Guild Wars 2

And quite impressive ones.

If I recall correctly, contact got severed when the seas turned crazy and traveling by ship in the area became technically impossible, thanks to zhaitan screwing around with his orrian legos.

So, technically, what is stopping us from flying over the troubled sea to re-establish contact with Cantha?

Trahearne doesn’t want to, I guess.

Well the range might still be a problem. Having airships doesn’t mean they are advanced enough yet to fly across an ocean. In real life the first test flight with an airship was in 1900, the first time on flew from Europe over to Amerika was in 1928. Quite a difference.

Because the fuel, tortured souls of small children, is too expensive. The fight against Zhaitan consumed over 10 000 toddlers, and until the Asura can fully establish their breeding programs for the inferior races, this resource is definitely going to remain scarce.

BuddhaKeks.4857:

Well the range might still be a problem. Having airships doesn’t mean they are advanced enough yet to fly across an ocean. In real life the first test flight with an airship was in 1900, the first time on flew from Europe over to Amerika was in 1928. Quite a difference.

Airships we have are tough enough to take a direct hit from an elder dragon and still remain airborne. I doubt that severe winds and an occasional lightning strike would be a problem.

Gaudrath.6725:

Airships we have are tough enough to take a direct hit from an elder dragon and still remain airborne. I doubt that severe winds and an occasional lightning strike would be a problem.

That was the flagship, the one that was so expensive they can’t reproduce it right now. Besides, being combat ready != being able to cross an ocean. Airships were used for combat in WW1, but they weren’t able to fly across the sea yet.

BuddhaKeks.4857:

Gaudrath.6725:

Airships we have are tough enough to take a direct hit from an elder dragon and still remain airborne. I doubt that severe winds and an occasional lightning strike would be a problem.

That was the flagship, the one that was so expensive they can’t reproduce it right now. Besides, being combat ready != being able to cross an ocean. Airships were used for combat in WW1, but they weren’t able to fly across the sea yet.

Because they were too small, their engines were too weak and they couldn’t carry enough fuel. Now, are you telling me that any of the above is an issue with the big airship?

And it doesn’t matter if we can’t build more. One is enough for establishing contact.

as for range, the distance that Tixx flew in his airship was impresive even though he did stop a few times.

Also keep in mind that the pact now has access to Elona (cause the order of whispers has, they might not share their knowledge on how, but they do share info and resources).

We are however waiting for the next part of the storyline, so basicly time is standing still (except for an Kraken invasion). We don’t know what Anet has in store. but looking at gw1.

in 1072 AE the events from both prophecy’s AND factions occurded in the same year in lore but in real time more then a year had passed.

In short: patience young padawan

Sure, but “time is standing still” doesn’t cut it as a lore reason. Although I suppose the same can be said for my “Zhaitan story is a mess” ™ explanation.

Gaudrath.6725:

Because they were too small, their engines were too weak and they couldn’t carry enough fuel. Now, are you telling me that any of the above is an issue with the big airship?

And it doesn’t matter if we can’t build more. One is enough for establishing contact.

It’s been a while since I played the story, but wasn’t the Pride of Tyria very heavily damaged in the last battle? And why would you send it away on a quest with unclear outcome, if you have still 3 active dragons on the continent and 2 others waiting to make their turn? And how do you know the Pride of Tyria has enough fuel to cross the ocean? It’s bigger yes, but it was build for a rather short range flights, to combat Zhaitan,

BuddhaKeks.4857:

Gaudrath.6725:

Because they were too small, their engines were too weak and they couldn’t carry enough fuel. Now, are you telling me that any of the above is an issue with the big airship?

And it doesn’t matter if we can’t build more. One is enough for establishing contact.

It’s been a while since I played the story, but wasn’t the Pride of Tyria very heavily damaged in the last battle? And why would you send it away on a quest with unclear outcome, if you have still 3 active dragons on the continent and 2 others waiting to make their turn? And how do you know the Pride of Tyria has enough fuel to cross the ocean? It’s bigger yes, but it was build for a rather short range flights, to combat Zhaitan,

If it was built for such a short flight, they might as well scrap it now because unless they plan on bunnyhopping it across Tyria, it is useless.

And yes, it was damaged, but nothing beyond repair. Some stuff knocked off, obviously nothing important for actual travel or it would have crashed.

No, the real reason why they won’t use the Pride to cross oceans is because it needs to be at its dock, ready for the next party of heroes doing Arah story mode. :p

Well, technically..

