The 'Basilisk' Airship [25 x 52] (Patreon)

All assets used are courtesy of CrossheadStudios, used with permission.

It's been said that gazing into the eyes of a basilisk is to gaze upon death itself. Like the creature of lore, the Basilisk airship delivers death to anyone foolish enough to stare into its eyes.

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Broodling / Hatchling Tier Rewards

Dragon Guard / Ancient Dragon Tier Rewards

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Despite its lethality, this ship is fairly small, designed to accommodate a crew of five to eight, though more could easily fit for shorter missions. Agile, bursting with speed and bristling with defenses, the Basilisk makes a fantastic ship for a party of adventurers seeking to save the multiverse from certain annihilation.

To that effect, what good would a captain be without a bridge from which to command their ship? This fairly spacious room needs only the captain and two others to optimally operate, though it never hurts to have an extra pair of eyes on the battlefield, as shown through the local scrying sphere in the center of the bridge.

Moving below deck, one can find the engine, constantly thrumming and pulsing with electricity. Up to three crew members can operate these controls at once if needed, allowing for rapid repairs and surprising staying power in high speed endeavors. Not only does this impressive machine power the thrusters that give the Basilisk flight, but it provides power to the entire ship as well, from the lights to the defenses.

No ship worth its salt could survive long behind enemy lines without a reliable kitchen and mess hall. While cramped, these small rooms are the lifeblood of the ship. Fantastic scents can often be smelled from throughout the ship, beckoning all to come and find its source. Staying true to its namesake, the Basilisk is bristling with weaponry, just itching to deliver swift death to its foes.

One such set of armaments are the various cannons attached to the ship's side, controlled either passively from the bridge, or directly from the attached console. These fire and reload somewhat slowly, but they pack quite a punch in return.

Above deck is where the primary weapons can be found. On either side of the deck, one can find three dual cannons attached to a tread, allowing them to quickly move from side to side to gain the best angle when firing. They also enjoy the protection of a powerful barrier, offering excellent visibility and defense at the same time.

Much like the cannons below deck, these can be operated passively from the bridge, or directly from the cannon's console itself. Each cannon aboard the Basilisk is autoloaded through a mix of magical and technical means, requiring the crew to simply load up on ammunition before setting out, rather than struggling to reload in the midst of a firefight.

In addition to all of this, the ship produces a powerful gravitational field around itself, stabilizing everyone and everything on board, regardless of how wild the journey may become. This is extremely useful for performing intense maneuvers at breakneck speeds, without ever spilling so much as a drop of tea in the process.

With all of this formidable weaponry and defensive capabilities, it's hard to imagine such a modestly sized ship could have much more up its sleeve.

The real reason to fear the Basilisk is the massive twin cannon that sits at the bow of the ship. Surrounded by energy shields, massive chains are attached to the cannon's platform on either side, meant to stabilize it while firing as well as to move it back into place afterwords.

Because of the sheer power of each shot, a short rail leads to a backstop, allowing this behemoth to fire without ripping itself right off of the ship's deck. A large telescope is mounted atop this cannon, serving as both a tool for scouting, and for annihilating targets from a comfortable distance.

While hardly as flashy or fearsome as the cannons that surround it, this modest crane is used to lift and lower cargo from the cargo bay just beneath the trapdoors on the deck. This makes loading and unloading the ship significantly easier. Unlike the defenses around the ship, this can only be operated from the bridge.