The Crab and Crane are not the only ones to have a form of airborne reconaissance or combat. The Agasha shugenja of my own clan have developed a framework attached to a large bladder of some strange material. By generating heat within this bladder, it can rise from the ground. Other shugenja can control its movements, giving it an advantage over the kites, apart from being somewhat hardier.
We have yet to put one of these into combat use, although the tests of the original model caused a small panic in the eastern fringes of Unicorn lands.
----------
In RPG terms, the Floating Globe is easy to hit, but almost impossible for a small group to bring down. Otherwise, combat rules similar to those of the Kaiu Battle Kite can be used.
In Clan War, the Floating Globe is treated as being associated with
a unit. The Floating Globe should use the following stats:
TN: 5 (the balloon)/ 9 (the passengers)
Wounds: 1
ATT: +1/0
DAM: +1/0
Strikes: 1
TL: as per associated unit
ML: as per associated unit
Equipment: Katana, Yumi
Honor: 1
Cost: 15
Affliation: Dragon
Special: Maxumum 1 Floating Globe per unit, treated as associated. The balloon has 5 wounds, hit on a 5 through 8 on a to hit roll, with the bushi crewman hit on a 9 or higher (the shugenja heating the air is not counted -- they are too busy to do any other good.) The balloon can rise up to 8" maximum, changing 2" in either direction at a time, and can do this during regular movement. Ranged attacks from the Globe sight over appropriately sized terrain, and ranged attacks against the Globe have their range recreased by 1/4 per 2" of altitude above the firing unit's altitude, to a maximum of 3/4 at 6" and higher. The Globe descends 2" per turn when its wounds are gone, and the crewman (if they live) becomes an individual associated with the unit, with the above stats except for TN 7 (the shugenja is considered eliminated for these purposes). The balloon is left behind if its associated unit ever routs.
Return to the Intelligence Bureau.