They whipped up a whole row of Asura Gates in, technically, no time while constructing fort trinity. So no matter how “logistically impractical/expansive/wahetever” it would be to travel between Cantha and back, all it would take to get one ship over there, holding material and a krewe of workers, to slap up a new one over there and we’d be done with it.

The way the pact keeps whining about needing new allies, you’d think they’d be ready to break a leg or two to get over there.

Sure they need allies, but who says Cantha is ready for visitors? They’re a xenophobic continent now, so they’ll probably see an airship as a sign of open war or something >.>
As for the Airships getting there, I think it’s been said that these are battleships, not transport ships. They probably don’t have the fuel to go across a giant ocean.

They are not airplanes. The only reason early airships couldn’t circumvent the globe was that they were too small and frail and their engines couldn’t keep them on course in severe weather.
I think we can all agree that is not the case with the Pride. And since it is an airship, as in a zeppelin, it doesn’t actually need fuel to stay airborne, just for maneuvering and keeping course, much like an ordinary ship.

In other words, you slap some sails on that bad boy and off you go!

Gaudrath.6725:

Because the fuel, tortured souls of small children, is too expensive. The fight against Zhaitan consumed over 10 000 toddlers, and until the Asura can fully establish their breeding programs for the inferior races, this resource is definitely going to remain scarce.

I LOLed at this xD

As for the main topic, maybe now that they’re ready to use, an expedition is planned and that would be the main topic of next expansion.

But as they don’t know anything about the other side since connections were lost, they might wait to consider the risks and be fully prepared for it. They’re recovering from a campaign against an Elder Dragon, that’s too expensive to instantly be ready to cross the ocean with all your resources not knowing what’s waiting you on the other side.

Gaudrath.6725:

Airships we have are tough enough to take a direct hit from an elder dragon and still remain airborne. I doubt that severe winds and an occasional lightning strike would be a problem.

The Glory of Tyria is one-of-a-kind. All those others get knocked out constantly by dragon champions and could be flyswatted by Zhaitan.

But as BuddhaKeks said, combat ready is not the same as long distance travel.

Anyways, to answer the OP, probably because they belong to the Pact and the Pact are focused on fighting Elder Dragons, not re-establishing contact with xenophobic continents that, given the last known state of them, wouldn’t lift a finger except to shout “GET THE kitten OUT OF MY HOME!”

Gaudrath.6725:

If it was built for such a short flight, they might as well scrap it now because unless they plan on bunnyhopping it across Tyria, it is useless.

It pretty much was. During the second instance of The Source of Orr, it’s repeatedly stated that the Glory of Tyria isn’t yet complete, that it hasn’t been test flighted, and probably won’t be ready for facing Zhaitan.

They rushed its development. It’s incomplete and the fight with Zhaitan was its test flight. It’s a prototype – and a shoehorned one at that.

And it probably will be scrapped until improvements on the design can be made.

Gaudrath.6725:

No, the real reason why they won’t use the Pride to cross oceans is because it needs to be at its dock, ready for the next party of heroes doing Arah story mode. :p

Nah, it’ll be ready for Gunnar’s Hold story mode – when they go to face Jormag. And in the fight, it’ll crash into the ocean, into Drakkar who’s sinking all the Sanctuaries with his army of Fins of Jormag dragon champions. After the laser just bounces off of Jormag and he goes “lol mind crush you all” leaving the crew a bunch of bumbling drooling idiots turning into icebrood.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Nah, it’ll be ready for Gunnar’s Hold story mode – when they go to face Jormag. And in the fight, it’ll crash into the ocean, into Drakkar who’s sinking all the Sanctuaries with his army of Fins of Jormag dragon champions. After the laser just bounces off of Jormag and he goes “lol mind crush you all” leaving the crew a bunch of bumbling drooling idiots turning into icebrood.

Don’t worry, it will be like this:
The main cannon of the Pride is restored and loaded with Caladbolg. The Pact than flies to the north and fires the magical infinity +1 sword at Jormag and they hit his weak point for massive damage. Jormag cries “LOL HAX!” and dies.
Everyone cheers, while the camera pans over all major cities in Tyria. The Pact makes a big party in the Woodland Cascades, joined by their new allies the Ewoks, who took out the Icebrood. Trahearne’s force ghost appears before the player and tells him that the OP-ROFL-One-Hit-Sword will always be with him. Also Laser-gunz pew pew.

Edit: If you are wondering were the Ewoks come from, the Pact used it’s highly adavanced ultra airships to travel to Endor and pick them up, since they desperately need allies.

