Welkinship
Origin
Hot air balloons are a relatively new invention. Called Wellkinships, they appeared twenty years ago in Alven from the southern regions of the clanlands. Invented in The Frencal Republic by Comte Guilber Delafin, Welkinships were soon seen in the port cities of Mersow and Illicen.
It was not long before enthusiasts from the Guild of Tinkerers in Hollyholm created their own version of the flying wonders. The Welkinships have now spread to all regions of Alven, and have drawn the interest of The Arkivon who have started to build their own and even added to the basic design.
A new circle of Arkivens, the Circle of the Welkin, are learning to become Helmsmen and are putting the new transport to good use, developing them into a sophisticated network of couriers and transport called the Mailflight.
It is rumoured that experiments with magical power objects have been conducted on Welkinships to help increase the size of the ship and ensure a safer ride. These secrets endeavour have mostly been successful and the Arkivon with its own bank of power artefacts is leading the way in the field.
In a secret location in Alven, not too far from Highfort, a much bigger airship has been built using a power rod and a Rune Wielder as Helmsman. Southern clans, such as Clan Glassader have also proven that Welkinships can use other magical objects to power the ships. Certain magical rings have enough energy to power a Welkinship. The Spaar, for example, Bluhill Rushwood's famous ship, is thought to have been powered by a ring of power, named the Hawkspaar's Crystal by the few people who have seen it.
Size
When they first appeared the Wellkinships were small affairs: only a maximum of two people were allowed in the small basket underneath the inflated balloon supporting it. This is still the norm for the racing Welkinships in The Islands' Sky Race taking place every year over The Eastern Isles.
However, within the last 10 years, much bigger airships have been built throughout Alven. The biggest to date is the Belen Blessed, a Wellkinship able to take on 10 people on board. It is powered by an ancient rod of power: Argarwaen (blood-stained). The Arkivon ship is used as means of transport by Moss Glasstern principally.
The Arkivon has also commissioned a fleet of 10 welkinships that serve to transport important packages and mail to Alven outposts. Before the airships were built, the fastest way to travel was on horseback or sending trained ravens, crows, hawks and pigeons from roost to roost. In the north, The Dragonnet and their riders are kings. However, dragonnets are temperamental creatures that do not do well in the warmer climes of southern Alven and have never been a reliable form of transport in the other regions of Alven.
Power Generation and Propulsion
Welkinships fall into two categories: the ones flying by natural means through the natural law of physics: hot air, and the ones using hot air and magical means to go faster and over longer distances. Rune Wielders as helmsmen are needed to infuse energy into the objects of power that run the ship, and because of their rarity, not many Welkinships run on magical means.
Weapons and Defense
Weapons and defence have not been a priority on the ships up to now. However, the Arkivon and other guilds, clans and even some circles have started secret trials on Welkinships: arbalests and metal reinforcements have been set up on some ships, notably the Arkivon's flagship: the Belen Blessed.
Docked Vessels (Ports)
With the development of Welkinships, new Welkin Ports have been built throughout Alven. However, the location of the ports throughout the clanlands is patchy. In Lowside, Welkinports are found in the main urban centres of the region. Hollyholm's Welkin Port, Hollywel, is by far the biggest airship port in the country. In Highfort, the Arkivon boasts of the second biggest one.
The outer regions of Alven do not have any welkin ports at all yet. Farden and Farside for example are lagging well behind in developing their airship capacity. Traditionally, these are also the regions where clansmen ride the dragonnets. This might explain why the Welkinships have not become as popular as in the south.
Famous Welkinships
The Spaar
The Queen of the Air
the Belen Blessed
Famous Helmsmen
Gristern Blackhand
Bluhill Rushwood of Clan Hawkspaar
Associated Guilds and Circles
Guild of Tinkerers
the Helmsmen's Guild
the Circle of the Welkin
Associated Events
The Islands' Sky Race
Related Professions
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