Hi Kaine!
I know the elemental Airships in Eberron are controlled by magic, but could the elemental be bargained with, using primordial to be piloted? Running a solo game and thought it was a fun idea. For your home game, you can do whatever you like but in staying true to the setting, elemental ships require a Mark of Storms to pilot. The “arcane scientific basis” of this is largely unknown outside the house, but without the dragonmarked heir, it can’t be controlled.— Merry Wootmas to All! (@RutyWoot) December 18, 2018
However, it is important to differentiate elemental ships (air and sea) from the sky coaches that populate Sharn. Those are held aloft by the manifest zone that Sharn was constructed on top of and aids in its upward expansion. @HellcowKeith might have additional notes. Per the 3.5 Explorer’s Guide, it’s POSSIBLE to control an airship through negotiation, but it’s extremely unreliable; elementals are intelligent but they are extremely alien and difficult to communicate with. So it’s an emergency landing option if your Lyrandar pilot gets killed.
— Keith Baker (@HellcowKeith) December 18, 2018
But as @RutyWoot says: in your home game, do what you want. Perhaps you have a ship with an exceptional elemental that’s easy to talk to. But by canon, the Mark of Storms is the only reliable method. There you have it, older text provides that it is possible but highly improbable, and likely leads to a crash landing. pic.twitter.com/jgg2AZu32t
— Merry Wootmas to All! (@RutyWoot) December 18, 2018
But as @RutyWoot says: in your home game, do what you want. Perhaps you have a ship with an exceptional elemental that’s easy to talk to. But by canon, the Mark of Storms is the only reliable method.
— Keith Baker (@HellcowKeith) December 18, 2018
Oh, and to answer the “bargaining” specifically. The elementals are actually bound by and within Khyber Dragonshards and, from my understanding, remain in a happy self contained ecosystem within akin to a blissful stupor. However, there are activist groups that contend— 1/2— Such a practice is a form of slavery and are making moves to abolish the practice. In any case, direct conversation w/bound elementals wouldn’t be likely, unless the elemental was released from the eldritch machine…and in that case, it could no longer power the elemental ship.
— Merry Wootmas to All! (@RutyWoot) December 18, 2018
Right. The elemental is bound to the core of the ship and is largely unaware of its surroundings.
— Keith Baker (@HellcowKeith) December 18, 2018