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Reliance of the Wildspan

After the Splintering, the people who became the Serune had nowhere to go. 4500 people had been cast out of Tholaren Dome, and while they had a rough location they intended to go to, they had no easy way to get there and bring all that they needed. So they built the Reliance of the Wildspan.   The ship was crafted quickly, with three design points in mind. First, it had to be airtight, to allow people to sleep inside safely, to avoid the dangerous outside air. Second, it was made to store large amounts of materials. While they had access to the Ether, the leaders of the party were aware that this access diminished the further away from the Dome they would get. So they made the ship with space to store the materials they would need to begin building their own dome. Third, it was meant to remain stable, despite the heavy winds. The ship's overall ability to move was less important than ensuring that it remained stable and secure even during a storm. The ship would provide shelter for as many people as possible during the storm.   The name Reliance came from these functions. The Serune needed the ship to be incredibly reliable, despite the fact that they had to build it in constrained circumstances and as quickly as possible. The Wildspan was an old name for the plains outside the Dome, a kind of translation of what the Dheizei called the area.   The captain of the ship was the holder of the Arthenarian at the time: Elleri Calcaryn. While she was not the primary instigator, she was one of the more respectable members of the rebellion. Of the 9 paladors who went with the Serune, she was the one most missed by the rest of the council.  

The Journey

  The journey itself was fraught with peril. The planet was in full storm season through the entire trip, and the attitudes of the Serune toward the Weinadi they encountered caused some difficulties. They refused all help from the nomadic Dheizei tribes, and slogged along on their own.   While the children and infirm spent most of the trip inside the increasingly claustrophobic and dangerous walls of the Reliance, most of the four and a half thousand people spent the trip walking along outside, using faltering abilities to clear the path of the ship. The significant winds did more than enough to provide momentum as needed, but the ground wasn't exactly designed to be traversed by a massive ship.   Crossing the rivers was difficult, since the ship was designed to roll across the ground, not float. The sheer weight of the ship caused a number of problems, but they made it. Crossing the high cliffs and chasms caused similar difficulties.   In the end, the most difficult point was once they had nearly reached their destination, around the mountains. The Yagupa attacked, mistaking the humans for invaders. The humans had actually had no intent to take over the mountain homes of the Yagupa, and the attack was unwarranted. Several people died before the Serune managed to drive off the Yagupa, and this set the tone for a poor relationship.   When the Serunen was built in its earliest form, it was built around the Reliance. The ship still remains in some form as a central building in the first Serunen dome.  

Ship Schematics

  The ship was built in a huge rush, with little attention paid to the most efficient design or the most effective for their purposes. As such, there are design flaws, and the overall look of the ship is rather ugly. Even so, it did what it was meant to do.   It consisted of three layers. The ground layer was mainly the cargo holds, with a broad assortment of stuff inside. A lot of food, of course, and a lot of the raw materials and components needed for building a dome. There was also a backup room for people to stay inside as needed, in case of emergencies.   The mid layer was primarily sleeping rooms, and places for those too weak to make the long trek to stay for the duration of the trip. There was also a control room located toward the fore.   The deck was primarily a series of sails. The highest were located toward the front middle, with some slightly shorter ones to the fore, and the shortest ones to the stern. They attempted to maximize stability, by spreading out a number of smaller sails across the top of the ship, and not relying on one single large sail that could be compromised in the storm.   Probably the biggest design flaw was the large amount of metal used in the construction. Unavoidable considering that wood is not particularly airtight, and plastic materials were limited, but unfortunate considering the significant amounts of lightning in the storms. The biggest danger on the ship itself was electrocution and avoiding a charge.   See a representation of the ship's layout below.  
Reliance of the Wildspan
This is a rough map of how the Reliance was used during the trip across the Wildspan.

Power Generation

The Reliance has a small power generator located in the control room in the mid deck. This is used to supply the oxygen filtration system, as well as the navigational computer

Propulsion

The ship moves from a combination of wind and several sails on the top of the ship, and specialized runners on the bottom. There are also several key people on the ground using telekinesis to remove larger obstacles.

Armor and defense

The ship is airtight so that the travelers didn't need to rely entirely on breathers for a month, and is made of sturdy metals.

Sensors

Has some rudimentary sensors installed to retain positioning as they traveled, but these sensors grew more and more out of whack the further the Reliance traveled from Tholaren Dome. By the time they reached the mountains, they were relying on astronavigation.
Rarity
The only one of its kind
Width
25 meters
Length
Approximately 150 meters
Height
Not including the various masts, about 15 meters
Cargo & Passenger Capacity
Can fit about 1000 people plus cargo comfortably

Comments

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Sep 16, 2021 15:53

Interesting idea to have a ship go over land that is mainly meant to keep the people inside safe instead of speed. The journey section is quite a nice addition. Also nice idea to have the ship later be used as a building in the new settlement.

Feel free to check my new world Terra Occidentalis if you want to see what I am up to!
Sep 30, 2021 03:49

Thanks for reading! I'm glad you liked how the ship ended up. I almost broke it down for parts but making it a structure that could still exist in modern times was too much fun.

If you're seeing this, I may have used your article for my 2024 Reading Challenge.
Sep 29, 2021 22:22

It may be someplace else in a different article, but it the outside air is dangerous, is the outside water also dangerous, i saw that there was an oxygen filtration system mentioned, but say no mention of water purification or storage, which i feel would also be important on a journey such as the one they were making. There were a couple other things that made me go "wait, but what about...." but as you say in the article, the ship was build in a rush.

Check out some of my summer camp articles, like the dangerous flying jackalope or dragon wasps. Or, for something more light-hearted, there is the whimsical language Gobbledygook and Jaden's interesting job as a guano polisher.
Sep 30, 2021 03:48

Oxygen is important! I'll adjust that. As for the rest of it, I knew I wasn't going to remember most of the things a ship would need, so I deliberately chose a time and place where it would have to be a rush job. Thanks for reading!

If you're seeing this, I may have used your article for my 2024 Reading Challenge.
Oct 5, 2021 12:39 by E. Christopher Clark

Nice work. I was really taken by the story of the children and the infirm being stuck inside the thing, and the toll that might take on them. I guess I'm a sucker for human conflict! Anyway, great job.

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Oct 8, 2021 17:12 by George Sanders

An airtight ship in an atmosphere where "most of the four and a half thousand people spent the trip walking along outside". That is a creative concept!

Read about the great items submitted for the Summer Camp Prompt I sponsored "A personal item that keeps you safe".
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