Could’ve just said the Quaggans were the ewoks
And wasn’t Caladbolg stuck in the ground after Trahearne purified Orr? IMO, it’s the new source, so it needs to stay there to keep Orr looking nice

Tixx’s airship was presumably designed for over-land flights. That means you can set down and refuel, fix things or whatever, more or less whenever you like. Flying across a major ocean, you need to be a lot more self-sufficient. Plus, although Gaudrath is…probably…wrong about what they use to fuel the airships, whatever they use they’d likely need a lot of it (and fuel weighs a vessel down!).

Plus, in line with what Mystic Starfish said, I’m not sure Cantha would take kindly to the Pact visiting. More importantly though, why would we visit Cantha? I don’t think there’s anything we want or need in trade, especially with this new alliance and splicing of racial technologies. Tyria has its own problems.

Mystic Starfish.2586:

And wasn’t Caladbolg stuck in the ground after Trahearne purified Orr? IMO, it’s the new source, so it needs to stay there to keep Orr looking nice

This is what I’ve figured.

This combined with the ritual taking a lot out of Trahearne is why he didn’t make it to face Zhaitan, so I figured.

Regarding taking an airship and getting Allies from Cantha and Elona… they kinda have problems of their own that they have to deal with. Elona is under the rule of an evil lich and by all reports starved of food or resources. They MAY want to evacuate, but they may also want to keep their home. And Cantha just hates everyone not Canthan, so they won’t help unless Bubbles washes up on shore, and even then they’ll only fight Bubbles.

As Curuniel says, there’s a big difference between flying overland where you can make regular stops for resupply, and flying across an ocean where you, well, can’t. The Pact airships were intended to fight Zhaitan – it’s quite likely that they weren’t built to go much further than the distance from Lion’s Arch to Fort Trinity.

Well, you could always argue some ultra-scarce fuel, but for the Pride, distance is NOT and cannot be the problem. Why? Because it’s kitten big and can carry massive cargo. So we know it can fly medium distances with a truly massive load (just those guns, nevermind the heavy decking and armor).

So you strip the guns, strip the heavy armor, replace the decking with something lighter, add much bigger fuel tanks and off you go. So arguing technical problems isn’t going to cut it.

However, it could be that, being the only flagship the Pact has, they are simply unwilling to commit it to an uncertain venture.

Speaking of ships, how come we aren’t using regular ones now that Zhaitan isn’t around to maintain his blockade?

I would rather have Cantha and Elona coming at us and reestablishing contact themselves instead of the reverse. Both empires have been able to access to the rest of the world untouched for more than a hundred years and interact with each other. Naval long-range sea travel technologies are more likely to be developed by Cantha and Elona and building Blue Water navies than a completely isolated continent such as Tyria.

Certain technologies are necessary for safe navigation away from the coast. The most well known of these technologies, the compass, will be likely to be invented by Canthans/Elonians. Sure, one can guide their ship thanks to the constellations in the sky but they are not always available. Once you move to the southern hemisphere the sky changes completely. Even a small error can send you hundreds of kilometers away from your destination and cause your death by starvation or pirates. That’s also a reason to develop extremely precise clockwork technologies for navigation. Knowledge about weather is also fundamental. All these technologies could provide the basic ground for various Engineer skills for the Canthan and Elona expansions.

There’s also the issue that Villains often are the ones who make the plot. Villains act, heroes react. I’ve always had issues with the self-contained nature of Guild Wars. The GW writers seems to like to build each continent and even areas, completely separated from the rest. Even in Tyria, we have examples like the Shiverpeaks separating the Charr from the rest of the continent, thus preventing a major widespread of their technologies and making any Charr expansion to the West unlikely and difficult at best. While this was understandable in GW1 since the world was still under development, I think GW would benefit itself if there was a stronger interaction with competing overseas empires. This doesn’t necessarily mean peaceful interaction, Elona and Cantha could be under a Cold War.

Gaudrath.6725:

Speaking of ships, how come we aren’t using regular ones now that Zhaitan isn’t around to maintain his blockade?

You didn’t pay much attention to the beginning of the Lost Shores content did you? There were more ships in the Sea of Sorrows – until the karka threat. Since then though, we don’t know – probably an increase of ships, but due to the lack of new content, we can’t say.

Assuming there’s any updates to Lion’s Arch, we may see something of the like.

But there’s also the two following issues:
1) The threat in the Unending Ocean that drove krait and quaggan to the surface (the Pact seems to know of this threat being an Elder Dragon – they at least know of five active ED – and the quaggan in Timberline Falls says as much).
2) The interest in going elsewhere might not exist.

