Airite Ships

Written by Yerran

Ships that sail across the nations of the Unitum Pact are in danger from pirates of Paruga, as well as privateers of the larger nations like Sabal, Rednan and Nemir. They have few resources to protect their ships like the other nations and with their cities and nations being spread across Lenwir, the only current route from The Shattered Shelf to Khan Zorak is down the western coast, around The Crimson Canyons, Paruga and along the southern coast to Venrith Anchorage, a long trip fraught with danger.

Luckily the discovery of a new resource within the Maelstrom and Shattered shelf called Airite has allowed these nations (currently the only owners of the material) to test new modes of transport, free from the dangers of the ocean. Though originally this was secretive it has now become more of an open secret, with enough people knowing of the new ships, that word has spread to other nations. Though they are haven't yet discovered the magic that makes the ships fly or know that it is caused by a rare material. They are wasting no time in their efforts to discover the truth about it and its location, sending out agents and spies to all corners of the Unitum Pact.

The Ships

A range of ships have been built with the new materials and they all serve various purposes. Some flit through the sky, though they struggle to ascend and descend, for how to vary the weight and upward force of airite has yet to been worked out. Currently it is only possible by magic users who can temporarily increase and decrease the gravity in the space, though this is a difficult task and any magi able to perform this action frequently are rare.

Other ships have been put into development in The Shattered Shelf and between the Unitum Pact nations that carry just a small quantity of airite allowing them to rise slightly above the water, increasing their speed by reducing friction, better making them able to outrun any pirates or privateers. They have also added different quantities to see how they work and have developed a range of light, levitation ships that barely touch the water at all and are stabilized with large wooden buoys coming from the side to prevent them tipping over.

The development of these ships is still in its early phase and they have yet to pinpoint their exact use, but they can carry cannons, as well as lots of heavy materials and have currently been used for the transportation of goods and materials between the Unitum Pact Nations, quickly replacing the use of conventional ships.

Dockworks

The ships have been under construction in two secret locations. One within a cove hollowed out of a tall jagged island within The Shattered Shelf, where the majority of the ships are crafted. This allows quick and easy access to the airite located there and they have begun to ship in mechanics and artificers from the other Unitum Pact Nations, though they are often brought blindfolded into the cove, so that they could likely not find it again alone. This precaution has kept it secret thus far. The other is along the eastern coast of The Crimson Canyons, managed by The Red Ushad not too far from The Red Refuge. Here they are trying to combine the power of Bloodstones with the airite ships in a way to develop their propulsion and manage their ability to change elevation, which currently requires a magic user aboard to manage.

Benefits

These ships have a great many benefits, though the technology and its use is fairly new. They can carry extremely heavy materials and a lot more than normal ships. They can soar through the sky avoiding the pirates and privateers of other nations and they are not troubled by sea-monsters or anything within the sea. They have yet to be used in combat, but to ferry large armies and rain down magic and cannon-fire from above, while staying out of range of return fire is a great boon to their limited armies.

Difficulties

There are still some difficulties, as there always is with experimental technology, that need to be resolved before proper usage, though the nations are quickly trying to deal with these as this mode of transport is far superior and offers them an edge in prospective combat (though that hasn't yet been tested). So far the exact quantity of airite is difficult to manage in the construction of the ship, as well as its storage to prevent it flying away. The ships aren't entirely stable as of yet, often shaking or flipping over entirely if the weight distribution is too poorly managed. They also haven't been truly tested in storms or in areas of high winds and any attempts to do so have been disastrous as of yet. Though the main issue facing the nations is the ascending and descending of such ships, this is difficult as the airite force is consistent and none have been able to increase or decrease the force exerted. Currently the ships sail low, able to anchor with the stacks of the crimson canyon, the higher holds of Khan Zorak in the Trigrave Mountains, the volcanoes of the Dracis Collctive and the dagger like peaks of the Shattered Shelf, but this is only a temporary measure they are hoping to work out before long.

Information

Rarity: Rare
Size: 10-40m in length, 3-15m wide
Speed: 30km/s

Airite 

A recently discovered material from the floating islands of the Maelstrom and Shattered Shelf, they possess a unique material that pushes in the opposite direction to gravity. Though its extraction and refining process is difficult it is worth it for the unique properties airite has to offer and have been put to use in the forges of the Unitum Pact to discover novel uses.

The Unitum Pact

Some collectives, city states and small nations across Lenwir have joined together to share resources, offer protection and work together to maintain their relative independence. This includes the sharing and creation of technology and includes the nations of: The Dwarven Enclave, Stormheld Bastion, Nie Soe, The Dracis Collective, The Red Ushad and Allsend Landing.