Navis Vitae (Private)

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

Second Cycle of The Month of Cryxatum,
Season of Summer, Era XIV

There were no streamers.

No flags.

No celebrations or parades.

Instead, what had been sent to Milo L’Evienne was simple letter detailing the exact location, time, and purpose of the event he had formally been invited to. It was delivered via the conventional means, followed the brightening afterwards with a personal visit by its author whom requested the presence of one of the Regent’s sorcerers for the normal survey routine. The contents had been discussed at a minimal yet respectfully polite length, with the prudent insistence by Erenthril that the actual discussion of such a fascinating subject be held off until Milo & Co. were present in person. It had been requested he arrive with only the usual bodyguards, and to not extend the invitation out to all manners of scientists and gadgeteers who would otherwise be hopping mad to get a peek at the technological feat. Instead, the letter blandly stated that those present would be restricted to the author himself and the Imperial High Sage, whom had invested hefty monetary funds and personal time in overseeing the project.

Rarely did Erenthril Mael’tharias’ agenda ever coincide with the Imperials’ at any length.

Still, with Gwygwin having been told the preferred location of teleportation into Z’kron’s estate, the scenario was set up for the Regent’s arrival and the demonstration of what would – Eren prayed – be the beckoning of a new era of technological marvel.

The monolithic stone coliseum still stood towering over the nearby vegetation, its construction obviously arcana in appearance given its smooth curvature and glossy appearance. Vines crisscrossed and intersected amongst themselves atop of it, supplying the otherwise stony vista with an emerald foliage that could be considered both haphazard and yet appealing at the same time. Had Milo flown in, he would have been treated with the unusual oddity of entire fields dedicated to carrots; and had he asked, Erenthril would have been at a loss of words for a reasonable explanation.

The Elementalist waited outside the copse of trees he’d requested Gwygwin to bring Milo to a little after noon. He was tapping his foot rather impatiently, realizing he was both nervous and yet immeasurably excited all at the same time. Milo was a close friend, exceptionally close in regards to the few individuals’ presence Eren actually enjoyed, and the Elementalist was eager to see what his companion would think of his new toy.

He was also excited to see if the Empire would be interested in taking advantage of it as well.

Thus it was that, whilst having Z’kron watch over the ship all by his lonesome within the coliseum, Erenthril gave way to his impatience and began pacing, hands folded behind his back, fingers fidgeting around a small circular ring.

[Milo L'Evienne]

It wasn’t often Milo got out and about these brightenings without at least an exhaustive amount of debate over the whys and wherefores, not to mention the conditionals, and then not without what amounted to an armed camp trailing after him. Recent events had conspired to remind him that quite simply, one should never underestimate the tenacity or immovability of Rosemen nor wizards either one bent on keeping their charge in one piece at any cost and at times too in spite of himself. But this brightening he’d prevailed, a somewhat noteworthy accomplishment and despite Sir James’ initial objections – a grudging admission to fear of flight being prominent amongst them, Milo and company arrived right on time.

Entourage dressed in civilians' clothing but armed to the teeth naturally, two wizards and five Rosemen all told, and Milo himself dressed in nothing more formal than tan trousers with suspenders over a white linen shirt, and a brim battered leather hat shoved down on his head with hair unbound. Dressed thusly, he could hardly be mistaken for any manner of sovereign save to those familiar with his face.

No doubt his good friend was eager to show off his most recent accomplishment, no less than Milo was to see it all told. In fact, having been convinced that should the elf be bent on such a feat, then it was as good as assured provided the right resources. The possibilities were endless Milo imagined, and imagined again in moments to come when spying a structure that had previously not been there at all to his knowledge.

