[Magic] The Empire Returns to the Skies

[Milo L'Evienne]

First Cycle of Kalendryas, Season of Winter, Era XV

After several months of intensive research, the Imperial Regent has just announced a technological breakthrough reminiscent of the eras of antiquity previously enjoyed during Constantine and Empress Fire’s reign. The emergence of the fabled airships nonexistent for eras has once more graced the Aelyrian Empire, this time through the meticulous studies of the Imperial High Sage Z’kron and a rather ill-known Master Elementalist, Erenthril Mael’tharias. The reinvention of dirigibles marks a fresh period of Arcanic breakthrough within the Empire, highlighting the transition to a new era of progression and development following the shattering of the Aethergem.

“Mr. Mael’tharias’ and His Imperial Excellency lord Z’kron’s breakthrough marks the beginning of a budding relationship between science and Arcana,” the Imperial Regent Milo L’Evienne announced in a preconceived press release.

The airship itself is modeled after the AFS warships the Imperial Navy uses, with slight modifications. While boasting a roughly equivalent design architecturally, it also has equipped slight modifications…mostly in the presence of wings upon either side that unfurl while the ship is in flight. It was later explained to members of the Herald’s staff that these wings are used to conserve energy by allowing the ship to glide through the air and make use of wind currents.

“The airship’s design is relatively complex,” wrote Mr. Mael’tharias, whom declined a public interview citing conflicts in his scheduling. “The ship itself is actually grown to His Imperial Excellency’s specifications, in a process that takes at least a month. After we have the basis of the ship, we begin a series of enchantments that enable its flight, protection, and durability while in the air. The process is rather complicated, since tritalismans are known to no longer exist, but revolves around my masterpiece I perfected while touring the Enamorian countryside. The spell is something I’ve named Napalm, and is capable of lifting individuals off the ground and sustaining them in flight at high speeds for some time. It involves an alteration of air to negate the pressure faced up in the sky, followed by a conjuration of energy and then a abjuration of movement to direct it. The airship we created also has an added evocation for added thrust.”

Although Mr. Mael’tharias was unavailable for interview, selected staff members of the Herald were allowed upon the Regent’s bequest to tour the ship itself while on the ground. It is very much modeled like an Imperial warship, with railings along the side and a cabin underneath located within the hull. It bore Imperial colors, and of course, had the Imperial flag hoisted on the bow of the ship. The top platform located at the back of the ship contains two orbs, each heavily enchanted, and it was explained that one orb contains the enchantments necessary for vertical lift of the spell, while the other contains Mr. Mael’tharias’ enchantment of thrust for actual flight. Master Mael’tharias later wrote: “Due to the hazardous implications of thrusting such a heavy ship off the ground, vertical lift is established and accomplished by conjuring massive amounts of heat beneath the ship…reminiscent to the effects of a balloon. Naturally, the hull of the ship is immune to fire.”

The ship itself seemed to be in good condition, although the small erected coliseum in which it was located bore obvious scorch marks into the earth. As the members of the Herald were vacating the area, the airship was actually piloted and flown up and away to a different location. We do not know where it is currently residing, but one thing can be certain: it seems as if Mr. Mael’tharias and His Excellency Lord Z’kron have most certainly turned a new page in the realm of arcanomechanical invention.

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

*facepalms* I repeat myself. alas, that's what I get for typing that at 12 in the morning haha.

[Sitar]

Sweet, good job guys!

[Kour'el Kha'Serith]

Smelly softskins are stealing my skies >=(

*stabs Brandon*

[Z'kron]

Bah, not all of us are softskins :P

[Amber Brightwing]

Pff, I've been stealing your skies before these things were around.

[Crimson]

Awesome job guys *high fives all around*

How much is an airship, by the way?

[Ramadi Tanin]

...Oh my...

This pleases me greatly. Airship combat would be such excellent stuff.

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

...

Z'kron!!!

If all it took to get you to come back and read some PMs was a post to the Herald, I would have asked for this to be done months ago! ><

[Islie]

Hmm... aren't flying dirigibles banned by Imperial Edict? Or will the revival of "fire ships" be exclusive to the Imperial Regent?

[Aerienne Sarista]

Flying ships=awesome! ^_^

Are they coming on the market?

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

They will eventually, Aerienne. I can only produce 1 ship per RL month once Milo gives Erenthril the go-ahead, so it might take some time, but it's my hope and dream that they're eventually available for players.

You may want to look into the mechanical version of them through the lvl 5 gadgeteering Sitar rigged up. He has three of them already made and ready to go for sale two months after this Herald announcement.

[Aerienne Sarista]

Who's Sitar and where can I contact him?

[Duvel]

Sitar is the GM of Medonia

[Sitar]

Yes indeed, if you look a few herald articles up you will see the Medonian Airboat Release! but be warned, there is at least a two month wait for back orders already.