voidship

"We sail the Veins, these rivers of light, by current not a breeze, To lands beyond the great unknown, we sail the void with ease."

— a Desparan shanty

The universal term for specialized vessels capable of travelling along the Vein and through the Vast itself (if desired). Voidships vary in size and speed, drawing energy from the Vein to travel from isl to isl.

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

There is much debate over whether it was Despar or Kerekos that invented the first voidship. Most advanced isls have developed small vehicles that can traverse the Vein by way of its currents, but true voidships can actually draw power from the Vein to create propulsion that allows it to travel against currents as well as with them. Kerekos has the strongest claim to inventing ship-bound siphoners, the precursor to void engines, but Desparan inventors perfected the void matrix that made long-distance Vein travel not only achievable, but commonplace.

POWER GENERATION AND PROPULSION

Though structurally different depending on their origins, all modern voidships utilize the same technology to draw and voc: a combination of charge plates, a void matrix, and void engines. Charge plates are position along the side or bottom of ships to absorb power from the Vein. The void matrix then transfers that power to the ship's systems. Most of that energy goes to the void engines, which propel the ship by explosively releasing voc back into the Vein.

DESIGN

Voidship designs vary widely depending on where they were built. The three most common voidships come from Kerekos, Despar, and the Pelago Cluster.
Kerekan vessels have an tall, arrow-like appearance, with a short, narrow nose and a wide, tall rear. Kerekans value power over grace, and their largest ships have as many as a dozen void engines.
Desparan voidships are sleeker vessels, with a large, aquadynamic nose and a thinner tail. Their engines are situated along their sides and bellies, allowing for a great deal of control. A Desparan frigate can outmaneuver a Kerekan dreadnought with ease in a fight.
Pelagi voidships are some of the strangest. Taking inspiration from aquatic beast of their cluster, Pelagi engineers have perfected segmented ships that move almost as a fish or snake does. They aren't very large or fast, but they can maneuver through currents better than any other type of voidship.

WEAPONS AND PROTECTION

Any good voidship has weapons in case of contact with aggressive void beasts or ships. Void cannons charged by the ship's void matrix can fire beams of deadly energy. While not fatal to the larger void beasts, they can usually do enough damage to allow the ship to escape.
Voidships also utilize plates of non-conducing metal as shielding. Direct contact with voc can be deadly to islians, and as part of its process, a void amtri releases a form of radiation that can sicken crew and passengers after prolonged exposure. Metals like betris and zorian steel are ideal for shielding, while strassian glass crystals absord and redirect excess radiation.