So guessing that this particular unveiling might prove to be a historic one, he’d insisted that their arrival be a timely one and so it was that all appeared not far from where Erenthril paced, each flung a short distance through time and space courtesy of Gwygwin and Manyc. As for the surrounding landscape of carrot fields noted immediately upon their arrival, while he’d be no easier inclined to satisfactorily explain them, they at least came as no real surprise considering their likely source and the locale in question. So were simply taken in with a knowing quirk of his brow before turning a grin on the fidgety elf, a grin less frequent these brightenings of late, but genuine all the same. ”You’ve no idea the hoops I had to jump through to convince this lot to unbar the doors and let me out and about my friend. I expect to be dazzled for my troubles,” he added with that same grin going somewhat off kilter in the process.

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

“Dazzled and amazed, I hope,” Eren grinned as Milo’s voice drifted to his ears, almond-shaped eyes looking up just in time to catch the familiar figure of the Regent… though the Elf had to admit, the choice in the man’s apparel of dress seemed as casual as they come. “Nice hat,” Eren admitted with his own lopsided grin, clapping the Regent on the shoulder and gesturing a wave to Gwygwin and the other sorcerer, Rosemen included.

“The ship’s in the hangar… I think you’ll be impressed. None of this even existed last season,” he grinned, accompanying Milo and leading the way to the stony coliseum covered in vines. There was no path, rather, but two rows of indentions created by the heavy yokes of oxen and their respective wagons that had transported supplies and various gadgeteering equipment into the hangar. Stumbling along this path, Eren’s footsteps fell in tow along the left line. It was only a short two minute walk to the hangar, and the smooth rounded arch of the entryway gaped before them like a monolithic beast opening its mouth and yawning. Had there been rows or edges, it would have most certainly appeared as if they were traipsing into the jaws of some beast and into its underbelly.

Passing underneath the archway, Eren turned about and gestured to the far right. The interior of the coliseum was huge, impossibly huge, with enough space to fit at least two additional dirigibles into its depths. Perhaps the first thing that was noticeable would have been the mere fact that the ground here was scorched, the earthen floors charred black – the result of an immeasurably hot fire that had swept over the ground in conflagration beneath the ship.

But beyond that, the second most obvious thing would have been the presence of the airship none too far away. The wooden vessel stretched twenty five meters long, and roughly half that in width – its curvature and smooth glossy surface of the wood preventing it from taking the rectangular shape its dimensions suggested. Z’kron had performed wonders upon the ship, which sat there resting, its hull seemingly breathing in and out as the particles within the wood adjusted themselves slightly, fidgeting almost as the tiny granules of rock embedded themselves. The color was that of a rich mahogany brown, yet although the ship appeared to be wooden – it was anything but breakable. Tested research and several new breakthroughs on Z’kron’s part definitely had contributed to this illusion that beguiled the eye. Yet most noticeable about the ship was the lack of sails – it was not one’s conventional sailboat, but rather, possessed three decks much like a galleon, and sported unusual massive wooden wings that actually furled inwards and stayed tucked along the sides.

“Isn’t she a beauty?” Erenthril grinned, arms crossed over his chest as he tore his eyes away from his shared creation and tossed a glance at Milo. “Z’kron himself grew the ship, for the most part, but there’s actually tiny granules of rock embedded within that wood you’re looking at. It’s makes it at least ten times more durable, and if that wasn’t enough, Z’kron can actually manipulate that rock and utilize it to some degree as an extension of the ship should the situation call for it. I was pretty impressed,” Eren admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, declining to comment just yet on his own personal contributions – he’d no doubt have to explain the mechanics to Milo again once the two arrived on the poop deck and evaluated the controls.

Still, Erenthril Mael’tharias was proud to display what held the potential to be a significant contribution to the progress of the Allerian Empire.

[Milo L'Evienne]

”I look forward to it then,” Milo said of Eren’s promise while following him off towards the coliseum and with a grinning adjustment of the brim of his hat. ”It’s seen better brightenings but its an old friend nonetheless.” Rosemen and wizards trailed after, Manyc Ulairi in particlar looking over fields of carrots with a somewhat perplexed expression and in fact Milo would say that it was the most marked expression ever spied on the face of the otherwise dry as toast mage.

