Ships in the Plux Galaxy are built of wood and brass and carry sails. They sail on aether, the magic current in open space. A ship can travel between worlds in days, not years. Trade lanes follow the strongest, safest currents.
Every ship has a helm, a chair-shaped engine near the stern. Whoever sits in the helm moves the ship.
Mage helm. A mage sits in the helm and draws on aether to steer. Long trips tire the mage. Before year 1001, every ship needed a mage.
Rune helm. A rune engine sits in the helm and burns aether crystals. Anyone can steer it. The Iron Union built the first ones.
Old Maker ruins still hold helm secrets. The first helm was rebuilt from those ruins in year 1.
The helm holds a pocket of air around the ship, so crews can stand on deck in open space. The bubble also keeps the ship warm. If the helm stops, the air slowly goes stale and cold. A ship touched by the Vhal loses its air bubble.
The Gilded Dominion sells a licence for every ship. Licences are issued by the Helm Licence Office on Aurica and kept in the vaults of Crown Spire. The Union refuses to pay for them. The Compact ignores them. Dominion patrols stop ships without one.
Skiff. A tiny fast ship with a crew of two to six. Pellin crews love them.
Hauler. A wide cargo ship. Slow, with few guns.
Raider. A light, well-armed ship built to catch haulers. Common in the Outer Drift.
Warship. A big navy ship from the docks of Ormond or the Foundry Wheel.
Lantern ship. An Order patrol ship that carries a bright lamp to find husk crews and dark spots.
A captain gives orders. A mage or an engine hand runs the helm. Gunners work the rune guns. Deckhands handle sails, cargo and repairs. Bigger ships add a cook, a healer and a quartermaster.
Ship guns are rune guns fed by aether crystals. They fire bolts that tear sails and punch holes in hulls. Most fights end in boarding. When two air bubbles touch, crews can jump from one deck to the other.
Every planet has an orbital dock just outside it. Five big stations serve the powers. They are Crown Spire, the Foundry Wheel, the Night Bazaar, The Tangle and Lantern Keep.