Airship
The Airship is rapidly becoming a common method of travel for the super-rich of Caeteria. There is much less risk of piracy, and the air currents allow for much more rapid speeds. These small ships can sometimes be seen zipping through the air at speeds no water-borne vessel could match, running goods and people from city to city. They can also be spotted patrolling the skies of Nations in military roles.
Airships are small by design, as the technology used to keep them buoyant and controlled has not yet advanced far enough to allow large vessels, and look almost exactly like their naval counterparts. Those that run armed often do so with no more than a dozen cannons, as the kickback from a single cannon alone can cause trouble for an inexperienced Helmsman.
Utility
While the most obvious use for Airships is rapid trade and personal transport, they are also seeing some use in military roles.
Manufacturing
While the vessel itself is built using traditional shipbuilding methods, it requires a number of devices to be added - Cages to hold the Vialgan Granite, or Buoyancy Stones as they are known once installed. It also requires piping, levers, and fuel tanks to cool and heat the Bouyancy Stones as desired.
Access & Availability
Airships are the reserve of those who can afford them, usually over the super rich, or nations. The cost is entirely prohibitive, as not only does the purchaser need to buy the vessel, but they must also purchase the rights to use and/or build their own docking tower.
Complexity
The exact mechanics of creating Airships, more specifically the temperature control systems for the buoyancy stones, is a secret closely guarded by a select few teams of Legion of Progress engineers.
Discovery
Airships were officially first designed in PR.2998 by the Legion of Progress. although rumour holds that an earlier inventor, Fenlo Bearvigor, gave the Vanguard of The Nine use of her prototype Airship much earlier, during the Kanarosh Crisis.
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