Challenger's hydrogen balloon
Type
Vehicle
Secrets
None
Abilities
- •Aerial lift
- •Supports the weight of a man for parachute-like descent
Usage Costs
High risk of uncontrolled ascent or structural failure.
Origin Story
Conceived and constructed by Challenger on the plateau using local materials to facilitate a descent from the cliffs.
Power Source
Free hydrogen gas from a mud geyser
Restrictions
Requires a constant supply of geyser gas and a secure envelope.
Current Status
Destroyed; the membrane shot into the sky after the rope snapped during a demonstration.
Plot Relevance
Represents Challenger's scientific ingenuity and his attempt to solve the isolation of the party.
Evolution Potential
Potential to be fitted with a car for controlled transport.
Physical Description
A gas-filled bag made from the dried and scraped stomach of a great fish lizard, connected to a mud geyser via bamboo canes and clay funnels.
Timeline
Construction of the Balloon
Challenger uses a fish lizard stomach and geyser gas to create an inflated balloon in a palm grove.
The Failed Demonstration
During a test with a basalt weight, the rope snaps and the balloon carries Challenger and Malone briefly into the air before escaping into the sky.