For a structure that had not existed a season before, it was a marvel to see, both from a distance, and then standing in its entrance while taking in the interior. Only arcana could manage such a feat he imagined and though he’d never been much inclined to practice himself, it was still a wonder nonetheless what could be accomplished. It was all curious and he stepped inside and pulled his hat from his head, noting the scorched earth, the cavernous space around them, the height of the place…but most remarkable, the presence of the craft hovering above the ground. Gwygwin’s awe was apparent by the slackness of his jaw, a few of the younger Rosemen as well, and Milo’s indicated by a twitch of a grin.

Already, his imagination raced simply on spying the thing, the possibilities endless. He’d never had the pleasure of seeing one of the previous airships even aground outside of drawings, so to him this was uncharted territory. It seemed alive almost, was a thought that skittered unchecked through his mind. Such a thing could only be possible through the use of magic he imagined. ”She is that,” a beauty he meant while wandering forward to get a better look at the thing’s underbelly. ”I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything quite like her…He grew the ship?” he asked then, the notion having caught on to a new train of thought. ”Amazing, though I can’t say I’m terribly surprised even while I can't begin to grasp the how of it. He’s a fellow of a particular talent there's no doubt. I can imagine a world of potential for this bit of work here Erenthril, just for seeing it. A world of potential. This is something quite historic.”

”You’ve flown her already I imagine? How many bodies, crew and others combined will she accommodate?”

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

Eren grinned in appreciation at the displays of wonderment, pearly whites flashing briefly as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Gee, he and Z’kron really had thrown something together that was awfully neat. The Elf just hoped it would actually get used and make an impact.

He shuffled his hands back into his pockets and rocked back and forth on the heels of his boots. “He did indeed. Incredible fellow, will probably be Master in no time at all,” he chuckled to himself before taking out his left hand and gesturing towards the ship, indicating they could go closer if they like. Hell, they could even hop aboard the damn thing. The Elflord led the way to the massive hull, his size dwarf a bit by it, before walking towards the embedded rungs of an obvious ladder and beginning to climb aboard.

“Flown her twice, both runs exactly as expected. The scorched earth here is a byproduct of the heat we have to produce to get her up in the air… but you’re safe if you’re on board the ship. This ship in particular, though, mmm… I’d say a good thirty five or so men can be situated in the hull. Given this is a prototype, and Z’kron could probably grow larger and small ones. That’s what’s so great about it; the design can be fluctuated a bit in terms of size so long as the engineers keep the basic aerodynamics. How it works will be universally the same, contribution of me,” he grinned, finally reaching the middle deck and stepping up across it. The hardwood flooring was sturdy; the entire structure seemed relatively safe. Rails were provided around the edges of the ship, and even in the center of the deck where a mast would have been there was a small squared off section that served as a hole into the lower hull.

“This ship in particular has two cabins in the hull and then a large storage area. I was thinking, Milo, if you ever decide to introduce this on a large-scale basis as transportation, that passengers could be seated accordingly down there,” Eren shrugged and tossed a glance at the Regent.

[Milo L'Evienne]

Milo and company having accompanied Erenthril to the hull of the airship, Sir James came immediately up the rungs in the elf’s wake, followed by Harry then Gwygwin, Milo to follow after then all the rest behind him. Listening round the bunch while Erenthril explained how the thing became airborne, what number in live bodies it could carry and the possibility of larger vessels, Milo’s attention was focused on the information provided, and further the possibilities rather than the progress made towards the middle deck. Till progress grinded to a standstill that was.

