Nightmen Technology

Nightmen Technology

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Aerial Craft

Bat-Glider

Aliases: Nightmen flyers, strange bats, bat-things, gliders, fliers

The bat-glider was the primary aerial vehicle of the Nightmen and the most widely deployed craft in their raiding operations. Created by Rhys, the bat-glider was constructed from lighter metals mined from the Nightmen's cavern and was described as smaller, lighter, and nimbler than the larger Nightman troop transport.

Design and Construction

The bat-glider was shaped like a bat, with mechanical flapping wings. Its center was made of metal, while the wings were skin-like in appearance—thin but strong enough to carry three occupants. Black smoke blasted out of the back of the craft during flight. From a distance, bat-gliders were difficult to distinguish from real bats flying through the air. The Nightmen may have copied their wing design from the Giant Bats found in nature, or alternatively may have reverse-engineered elements from The Liliana (Airship).

The craft featured a front piloting area for a single pilot, who was fully clad in black leather with goggles. Behind the pilot sat two passengers in a dedicated passenger area. When turning, the wings straightened into a glide. The bat-glider was capable of swooping downward and back up and could change elevation during flight.

Armament

Passengers aboard bat-gliders operated large slings to hurl explosive bags (see Explosive Bags below) toward targets on the ground or on the decks of airships. Passengers also carried gas lamps to illuminate their view when flying through tunnels.

Operations and Storage

Bat-gliders entered and exited the Nightmen's underground cavern through a mechanically opening and closing auxiliary exit. They were stored in a hangar and dispatch building within the cavern. Several were observed flying in circles near the cavern entrance during routine operations.

In The Blood of Giants

In The Blood of Giants, a dozen bat-gliders participated in the attack on the Zenwey village. During engagements with The Liliana (Airship), two of the smaller bat-gliders were destroyed by cannon fire in the first volley, and three more were destroyed in the second volley. One was caught in the Liliana's turbine blades and destroyed. One pilot was shot and fell from his craft, and the remaining craft crashed into the forest. Two bat-gliders were used in a separate attack on the Liliana, during which both pilots were shot and the craft drifted away.

During the escape from the Nightmen cavern, a squadron of bat-gliders pursued the group through the tunnel. One Nightman stood on the back of a bat-glider and jumped onto the cockpit window of the troop transport. Marina du Willet shot one pilot, causing that craft to crash into another. Several were shot out of the air by the Liliana's cannons and crew. Bat-gliders continued to pose a threat during the subsequent desert battle, dropping explosive bags on a group of commandos and circling the crashed transport. The last of them were shot from the sky by the crew.

On the morning of the escape, the smaller bat-gliders were absent from the hangar, having returned with raiding warriors.

Spoiler: The Crystal ConspiracyClick to reveal

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Nightman Troop Transport

Aliases: the transport, the transport vessel, troop carrier

The Nightman troop transport was a larger, heavier aerial vessel used to carry raiding parties to and from the surface. It was described as a heavy vessel, distinct in structure from The Liliana (Airship), and ran on Aether (Fuel).

Design and Construction

The transport featured mechanical flapping wings, a front piloting area, a back transport compartment, wall fabric, structural posts, and a large ramp for entry and exit. Its outer hull was fabric, which offered little protection; bullets could rip through it. The craft was usually pulled out of compartments before taking flight. It was designed specifically to drop off and pick up raiding parties, as noted in the text: "It's meant to drop off and pick up raiding parties, nothing more."

In The Blood of Giants

In The Blood of Giants, one transport was positioned against the Liliana's hull during battle, placing it where the Liliana's cannoneers could not target it. It was subsequently hit by lava from the volcano and destroyed, its wings still flapping as it burned: "Lava blasted out of the volcano and fully engulfed the Nightmen's vessel behind us, still flapping its wings as its insides burned." It rammed into the Liliana when the lava pushed it further from the volcano.

A second transport was present in the hangar during the escape sequence and was used by the group to flee the cavern. During takeoff it slammed into the hangar ceiling. An explosive bag thrown from the runway blew out its floor. Its cockpit window was punched through and shattered by a Nightman who jumped onto it from a bat-glider. After its engine was damaged, the transport crashed nose-first into the desert sand, with the nose almost entirely buried. The back compartment was subsequently blown to pieces by an explosive bag thrown through the hole in the floor.

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Ground and Siege Technology

Mechanical Catapults

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Weapons

Explosive Bags

Aliases: exploding bags

Explosive bags were the primary offensive weapon deployed by Nightmen aerial and ground forces. They were round bags with feathered tails, hurled by passengers aboard bat-gliders using large slings, thrown by hand, or launched by mechanical catapults. They were described as extraordinarily heavy and were stored in open supply crates in the hangar.

Detonation

Explosive bags required a sufficiently hard impact to detonate: "It must have to hit the ground harder in order to detonate." Upward throws by Nightmen in the tunnel did not generate enough force to trigger detonation. They could also be detonated by being shot. One bag smacked the Liliana's outer hull and fell away without exploding, while another landed on the bridge roof and exploded.

Effects

Explosive bags were capable of destroying wood, blowing apart tree trunks, creating holes in the deck of the Liliana, pushing riflemen overboard, and turning the ground to ash. One explosion sent a Nightman and one of the narrator's riflemen flying toward the volcano.

In The Blood of Giants

In The Blood of Giants, explosive bags were used during the attack on the Zenwey village, multiple engagements with the Liliana, the tunnel chase, and the desert battle. Four explosive bags hit the Liliana's deck during one battle. Zaira von Monocle retrieved two from supply crates during the escape; one was thrown by Zaira and shot by Ethan von Lantern mid-air, exploding in front of pursuing Nightmen. Marina du Willet struck one out of the air with her rifle butt and it fell and detonated in the tunnel. A Nightman on the runway picked up one bag and threw it at the transport, blowing out the floor. During the desert battle, a commando dove on one explosive bag to save the others from its blast, and the explosion turned the ground to ash.

Spoiler: The Crystal ConspiracyClick to reveal

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Riding Creatures

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Origins and Development