Thopter

Gear

On Sihblos, a thopter is any aircraft with vertical flight and hover capability. They are essential to the flotillas: a walker must walk, so tribefolx need easy ways to travel among moving walkers and the stationary settlements, mines, etc. of the wasteland.

Before Farwatch brought aircraft to Sihblos, walkers needed to lower and raise ladders, sledges, and such, using cranes and hoists. Doing this on the move was often very dangerous and unreliable. Thopter tech combines the aerospace tech of Earth with the advanced power-supply tech of Sihblos. Thus, thopter tech is deeply symbolic of the partnership between the Farwatch rebels and the Mother's People.

There is fierce competition and experimentation around building and flying thopters. Many thopters are unique, albeit with some interchangeable parts. Most thopters are little more than engines, power cells, some flight surfaces, a cockpit, and space for passengers or cargo.

Farwatch also brought standardized shipping containers. The Mother's People absolutely love shipping containers. Thopters are loosely categorized by how many containers they can carry. For example, a "no-can" is a thopter too small to carry a container. (A standard can is 8'x8'x20'.)

Taking off or landing on a moving walker would be an extraordinary challenge on a calm day. On Sihblos, flying conditions range from "clear but with strong winds" to "complete white-out" to "wild magic thunderstorms." Most thopters are designed to glide and flex, rather than challenge the elements. Similarly, thopter pilots learn to ride chaos, or they crash and die.