» Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:31 pm
I think Thalmor are really just a political party, albeit an extreamist militaristic one, and as such, they'd just use similar ships to pre-thalmor Summerset Isles. The only description I know of Altmer ships was by MK. From http://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-michael-kirkbride page:
"Description of an Altmer ship:
Made of crystal and solidified sunlight, with wings though they do not fly, and prows that elongate into swirling Sun-Birds, and gem-encrusted mini-trebuchets fit for sailing which fire pure aetheric fire, and banners, banners, banners, listing their ancestors all the way back to the Dawn.This is Old Mary at Water."
Also in http://www.imperial-library.info/content/wolf-queen-v5, the Psijic order are mentioned using their magic to destroy a Pyandoneon armada, so it can probably be assumed that Altmer battlemages are used in naval warfare. Destruction magic from powerful mages on the decks of ships could use fire based magic to great effect, I imagine.Though It's probably unusual, if not unique for the Psijic to get involved.
In the Father of the Niben, the Altmer sailors are described as using waystones which point in different directions depending on how they're set;
"Second ship, the Pasquiniel, manned by pilot
Illio, was to follow the southern pointing
Waystone; and the third, the Niben, manned
By pilot Topal, was to follow the north-east
Pointing waystone"
They sound like earthly compasses but with magic. A stone that simply points in a set direction sounds less useful than a compass, but would a compass even work on Nirn? Does magnetism work on Nirn? Are the poles magnetic?
Last point is the Sunbirds, which can probably be used in times of war to support the navy, though that's really just speculation.