Airships and the fleet

They are not mentioned often, for they are few to exist, but the airships at the head of Zephys' military are its main force. Of course, Aarakocras can fly, but carrying everything that is needed for warfare, or peacekeeping, is not so easy without the help of some form of transport. Not unlike the platforms that serve as an "elevator" of sorts to reach the flying city, these ships are equipped with flight crystals from the native plane of the birdfolk, freeing them of the bulky and easily targeted balloons that gnomes tried to design for human troops some hundreds of years ago. Instead, the crystals are protected both by magical wards and their physical emplacement aboard the ships: the main crystal is usually hidden within the heart of the ship, while two or four stabilizing crystals along the sides are more physically exposed, but still well protected by the ever-rotating double rings around them, posing a serious threat to any physical projectile or attacker, while still benefiting from the protection of some of the more powerful enchants the Aarakocras could trade for, or design themselves.
Their creation, combined with the rising economic power of the ever-mobile Aarakocras, induced peace to most of the ground areas, for the Aarakocras do not shy away from lending their power with the objective of peace and better trade situations for everyone. Now, they aren't so much used for warfare anymore because of this, but they are still useful against wilder threats, now made more prevalent than ever with the Second Isolation's natural and magical imbalances. Little is known about their operations away from Aeria, but while not a necessarily common opinion, it is considered "common knowledge", in the world of half-whispered rumors, that there must be a good part of the fleet patrolling some areas off the mainland.
Less than 20 of these ships exist, but even so, they are a force to be reckoned with! Few outside the ones actually leading the Soaring fleet actually know how many exist though. This might be both attributed to a standard wary attitude when it comes to military practices, trying to keep the enemy on its toes or hiding your own scarcity of resources and thus a voluntary suppression of such knowledge, and the fact that not more than two can usually be seen together in one place.

Propulsion

Mostly magical, though some models do have sails to benefit from the high-altitude airflows.

Weapons & Armament

Few, mostly armed fighters or casters aboard, plus an occasional ballistae.

Armor and defense

Multiple magical wards, particularly around the flight crystals, spinning rings around stabilizing crystals, and standard reinforced exterior.

Owner

Admiral

Owning Organization

Soaring fleet

Rarity

Less than 20, uncertain exact number