Airships

Prompt 20: A technology lost, forgotten or shrouded in mystery.
Airships
Thar’kor has several airships that transport the wealthy and elite around the continent. These are large and grandiose machines, or they were when they were first built. A solid construction of steel and copper plating, helping these machines weather the storms of a millennia. The realm has lost the knowledge of how to make these contraptions fly, so they have been held together by a patch work of repair and ingenious jerry ridging so that when parts break down irreparably a more familiar technology is used to replace the part. Where there were steam paddles and thruster engines there are now sails and rudders, where there were enormous glass domes there is a patch work of wood, metal and small portholes to achieve a similar by some what mosaic alternative. As these are controlled by the nobility of Thar’kor the workmanship is of the highest quality, so whilst it is patchwork and varies in fashion and design, it makes up in fine craftmanship and intricate design work.
The airships were built in the later years of the Imperial age and were used for commerce, recreation and towards the end of the Imperial age warfare. The airships are powered by a magical crystal inside of a copper sphere set within a gyroscope. This crystal is what caused the structure to float in the sky and the device it sits in controls the balancing of the crystals power across the ship to ensure the vessel stay upright. When an airship is destroyed it is usually due to the failure of this device, most likely dure to damage or wear and tear. No one in the realm currently knows how to repair these spheres, nor that they contain a magic crystal.
Most people assume the devices are some sort of mechanical power system or choose to ignore the thought that they could be magical, as the ships are so rare and so precious those that use and control them are loath to hint at anything that might lead to the intentional destruction of these magnificent ships. The few who do own these ships guard them jealously as they are both an item of great prestige and a source of great power and wealth. It is considered a great honour in Thar’kor to be invited to see one of these airships up close, let alone set foot on the deck of one.