Artifacts/TelgarTradewindRunner

Tradewind Runner-class Airship (Artifact 3)

• by Telgar
• back to Artifacts/Telgar

One of the staples of conveyance and commerce in the Old Realm the Tradewind Runner is a tried and true design that has endured since the beginning of the First Age. Originally modified from existing seafaring ships, Tradewind Runners spend the majority of their time looking like an oddly outfitted schooner. They carry light cargoes and move swiftly. The first of two primary differences between a Tradewind Runner and any other ocean-bound schooner are the ship's sails, rigged in a complicated network that can be re-arranged to fan out horizontally instead of raising vertically from the deck. The second difference is that Tradewind Runners have a keel of solid Blue Jade and a network of Blue Jade tubing extending through the hull as well as tiny Blue Jade filaments woven into the rigging and sails.

With the use of Air Essence enchantments and the complicated rigging system a Tradewind Runner can reshape her sails into broad gliding surfaces and carry herself aloft. Specially designed oars with runes of Black and Blue Jade built into them allow the ship to heave itself out of the ocean's grip and into the sky.

To convert the ship from sailing to flying modes requires three characters to each succeed on a difficulty 2 Dexterity + Sail roll. The process, if successful, takes about a minute. It is possible to convert the ship's sails in only 20 seconds given a difficulty 4 roll for each character doing the work. The conversion also requires that 10 motes be committed to the ship's Jade-powered enchantments for the duration of its flight. If these motes are not committed, the ship can not fly. If the commitment is released before the ship is back in the water, the Tradewind Runner will crash back into the ocean. As an alternative to commitment the ship's helm can accept a level 2 or greater Hearthstone for the duration of its flight. Converting the ship back to sailing mode does not require a roll and takes only 30 seconds.

Equipment and enchantments built into the Tradewind Runners add 2 dice to all piloting rolls, a bonus which does not help convert the ship into gliding mode, and ensures that the ship's crew never becomes lost. This does not mean the ship's crew will know where they are exactly, but they will know where they are in relation to all five Elemental Poles.

Most Tradewind Runners were designed to accomodate light compliments of weaponry but few of the ships still retain their batteries of Tornado Cannons or Moonlight Harpoons. The weapon emplacements aboard a Tradewind Runner are either empty or outfitted with mortal weapons unless Artifact devices are purchased seperately from the ship itself.

Standard Tradewind Runners require a crew of three for normal ship operations but can carry a crew of up to 10. They also have passenger space for another three people and cargo space equal to a two-masted schooner of mortal design. In the water Tradewind Runners are limited to 150% the normal speed of a schooner. In the air they are considerably faster, able to soar at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.

Comments =

A nice middling-small first age utility vessel which could and probably would still be used/built today. My compliments on your (as usual) impressive artificery. -- Darloth

Thanks, Darloth. - Telgar

Just a comment - it seems somehow strange that an Artifact 3 vessel can, with the commitment of only ten motes or a 2+ Hearthstone, fly twice as fast as the Five-Metal Shrike, an Artifact NArtifacts/TelgarTradewindRunner/A weapon of war built with the intent to be highly mobile, can when under power but not overdriving. I think 200 MPH might excessive in this case? I dunno. -- ShadowDragon8685

I hate the Five-Metal Shrike. Seriously. Burning hate. And I think pretty much everything WW prints is too slow. - Telgar