Gnome Submarine
by Karl David BrownSubmarines actually have a long history in Mystara. There are rumours of an air filled dome from the days of Blackmore at the bottom of the ocean but to date no one has found it and returned. Submarines of some kind must have enabled the construction of this dome, if t really exists. Ancient writings describe Orchanna’s Fabulous Machine, a fully developed submersible possibly of Blackmoorian origin.
In the modern era there has been at least one submersible built in New New Mistraven in Alphatia. This vessel intended to emulate the capabilities of Orchanna’s Fabulous Machine but perhaps relied to heavily on existing magical items rather than developing mechanical solutions and the vessel fell well short of its stated goal.
This latest version is a collaboration between the gnomes that in previous generations helped build the Ierendi navy and the flying gnome city of Serraine. The idea was to provide a portable aeroplane launch platform to enable greater trade between Ierendi and Serraine. It was made a submersible as a defence against pirates. The submarine itself was constructed in the docks of Filtot by gnomes of The Citadel. The Serraine skygnomes are very secretive about aeroplane construction and the seaplane was undertaken at Serraine. Seaplanes are stored on the flying island and rendezvous with the submarine in the inlet of Filtot when the flying city is above. Trade sorties in the submarine with a mixed crew of sky and sea gnomes then ventures forth.
Sources: Book of Wondrous Inventions (AC11), The Kingdom of Ierendi (GAZ4), speculations at The Piazza.