Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sarig the Genie 10-07-07, 07:57 AM	With Lyrandar having their new growing fleet of elemental bound airships, isn't it likely that other forces will also try to take to the skies? Assuming they don't have easy access to elemental bound magic, and thus has to find other means of flying, what are likely ways? Mundane airships? Stuff based on the fly spells? Taming dragons? ;)
Shady314 10-07-07, 08:33 AM	With Lyrandar having their new growing fleet of elemental bound airships, isn't it likely that other forces will also try to take to the skies? Assuming they don't have easy access to elemental bound magic, and thus has to find other means of flying, what are likely ways? Mundane airships? Stuff based on the fly spells? Taming dragons? ;) There's nothing quite like an airship. That's why they are in such high demand, But in terms of Air Power yes most of that is in the form of mounts. Halflings on glidewings. Hippogriffs, Dragonhawks, Gargoyles, Wyverns, Harpies, etc. Edit: Mundane Airship is an oxymoron.
Just_some_Evil_Wizard 10-08-07, 03:28 AM	Wyvern Zombies and Nightmare Skeletons. To elaborate: Scrolls of Animate Dead (divine, CL 5) used by 1st-Level-Artificiers in desecrated areas to animate corpses. If the corpse supply is too low, use (Lesser) Planar Binding and call (half-)fiendish wyverns / nightmares. You'll need a cleric and high level wizard/sorcerer, but not as high level as appears to be neccessary to create Airships. Also, no XP cost.
Rechan 10-08-07, 08:11 AM	Damnit. Now I'm thinking of a bone knight mounted on a spectral nightmare flanked by ghoul wyverns as Flight of the Valkyrie plays in the background. Something that comes to mind is Cannith creating a construct that can fly. Sort've like a bird that can hold several passengers. Or a huge bird or bat that has a carriage fused with its legs.
Macrovore 10-08-07, 08:48 AM	Edit: Mundane Airship is an oxymoron. not really. I think they mean like a dirigible, or an FF-style ship. but either way, the gnomes would probably be behind creating those, and guess what the gnomes are focused on holding their monopoly for? normal airships.
Shady314 10-08-07, 06:04 PM	not really. I think they mean like a dirigible, or an FF-style ship. but either way, the gnomes would probably be behind creating those, and guess what the gnomes are focused on holding their monopoly for? normal airships. :rolleyes: Which would hardly be mundane in a world at about a renaissance level of technology.
Edymnion 10-08-07, 08:15 PM	With Lyrandar having their new growing fleet of elemental bound airships, isn't it likely that other forces will also try to take to the skies?Possibly, but thats decades in the future at the very least. Remember that airships are still very much new, experimental technology. There simply aren't any airships built as warships. There are no bombers, fighters, or anything else. The setting has just now gotten to the point where the airship is reliable enough for widespread use, they haven't even gotten to the point where they start moving the design away from the original sailing ships that were originally used as the basis. They're still too rare, expensive, and fragile to really turn into something as expendable as a war machine. Some were commandeered for service, but as a rule of thumb they were the rare exception, not the rule. So, right now, there simply aren't any "airforces" built up of airships. The airforces of nations would instead be built of up of things like Dragonhawks from Aundair, a Warforged Raptor or two from Cannith, undead wyverns from Karnnath, griffons from Breland, etc. The "normal" flying troops you'd find in D&D, more or less.
Salathiel 10-08-07, 10:08 PM	I still say that Oalian has a flight of horrid rocs sequestered away in the northern parts of the Byeshk mountains, just waiting for the day when they are Truly Needed.
Gruul 10-09-07, 01:18 AM	I like the idea of Cannith find some way to harness the power of artifacts from the great wars of old. Perhaps something with the ability to channel the plane of Syrania. Not only could it power a non-Lyrandar airship, but it could also provide some protection against evil magics.
scrollreader 10-09-07, 09:43 AM	In my campaign, House V is actually working on Magebred Rocs to try to compete with Lyrandar. But them birds is big, and can be ill tempered. Also, there's the issue of where, exactly you find a hood for an eighty foot bird. Maybe a darkness item? Birds of prey don't do well in loud unpredictable environments with alot of small things moving quickly. Which is just about every city in Khorvaire. :P Still, one of the big draws of the airship is that there really isn't any competition. It's one of the things that, IMO is really pushing Lyrandar to the top of the heap, as far as the Marked houses go.
