Queen of Leaves

Power Generation

Gold Salt

The simple tendency of the salt to float is captured in sufficient quantities inside a large rubber ball stitched together to various sizes which contributes to a balloon's weight bearing capacity.
The salt and rubber balloon is lighter than air; with the salt determining how high the balloon will fly. Therefore, as a means of controlling elevation, a covered cap is opened and closed to let out controlled steams of the glittering salt in order to descend.
The carrier's balloon is actually made up of several segmented rubber balloons. As well as to filter more gold salt from the ground to cause ascent.

Propulsion

Winds

Courtiers discovered that different tides of wind are found at different heights above the valley floor.
Prevailing winds would steer the carriers in rotatory and counter-rotatory movements along the lengths of the Mais.

Sail Kites

Layers of thick sheets of cotton are pulled taut and hang like curtains at all four sides of the balloon rigging.
When the captain decides the need to go faster in a particular direction, that side is unfurrowed and the wind catches and pulls above the balloons.

Armor and defense

Segmented Balloons

There were two sets of rubber balloons, roughly shaped like eggs on their side.

— Tuxmen recounting the Queen of Leaves

The front balloon lies flat as a roof over the open deck; and the second leans against the first at an angle to the end. Each set up is made up of 7 and 4 smaller slices with sectioned riggings and walking platforms inbetween.
The cores of many dragon feathers stiched the balloons together; making for a stronger seam.

Hull

The hull's length is not much longer than its width. The rubber had naturally turned to gold, but its tub of a boat was painted green to stand out from the purple sky.

— Tuxmen recounting the Queen of Leaves

Open Deck

The highest deck of the hull, extending from stem to stern.

• Castle: A wooden compartment that houses the captains and riggers.
• Weighted Pots: Containers fused to the deck floor that hold materials to maintain the balloons.

Middle Deck

An unbroken deck that runs from stem to stern. Rooms are separated with paper walls or stacks of cargo barrels and crates.
This is the working area and living space for the majority of the crew, as well as where items are stored for daily use.

Lower Hold

A dedicated cargo hold that contours to the hull's exterior curve.

Communication Tools & Systems

Flags

Flags are used in the air-to-air and air-to-ground communication. The flags are usually square or triangular, red and yellow, divided diagonally with the red portion in the upper hoist. They can spell out short messages, and individual flags and various combinations of flags also have special meanings. On ceremonial and festive occasions the signal flags are used to decorate the balloons.

Blow Horns

A blowing horn or winding device that is usually made of or shaped like an animal horn or snail shells, arranged to blow from a hole in the pointed end of it. To make messages audible at a distance, horns and shells of a deep percussion and are generally loud, and chiefly used for this purpose.

Additional & auxiliary systems

Anchor

The balloon system is tethered the ground or other heavily thing to prevent it from flying away and allow for loading and boarding.

— The giants' ribs have been an ideal place to recruit swingers to man the balloon rigging.

— A favoured point of return after Leafy spends some uncontrolled time over the Storm Sea.

— The mountain mist men living in the zagostone belt are over-awed by the carrier and crew into offering valuable medical services.

Talon

— The tallest queen constructed tower in the world with a docking gate on the 300th floor.

Weather Forts

— Residents from Palhiss, Bantigroal and Krullgroal had given indifferent or hostile reactions to the approaching Leafy.

Cuit

— Crews received an awe-struck reception and acted as a temporary political enclave.

Hangars & docked vessels

The corn court's super structure retrofitted a docking spot for the Queen of Leaves right above where the Golden Bridge connects with the court.
It is an area sectioned off from the rest of the interior of the court, and slightly higher and across from the Corn Queen's throne.

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Some monoliths have be retrofitted with strong lashes, anchors and hoisters to park, load and unload the carriers as operated by Oztomecintli.
There is always an uproar in Hajjinis, and with practitioners of the quinametzin faith, whenever they hear of plans to deface the monoliths in this way.

Replacing heritage for inheritance

— complaints of a two-headed priest

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The Golden Mask by Tim Holleyman

The queen's true claim to fame is that it remains the largest carrier balloon ever built. But it was not the first. Just as what came before, the hull was built in the style as any boat off Southern Siparia during flood season to make transferring material and construction easier.
As a result, the hull takes on the typical bowed boat shape, though slightly more rounded than others before or since. This roundness has made it difficult to steer in the sky which necessitated installing the sails to compensate for direction control.

As shown during the times Leafy had to make emergency landings in the Wet Bowl just outside its place of birth.

The largest carrier was originally commissioned to be a pleasure barge as a gift for a black corn queen. When she received it, she rode it once, then had it renovated into an exploration ship.

Class

Carrier Balloon

Nickname

Leafy

Designation

CB

Manufacturer

Oztomecintli

Owning Organization

Corn Court

Rarity

Only one of its kind ever built

Length

400 feet

Height

230 feet

Speed

~150000 steps per teut

~200000 steps per teut with sails

Complement / Crew

5 swinger riggers

10 painted tribesmen

3 courtiers captains

2 yatei scholars

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Cargo & Passenger Capacity

Weighted Pots

Spare Salt

Rubber Sheets

Sewing Fibers

Blankets
Crates

Additional Cables

Food

Drink
Barrels

Water

Alcohol

High Altitude Cities

Cities and other settlements being directly serviced are the southern cavern cities on the Long Step that are positioned on comparable elevations.

Famous Journeys

Honey Runs

It is said that the queen's love of honey is what motivated her exuberance. And the honey the queen brought back was certainly worth the multiple trips.

Flanking the Forts

The Rangers don't like anyone. In the three times we did this, we bobbed and weaved between their stone sails and just watched them fruitless shoot arrows and throwing spears at us.

Views of the Pearl

We usually get a much warmer reception at the cloth city. Folks there, are over-eager to trade their fish stocks or pay in expensive dyes just to walk across our top deck.

Slamming the Sky

It would be the last adventure of the Leafy.
It may never be known exactly what went wrong, but from what could be ascertained, the Queen of Leaves collided with the frozen sky over the Cold Swamp and drifted aimlessly for weeks. Before finally crashing beyond Giantsfall.