Airship

Made in the shipyards of Zilargo, and steered by the Dragonmarked Half-Elves of House Lyrandar, airship travel is revolutionizing Khorvaire. The High Stakes is an earlier version of the airship, somewhat smaller than the current line models.

The High Stakes is about 35 feet high from bottom to the surface of the Top Deck. The Covered Entry Lounge makes an 11 foot high sheltered bubble so that passanegers and crew can gain entry without being blistered by the heat of the bound fire elemental. The bridge rises another 10-12 feet in height above the Lounge. The High Stakes is 37-39 feet wide with 35 feet of width in its interior space for most of its first two decks. Deck three is decidedly shorter and skinnier than decks 1 and 2.

While it is not planned that the airship ever land again, it has landing gear that is 9 feet in height to absorb the impact of a forced landing. Theoretically the ship can stay upright on a smooth landing, and barring any major structural damage it should float in water. Of course given the heights that it flies (5,000 to 8,000 feet) if the fire elemental powering it should somehow be released or weakened (which is doubtful given how well-protected and locked in it is by the gnome artificers who made it), the momentum of the downward plunge would not leave much left.

The High Stakes is mostly made of soarwood, like all airships. the bridge is some other form of wood, and the rudder is liveoak. There is a large bubble of hardened glass at the front where the bar and restaurant is for the paying customers. The entire ships body has been alchemically treated to make it fire-resistant. It has also been reinforced both magically and alchemically to enable it to withstand impact better.

The ship is controlled by a special wheel within the the bridge that supposedly only responds to someone with a House Lyrandar dragonmark.

While most airships are cargo or passenger, The High Stakes is a combination of both. As a result it has a smaller crew than most ariships, and it goes to farther, off of the main path routes. Its passengers tend to have wealth, because flying on an airship is not cheap, but also tend to not be very important themselves as they are going to the hinterlands where The High Stakes Flies. As a result a typical High Stakes passenger is a low-level minion in a large organization, like a minor diplomat or an inspector. There are some VIP cabins, however.

The High Stakes goes back and forth to the Eldeen Reaches a lot, so a Knowledge Local (Eldeen Reaches) check can tell the PCs about it.

Most airships travel at a maximum safe cruising speed of 20 mph through a calm sky, have a crew of 15, can carry 30 tons of cargo, and cost the traveler about 1 g.p. per mile in civilized areas, more in more dangerous areas. The average airship costs 92,000 g.p. to make and is about 180 feet long.

The High Stakes is a little smaller at 125 feet long, and it has two bound air elementals for extra steerage. As a result it has a maximum safe cruising speed of 25 mph through a calm sky. The High Stakes has a crew of 12, and its passengers pay a bit more, given that The High Stakes is one of the only official ariships that travels to some of these remote areas. All passengers who wish to come aboard The High Stakes must book well in advance, have good reputations, and/or be regular travelers. An old acquaintance of the PCs purchased their ticket for them.

There are 9 passenger cabins, most of which can hold two passengers fairly easily. Deck One has 2 VIP cabins. Deck Two has 3 cabins of moderate luxury. Deck Three has 4 fairly spartan cabins, and no portholes. The PCs will be sharing a Deck Two cabin.

The crew of The High Stakes consists of 6 half-elves who are members of House Lyrandar, 2 House hirelings, 2 long-term House henchmen, and a pair of halflings from House Jorasco (the halfling House with the dragonmark of hospitality) hired on a long-term basis to feed the crew and passengers as well as give their House's stamp of approval to the passenger services.

The High Stakes has a large cargo bay that has held many exotic items including strange plants and animals.

The High Stakes has a bar, a lounge, a laundry service, and a small general supplies store.

The Captain of The High Stakes is a middle-aged half-elf named Hughal d'Lyrandar, Expert 6/Warrior 2/Dragonmarked Heir 2. He has a Greater Dragonmark that has spread across his entire chest, so he is fond of open shirts. He is physically fit and possesses a quick mind.