The Skyreaver

On the cliffs overlooking the Sea of Smoke - a vast expanse of clouds nobody has ever been able to cross - people found the bones of a god. And with the help of complex machinery, they turned the bones into a new deity - the Clockwork God.

The Clockwork God allowed people to tap into the flow of cosmic energy and use it for rapid development in science and technology. One of the biggest discoveries was the resonance engine - a device that directly converts cosmic energy into motion. These engines allowed us to build flying ships that could finally cross the Sea of Smoke.

Soon, an age of discovery followed as we made contact with civilizations living on the other side. The massive amount of trade between between the colonies and The Precipice, a city built around the Clockwork God's temple, soon attracted pirates, such as the crew of the Skyreaver. The Skyreaver is a small and fast scouting ship, like most of the vessels used by the pirates, and used to be among the fastest in the imperial fleet before being stolen. As a second generation flying ship, it's resonance engine is shaped to look like the Clockwork God himself is powering the ship. Ships of the first generation used a much simpler and more utilitarian design.

If you're planning to bring these vile pirates to justice, pay attention to the ship's layout. Like all the smaller ships, it only has two cannons, but it can deal with threats coming from above and below. The best place to target would be the captain's cabin at the back of the ship, with the crew's quarters directly below. On the other hand, try not to target that cabin at the front, as it contains the engine room and the kitchen, with the navigator's platform above. With a damaged engine, the ship will fall out of the sky, and any precious cargo that could be recovered from these criminals will be lost. A ship of this size only has a small crew - a captain, a treasurer, a navigator, a cook, an engineer, two cannoneers, and 8 to 16 sailors. On an imperial ship, only an anointed member of the church can serve as the navigator, but pirates are known to hire apostates and savages from the colonies, who use heretical names for the constellations.

Be warned that the crew of the Skyreaver is armed and dangerous, and expect fierce resistance should you come face-to-face with them. But have no mercy, since they surely won't have any for you.