Airships

Take to the skies

The first airships took to the skies a few months after the emergence of The Cities of Blue. It was a drowning achievement of The Locksmith who would go on to do many great things.
The definition of an airship varies. In the broadest terms, an airship refers to any Vehicle that flies. This definition has been adopted by all aeronautic academic institutions.
Given the broad definition, the airship comes in many forms. These categories are referred to as the airships class and subclass. The class organizes airships by similar sizes and capabilities as well as purpose. Subclasses organize more specific outfitting for the airship itself. You also have to consider the source of power for the vessel, as different methods have their own pros and cons.

Power sources

by min nguen

Hot Air:

The first airships to ever take flight we're dirigibles that used helium and hydrogen that was heated and used to inflate a large balloon that would lift the vessel up. Using sales or some other method of power they could achieve propulsion. This is by far the cheapest method a building an Airship and is still quite popular despite the often flammable gas used. It is usually scene in civilian use more than anything else

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Wind power:

Wind powered air ships are usually very large and have numerous methods of powering ships systems. These ships rely on wind through the use of sophisticated wind turbines that act as alternators funneling power to batteries located in the ship's Hull. Wind power is almost never used for smaller vessels as the amount of turbines required to generate the kind of power simply couldn't fit. Usually large freighters are the only ones who use it. This is primarily due to its major downside. Running a vessel at high speeds with wind your primary form of power will drain the batteries with an alarming quickness. As such when powered vessels are usually the slowest.

by James Ng

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by Joshua Viers

Solar Sails:

Solar sails are relatively recent invention develops in the Americas. The concept is fairly simple. Using carefully crafted sails made up countless cells designed 2 capture and convert energy from light particularly sunlight and then store that energy and the batteries located within the ship's hull. These batteries are capable of running at high capacity for almost a full 38 hours before running out of charge. The invention is widely regarded as one of the greatest since the invention of airships itself. It is a remarkably cheap and efficient energy source, along with the aesthetic values that some individuals prefer. The major downsides of solar sails are that they are a major weakness for anyone who knows to target the sails. If you cannot find talking point or repair the sales before the batteries are drained your ship will fall from the sky. While ships with solar sails are the easiest and cheapest ships to repair they are also the easiest to break. This makes them ideal for exploration as they are easy to fix and require no fuel. Some have retrofitted solar sail vessels to also take other forms of fuel should the sail fail.

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Steam:

Steam is one of the most common methods of generating power that allows airships to fly. A steam-powered airship uses coal to heat large vats of water creating steam. The steam travels through various systems, powering turbines and propellers that allowed the vessel to lift and move. Steam is always dependable and easy to achieve if you can maintain the heat and it is allows for greater speeds than solar sails. The downsides is it requires a consistent fuel source in the form of coal. The conditions in the engine room tend to be less than favorable as well, and for placement of the engine room can lead to a catastrophic failure if the vessel is attacked. In order to generate more steam with less fuel lines that carry the steam are usually under pressure, and that pressure along with the steam can cause all kinds of problems should sudden trauma occur to the ship and open the system. Steam powered vessels are by far some of the most common and are usually used as transports, hauling materials, and other civilian uses.

by Glenn Porter

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by Valtteri Heinonen

Combustion:

Combustion engines are remarkably rare and Incredibly inefficient, however some vessels do use combustion engines as a way to compensate for lost power and a way to obtain greater speeds should it be needed. Combustion engines most often run alongside solar sails and wind powered ships, so that if a burst of speed is needed or power falls to dangerous levels, the fuel can be used to keep the vessel afloat.

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Aether:

Aether engines are the newest and by far the most advanced. They take advantage of the radioactive properties raw aether and the stabilized properties of refined aether to create what is similar to a nuclear fission reactor. While it doesn't actually cause nuclear fission, it uses heat created by the substance itself to further heat the substance causing changes in its state of matter. This rapid change in its state causes a release of energy that can be harnessed and stored. This can power an entire vessel no matter what its size if you have enough aether. This is by far the most efficient and the most versatile method of powering a ship. They are the fastest vessels and capable of having many systems but Aether is expensive and volatile. one wrong hit and the ship could explode.

by Muhammad Firdaus

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Sky Sailors

The most common term for those who work aboard an airship is the term Sky sailor. This term has come to identify an entire culture as more and more people take to the skies and leave the surface behind. Everything from tattoos and common sayings, to superstitions and folklore have all been more or less adapted from a similar culture shared among nautical sailors.
There are a few major differences between nautical sailors and aeronautical sailors. While nautical Sailors tend to be viewed stereotypically as unintelligent and crude, aeronautical sailors avoided this stereotype. This is not to say that they are not crude or unintelligent, merely that most do not view them as such. Superstitions have a major part to play on any vessel, and different cultures among The Twelve Skies have their own idioms, superstitions, and designated symbols.
The houses are ruled by The Sky Barrons who are self appointed Pauper Kings who have managed to keep their title. These houses operate certain areas of the 12 Skies, and each has their own unique culture that separates them from the rest.

by Adam Burn

Occupations among sky sailors

• Mechanics: Mechanics are always in high demand on airships and generally work in engineering. They also maintain weaponry and do repairs throughout the ship.
• Gunners: A gunner is an individual who operates weaponry found on the Airship they serve on. They are also responsible for defending the vessel if boarded and generally work in security.
• Science/Medical: Doctors and scientists are often sought by captains for many reasons. Explorers and Military Commander's I like all have reason to hire a scientist or doctor to be better equipped to handle whatever it is they come across.
• Pilots: On Larger vessels, pilots are kept in the crew to man small craft such as bombers, and fighters. These pilots are almost always in the launch bay when not in the barracks to ensure they can mobilize quickly. They usually work receiving and off loading cargo when not piloting a small craft.