Yeah, I’d say if we’re looking for allies, there is a lot better chance of finding them much closer to mainland Tyria, aka Elona (assuming there are some people still alive).

Also, given the massive amount of dragon champions seen in the air during the final battle, it may be that it’s simply not safe enough to go anywhere.

Sure, maybe with a 100 airships, but that would be quite a venture and it doesn’t seem like the Pact has much airships to spare on such a ‘pointless’ mission.

And then again, only the Tengu and Humans really know that Cantha exists. The Charr, Norn, Asura and Sylvari have never been there.

I’ve never been to Asia, but I know it exists.

The charr, asura, norn, and sylvari knows that it exist. And modern humans and tengu never been there either.

Narcemus.1348:

Yeah, I’d say if we’re looking for allies, there is a lot better chance of finding them much closer to mainland Tyria, aka Elona (assuming there are some people still alive).

Also Palawa Joko doesn’t seem so bad. I think he is much more likely to join the cause than the Canthan Empire, since the EDs are a direct threat to him and he has a history of being an opportunist.

I do swear, right here and now, that I will find a way to rip that mummy into tiny little pieces and slowly burn each piece to ash. I will not let him slip through my fingers again.

Over my cold dead body! It’s on man!

IMO, Palawa has basically shown he can’t be trusted. Let him stay around, and you and your descendants are always going to be wondering when he’s going to be looking to expand again… until they get an answer.

When it comes to supplies… the cargo carrying volume of those airships is actually pretty small. If you consider whatever fuel they take to run (I’m thinking they’re steam-based, which means coal), food and medicine for the crew, and so on, they’re going to start getting a bit cramped – and the airships are pretty spartan to begin with. I’m sure it would be possible to make airships capable of making that voyage, but those the Pact are using at the moment seem to basically be built specifically for fighting over Orr, not long-range missions.

Narcemus.1348:

I do swear, right here and now, that I will find a way to rip that mummy into tiny little pieces and slowly burn each piece to ash. I will not let him slip through my fingers again.

Not if i have anything to do about it! We brofisted! I helped him out big time and he helped me out quite a bit, we even fought in the Tournament in the Northern Shiverpeaks and he said “Only one other has ever bested me in single combat…and I wish you all the success he enjoyed.”

That means he thinks i’m his bro too!!

No, he wants you to go die in a desert with all who are foolish enough to follow you in a failed attempt at seeking Ascension.

I think the main reason no one is taking an airship to Cantha or Elona for that matter is that there isnt really a good reason to. The main reason Cantha was cut off before was because of the rise of Orr so there isnt anything known to Tyrians stoping them sailing there.

However really there would be little purpose in it. The Pact, or one of the orders, might send an airship or a boat to see if they can find out whats happened to Cantha but most resources would be focused on dealing with things close to home.

Yeah, every time he talks to me it’s about how he’s going to kill me and bring me back as one of his greatest lieutenants. I think the only reason he doesn’t it because if he tried he knows what the results would be. I already took his armies on with my candy corn friends, I can take him! (Not to mention 2 gods and the armies of 3, Lich Lord, Ex-Envoy, 2 Dragon Champions, Mursaat race, Titans, and many other things that thought they could take me on. As my character once said, “Worse foes than you have tried. Now think about that; how did things end up for them?”)

That was the flagship, the one that was so expensive they can’t reproduce it right now.

That, AND it was only very recently built.

Aside from this, the issues with the Dragons have kept Tyrians… preoccupied. And perhaps they simply wish to respect Cantha’s choice to be left alone?

After all, it’s been 250 years for THEM, too. They could easily have advanced in ways to defend their borders. They could even have come up with gunpowder, either independently (they’ve always HAD it, in their fireworks, after all) or somehow or other got their hands on a Tyrian model (unlikely for Cantha due to distance and their isolationism, but possible for Elona; the Order of Whispers is somehow able to maintain ties with their homeland).

And then again, only the Tengu and Humans really know that Cantha exists. The Charr, Norn, Asura and Sylvari have never been there.

That doesn’t mean they don’t know it exists. I mean, I’ve never been outside the U.S. – or even more than a handful of states IN it – but I know there’s quite a wide world out there.

Sylvari are the only ones who might not be aware, simply because they’re only 25 years old as a race. Unless there’s some good reason for the Dream to show them Cantha (unlikely until a time comes when they may actually go there), they won’t know about it except if they hear from others.

