Pillar Of Horns

Category	voidships
Class	battleship, unique
Builder	Gúrkúm-Ghak
Naval Base	Gholím
Commissioned	12 Kindle 1829
Owner	Ba'lith

Pillar of Horns is a void battleship of the Ba'lith Empire. Constructed at the naval yard Gúrkúm-Ghak, the construction of this sail-less, pillar-shaped behemoth spanned 12 years. Its 520-foot-long dacite hull is supported by a steel frame, measuring approximately 140 feet in diameter, though it is not a complete cylinder. The main deck features extensive open areas surrounded by small towers, blockhouses, and six three-level iron fighting platforms known as Ribcages. The ship's hull is protected by numerous protrusions, designed to deter enemy vessels from approaching too closely.

The vessel is equipped with rotating bands that can maneuver the gun turrets around its midsection. These Arconulous Bands allow the gun platforms to rotate constantly, similar to the wheel of a watermill, with one platform firing while another readies to take its place. This mechanism also enables the weapons to engage enemy vessels approaching from angles that typical cannons may struggle to target. Ordinarily, these sharp angles would be blind spots, the vulnerabilities of airborne ships. The Arconulous Bands were invented to overcome this weakness. The Pillar has 30 cannons on each of its two Arconulous Bands, with the cannons spaced 15 feet apart, covering a band circumference of 440 feet.

The ship's remaining armaments, numbering between 150 to 250, are distributed across its seven lower decks or situated around the main deck. The Pillar boasts an impressive arsenal, possessing up to five times the firepower of its closest rival, a Class A Pyramid of Set. Complementing its light and medium cannons, the Pillar is also equipped with knell cannons.

The construction of this colossal vessel (the only other voidship surpassing it in size is an Abhômaipeth Mothership ) was an extraordinary accomplishment, though an exceedingly expensive one. To finance this endeavor, Ba'lith's emperor, Raxcvillibus, obtained a loan from the Bank of Paradomea.

The hull of the vessel is constructed from dacite panels. These are replaceable sections of armor that are affixed to the ship's skeletal framework. The panels are meticulously crafted and shaped through the use of magic. This intricate forging process is undertaken by earth elementals and earth archons - masters in the art of stonework.

The Pillar features several vertical access shafts that extend from the main deck to the cargo hold. By sliding down ropes, the crew can access the vessel's seven decks much more rapidly than traversing flights of stairs. When not in use by personnel, these shafts facilitate the movement of equipment and supplies throughout the ship.

The Pillar features several normally inaccessible side passages that provide access to the vessel's maintenance zones. Additionally, the ship contains a number of concealed access tunnels dispersed throughout its interior.

The Pillar of Horns is a formidably armed, heavily fortified battleship capable of decimating castles, armies, and other vessels with remarkable ease.

Zenêrik, Ba'lith Ambassador to Paradomea

The Pillar of Horns initially saw combat on the Cinazan Front. Under the command of Captain Rax, the Pillar's inaugural hostile maneuver was an assault on Avalê.

On 7 Witchrite 1832, the Pillar deployed an Entropy Arch into the city Sapthiladân. This precipitated the Flux Pact 's subsequent seizure of the city.

The Pillar of Horns serves as the flagship for the empire Ba'lith. At the behest of Emperor Rax, it stands apart from Ba'lith's military chain of command, regarded as a personal asset of the Ba'lith emperor rather than a vessel under the navy's purview.

The vessel has been described as a blend of ornate and austere. The designers sought to incorporate more grandeur, crafting something of magnificence for the people of Ba'lith. The substantial cost of building a ship of this scale ultimately restricted the expenditure on elements that Emperor Raxcivillibus deemed frivolous and unsuitable for a warship. From the ground, one of the most prominent decorative features is the menacing bull's head carved into the ship's aft. At times, as a form of punishment, crew members are suspended on ropes far above the ground as the voidship traverses the skies, tasked with cleaning and polishing a massive carving across nearly a hundred dacite armor plates. Some corridors of the vessel feature elaborately carved wood panels, and there are staircases and bulwarks with ornate shapes. The main deck houses a number of more appropriate decorations in the form of battle trophies, such as the pickled and magically preserved head of the dragon Ziist'maar, mounted near the bow and facing inward towards the main deck. A talon of the Harbinger of Chaos is mounted on each of the ship's six Ribcages, and a Lightning Pillar looted from the ancient Talos temple Ottaki serves as a decorative support beam for the Pillar's Rear Arconulous Band.

Statistics

Trait	Value
Hit Points	unknown
AC	unknown
Size	520' long, 140' diameter at Arconulous Bands, 100' otherwise
Engine	energy converter, gem-crusher, Sphere of Arcane
Speed	30 knots
Crew	1,000+
Cost	6,500,000 GP

The Pillar of Horns uses Ba'lith naval signals along with a few of its own which were added to due to the ship's great size.

Pillar of Horn's Signals

Signal Type	Meaning
Yellow and Black Flag	threat

Cannon Round Codes

Round Type	Code
Piercing	#1
Explosive	#2
Smoker	#3
Incendiary	#4