A.T.N. Albion

 

    Modeled after Vexille's favorite sword, the Paradigm-class leyship is the Orbital Fleet's current flagship. Due to component and crew requirements, it remains an unique prototype for the moment. 128 meters long, 12 meters wide and 10 meters tall, it fulfills exploration and combat duties. While all other leyships require a willing nexus, the Albion's Meridian System travels through ley lines by using an artificial, tamed nexus integrated into the superstructure.

    As its shape closely resembles a sword, its sections were named according to sword terminology. The blade houses the crew, the hilt is the main engine. Novel features are as follows:

• The Meridian System comprises of ship wide piping connected to exotic tissue. What first appears to a giant's heart is inscribed with fractoglyphs of yet-to-be determined complexity. It pumps a mixture of holy water and martyr's blood through the pipes. This harvests the crew's faithful dedication and feelings, and accumulates it in the gestalt soul of the ship, providing power to ley jumps. In the absence of a wizard, there are two backup ley jump scrolls. Parallel pipelines made of orichalcum absorb the mana waste and directs it as the captain sees fit. It usually provides a local magic field powerful enough for most spells, but battle conditions may require all of its supply, reason for which the crew includes a small contingent of sorcerers besides the wizards. Weapons, engine and the Mandalanet are powered by this array.

• What appear to be giant opal gems are actually hollow pods big enough for one person in triad sets. Each one operates a great whip-like arcane projection capable of grasping and slicing, useful for minor repairs and clearing the hull of debris or boarders. If the user is an arcane conjurer, the pods may amplify his spells by an order of magnitude. This includes non-offensive spells, so the crew can better deal with extraordinary factors. The crossguard's pods may be rearranged into specific configurations to improve the engine or the main weapon.

• After recent encounters with nefilim nests and Orlem vessels, the archengineer Lu-Qan Kerr fitted the Albion with a main weapon, the Manion Discharge Cannon. The concept is simple: instead of feeding mana to the engines, it is concentrated in the spinal orichalcum pipe until reaching extraordinary saturation, and fired through a forward gun port, itself capable of shaping the beam into a line or cone. So far, it has been capable of obliterating nefilim nests with a single shot.

• The engines are advanced mana torches, ejecting magically saturated water through a nozzle. This reacts with the local magic field and provides thrust. The pommel houses the main exhausts, while the crossguard section includes  maneuvering exhausts. The reaction chamber is coated with orichalcum, preventing leaks of random magic.

• The Mandalanet is an experimental magical equivalent of the scarnostian Technogeist. The whole crew is the main component, linked by the ley lines between each member. It uses the crew's senses to acquire information, which is then analyzed by the ship's gestalt soul. Useful stimuli may be stored into sacrotanks as a sort of long-term memory. This allows both the ship and crew to recall past experiences. The system also operates the main weapon, regulates the prana and mana flow, and provides the crew with acausal discipline and synchronic instinct. Combined with excellent training and strong personal relations, this assures their optimal performances under any circumstances.

• Its adamantine armour is augmented by the Scabbard, a magic defense field impervious to any spell below sixth level.