”Gwygwin, a problem?” Milo asked curiously given the elder mage had stopped dead in his tracks, his knuckles white while gripping the rungs on the hull. ”Not at all Excellency, not at all.” Milo grinned, peering up and around as Sir James and Erenthril proceeded on ahead. ”You say you’ve flown her twice, at night or during the brightening? Did anyone see you?” he asked, curious whether or not they’d been spotted in the skies by anyone happened to look up at the time. He guessed they’d been treated to quite a sight if so. He could only imagine should one set down in the Forum or Parklands the stir it would cause.

”Gwygwin…Fear of heights?” he asked finally given the old man didn’t seem inclined to move anytime soon. ”Dear no…Not at all, Excellency,” the eccentric sorcerer said while daring another rung up. ”Fear of falling.” Slow going then with the Regent’s patient urging but eventually they got there and an exasperated Sir James hauled Gwygwin over the rail first with a frown before offering a hand to Milo after. ”It’s brilliant Erenthril. The impact to be had by this development will be quite historic I imagine,” he said once he reached deck and moved out of the way to allow the rest on board, him turning round to take it all in. ”So how exactly does it stay aloft, and how to maneuver it and how maneuverable? How long can it remain airborne without needing to land, and at what speed?”

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

“Brightening,” Eren cantered his head in a nod of confirmation, before briefly hesitating, “I can’t say if anyone saw us or not. We were too far up to really make out details, and if they had… well.” He shrugged. There wasn’t much he could have done, really. Invisibility was something on the verges of his capabilities, but just a taste away. For now.

“Gwygwin, relax. Sorcery’s natural inclination revolves around the transportation of things,” Eren winked, walking over and helping the somewhat chubby man up, giving him a fond clap on the back as he did so.

Grinning like a young schoolboy, the Elflord’s left hand brushed over the wooden railings along the side of the ship, feeling the smooth firm grip of his prize. Listening to the Regent ask his question, Erenthril offered a smirk and waved towards the back of the ship, up a short flight of wooden stairs that led to the poop deck. The stairwells separated – there were two – around two burly doors that led down into the hull of the ship. Both were equipped with railings on either side for support. “At the stern,” he murmured, scratching the back of his neck idly before leaping forward and leading the group of men up the stairwell. The posterior deck mirrored the replica of the others, wooden railings around the edge, a solid wooden floor that bore no resemblance to the flat boards any other shipwright would have added.

What was peculiar, however, was the pair of two black circular orbs chained to the ship itself, runic inscriptions engrained over their perfectly smooth curvature. “Touch-activated enchantments, or glyphs as I’d prefer to call them. The left orb controls the vertical lift of the ship itself; it activates my masterpiece that heats the bottom of the ship with incredible levels of heat, hence the charred earth down below,” he waved at the scorched dirt that lined the inside of the coliseum, “the right hosts the same spell, but controls the thrust and momentum of the ship.” That was the rudimentary basics of an explanation – and probably all Eren counted on Milo understanding. Propulsion via heat.

“The right orb is also how you steer it. Moving your hand to the right would cause the ship to begin to arc that direction…” Erenthril grinned. “As for how long it can remain in the air… candlemarks, really, I’ve never experienced any problems but can’t say I’ve flown it for more than four or five. No reason to…” he muttered the last bit to himself, rubbing his temple.

“It’s fast though. Really fast. I don’t think you can compare it to knots on a ship..” he mused.

He didn’t really have an experience with ships.

[Milo L'Evienne]

”My thanks lad,” the elder mage had said when hauled over the edge, and then had promptly wandered off on his own to explore. From the opposite side of the deck an ‘Oh dear. Dear, dear,’ drifted back while he leaned over and peered at the ground far below them. Sir James seemed a little green around the gills as well, if only for anticipating that they might at some point decide to take flight and duty would have him compelled to go along for the ride. His Excellency certainly looked game and the Rosemen would have a time talking him out of it should that be the case.

The orbs and their runes were a particular fascination for the Regent himself and he wandered over while Eren explained so he could have a better look. ”Fascinating,” he uttered while absorbing it all and it was true enough, much beyond his understanding save for the principle of the thing.

