StalkerofShadows/Star

Central plot device for StalkerofShadows Orichalum Legion game

A miracle of First-Age technology, The Star of the Morning represents a pinnacle in skyship design. The Star resembles a golden soaring seagull. The “body” of the ship is a “mere” 100 feet long with each wing stretching 200 feet to a side (making the ship well over 400 feet wide). The Star is sheathed in orichalum, and viewing windows are made of the strongest adamant (same health levels as hull, armor 30L/30B, 80 health levels to punch a hole through the hull/incapacitate a section, 120 to completely destroy). The wings are said to have belonged to a fallen god of flight during the Primordial War. In remembrance, the wings were knitted with starmetal and soulsteel to form the basis of the design.

One of the first oddities one will observe is that the ship has no “top” or “bottom,” seeming to be composed of two gulls pressed stomach to stomach until they merged. Due to a unique gravity-manipulation field, occupants of the ship need not worry about finding themselves thrown into midair during aerial maneuvering; all inner surfaces of the ship are “down” allowing one to spiderclimb. This can be very disconcerting, but nonetheless useful.

The “legs” and “tail” of the gull are merged together into four vast essence engine cylinders. Composed of the most auspicious blends of jade, they allow both high speed (8) and maneuverability (3). The central engine core is housed just fore of the engines, and requires a hearthstone of at least level 4 to operate.

Six star-shaped patterns are visible on the outside of the Star, one ventral, one dorsal, and two each on the ventral and dorsal wing surfaces. When activated, moonsilver mounts flow to form an exterior turret with a full range of motion and may hold one artillery-class essence weapon. One can fit in each of the wing mounts, two each in the body mounts, and one may be placed in each of the four eyes (forward fire only). Currently, one lightning ballista is mounted in the dorsal body mount and one in the ventral. The Star could be completely rearmed if given time and resources. Each two weapons (two eyes, both far wing mounts, a twin center mount) has a control station that can be powered by a level 2 or greater hearthstone. This is vastly more efficient than directly powering a weapon with a hearthstone, as even two lightning ballista only require one level 2 stone. However, this comes at a price as an artilleryman can not directly attune to the firing system; thus the ship MUST be carrying an appropriate number of stones for a full barrage. Panels on the top and bottom of the body allow access and can be configured to quickly drop 5 warstrider-equipped (or otherwise foolish) Exalts onto a battlefield.

Perhaps the most impressive of Star’s attributes is that it is aware and learns from its experiences. The central processor is a mass of adamant spires with starmetal conductors forming a sphere nearly 15 feet in diameter. Visible from everywhere inside the ship, it floats serenely where the gull’s heart should be, essence crackling between its spires. Lost legend tells that the spirit of the core is a soul of a machine-god, who willingly bound itself to protect its Solar friends and explore the world. The Star is quite aware of everything inside and outside of its hull, and is quite chatty and friendly once a crew has won its respect. However, it is quite lonely without a crew as it can not function well autonomously even fully powered with hearthstones.

Currently, the Star has the main engine core (level 4 hearthstone) and one body weapon array (split between dorsal and ventral, level 2 stone) powered. The central core always respires essence at the rate of a level 5 hearthstone when in Creation or the Wyld.

Star of Morning:
Speed: 8
Manueverability 3
Endurance: Unlimited while powered
Armor: 30L/30B
Health Levels: 120 per section (80 to cause serious damage)
Armament: Currently two lightning ballista (hearthstone powered)
Repair: 5
Crew required: Pilot, and at least 1 for every weapons console. Crew of 20 required for prime efficiency.
Requires 1 hour of in-flight repair for every 3 hours of flight or 5 combat turns. For every 100 hours of in-flight repair requires a refit at a specialized drydock.

History to come
In a nutshell:
Created near the end of the First Age, the Star was a prototype ship of whos line included the Five-Metal Shrike. It was trapped in a pocket of Wyld during an expedition only days prior to the Usurpation. A Wyld weapon of immense power captured the ship in a time-stasis field and shattered the hearthstones powering the systems. This forced the crew to abandon the ship and fight their way back to Creation. Before a rescue effort could be mounted, the First Age ended with the Dragon-Blooded rebellion and all knowledge of the ship was lost.

Found by the band of heroes known as the Orichalum Legion in the southern desert, it was reactivated and partially refitted although all systems are still not operational. The CPU has a severe time anachronism due to being locked in a bubble of warped reality and knows little of the current age.

Comments:

I think I recognize the look of this ship, but I can't tell where -from-. Did you borrow the visual design from anywhere, or have I just seen far too many anime spaceships?
-- Darloth

Perhaps it's based on the Taapon plane from the Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko manga? It's a very nice manga, one of those slow slice of life manga. There are scanlations for those curious, just need to go to the bottom of the link I passed out above.
~ Haku who wishes to have coffee at Cafe Alpha

Its just a design I thought of, not from any anime. I was thinking bird and "don't copy 5MS, don't copy 5MS." This was the end result. StalkerofShadows