Aero-Luggage

Weightless Wonders

Aero-Luggage, safe to say, is one of the stranger innovations to have come about in recent years. The Hand-Com is simply marvelous, Industrial Blood a life saver through and through, and I suppose Morpho-Utensils have a place in the home. Aero-luggage? Absolutely pointless, an extravagant waste of cash. I own six, and you while pry them from my cold, dead hands.

The Maker Of It

---

The curious individual who invented the things is none other than my old friend, Professor Haiqa Jailali. In the days of my tenure at the Duke's, Haiqi was involved in their Aerium Research Section within the Department of Applied Magic, helping out in their general research, as well as teaching the ropes to the student body, bless her overworked and perpetually stressed heart. As she relayed it to me back in 165, she was conducting one of her usual demonstrations in her second role, which involved showcasing the various properties of Aerium in person.
One of the many props she used was what appeared to be a large, robust steamer trunk, on which she instructed two of her students to stand upon. Then, she activated the aerium crystal complex she had inserted within the trunk, and, as one would expect, it prompt floated off the ground like the students were mere feathers. Also as expected, they chickened out and fell flat on the ground, to the laughter of their peers.
However, it appeared at least one student was paying attention! And frankly, that's a miracle in and of itself. Jump to the next week, when a student, one Arnold Collins, asked to show something to his Professor. Apparently, the lad had been so captivated by the demonstration, he set out to make a more practical tool himself. Cue a solid week spent in the Varsity machine shops, toiling away at prototype after prototype, until, at lonh last, he had it. He called it, this piece of luggage containing a miniaturised aerium complex, the very creative name of "Aero-Luggage". And lo, it was so.

In Usage

---

Aero-Luggage itself is most valuable in the transport of heavy, relatively small objects. That, combined with the sheer costs inherent to any product upon the appearence of any amount of Aerium crystals in its construction, has lent it an exclusive and limited degree of use. To my knowledge, banks and secure courier services have made significant usage of such containers in transporting precious commodities and items, from the relatively simple precious metals and jewels, to such things as "the entirety of the literary records of a major author" from his home to a museum. Strange.
A far more common application of the contraptions is simply as a way to flaunt wealth in a passingly practical manner. I suppose the sight of these sorts of luggage floating through the air at head height, their shiny, embossed faces clad in fine silks or clean marble plate for reasons I can't fathom, has an air of beauty about it, but when trains of servants are still employed to carry all such detritus about, the only thing positive I feel is a sympathy for those poor souls' spines. I mean, do you really need a case carrying your undergarments and tourist prizes to be able to fly?
Lastly, another minor sector of users of the technology can be found among souls such as myself, the users of magic. If I'm being honest, our own usage is hardly more interesting than that enjoyed by the aforementioned well-to-dos, but it has its own character. Of course, there is the pride of fine craftsmanship, in the case of those like myself who take on the challenge of making our own devices. Then, there is the sort of professional pride I know many feel in owning and using such contraptions, a way of showing one's skills in the magical trades openly and proudly. And, lastly, there are some like myself who, having mastered the finer skills of magic casting to manipulate the very crystals themselves, have the ability to "play around" with our creations. Again, not actually too practical, but when you see someone flying around on the back of a piece of luggage while you're stuck on the ground, it is quite a sight.