[h2][center]Holy Empire of Vigentino[/center][/h2]
[center] [i][b]2nd of August, 1905[/b][/i] [/center]

The Escya I moved through the air like a ship through calm waters. The cabin only vibrated slightly, despite the eight powerful Forino engines that pushed it through the air. The whirring blades were nothing but a low hum within the comfort of the carriage. 

The carriage was luxurious despite it’s size, a long table, lain with a carefully pressed, white tablecloth, five rocks glasses, a crystal decanter of whiskey and an ice bucket. Five chairs were set up around the table, and three of them were taken.

Diedi Falier, the tall, angular faced Minister of Transport, and one of the men freshly returned from the dealings with Steiner Meustadt, sat back in his chair, thin mouth curved into a slight smile as he absent-mindedly swirled the whiskey in his glass.

Cosimo Barbazini, the eccentric business owner who had amassed a fortune over the years, investing in industry across the breadth of Vigentino, was a short, stocky figure, thick moustache over his lip and bright eyes looking out from behind a small pair of glasses. He had carefully watched the arrival of the Escya Skyships and he had taken a keen interest, already deep in conversation with the man sitting beside him. 

Jaako Pentti had come to Vigentino in the stead of Julian Kaplan, who was a renowned introvert and preferred the solitude of his workshop, despite his brilliant mind. Jaako was a gifted engineer, and he had been at Julian’s side since the first Escya Skyship had been designed. He was intently listening to Cosimo’s questions, smiling as he thrilled at sharing his love for air travel. 

The last man seated in the cabin was not sat at the table, but instead sat before a bank of machinery and controls, hands carefully moving across the instruments as his eyes constantly glanced at the engines, and at the balloon itself, carefully steering the ES-1 over the grasslands outside Cogoli.

The two remaining figures in the carriage were stood at the wide windows, looking out across the stunning views, beautifully bathed in golden light by the setting sun. 

Cenni Callocci was a handsome man, his beard and hair carefully managed, skin bronzed by his years in the sun and dark eyes flashing as he looked out through the window. A self-made man, Cenni had spent much of his youth in his father’s humble workshop, learning the skills and proving himself to be a natural engineer. After taking over his father’s business, Cenni had only expanded it, becoming a very wealthy man in the process. Skyships were his new obsession, and he had been the one to push for Vigentino to invest.

At Cenni’s side, clutching his arm, was his wife, the stunningly beautiful Maria. Blonde hair hanging loose, and wearing a dress of the latest fashion, Maria was the picture of beauty, but she was far from uneducated. It had not been Cenni’s wealth that drew Maria to him, for she knew him and loved him before he made his fortune. It was his mind that attracted her, and behind the scenes, it was Maria’s ruthless mind that ran their business, while Cenni busied himself constantly tinkering and inventing. 

The carriage contained some of the greatest driving forces of the burgeoning Vigentino Skyship Industry, and as the ES-1 gently touched down a mile outside of Cogoli, there was an undeniable sense that this was only the beginning of something great.

[img]http://www.modelairplanenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/lz2.jpg[/img]
[i]ES-1 moving over Cogoli Lake[/i]

[b][u]+1 to August Orders[/u][/b]