Empyrean Glider

     I held his hand and lead him around to the backyard, joyful butterflies flapping about in my chest. It had taken me months, but I hoped it would all be worth it.
     "Can I open my eyes now?" Serein asked, tightening his grasp on my fingers as we rounded the corner.
     I positioned him in front of his present and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, you may." I said, somehow keeping the exited jitter out of my voice.
     Serein opened his eyes and gasped, immediately rushing over to his new present, a glider that my wife and I had custom built.
     "A glider? For me?" Serein asked, wide eyed.
     I smiled and helped him get in position. "Not a normal one. C'mon, fly with me."
     His face lit up with the biggest smile I had seen in a while and nodded.
     We took off, and I glided with him as we soared over the town, and then I called him over to a ledge.
     I turned to him when we landed, then looked him in the eye. "Ok, we're gonna take off again, but this time use your magic and just kind of focus it into the glider."
     He looked at me in confusion. "Why?"
     "You'll see." I said.
     We jumped, and I saw him attempt to conjure up some kind of magic spark, then the glider whirred to life. The giant wings flapped and pulled Serein into the sky as he let out a shriek of joy. By the time I had caught up to him he was flipping and diving through the sky, cheering as he did so.
     "Do you like it?" I said, watching him fly.
     He flew over looking absolutely ecstatic. "You really are expecting me to say something other than yes? Anyways, race you to the town hall!"

-Aroth Dyn in an interview recounting the moment when he first gave his son the first Empyrean Glider

Invention and Purpose

     The first glider was built by a Fey named Aroth Dyn, who was trying to find a way for his injured son Serein to fly, who had been in an accident that nearly took off half of his wing. The injury was going to take a long time to heal, possibly a year, and the boy couldn't use a normal hang glider due to their city's transportation being very flight-centric.
     Aroth reached out to a few friends of his who were researching flight, and they helped him come up with a plan for a massive glider powered by the individual's magic and air currents, designed after bird wings.      The prototypes were built within the first month, and after a little bit of testing it was shown that they indeed worked. Aroth and his wife began refining the model as they went until it was perfect.
     Aroth gave his son the glider once it was finished, and the boy was finally able to fly again. Others learned of this and began commissioning Aroth for gliders, and eventually the non-winged peoples of the world took notice and began asking for some as well.
     Aroth, delighted at being able to help so many people, opened up a business for Empryean gliders which now holds the status as top glider shop in the world of Kathrir. The gliders eventually split into two groups: a smaller version to be used as a mobility device for those with injured wings, and larger and more heavy-duty versions classified as vehicles in a similar way to non-magical hang gliders which lack the propulsion.

Mechanics and Cosmetics

     Empyrean Gliders resemble bird wings, with long 'feathers' made from Floth and steel attached to a sturdy metal frame.
     The frame has a few clear vein-like wires embedded into the frame that absorbs magic created by the individual and uses it to power the glider's propulsion mechanisms which are installed in the wings. Some magic is directed to a bird-like tail that is used for steering.
    Other then the mechanical propulsion, the gliders are optimized to hold air time as long as possible using air currents and winds.
    As for cosmetics, the feathers are usually dyed or painted for customization, and some have grown fond of adding ribbons, beads, or even lights to their gliders.
    Different models use different propulsion methods, with the most common methods being a wing-flapping mechanism or a jet system installed in the wing-tips.

Models

There are four main models of Empyrean Gliders, listed from most common to rarest.

Model Name	Shortened Names	Quick Description
Control Variant	CV/Casual	Slower but more suited for short-to medium length stable flights, often used as an everyday glider. Uses flapping mechanism.
Speed Variant	SV/Sportwing	Faster but harder to control and take more energy for stable flight. Used for sport or for long-distance travel. Uses Jet mechanism
Switch Variant	SWV/Swerve	Switches between both mechanisms, often the most expensive option as well as the most long-lasting.
Dual Variant	DV/Doubles	Subtype of SWVs, uses both mechanisms at once. Flashy, but seen as the riskiest and most dangerous to use option.

Average Wingspan
4.5 meters

Materials
Floth
Steel/Blacksteel
Tough Fabric