Wilg
| Wilg | |
|---|---|
| Type | Airship |
| Creators | Southern Scadrians |
| World of Origin | Scadrial |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“Waxillium must have Pushed, for the room shook, then rose into the air. They weren't in a room at all, but in a small boat that could detach from the main vessel. ”
—Marasi's thoughts as Wilg launched[1]
Wilg is a small Southern Scadrian airship. It is an example of a class of ships known as skimmers[2] and serves as a tender of the larger Malwish airship Brunstell.[1]
Appearance and Function[edit]
Wilg is a small ship, approximately six feet wide and twice as long, with a flat bottom. It fits seamlessly into the hull of the Brunstell like a drawer in a dresser, and can be accessed through a trapdoor inside the larger ship. It can be deployed by pulling a lever that mechanically pushes it on a "shelf" out of the side of the Brunstell's hull.[1][3] It has a seating compartment, similar to an automobile, with a glass windshield and sides open to the air. Passengers sit in a few chairs that are bolted to the floor.[1] Larger airships can hold skimmers from other vessels,[4] although it is unclear if they fit neatly into different hulls.
“What, you think Wilg flies on clouds and dreams? ”
The ship is able to fly through the use of Allomancy. A Coinshot holds handles that are strapped to the floor and Pushes downwards on a metal plate underneath the ship to take off. Additionally, passengers use Southern Scadrian medallions that include iron to reduce their weight, like a Skimmer Ferring.[1] Once in the air, a large fan powered by ettmetal is used to keep the ship aloft. The ettmetal is activated using a primer cube and is configured to steelpush the fans to make them spin.[1][3] Pontoon-style wings with additional fans drop into place on the sides of the ship to provide forward thrust and steering.[1] The pilot has a set of levers to control the speed of each fan,[3] and passengers can adjust their weight with Feruchemical iron to further control the ship's altitude.[1] It is capable of hovering in place, if needed.[5] The ship's small size allows it to be pushed around by wind, resulting in a fairly rough ride, and landing is particularly difficult.[3][6]
Skimmers move slower than a train, but knowledge of local wind conditions can help pilots take efficient routes. A ship like Wilg typically carries enough ettmetal to fly for a few days; a Coinshot could theoretically Push the ship's fans to power them, but this would require a constant supply of steel.[2] The ship is only intended to hold six or fewer passengers, plus their supplies.[3] Spare medallions are typically kept on board for emergencies, including those with the powers of duralumin, iron, and brass.[1][7]
History[edit]
“I don't even speak my own [language] that well. But I’m trying. Seems like a good skill for a skimmer pilot to have, since it’s often my job to pilot Wilg and take people between ships or towers.”
—Allik[2]
In the Malwish homeland, Wilg was regularly piloted by Allik Neverfar. Its primary purpose was transporting people between larger ships and towers. Allik noted that airship crew members were expected to be more genteel than their seagoing counterparts.[2]
In 342 PC, Wilg was aboard the Brunstell during the Malwish mission to find the Sovereign's temple led by Jordis. It survived the crash of the Brunstell and remained in the ship in Dulsing. Despite the Set's research of Brunstell, Wilg remained fully operational, and when Wax and Wayne's team rescued Telsin and the imprisoned Allik, he led them to the hidden tender and the group was able to escape the area.[1]
During the initial journey on Wilg, Wax and Marasi asked Allik about the ship's technology; they learned about ettmetal and unsealed metalminds, both previously unknown outside of Southern Scadrial.[3][2] Telsin surreptitiously watched Allik operate the ship to make sure she knew how it worked.[8] Wax realized that Edwarn would be heading for the temple, and Allik piloted Wilg into the mountains, eventually landing near the temple.[3][5] The group hoped to quickly find the Bands of Mourning and then escape on Wilg,[9] but Edwarn and the Set found the ship and moved it closer to the temple.[10][8] Edwarn's team was able to launch the large Hunter airship that had been abandoned at the temple site years before; Telsin scrambled to find Wilg but she was shot by Wayne.[8] Wax thought Jordis would want to take Wilg back to the Brunstell, but when he tried to find it, he discovered that Telsin had managed to survive the shooting and flee on the skimmer.[4]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j The Bands of Mourning chapter 20#
- ↑ a b c d e f The Bands of Mourning chapter 22#
- ↑ a b c d e f g The Bands of Mourning chapter 21#
- ↑ a b The Bands of Mourning chapter 30#
- ↑ a b The Bands of Mourning chapter 23#
- ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 31#
- ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 28#
- ↑ a b c The Bands of Mourning chapter 29#
- ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 24#
- ↑ The Bands of Mourning chapter 25#