Cifer 10-09-07, 04:12 PM	Still, one of the big draws of the airship is that there really isn't any competition. It's one of the things that, IMO is really pushing Lyrandar to the top of the heap, as far as the Marked houses go. The question, however, remains whether there is a market for them. They don't carry enough cargo to be of use transporting goods and the only route that can't be done via Lightning Rail is across the Mournland.
Vharuck 10-09-07, 04:34 PM	The question, however, remains whether there is a market for them. They don't carry enough cargo to be of use transporting goods and the only route that can't be done via Lightning Rail is across the Mournland. First off, the exception of the Mournland for the Lightning Rail is a pretty noticable hindrance. Cyre is in the center of the continent, and the rail usually has to go through less-than-civilized territories to get around it. Second off, never seek to sanely explain the spendings of the insanely wealthy. Why pay more for an airship to take me to Korth? Because I can flaunt my wealth the whole trip. Also they're very, very fast. If you can afford it, why waste time to save a few platinum dragons?
Alex_ 10-09-07, 05:47 PM	Possibly, but thats decades in the future at the very least. Remember that airships are still very much new, experimental technology. There simply aren't any airships built as warships. There are no bombers, fighters, or anything else. The setting has just now gotten to the point where the airship is reliable enough for widespread use, they haven't even gotten to the point where they start moving the design away from the original sailing ships that were originally used as the basis. It is worth noting that there were some attempts at purpose built military Airships during the Last War, but they failed, and like you said, there aren't any in service now (publicly at least). The question, however, remains whether there is a market for them. They don't carry enough cargo to be of use transporting goods and the only route that can't be done via Lightning Rail is across the Mournland. Aircraft have never been able to carry as much as an equivelant sized ground or surface cargo vehicles/vessels, but they transport things so much more quickly since they travel in the straightest line possible. Also, they can make overland/overwater/overland travel easier, such as when shipping things from Eastern Khorvaire to Western Khorvaire, or shipping goods from Khorvaire to Xendrik since you don't have to travel by land, transfer goods to a surface vessel, travel across water, unload the cargo once you reach land and finish the rest of the journey. Then there's the fact that the Lightning Rail only runs in central Khorvaire. Droaam, Darguun, Valenar, Q'barra, the Shadow Marches, Eldeen Reaches, Mror Holds, and Lhazzar Principalities are all disconnected from it. The lines in Karrnath are effectively seperate as well, so it's impossible to travel from one end of the nation to the other (Rekkenmark to Irontown) via lightning rail. Essentially, airships are more for rapid transport of high priority people and cargo, not for moving bulk at maximum efficiency. Just like early aircraft.
crashbangboom 10-10-07, 02:30 AM	Why not the Dhakaani (sp) artificiers, building up for their coming invasion of their neighboring countries, then all of khorvaire? The goblinoids have a strong artificier tradition dating back before the daelkyr war, if not the giants of xendrik. or even worse the former slaves of said giants the drow/elf population around some of the ruins.:ayyyy!: :schemes: :devil: :evillaugh
scrollreader 10-10-07, 10:57 AM	Well, there's already quite a bit of evidence that the Drow were the elemental binders who the gnomes 'discovered' the technique from. Granted, there hasn't been any evidence of drow airships. But then, would there be? I mean, an airship vanishes over Xendrik, well, it could be anything. Also, of course, airships aren't exactly the first thing one thinks of, when binding elementals, so the drow might have seen a Lyrandar one and reverge engineered/improved it. Also, of course, I have a wicked cool picture in my mind of a drow airship. Much more of a catamaran type than a caravel. Lower profile, easier to hide, and quite possibly faster. The only real question in my mind if it has three elemental rings, one for each hull? Or one big one? Yeah, the mental picture (of a sleek streamlined little three hulled pirate airship) is awesome, and the fluff can support it. Drow air corsairs are /definately/ going in my next Eberron game. Also of course, a smaller, faster, unique (anywhere in Khorvaire, at least) airship is just the thing that PCs /really/ want. Perfect. :D
Edymnion 10-10-07, 12:30 PM	Granted, there hasn't been any evidence of drow airships.There are firesleds.
Rechan 10-10-07, 02:55 PM	Air power is pretty good. But one thing I'd like to see is "Underground" monopolized on too. There's the Tumbler in Magic of Eberron, but other than that, I haven't seen anyone harness burrowing or underground travel. It's not great for say, long distance travel, but an option - instead of going over or around a mountain - is to go through it.
scrollreader 10-11-07, 09:36 AM	Of course, the ultimate would be something with say, a Storm elemental bound into it, or something, capable of multiple movement modes. Flies, swims, burrows, and more!