Airships

Two airships landing in the Aery.

**Airships** were a type of vehicle that was used to traverse the sky. Invented in the Third Era and originating from the city of Chessent, airships quickly spread throughout the world and became adopted by many different cultures. While expensive due to the mechanisms that keep each type of airship flying, those who could afford to operate such a vehicle had effectively unrestrained travel across the world of Rosenwelt.

## Types of Airships

Various types of airships have been invented since the inception of the vehicles, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

### Dirigible

Dirigible airships were the earliest airship designs and remain the most common. They remain aloft by magically enchanted gas bladders held above the hull of the ship, allowing them to float; then, mechanisms such as mechanical wings and propellers will provide momentum to allow the ship to move through the air. These ships are much lower in maintenance costs than other airships, and can often carry an increased load of weight without becoming too heavy to fly. As well, they are usually able to attain altitudes other ships cannot. However, they trade for these advantages in their speed and relative fragility - a good hit to the gas bladder can cause a dirigible to fall to the earth.

### Sailed

Sailed airships came shortly after dirigibles and were vaunted for their faster speeds. Rather than use a gas bladder to lift them into the air, these ships were often enchanted with powerful magics that allowed them to attain flight, and then used their sails to propel themselves. This lead to much greater speeds, however they were only able to fly to a certain height before the air became too thin and the ship had to descend. On top of this, they can carry less weight than a dirigible. Despite this, sailed airships quickly became a staple of many nations as weapons of war. Due to being magically imbued, these airships would often require the support of a "sky witch" to fly - a dedicated mage who's duty it was to see to it that the enchatments of the ship did not falter, and to manipulate fair winds for the vessel to fly on.

### Hyperil

Hyperil powered airships made use of the powerful material found across Malkenia to attain flight. Equipped with powerful machines that allow them to fly, they are by far one of the most proficient and powerful airships designs known to man, but also the most expensive. Their engines allow them to not only move quickly, but to carry immense loads of armament and firepower as well as be clad in powerful defensive armor. These airships can reach absolutely obscene sizes, and are known for their intimidating statures. The Malkenian Imperium is the only nation on Rosenwelt to actively use these vessels, as they are the only ones with possession of enough hyperil to field them. Despite this, however, their air fleets are feared for their strength and power.

## Battle and Trade

   Airships, like all vehicles, quickly found themselves thrust into two main roles - warfare and trading. Dirigibles were often employed to carry supplies and cargo long distances, and became a favorite of rich merchants; swiftly, trading companies began to buy up massive fleets of airships during the Third Era, even replacing some of their naval fleets. On the other hand, nations saw the potential of airships in combat and quickly requested that their artificers develop them for warfare.

Trade routes throughout the skies of Rosenwelt often follow aerial currents that allow the airships to stay afloat easier, and in the case of sailed vessels, to move faster. These routes allow the ships to quickly move to their destinations aboard relatively safe and highly populated routes. However, it is not uncommon for an airship to need to sail itself away from the currents to reach their destinations, in which case they are often open to attack by sky pirates who have gotten their hands on airships themselves.

Warfare among airships is very similar to sailing vessels. Warships will typically carry most of their weapons on their broadsides, line themselves up with their opponent, and loose volleys of cannonballs, bolts, magic and flames at one another until one eventually falls out of the sky. However, as airships are capable of manuevering up and down, this adds a new layer of complexity to airship combat. Some airships will attempt to fly higher than their enemies, unleashing volleys at angles that the opposing ship cannot fire back. Others will fly below a vessel and attempt to board it from below, or if they are smaller, hide beneath the bigger ship until nightfall to attack.