Post by Admin on Sept 8, 2013 1:55:07 GMT
The IRONDREAD, the hardly covert BoR's flagship, appears in the fog from time to time and floats majestically overhead towards the sky harbor. The only way to get up to where it docks (alongside merchant, private, and militant vessels) is via the skylift; a rotten wood pallet that was rigged with some hawser ropes running through a series of thickly greased pulleys at the top of the tower. Since the pallet is little over a meter square, lift rides tend to get a little crowded. The ropes are coated in a thick layer of dried and crusted grease from seasons past, covered by a think layer of new and wet grease from this weeks ration on the pulley wheels that the ropes run through. Most lift riders keep a hand loosely on the ropes for security, letting it run across their palm and filthy their hands. They usually know not to hold too tight or else they'll give themselves rope-burn. A 1600 meter rise into the air without handrails or walls has a way of convincing even the most refined ladies and gentlemen to never-mind the lack of cleanliness when they take hold.
For the unseasoned traveler, take heed! If 1600 meters gives you vertigo, a word of caution before coming aboard or going aloft! Unpressurized cabins fly around 3,000.00 meters (because above that, there is not enough oxygen for the average person). If you're scheduled to hop into a pressurized airship and graze the clouds, for lower air resistance and higher efficiency you'll find yourself dangling over 8,500 meters... and that's not all; if the operational ceiling of 10,600 meters gives you the willies, you might want to reconsider your mode of transportation. Aeronautics is only for the truly brave.