These are just the most common personel kept on the ship. Every vessel is a little different and how it operates and is different in its needs. Some go so far as to hire cartographers, housekeeping staff if they happen to take on passengers frequently, and even The Delerium doubled as a brothel.

Classes

Ship class refers to its weapons, its size, and its protections. Terms like heavy and light will translate to heavy munitions and armor and light munitions and armor respectively. Light usually emphasizes speed and maneuverability while heavy emphasizes long range and heavy defense.

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Small craft:

Small craft refers to any airship that can be operated by less than 4 crew members. usually this is a pilot, a copilot and a gunner if necessary.

Fighters:

Fighters are almost always manned by one pilot, at most two. The second would man a rear facing gun, while the first would pilot the plane and operate guns on the front. They are used for a wide variety of purposes from escorts to scouting.

Bombers:

Bombers defy definition at times. usually a bomber can have a crew of 4 or 5 to compensate for the arming and dropping of the payload. They are most often used to take on ground targets and much larger vessels, usually with the support of fighters. Its rare to see bombers outside of a warzone.

Drones:

Drones are autonomous, unmanned craft that can sometimes serve the same function as other small craft depending on outfitting. Drones are rarely seen outside of capital class ships, particularly carriers, as they require a central hub to receive orders.

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Frigates:

A frigate, first and foremost, desires speed and must be easy to maneuver. All else comes second. Frigates are the most common and popular class of vessel. They can be manned by a small crew of 10, sometimes less, but also has room for many more, making them popular among sailors who take jobs taking people from place to place. They are also known for utility, capable of handling many tasks but rarely able to stand on their own against much larger ships without support.

Yahts:

Yahts are civilian shops designed for luxury and speed. Usually owned by the wealthy, they are rarely armed but almost always have support in the form of other frigates or small craft.

Corvette

Corvettes are cheap, efficient, frigates but tend to be slower and less armed than other frigates. They are often used to overwhelm enemy fleets in their numbers but also tend to be easily destroyed. Corvettes are often re-fitted as soon as the captain is able to compensate for these issues, adding armor, and weapons to even the odds.

Freighter:

Freighters are the most common frigate around, retrofitted for battle in many cases. freighters are designed to haul shipments across the world and do so at a fairly decent speed.

Destroyers

Destroyers are larger than most frigates, and more suited for battle. Destroyers are designed for battle, and are capable of being excellent supports in a fleet. They are often armed to the teeth, primarily with long ranged weapons with some turrets and short ranged weapons for small craft and other frigates. A destroyer is usually lightly armored to compensate the extra munitions and maintain speed.

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Cruisers:

Cruisers are class all their own. They have so many variations from heavy to light and can often stand their own in a fight, even when outnumbered. A cruiser is usually the ideal ship for all sailors, as its a jack of all trades in many ways. It can be fitted with just as many munitions as a destroyed, sometimes more, and can even maintain a small bay for small craft. They are usually much larger than any frigate and move at a slower pace as a result. The only exception is if they are fitted with Aether engines, where they can often run down most vessels that use inferior power sources.

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Capitals:

Capitals are slow but heavily armed and armored ships that often lead a fleet into battle. These ships are never used by civilians, as they are far too expensive to maintain for any who do not have some substantial income. These vessels are most commonly seen among The Sky Barrons and military organizations.

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Battleships:

Often called battlecruisers, a battleship is an improved design of a cruiser, its larger, more durable, and has more munitions than a standard cruiser. These tend to be the smallest but fastest capital class vessel. Battle Cruisers are most popular capital as they can still stand on their own without their size being a major disadvantage.

Carriers:

An honorable mention among capitals is the carrier. Carriers maintain a large number of small craft divided into squadrons that serve as support for an entire fleet as well as the carrier itself. Carriers are not nearly as heavily-armed as other ships, particularly ships at its class. It does have some weaponry available should enemy ships get to close, but without support of small craft or other ships in the fleet carrier can rarely stand on its own. It's size as well as it's lack of weaponry work as a disadvantage.

Dreadnoughts

A Dreadnought is the largest Capital class vessel currently being built. A dreadnoughts presence in a fleet should be a very unwelcome sight. They are most often used for intimidation, hence why each of The Sky Barrons has one. Dreadnoughts cannot stand on their own their size is simply too big and small craft can often poke holes in them with little to no effort especially if supported buy frigates. They are often seen on the edge of the battle with their long-range weaponry picking off vessels of all classes while the smaller vessels defend it and assault the enemy. They often house anywhere from two to four squadrons of small craft to defend themselves if they are ever caught in the open. They are also capable of carrying many crew members that are not even necessary, allowing for boarding parties to enter ship and take it and allowing for the mobilization of ground forces.