”It’s ingenious Eren. I don’t imagine its nearly the same concept or extent, but the Hannah runs on a windmill device, that in turn runs the wheels rather than resorting to the use of coal and engines to drive them. It’s a spell attached to it that needs a charge twice per era and to get it going only takes the touch of a hand. Of course the boat itself is maneuvered in the ordinary way by way of the wheelhouse. This though, this is something far beyond that I imagine. It moves silently?”

”So what are the costs aside of manpower to produce a single vessel of this size or larger? And how much time from start to finish?”

[Erenthril Mael'tharias]

Eren shook his head. “Not exactly silent – the fire that produces the energy to propel it forward has… well, there’s like a steady gust of air surrounding you. The roar is mostly drowned out by the winds brushing over the sides of the ship. I’m sure after a little work, and perhaps some more learning on my part, I could contrive a way to make it silent. I have the spell… just not necessarily the most acute means of enchanting it,” the Elementalist proffered a quick smirk, secure in the fact that he had time, plenty of time, to expand upon his research and better his and Z’kron’s creation.

“Fortunately for us here, we had little to do in terms of purchasing supplies. The ship was grown… gadgeteers and researchers had their own tools and the like which I ferried over with my caravan borrowed from Mystique – I own the main tradehouse in the province there,” he hesitated; he’d never mentioned to Milo before of his business ventures, and the mere subtle notion he’d been able to upsweep the de Lylles, or at least close to it, in terms of imports and exports of the province’s capital wasn’t the sort of thing Eren was sure Milo would like to hear. After all, the de Lylles were a respected family, and although they had gone into Eren’s Maelvonian Tradehouse as minor partners at the negotiating table, Eren didn’t trust Brigitte de Lylles any further than he’d let her out of his sight. She ha the airs of an upstart.

“Manpower would be the primary factor of concern. You’d need a Druid and an Elementalist for this particular ship design, though I reckon the initial lift can be achieved by a Master Sorcerer as well. That was the original blueprint, until Z’kron figured he could grow some arcanically enhanced wood naturally resistant to fire. A simple immunity spell later,” Eren’s voice drifted off into a bemused grin as he walked around the twin obsidian-like orbs over to Milo and his entourage. He was pleased his friend liked the ship.

“The entire project took the entire last season – but that had mostly to do with the planning and blueprints… I won’t tell you how many times Z’kron and I switched the tactical engineering aspects of the ship. Plus the amount of time our mutual friend needed to grow the ship. I’m… well, I’m rather certain if you were to replicate the module with, say, metal, the time would be significantly less – but the cost a good bit higher.”

Folding his hands behind his back, he glanced from Gwygwin to Sir James to Milo again.

“Wanna take it up?” he winked, addressing the Regent directly.

[Pine]

OOC: Oops, wrong account.

[Z'kron]

"Bah! Metal. We'd bankrupt the empire. Besides, that leaves so little room for further development. And it's so heavy."
The voice of the druid appeared moments before his actual form, seeming to step out of the air in a strange haze of orange. Almost as if his body was unzipping from inside something. After a few seconds, the coloration dissipated, and Z'kron was already emphasising the benefits of having a live-ship rather than a metal one.
"Did you know, your excellency, that this ship is light enough, due to the balance of upward propulsion inside it, that it could be moved by a handful of giants? It has low inertia, which means it has a turning circle entirely reliant on Erenthril's spell- so it turns more like a person than a ship. That it's made of living material means, even if the spells were somehow countered, it would glide itself to the ground without crashing- unlike a metal ship."
A significant pause.
"And due to it being a living organism, there's even an inbuilt mechanism to camoflague itself if we needed its use for stealth, so we'd be damn hard to pick out."
The elderly druid began picking out features on his fingers indignantly, occasionally waving his arms a little for emphasis, at times edging on the comical.
"It also provides protection from minor magics, replenishes itself on sunlight, can theoretically be used to heal the crew of minor injuries, provides its crew with basic food and water, and has inbuilt, centrally controlled defense systems which can be used to deflect arrows and minor wooden projectiles. It's resistant to lightning, necromancy, druidic tampering, and will soon have visual systems permitting full acuity at night. Metal indeed. It'd cost ten times as much, require incredible amounts of smithing training and do a hundredth of what this ship does."
The druid gave a displeased frown. He was not in the habit of designing shoddy inventions, as he envisioned a metal airship to be. "Give me half a dozen druids, and we can grow these ships far faster than they could be forged." A slight sniffle.
"Anyway. Yes. Are we taking her for a spin?"

