SkyGlider

The handsome elf rigged my harness tightly, checking for any slack in the bindings. I had chosen the kite-style glider for its safety, and I felt the kite attached to my harness tugging me ever so slightly towards the edge of the island. After giving me the go-ahead, I grabbed the control line and moved it down in front of me. Just as I did this, I felt the kite yank me, throwing me from the cliffside and down into the mile-high wind tunnel.

— Komius De Mako in Tserros Siira

When all other paths are closed, travelers in The Shatterlands take to the skies.
SkyGliders are a set of various wind-powered aircraft that allow for usually 1-2 people to glide along the powerful wind currents between The Shatterlands various islands. The design of these SkyGliders varies, with the most common two designs being the Kite-Style and the Wing-Style gliders. Each offers various advantages and disadvantages, but both are used just as frequently when exploring the vast expanses of The Shatterlands.

Kite-Style

Kite-Style gliders are a type of glider comprised of a leather harness with embedded charged Floatstone and a foil-style kite which is projected out in front of the harness. By maneuvering the direction of this kite in front of the user, one can determine the speed and direction they will glide inside of the wind. This has advantages and disadvantages, the primary of which being that it is difficult for a Kite-Style glider user to deviate from a wind tunnel after take-off, requiring them to use external assistance or a rope-caster to pull themselves back onto an island safely.
Kite-Style Gliders are also notable in that the higher flight power of their foils allows for an extra person or cargo to be carried by glider. This has created a specific market for "tandem gliders", which allows people who are physically unable or too young to use a glider to still enjoy the freedom that comes with flying.

Advantages

• Higher cruising speed
• Easier to handle
• Easier to take-off with
• Lightweight and easily carried
• Can hold extra cargo or people depending on kite size.
• The ability to glide with little input makes it a much safer option for inexperienced fliers

Disadvantages

• Difficult to leave wind-tunnel
• Requires external assistance to land
• User harness must not have loose bindings or their kite can pull the harness apart

Wing-Style

Wing-Style gliders consist of a 2'-3' frame with an aerofoil attached. This frame is gripped on both sides by the user's hands, which are strapped to the glider for additional safety. By rotating their arms and shifting their body weight, the user can change the direction of their glide with extreme precision, allowing the user to thread tight gaps and easily enter/exit wind tunnels. The main disadvantage of this style is its relative lack of safety compared to its counterpart, as the lack of harness can allow inexperienced fliers to lose grips and their glider to spiral out of control. However, the glider's increased maneuverability makes it a must-have in any questing group, as it allows the leader of the group to land on their destination and set up ropes and other external assistance devices to catch Kite-Style flyers.

Advantages

• High maneuverability
• Can glide out of wind tunnels for long distances
• Can glide without a wind-tunnel
• Slow cruising speed allows for tighter turns

Disadvantages

• Slow cruising speed causes Wing-Style gliders to lag behind.
• Hard to take off with
• Difficult to handle
• Less safety, requires more experience

Nickname

Glider, Elf Wings

Speed

121 km/h (Kite-Style) / 75 km/h (Wing-Style)

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

1-2