Museum Alerreth

Museum Alerreth is near the center of Ta'Illistim, due east of Briarstone Court on the northwest point of Caeruil Arch. The museum covers Elven history in general, not only Illistim or airship history. While the museum has a permanent collection of artifacts which were donated by various prominent families of the royal court, there are also temporary exhibits on the top floor which come on loan from other institutions. The Hanesyddol Museum of Ta'Loenthra was most recently exhibited a showcase entitled: "Glyptics, Seals and Intaglios: Selections from the Hanesyddol Museum of Ta'Loenthra." It contains a wide range of symbolic artifacts, ranging from ancient Vylem relics of Eorgina worship, to a signet ring of the Faendryl Patriarch Unsenis Ignaas that was made prior to the Battle of Maelshyve.

Museum History

The building was originally constructed as a depot to bring airship travel within the city of Ta'Illistim. It was the first construction project of Argent Mirror Caladsal Illistim, a descendant of Alerreth Nellereune, who was a patron of the nascent industry in general. She wished to improve sky access to the average Illistim, essentially a mode of public transport. Unfortunately, the Sea Elf War wrecked the original intent, making it a security threat. The infrastructure of the airship industry moved out of the city, and never returned, even after the threat of war settled down. Though some reports say the depot was commissioned in -1,562 Modern Era (47,545 Illistim), this date is wrong, off by almost exactly two thousand years.

The depot was re-purposed several times through its history. It was once a music hall, an indoor market place, and even a hospital for wounded soldiers under the policies of Irinara. It was most recently a secondary storage facility for the Library Aies, but was closed for several hundred years and fell into disrepair. The Illistim abhor an eyesore, whatever their historical conceits. Concerns of "structurally unsound" were raised, which led in turn to a demolition order.

The Trustees of the Library Aies attempted to save the building as a work of historical preservation. The Argent Mirror Myasara was eventually convinced by their arguments, and so ordered a major renovation project in 5,110 Modern Era (54,217 Illistim), in conjunction with opening Ta'Illistim Green as a public space between major city landmarks. Part of this arrangement was severing the site from the auspices of Library Aies, making Museum Alerreth its own entity, with its own council of overseers on behalf of the state. The Overseers of the Museum Alerreth hold the museum in trust for the citizens of Ta'Illistim. Caylio Javilerre was particularly notable in these respects.

Museum Artifacts

The museum entrance is dominated by a giant verdigris medallion hanging over the promenade, which houses an enormous horologe within the lozenge. It hangs against the enormous glass wall of the building, which gives a wide view of the city Ta'Illistim. While the ceiling would have originally been open for airship purposes, this has been replaced with glass panels, which are small and rectangular to give the sky a mosaic quality of being built from compositional elements.

Airships

Airship Models

The Ilyan Cloud

>look at model (veniom-gilded airship model)
The exterior of the model ship is gilded with paper-thin sheets of veniom, illustrating the plating found on the real vessel's hull. Her masts are straight and her sails unfurled and permanently filled with wind. Next to the ship is a small plaque.

>read model
In the Common language, it reads:
The Ilyan Cloud, an airship of Loenthran origin, owes many of its design elements to earlier airships of Illistim design. The large masts, multi-part sails and wide decks are still common on Loenthran airships, though those elements fell out of favor with modern Illistimi shipwrights, who prefer a more streamlined vessel.

The Foehn's Promise

>look miniature (brass-trimmed airship miniature)
The model ship is shown in cutaway, exposing her many interior rooms and chambers. Each is rendered in tiny detail, down to miniature signs and wares. Next to the ship is a small plaque.

>read miniature
In the Common language, it reads:
The Foehn's Promise, though elven in origin, bears many stylistic debts to the airships of the Turamzzyrian Empire. The use of dark woods and brass, as well as the channeled system of interior chambers, is human in derivation.

The Coruscated Pearl

>look replica (pearlescent airship replica)
The small vessel is shaped like a teardrop. Her wide gallery, at stern, is glassed with iridescent panes and her hull entirely clad in white veniom. The figurehead at her prow is a shield bearing the peacock and scroll of House Illistim, rendered entirely in pearl and ivory. Next to the ship is a small plaque.

>read replica
In the Common language, it reads:
The Coruscated Pearl is a personal-class vessel, commissioned by Argent Mirror Myasara. Designed to house the Argent and a small coterie of court members and advisors, the Pearl can serve as both a quiet refuge and a mobile version of the Argentate, if necessary.

Airship Equipment

Compass of the Leaf On the Wind

>look compass (oversized compass)
The compass is plated in silver. It stands atop three stubby feet, with a clear glass dome placed over the top of its carved face. The cardinal directions are marked out with elongated crystal points, one of which is blackened, burnt and cracked. Next to the device is a small plaque.

>read compass
In the Common language, it reads:
This compass was recovered from the wreckage of the Leaf On the Wind, a large passenger-class airship lost during the Second Nalfein-Turamzzyrian War. The ship was brought down by Turamzzyrian forces who suspected it of transporting enemy troops. The captain of the Leaf offered Turamzzyrian soldiers entry to search the ship, but failed to disclose all of his cargo, which included several compartments of refugees. The refugees were discovered, the crew was executed and the captain taken prisoner.

Steerage Globe

>look globe (glass steerage globe)
The glass bubble has a clear exterior shell, through which is visible its roiling interior of bluish gas. Small protrusions of crystal pierce the sphere, forming a random pattern. Next to the object is a small plaque.

>read globe
In the Common language, it reads:
Early steerage globes, originally designed by Alerreth Nellereune and his workshop, were beautiful devices, but limited. This example, from a later period, is a refinement of Alerreth's concepts. The globe is filled with a mixture of alchemical gasses and sealed. The crystalline shards that pierce the sphere transmit energy between the interior gasses and the hand of the pilot, allowing for navigation. Modern steerage globes take the process a step further, bonding a sphere to a primary user.