Sailing Stone

Perhaps the most impressive application of telekinesis among the Padnamanor is the communal operation of the sailing stones. Enormous rocks, hollowed out and aerodynamically shaped, are carried telekinetically through the air by teams of ferriers sometimes twenty strong. The sailing stones have been used for centuries to ferry people between cities separated by the corrosive mists of Nipholiles.

Masterwork of Stone

The Cupres Anamorbis, the religion of the Padnamanor, describes trees as sacred and therefore no wood is used in any construction--including modes of transport such as wagons and boats. Stone is used instead, plentiful as it is among the Yilphon peaks rising from the mist. Though shaping the stone is a massive task accomplished by a combination of telekinesis and expert tools by skilled masons. Stones are hollowed and polished with a variety of acids distilled from the corrosive mists themselves. Indeed, though the rock exterior of the sailing stones withstands the mists well, it does wear away over time requiring reinforcement or the eventual retirement of the vehicle in a ceremony called Yil Misphom.
The "sails" are little more than tufts along the surface of the rock shaped into rudders, typically triangular or trapezoidal in shape. By angling the vessel, the steerers can direct currents of air between the sails and change the vessel's trajectory.

Steering the Stone

Sailing stones would be impossible without the inborn telekinetic abilities of the Padnamanor. This ability, typically useful only for lifting and moving light objects, can be honed to weild tools and even lift great weights. By combining the power with other steerers, under the guidance of a steerer lead, a significant force can be achieved, enough to drive the sailing stones across the air. The greater momentum and weight of larger stones requires proportionally larger teams which have greater risk of losing control unless all members are properly trained.
Most Padnamnor cultures emphasize schooling to attain mastery of a craft and stone steerers are no exception. Years of classes in geology, physics, aerodynamics, and chemics is not uncommon. Many months of telekinetic training, both alone and with others, are also part of the regimin. The profession of steerer is a well-paid and respected one with special social status given to even the most amateur among them.

Shared Ownership

Most sailing stones are publicly maintained, in the custody of the city that the stone last landed in. It is in the interests of all people that the stones are properly cared for so no direct ownership is assumed. Rarely, the extremely wealthy may own a small sailing stone of their own though these differ considerably from the ones used for mass transit. Such personal stones are colored or engraved with iconography though details worked on the surface are quickly worn away by the mists.
Similarly, the interiors of public sailing stones is without flourish and in some cases outright drab. This compared to the lush interiors of private stones which may be carpeted, furnished, and even divided into rooms.