Air Train

You hear the vehicle before you see it. It begins as a faint click-click-click in the distance, but it slowly grows in volume. Within moments, you can feel it too; the ornate runed metal tracks begin to shift and slide a little from side to side. Your feet begin to shake a little as the ground moves rhythmically.
Then you see it! It glides, loudly chattering like the maniacal chuckles of the gnolls your party killed last night. A solid metallic bolt flies across the tracks, the runes lighting up as it passes over. You see a quick glimpse of glass panes, people’s faces against windows, boxes tied with thick cord and tarps flapping in the wind.
Then, just as suddenly as you see it, it’s gone. The clicking quietens and deepens until you can’t hear it anymore, the two rows of metal rails finish their dance. And silence returns to the plains.

Power

Air Trains are powered by an air Elemental Mote, which is the reason why only The Kingdom of Loria has them; Loria is the only place where that kind of item and the craftsmanship required to manufacture the trains can be found.

Construction

The trains are constructed of solid steel, crafted in Factories, and use thick panes of glass to provide windows. The interiors of a train’s cabins depend on whether the train is being used for transporting people or goods. Passenger trains use good quality wood and cushions to provide a level of comfort to their passengers, while goods-carrying trains will likely have interiors of corrugated metal.

Services and Comfort

Air Trains don’t carry a lot of services, as their movement is very fast. Arriving at one’s destination in a tenth of the time it takes to ride it is a service in itself. That being said, food and drink is available for purchase on passenger trains at an exorbant price.

Reception

The vast majority of Sedestans have never ridden on a train, but they are aware of their existence. They generally believe them to either be a) freaks of magical engineering or b) a good step on the road to progress. Many small towns have organizations and periodicals dedicated to showing the dangers of such technologies, but nothing productive has come of it so far.
There is the occasional bandit group or gnoll war band that have attempted to attack the trains, but the sheer force of the train often makes it difficult to stop except through magical means. One group, the Pirates of the Dark Air, have successfully robbed three trains, kidnapping a handful of people and stealing any valuable cargo aboard.

History

The inventor of the Air Train, a caldilar by the name of A’anar Seshinas, is one of the wealthiest people on Sedesta. His discovery came after a century of work perfecting the design of the train, the craftsmanship of the magical enchantments required to keep it running smoothly and a support of the few Factories in the Kingdom. He is still alive and while age has finally caught up with him, he is still mental spry enough to run the Shining Star Train Company to this day. A couple of other interested parties are planning on spreading the technology outside of Loria, but Seshinas refuses to give up the plans.

Owning Organization

Shining Star Train Company

Rarity

Only two exist.

Length

Around 70 metres.

Height

4 metres tall.

Speed

400km/h

Complement / Crew

10 people.

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

Up to 150.