A lighter-than-air vehicle consisting of a generally wood or metal body suspended from bags of buoyant lifting gas (almost universally hydrogen; airships typically have a unicorn in charge of maintaining fireproofing enchantments). Airships were common in the Golden Age, but the technology was lost for centuries. It has since been redeveloped sporadically, including in Trenchtown, where it greatly improved the efficacy of trench whaling operations. Use of airships in the Dusts has since expanded to include regular passenger transportation under the Aeropony service based in Trenchtown. Irongate has also built three airships on an experimental basis: one was sold to the Hayminnow Islands and now operates on the Ducal Hayminnow Airway, one was lost in an accident, and the last is based in Irongate. It formerly had a regular passenger service to settlements north of Irongate, but this service was suspended in light of the accident involving its sister ship.
Trenchtown operates a number of trench whaling airships and four regular passenger airships (see Aeropony). All of Trenchtown’s airships (including those for passenger service) are equipped with ballistae for propelling harpoons or, mostly theoretically, for defense. (In practice, Trenchtown’s airships are defended when required by watchful pegasus guards on the deck.)
The Airships of Irongate are completely pegasus-powered. Trenchtown’s airships can also be towed by pegasi (and are usually moored in this way), but their main source of propulsion is a large windmill-like propellor on the rear of the craft. Trenchtown’s airship industry considers the propulsion system an important trade secret.
Airship of a similar type to Aeropony's:
