[quote=Desert Fox]
Oh, and as a question of curiosity, how far is it really in terms of fantasy tech? Sorry, I couldn't really figure it out for myself, but my guess at it is that long range firearms or airships of that sort aren't really in existence, but are slowly coming about. Is that more or less what the tech situation is?
[/quote]

Yes, exactly. Airship and firearm technology are existent, but not now well developed. In fact, at this time traveling by boat is safer and more efficient than by airship in most cases.