Artifact/TelgarTravelFish
Whale-Belly Carp-class water transport (Artifact 3)
- by Telgar
- back to Artifacts/Telgar
Used in the First Age and Shogunate as fairly common means of transporation across the ocean when stealth was required over storage space or speed, the Whale-Belly Carp later lost popularity as they became harder and harder to find and build. Despite their simple design they require knowledge of Elsewhere to build and after the Solar Exalted passed from rulership and common lore they became difficult to construct reliably.
In apppearance the Whale-Belly Carp are foot long, hand wide metallic fish of bronze, Black Jade and Moonsilver. They travel between five and fifty feet under the surface of the water, making them near-impossible to detect from aboard a normal ship or in the air. One of the few sure ways to be able to find or track Whale-Belly Carp is to use magic to trace their Essence, which is easily detectable.
Whale-Belly Carp are generally carried with their owner in a sack or other sort of container in a quiescent state. They awaken only when placed in salt or fresh water and ask where they are to travel to. They will then open their mouth into which up to 1000 pounds of people or luggage may be loaded. Anyone and anything loaded into the mouth of the Carp is placed into a pocket of Elsewhere and kept in suspended animation.
After being loaded the Carp will do its best to make its way to the destination defined upon its activation. If it is unable to find a way to the location it will swim to the nearest land, disgorge its passengers and ask for new directions. Otherwise it will swim to its destination and disgorge the passengers and then wait for confirmation before regurgitating any luggage.
A Whale-Belly Carp travels at a rate of 300 miles per hour and requires that 15 motes of Essence be committed to it during the entire period of its activity. If these motes are uncommitted the Carp will regurgitate all its passengers and their luggage, then go dormant.
Comments =
This is a very unique use of Elsewhere. I like it, its something that is quite Solar-eske. -Heru
