Airships

Often considered the height of arcanotech, airships briefly revolutionized the world of transportation, and continue to be the backbone the global economy is based on. Airship technology has been independently developed multiple times in the history of Seori, by several different engineering-minded cultures. The first widespread adoption and eventual world dominance of the technology was achieved through a joint collaboration between Tabi Tealeaf and Adrik Zarkanan. They adapted the Xildric crystals the Fish Lords had been using to power their naval ships and submarines for use in flying vessels.

Power Generation

Modern airships use arcane energy from various sources to power their flight and crew accommodations. Xildric crystals provide high efficiency power generation if the elemental source has a high overlap with the use. For example, Xildric crystals charged with elemental fire are used to provide heat to the crew cabins to combat the chill of high altidudes.

Propulsion

Propulsion systems are the most closely guarded secrets of artificers and engineers who specialize in airships, with small scale conflicts and even the occasional war being fought over them. In general, though, airship propulsion systems consist of two main parts: a lift generating mechanism, and a thrust generating mechanism (although ships that don't follow this model do exist). The thrust generating mechanism usually involves a Xildric crystal charged with elemental air moving air at high speed through nozzles on the ship, generating motion.
Lift generation mechanisms are much more varied. Two of the most common mechanisms are to either direct powerful winds downwards, or to push directly against the surface of the earth, using air and earth crystals, respectively. These methods both have drawbacks that constrain where such ships can travel and dock. Some of the most modern ships have begun avoiding these problems, seemingly ignoring gravity entirely, rather than creating a lift force. Not many of these ships are in service, but it is clear that they represent the future of airship technology.

Weapons & Armament

Airships are frequently armed. Even merchant vessels carry relatively heavy arms and large number of guards, due to the prevalence of sky raiders, especially in the large stretched of "uncivilized" lands between the centers of industry airships travel between. The most common armaments are small anti-personnel weapons. Large cannons and other anti-ship weapons are less common, as combat between full sized airships is rare; raiders more commonly approach on fly beasts, or magically.
Naval airships carry large weapons, but for aerial bombardment rather than anti-air engagements. In the early years of the Age of Ascendants, airship vs airship engagements were still very rare. When attacked by an airship, the prevailing tactic was to send a unit of airborne commandos to disable or otherwise distract the vessel. This tactic has become less viable as airship defenses improve, leading to airships dominating battlegrounds when they appear.

Armor and defense

Older airships are very lightly armored in an effort to reduce weight and thus improve efficiency and range. However, modern airships fitted with anti-gravity systems instead of lift systems are beginning to be outfitted with tactically placed armor plating, further extending their advantages on the battle field.