Also Palawa Joko doesn’t seem so bad. I think he is much more likely to join the cause than the Canthan Empire, since the EDs are a direct threat to him and he has a history of being an opportunist.

You look at him through the events of Nightfall alone. We didn’t put him back, and he went back to his old job of conquering Elona. And he succeeded.

He conquered all three provinces. He DID kittenhe Elon River, drying up Kourna and much of Vabbi, while giving the Desolation a large lake and even some verdant land now (we’ll have to rename it: I propose “Palawa Joko’s Private Beach”).

Further, he broke the Sunspears. The Order of the Sunspears is gone. The few survivors don’t even dare band together. Well – the few survivors that didn’t join Joko. Some of them DID, and are now called the Mordant Crescent.

Lastly, he holds as prisoner anyone descended from the Ossa lineage. They are his hostages (in the older sense of the word), and live because he lets them.

Palawa Joko is NOT a nice guy. We needed his help, once. But we should have put him back when we were done with him.

(Source for Joko’s doings post-Nightfall: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/The_Movement_of_the_World#Elona )

As my character once said, “Worse foes than you have tried. Now think about that; how did things end up for them?”

Then why didn’t you DO it? Instead, you – at Thorn’s behest – decided to make him angrier!

Cantha is a xenophobic fascist nation. Elona is Orr-squared. Is there any reason to actively seek contact with either?

Ye I want to go to Cantha too but that doesn’t mean my character wants to. There’s plenty of other things that take priority. Once Kralkatorrik is dead, an invasion by Palawa Joko is almost inevitable.

So…let me get this straight. We have teleportation. Instantaneous teleportation that is perfectly safe and harmless. But we can’t make a zepplin that can travel to Cantha? I just…it kind of takes away from the world for me. Come on Asura fairy rainbow magic technology, WORK!

Now…getting Cantha to talk or trade with us and not just shoot ships down…that is the challenge. They are rather xenophobic.

Duke Darkwood.4237:

As my character once said, “Worse foes than you have tried. Now think about that; how did things end up for them?”

Then why didn’t you DO it? Instead, you – at Thorn’s behest – decided to make him angrier!

Because game mechanics would only let me taunt the guy. Believe me if I physically could, I would.

First of all Why send your one and only most powerful airship somewhere else when there are so many threats still close to home. Its as if the germans in WW2 decided to send the battleship “Bismark” on a friendly mission to Japan.

We have
- Jormag advancing from the north
- Distress from branded and ghosts to the east
- The Remnants of the flame Legion(although my personal belief is that the Flame legion has been dealt a crushing blow and will be a lesser threat for a while) to the northeast.
- Centaurs to the west(although this conflict seems to be mostly dealt by the seraph even though it is said their resources are stretched to the limits).
- The risen in the south (Zaithan is dead but the risen need to be cleared form Orr and doubt this can be done overnight)
- Krait in all major provinces adjasant to the sea.

To send the most powerful ship you have in such times somewhere to explore seems plain stupid.

@Gezko, it’d actually be more like Germany during WW2 sending Bismark on a friendly mission to the USA…

Cantha will not like the pact AT ALL due to the whole, they’re led by a sylvari thing and the whole it’s filled with every race thing….

Disig.7169:

So…let me get this straight. We have teleportation. Instantaneous teleportation that is perfectly safe and harmless. But we can’t make a zepplin that can travel to Cantha? I just…it kind of takes away from the world for me. Come on Asura fairy rainbow magic technology, WORK!

Now…getting Cantha to talk or trade with us and not just shoot ships down…that is the challenge. They are rather xenophobic.

Well the magical Asura rainbow makers have to get to their destination in order to create the Stargates for Guardian Jack O’Neill to use. :P

Grand events in history don’t always take the most efficient route.

Atlas.9704:

Disig.7169:

So…let me get this straight. We have teleportation. Instantaneous teleportation that is perfectly safe and harmless. But we can’t make a zepplin that can travel to Cantha? I just…it kind of takes away from the world for me. Come on Asura fairy rainbow magic technology, WORK!

Now…getting Cantha to talk or trade with us and not just shoot ships down…that is the challenge. They are rather xenophobic.

Well the magical Asura rainbow makers have to get to their destination in order to create the Stargates for Guardian Jack O’Neill to use. :P

Jack is a Commando.

Duke Darkwood.4237:

You look at him through the events of Nightfall alone. We didn’t put him back, and he went back to his old job of conquering Elona. And he succeeded.

