horse. Yet, the two horses were built and have since amazed almost everyone who had the pleasure of seeing them.

Combat Use & Armour

The Invisible Horse is not built for use in combat. It cannot move faster than a trot and thus make for an easy target. However, their golden skin has been magically reinforced to withstand strong blows should the king's carriage ever be attacked directly. Even a direct hit with a warhammer wouldn't even cause a dent.

Carrying Capacity

The Invisible Horse is also not meant to be ridden. In fact, without a rein, it is impossible to control its movements. Using a packsaddle, some luggage can be stored directly on the horse, but loading it with too much might break the fragile connections at its legs. It can pull far more than it can carry on its back, even more than a regular horse could.
Rarity
Unique
Width
0.7m
Length
2.4 m
Height
1.8 m
Weight
80 kg
Speed
20 kmh
Creator
The Gransmaster Runesmith of Heleg'Orodim
Owner
King Uldarr of Heleg'Orodim

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Comments

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Jul 26, 2018 03:03 by Keontez George

Interesting Concept. You may want to do something about that bit of text that's hanging over the side panel though.

Jul 26, 2018 10:48

I know it looks a bit displaced there, but I've found no better way to do an image caption yet.

Jul 26, 2018 13:56 by Heath O'Donnell

Add it in as part of the Image descriptor, or wrap the image code in a tooltip and make it alt text.

Jul 26, 2018 05:49 by Heath O'Donnell

A great opening quote, great description of the vehicle, and an excellent picture, though it could maybe use a bit more editing to appear less like a photograph of a museum piece.   Otherwise, a very interesting article and a great entry into camp!

Jul 26, 2018 10:45

Thanks! If you have suggestions on what to do to that horsehead, I'm all ears.

Jul 26, 2018 06:28

Real good opening quote! :D   What happens if you take a warhammer to those fragile leg connections?


Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.
Jul 26, 2018 10:31

Then a certain Grandmaster Runesmith will have to curse for three days again...