Shard Concept Art (Patreon)

"Early designs of the Drake can rightly be said to be the template from which all other designs were born.

Though the original variant's air-frame was made of lacquered wood, it wasn't long before advances in elemental alchemy allowed the creation of variants with aluminum fuselages. Leading to many jokes about coating even later designs in gold.

Slower, but sturdier than the wooden designs that preceded them, the new Drake variants were for a time all-but invulnerable to enemy bolt-bow fire - with only a direct hit to the cockpit being the only real means of downing them.

An advantage that was used to great effect in repelling early incursions by both Lunite and Solite reclamation forces from the Elven homeland.

Over time, the Drake's reputation for invincibility has been somewhat diminished with the growing proliferation of enchanted-ammo-belts, but the variant still remains a workhorse design amongst many Lindholmian noble houses.

One of the main criticisms of the design is its rather lackluster armament, with only two aether-powered 20mm repeater cannons mounted in the nose. A deadly armament in a time where it was the only aluminium skinned beast in the skies, but decidedly lackluster in the modern age."

- Artwork by Fortune Clement.