[Milo L'Evienne]

”Quiet enough then,” Milo remarked while Eren continued to explain things, and his own gaze kept to roaming over the deck and all its wonders. The workings of magic were always a mystery to him and what little personal attunement he might have had once to aid him was now gone from his mind without a trace as if it had never been at all. Not that he missed it, not at all. In his case it had become an unwanted stain nearly from its very conception and one he couldn’t quite figure out how to get rid of, but nonetheless for all intents and purposes he was a blank slate again.

But what could be better, he indicated with a smile and a nod while running his palm gently along the rail, a marvel such as this for a low expenditure of funds. ”I knew of the warehouse,” he said of Lauryl when looking up just in time to see Gwygwin draped precariously over the rail, him having gained a bit more bravado than was good for him, and Manyc hanging tight with a morose scowl to the back of the old wizard’s britches to stop him toppling over. ”I wasn’t aware though how lucrative it was. I imagined many of the business owned there belonged to one de Lylles or another. That's quite a feat." Funny thing those de Lylles, he’d met a few by now. One or two he’d quite liked, one or two he thought more deserving of a good kick in the pants. He wondered which kind his friend had found was the sort that inhabited Lauryl, being those he’d met personally naturally hailed from elsewhere.

”So the costs are mostly comprised primarily of transport and wages, added a need for magic practitioners?” he asked by way of clarification. ”Now wouldn’t Alexis get a kick out of all this?” he added then with a tilted grin when imagining his sea going Minister of War’s reaction should he get a look at the thing.

”Absolutely, I thought you’d never ask,” he said suddenly of taking it up, while Sir James and Gwygwin could nearly be heard to have groaned aloud. ”Excellency,” Sir James tried gamely from his spot on the deck. ”Are you sure that’s a wise…”

He got no further in fact before the Imperial Sage made his dramatic appearance and in fact, five unsuspecting Rosemen drew swords on instinct before a lift of Milo’s hand had them putting them back in place. ”Lord Z’kron,” Milo quipped with a wide smile. ”I’m glad you could join us. You and Erenthril have managed quite a marvel here. I can't begin to grasp it all in one sitting, but all of it, incredible.” He had a point yes, metal was costly and though he naturally had access to what funding he might want or ask for, the lower the costs the better. Dedicated security too, once the public got wind of it. ”Turns on a silver then?” he asked curiously looking from Z’kron to Eren. Even better. And no crashing, that would certainly put Sir James and Gwygwin at more ease, despite the fact that Gwygwin had a fine means of escape at his disposal.

And all the points ticked off afterwards, wonders all of them and Milo didn’t necessarily need to grasp the technicalities, which he surely didn’t to the extent that he might like to, to appreciate them all. And if it meant quick development, he could certainly provide for a handful of druids, he thought of the proposal. ”Ingenious,” he said with a shake of his head for all that he saw and heard. This, most certainly would have its impact and for his part, he could most certainly provide a good deal on his end, whether it be operating costs, compensation or indeed all things rewarding. In fact, whatever was needed from the Imperial end, he imagined indeed he could deliver. ”Yes, lord Z’kron, we are,” he said of taking a ride while he smiled wide, and Sir James and Gwygwin looked crestfallen.