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Trade ships were initially developed in the city of Mervuj. The first trade ships were humble wooden baskets tied to large patchwork balloons with a single motor powering the entire ship. As these ships were faster than ground travel by a staggering amount, the ship industry received lots of attention from the greatest engineers in the world.

There are two popular ships that define the era are galleons and catamarans. Galleons are typically 100 paces across and have two layers. The upper layer is exposed to the elements and has two rows of shipping containers with a walkway down the center. Shipping containers are roped from each end of the galleon’s railing to hold them in place. A galleon’s bottom layer has the living quarters and the engines, typically in pairs of two. Airship engines are powered directly from the ether via a rare artifact and ether conductors work with the engine to facilitate power flow. Galleons have on average 3-4 leather balloons keeping them afloat and 6-8 sails extending from horizontal masts on its bow and midsection.

Catamarans are much more common than galleons. Privately owned, catamarans can hold only a half dozen people at a time. On the ship, there is just a living quarter and the engine room. Catamaran’s can be quickly identified by its dual hull. Due to its unique structure, a catamaran’s engines can keep the ship hovering with little effect, with the main use of its single balloon being to raise its altitude and dock it for long periods of time. In addition to hovering, the catamaran’s engines also provide lots of forward thrust and can propel the ship at a maximum speed of 20 knots.

Long, thick metal anchors were developed to tie airships down, and in the city of Windxor these anchors can be rented out at various skybridges.

By the year 2000 IC, airships far outnumbered land transport and as a result, ground routes were almost entirely forgotten. Few people post 2200 IC would dare venture out on land.

___________________________ ACT 1: CHAPTER 2 - Pieces of Paper: SCENE 1

Hugh stepped through the crowded halls of floor twenty-four, and into the stairwell resting on the side of the library. Built on the exterior of the building, these steps led downward towards the small living quarters arranged by the government for the library’s use. At any given time there are enough rooms to accommodate the thousand staff and acolytes that attend to the library. The living quarters on the side of room twenty-four were single bedroom suites consisting of a window on the back wall, a sleeping mat, a desk, and a stool, all courtesy of taxpayer notes. Public baths were available throughout the city and there was a single spigot outside all quarters for water. Rooms on floor twenty-four were the most basic the library offered. It wasn’t until the single digit floor rooms that you could find true luxury.

In contrast to the all the commotion present nearly everywhere else in the library, all was silent save for Hugh’s soft footsteps against the metal stairs. It doesn't take much sound to fill the evening, and the echoes of his thin shoes reverberated across the small stairwell. Arriving at his chambers, Hugh quickly walked in and bolted his door behind him.

Orange light filtered through a foggy panel on his ceiling, cascading on the hundreds of papers and books that were strewn across the floor and walls. Hugh concentrated and using ethereal power released psion waves in all directions. Pulses of invisible ether, psion waves, vibrate when they contact with life forms other than the caster’s. Sensing no others within fifty paces of his location, Hugh unraveled his mind.

Loud ringing pierced his ears as the mental barriers that kept himself in check tore apart. In the center of his forehead appeared a thin line of dull white light that slowly ran down his face. In a flash of searing pain, the line split in a multitude of directions, creating a jigsaw of complex tiles over every part of his

person, including his clothes. Spreading his arms and turning his palms up, the paper littering the floor and walls began swirling around the room ominously. Exhaling, the shapes around his being unfurled and detached from him, then transformed back into more of the paper that was now spinning around him. Chaos twirled everywhere, and Hugh took control.

'A2156, A2145, B5329, E0072, D1034...' Focusing on the small strips of paper, Hugh’s full concentration went into the torrent of paper, and he saw and understood everything. For the past ten years, he had been pouring his entirety into developing his abilities. The paper were each connected as if by a string to his mind and responded instantaneously to his whims. Each paper was labeled A through Z by size and numbered 0001 through 9999 as to be able to uniquely identify each piece. They were an extension of himself and his mind was powerful enough to wield it.

Hugh convulsed slightly as the storm of papers rushed onto him. Folding, bending, and morphing erratically, each paper was directed to its spot. After a moment more of furling and binding into his body, all was quiet once again. Peering at his reflection in the steel wall, Hugh nodded with grim satisfaction. He was now adorned in black and white paper mâché armor that weaved together in mesmerizing patterns. The armor extended from the bottoms of his feet to his neck. They would not impede his movement even slightly.

Stepping to the wall that doubled as the exterior of the library, Hugh reached out and focused ether to his hand. 'Degrade!' The paper covering his hand and upper arm peeled away and his skin made contact with the metal plates. Simultaneously, the plates started to peel away, suddenly transformed into thousands of pieces of loose paper. No longer rigid, the panel separated and blew away into the night leaving Hugh standing with nothing between him and the immeasurable distance to the earth floor. The howling wind and chilling air swallowed Hugh as he dropped into the abyss.