A Large Undertaking

[*Xndar]

Away from the prying eyes of the general public, deep within the Great Foundry, lies a large workshop; one that has seen little activity for a year or more. Now, however, an abundance of activity has once again flooded its halls. Large scaffolds are being erected in its central workstation by a team of muscular Namers, while the weapons testing sites are cleared of any lesser prototypes in preparation for enough testing, explosions and damage to fulfill a gnomish tinkerer's wildest dreams.

In the center of it all is the ever-busy Factor Sixthfinger, who frequents the studio between hours at the Harbinger House, littering its chalk boards with complex diagrams and tearing through rolls and rolls of parchments producing strange designs. The purpose of it all is a mystery for the moment, but it is odds on that it will not remain so for very long, at least within the Faction.

[*Xndar]

While the larger scaffolding continues to be constructed, work already proceeds apace on a possibly related weapons design project. Using special designs of her own, Maelfina attempts to scale up the concepts applied in the Mechanus Gear Repeating Crossbow to an Arbalest, or Light Ballista. Being a relatively complex process, she works on this herself.

((Craft Weapon Mod is 44, so presuming she is taking her time and thus can take 20, would be working with 64))

Meanwhile, her assistants work on crafting specialized bolts for such an arbalest, experimenting with materials and delivery systems for gasses and alchemical weapons.

[*Xndar]

At last, the scaffolding is completed, with the finished result being large enough to surround an Adult Red Dragon (upper limit of the Huge size category). Seemingly with perfect timing, shipments of materials begin to flood into the workshop, chief of which seem to be literal tons of iron.

Gnomish aviators, as well as any Namers with even the slightest expertise in nautical ship design are gathered together to give a series of lectures on ship design, while Factor Sixthfinger and any interested factioneers listen and take notes. Meanwhile, in the background, the worker ants of the workshop perform maintenance on the roof doors, making sure all of the hinges are well oiled and the pulleys in working order.

As the lectures continue, large design drawings begin to litter the workshop walls, at first offering wildly differing designs of what is (usually) obviously an airship, or 'jammer of relatively small size. Gradually, the differing designs begin to slowly become more and more alike as the best ideas are absorbed and tweaked by Factor Sixthfinger.

Those fellow Godsmen who wish to contribute to the project are, of course, allowed to do so, but are reminded that the Factor has the final say on the creative direction of the project. Those inquiring as to who is funding this project and what its overall purpose might be are told (with varying degrees of politeness depending on the insistence of the questioner) that it is none of their business.

((Any Godsmen wishing to post here should feel free to do so, keeping in mind the last bit above.))

[*MimiFearthegn]

The lectures on ship design prove moderately popular with namers and factotums of the Foundry, and some of them even volunteer for the project.

//And we can assume that 64 was a high enough craft check to build an improved ballista.

[*Xndar]

The lectures continue at Factor Sixthfinger's behest, while the shape of the ship slowly takes form on the countless slate boards surrounding the scaffolding. The ship is slender, with a low profile and rigging built to control metallic sails with the shape and function similar to the various fins of a fish. The deck is half enclosed, with a wide view port and standard turret mount for the repeating arbalest.

[*Xndar]

Finally, construction is ready to begin on the ship. Namers with some skill are divided up into work groups headed by Factotums, each tasked with forging specific parts of the ship's reinforced frame. Unskilled Namers are directed to begin the mass production of the ship's outer hull and its plating, while the most skilled Factotums (and most sane gnomes) construct and test the application of the Factor's rigging and sail designs.

After making sure that this first stage of construction is well in hand, Factor Sixthfinger leaves the workshop to attend the Faction Summit. A burly fire giant Factotum by the name of Bjorl is appointed project foreman in her absence, with strict instructions to prevent the gnomes from causing any unnecessary mayhem.

((According to the source material provided by the official Beyond the Moons Spelljammer website, the ship is being designed with the following specs in mind:

Tonnage: 2 Tons
Frame: Iron, Extra-Heavy
Hull: Iron
Deck: Partial Enclosure
Rigging: Solid (Iron), Standard
Armor: Iron Plating
Ram: None
Shears: Yes
Interior Space:
-Frame: .4 Tons
-Helm Room: .75 Tons
-Cramped Crew Quarters (4 Medium-Sized Crew Members): .6 Tons))

[*Xndar]

Once the reinforced frame is mostly complete, work begins on putting together the ship's helm room and crew quarters. The rooms are built externally and as self-contained modules that, when complete, can be lowered into the ship frame. Both the crew quarters and the helm room reflect utility over decor and function well over form. Where creativity and ingenuity enter into the room designs, it is in the form of making the most of the limited space available.

The gnomish contingent of the Godsmen engineers occupy themselves quite happily with designing some manner of waste removal system more efficient than throwing chamber pots into wild space.

[*Xndar]

With the room modules complete and firmly secured into the reinforced frame of the ship, the work crew sets about assembling the hull and rigging equipment. A shell of reinforced iron begins to crawl across the metal lattice-work of the ship's frame as Factor Sixthfinger personally supervises the assembly and design of the ship's metal rigging.

[*Xndar]

After the bottom portion of the hull has been put into place, production begins on the ship's 'shears'. Four blades in total are designed and forged, all curved like the blades of a scythe or falx. Two blades of of equal length are forged for the front and rear portions of the ship's underbelly, while two longer blades are affixed to the middle portion, all with their blade tips curved toward the front of the ship.

[*Xndar]

The final stages of production seem to be well under way at this point. Basic cots, a table for the map/helm room, and a stack of un-marked vellum scrolls for map-making and log-books are bustled into the workshop and installed in the appropriate rooms inside the nearly-complete jammer.

Repeating arbalests are installed on the deck; one facing forward, and one facing each side. The arbalests, not heavy enough to require their own turret mounting systems, are fitted into ball-sockets built into the deck's rails, allowing for limited movement and aiming of the weapon system.

Finally, a raised roof is lowered onto the deck and attached to the forecastle. Pillar-like gaps between the roof and the deck allow the arbalests, and whatever archers might man the jammer, to see and strike in all directions while offering some cover and protection for both crew and ship alike.