He conquered all three provinces. He DID kittenhe Elon River, drying up Kourna and much of Vabbi, while giving the Desolation a large lake and even some verdant land now (we’ll have to rename it: I propose “Palawa Joko’s Private Beach”).

Further, he broke the Sunspears. The Order of the Sunspears is gone. The few survivors don’t even dare band together. Well – the few survivors that didn’t join Joko. Some of them DID, and are now called the Mordant Crescent.

Lastly, he holds as prisoner anyone descended from the Ossa lineage. They are his hostages (in the older sense of the word), and live because he lets them.

Palawa Joko is NOT a nice guy. We needed his help, once. But we should have put him back when we were done with him.

(Source for Joko’s doings post-Nightfall: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/The_Movement_of_the_World#Elona )

I never claimed that Joko was a nice guy. He is obviously evil. But in comparison to the EDs he is again the lesser evil. And, as I said before, he is opportunistic enough to ally himself with us. That’s what makes him such an interesting bad guy, unlike pretty much every other villian in the GW franchise.
All I said is that he is more likely to help the Pact than Cantha. And I sure hope that will be the case, just because so many people want to fight him. It’s way funnier to keep on pranking him under the command of the Mad King anyway. :P

Disig.7169:

So…let me get this straight. We have teleportation. Instantaneous teleportation that is perfectly safe and harmless. But we can’t make a zepplin that can travel to Cantha? I just…it kind of takes away from the world for me. Come on Asura fairy rainbow magic technology, WORK!

You kind of need a gate in Cantha to use an asura gate’s teleportation to go there.

And there is none.

To state a few obvious things: Tyrian Airships are clearly not like Zepplins. Even if the metal were enchanted to be as light as balsa wood and the balloons were filled with vacuum, they don’t displace nearly enough air mass to maintain buoyancy (by the same token, Charr choppers are clearly not like Earth helicopters, Tyrian trebuchets are clearly not like Earth trebuchets and don’t even get me started on some of those weapon and armor skins…). Either physics is different in Tyria and/or magic is involved.

We have no idea what Tyrian Airship range is. We don’t know if it can withstand turbulence or crosswinds. We don’t know if the pilots can survive extended periods on board. For that matter, maybe even the builders don’t know. “See how far you can fly out to sea before you crash.” – Not such a good idea.

Any technology made from unobtanium that the creators are smart enough to not specify otherwise has the range of plot, travels at the speed of plot, has the firepower of plot, is as expensive as plot and generally conveniently fits the needs of plot in every possible way.

JohnLShannonhouse.1820:

To state a few obvious things: Tyrian Airships are clearly not like Zepplins. Even if the metal were enchanted to be as light as balsa wood and the balloons were filled with vacuum, they don’t displace nearly enough air mass to maintain buoyancy (by the same token, Charr choppers are clearly not like Earth helicopters, Tyrian trebuchets are clearly not like Earth trebuchets and don’t even get me started on some of those weapon and armor skins…). Either physics is different in Tyria and/or magic is involved.

We have no idea what Tyrian Airship range is. We don’t know if it can withstand turbulence or crosswinds. We don’t know if the pilots can survive extended periods on board. For that matter, maybe even the builders don’t know. “See how far you can fly out to sea before you crash.” – Not such a good idea.

Any technology made from unobtanium that the creators are smart enough to not specify otherwise has the range of plot, travels at the speed of plot, has the firepower of plot, is as expensive as plot and generally conveniently fits the needs of plot in every possible way.

All true. But the sturdiness of the Pride is clearly demonstrated in the fight with Zhaitan. It can stay in the air even when big chunks of it are missing. So yes, maybe it does use toddlers as fuel. But it sure is sturdy enough to weather a storm or a dozen, if it can survive a direct hit from a flying mountain.

Why do you keep calling it Pride – it’s Glory of Tyria. Shesh. :P

But as said time and time again, the Pact isn’t going to be sending their flagship out on a mission of questionable results. Especially when the deep sea dragon (and yes, the Pact does know of it – or of the sixth ED as Trahearne, the Master of Whispers, and your personal story log after Victory or Death all mention fighting five Elder Dragons, and there are quaggan who openly tell that they were forced out of the Unending Ocean by an Elder Dragon (well “by dragons”) in Timberline Falls, so it’s more likely that they know of the DSD than the sixth) – and while the DSD may have hibernated underwater, don’t forget that it’s a dragon and can fly too. It likely has domain over the airspace above the Unending Ocean as well as the ocean’s depths.