Evadne's Ship Reports

A GUIDE TO THE SKY'S AIRSHIPS

The contents of this book match the cover; Simple, neat, and orderly. Ship diagrams play counterpoint to rows of numbers or diagrams describing various aspects of each ship. The evenness of the text indicates that it is the result of machine printed typesetting rather than handwritten. The preface is short and concise.

Difficulty: Hard

The Goldfish is one of the earliest airships still in production and use today. First manufactured in the independent midland territories before their collapse, it is often seen as the basis for other ship designs. With a powerful fore-mounted weapon and multiple side weapon slots, it requires some skill and maneuvering to utilize the full potential of this ship. Best used as a flanking and ambush ship. Weaker builds include Flak and Minotaur as front guns. Stronger builds are Hwacha and Carronade.

Difficulty: Easy

From an Arashi blueprint for building an airworthy ship with a minimum of materials, this spare, skeletal ship has found favor with mercenaries and freelancers who make their living from salvage, trade, and other odd jobs. Though its improvised scrap-metal construction is not the sturdiest, the Junker is very well armed and relies on its weapon-studded gun deck and nimble ship turning to help ward off trouble. While the Junker has a thin hull profile, its main weakness is its large balloon, which is a prime target for Flechette and fire attacks.

Difficulty: Hard

A catamaran originally of Chaladonian design, the delicate Squid cuts a distinctive figure with its split deck, off-center helm, and tripartite hull. Prized for its speed and maneuverability, the Squid is popular as an assault and raiding vessel. In battle, the nimble Squid can gain a positional advantage and protect its unarmed port-side flank by outmaneuvering heavier, slower ships.

Difficulty: Intermediate

A sturdily-built warship with an imposing vertical silhouette, the Galleon was introduced by Yesha shipbuilders as a sentinel to patrol the borders of the Empire and keep the peace. With its isolated aftcastle helm and multiple lower decks, the Galleon requires a large, coordinated crew to operate. Though the weighty, bulky hull limits its mobility, the Galleon asserts its authority with powerful arrays of medium weapons that spell doom for opponents caught in range of its deadly broadsides.

Difficulty: Easy

The towering Spire is a sentry ship originally built to guard the mountain passes of the Fjordlanders. The earliest models were nearly stationary, with weak thruster engines and a weapon pointed in every cardinal direction to cover all approaches. When decommissioned Spires were later modified for use in battle fleets, the rear gun was moved to concentrate fire forward. While their forward speed is limited, they can rotate easily around their center to bring their guns to bear and protect their exposed stern.

Difficulty: Easy

The Pyramidion is a modified version of a Yesha warship used in the vanguard of an offensive fleet formation, often backed by a line of smaller striker craft. With its narrow head-on profile and armor-plated balloon, it is a front-line charger of the first order, able to soften a target with concentrated fire from its twin forward guns before ramming for the kill with its reinforced beak. Despite its wide turn radius, it is prized for its overall durability and ability to concentrate fire.

Difficulty: Hard

Legend has it that the first Mobula was constructed by Vastness shipwrights for a princess or wealthy merchant who demanded a pleasure barge from which she might enjoy an unobstructed view of the night sky, though most assume that is just a sales pitch. Aside from legends, they are one of the first ships mass produced in Mercantile Guild lands, often used as sentinels and city guards due to their slow speed and plentiful guns. The subducted balloon and broad, exposed weather deck of the Mobula lend it an unmistakable silhouette quite unlike that of typical suspended-gondola designs. With its low profile and fore-mounted weapons, the Mobula is adept at coasting at high altitudes and attacking from above or long range. It is relatively weak in close combat vs faster ships.

Difficulty: Easy

Drawing inspiration from the much older Goldfish hull design, the grandiose Magnate is often the crown of a privateer's collection. The Mercantile Guild's signature clusters of round balloons, based on earlier Baronite design and later sold to Yesha, adorn the ship like a crown. With ample guns and gilding, it shines in the sky under the watch of a skilled crew. However, its large size and somewhat complex deck layout also make it a difficult ship for new crew, and a prime target in the sky.

Difficulty: Intermediate

The venerable Crusader harkens to an older age, exemplifying the Creed of the Fjord Baronies. Primarily designed to replace the even older Spire in guarding against Anglean raids, the stable, vertical design has been abandoned in favor of a long, nimble gun ship. The stately armor is more show than function, relying on overwhelming firepower and ambush rather than survivability. Like the Anglean ships, Baronite design is rumored to come from a source other than the legendary Icarus war.

Difficulty: Easy

While earlier ship designs had been purchased and adapted from the Mercantile Guild, the Judgement pays homage only to its own masters. Utilizing advanced Yeshan metalworking and newly designed balloons, it has been crafted from bow to stern to cut an imposing figure across the horizon. Ships must be wary of being caught in its massive frontal barrage. To the woe of a lone privateer, the Judgement was intended to fly in tight formation. As such, little thought has been given to its exposed flanks.

Difficulty: Easy

The Angleans hold their secrets in the icy vault of the north. Little is known about their ships, other than they started appearing in the skies at the same time as the Baronies and sparked an arms race between the two factions. The Corsair is the latest entry, presenting massive armor, plentiful guns, and no quarter given. Literally meaning 'pirate', this ship is granted to aspiring priveteers raiding for the Republic. With multiple decks and limited visibility, the Corsair can be difficult to crew and pilot.

Difficulty: Hard

Lacking the industry of the other factions, Chaladon ships focus on light weight, maneuverability, and a unique flair. Though originally based on Baronite design, the intensive study of lift gas has greatly advanced their ship technology. The Shrike is the pinnacle of these innovations, with a sleek balloon and lightweight frame supporting a pair of heavy guns and engines that almost outweigh the ship itself. Onboard lift gas processing creates an eerie mist about the ship, resulting in either fear or rude jokes.

Difficulty: Hard

Storms break quickly in the desert, swiftly causing destruction and then fading away. This is also the way of the Arashi Stormbreakers. They are quickly constructed with whatever is at hand, without much thought given to safety. Some flights are as short-lived as the desert storms that give them their namesake. Despite their haphazard fragility, they are a well-armed raider powered by engines salvaged from larger ships. This gives them the unique ability to rapidly change direction in combat.