SOMASA

"An airship built by the followers of the Great Bolko."
-- Booklet 052

The SOMASA is a cylindrical atmospheric airship constructed by the Arcanians, a fanatical monastic order loyal to the Great Bolko, on the island of Saryfa on the planet Rorqual. Originally built as a ceremonial or strategic vessel for the Order, it was commandeered by David terGorden and his companions during a daring escape from Arcanian captivity in 2587. The SOMASA became the Terranauts' sole means of traversing the turbulent and war-torn skies of Rorqual during the desperate search for the seeds of Yggdrasil -- a journey that would end in mutiny, aerial attack, crash, betrayal, and the airship's ultimate destruction in the Valley of the Green Flowers.

The SOMASA's single voyage, chronicled primarily in Booklet 052, is one of the most harrowing overland expeditions in the saga, combining the perils of a pre-industrial world with the cosmic stakes of the Terranauts' struggle to restore Driver Space Travel.

Specifications

Overview

The SOMASA is a product of Rorqual's unique technological constraints. Because Rorqual exists within Space II, where a PSI-suppression field blocks Driver abilities and advanced technology is scarce, the planet's civilizations operate at a pre-industrial level. Metal is the most precious commodity, and transportation relies on sailing ships, beast-riding, and -- in rare cases -- lighter-than-air craft. The Arcanians, the monastic order that controls Saryfa, devoted significant resources to constructing the SOMASA, a cylindrical airship capable of sustained atmospheric flight.

The airship's cylindrical design distinguishes it from the only other known balloon craft on Rorqual: the improvised hot-air balloon built by Justin O'Broin during the Terranauts' first exile on the planet (Booklet 016). The SOMASA represents a more sophisticated engineering effort, suggesting the Arcanians possessed technical knowledge or resources beyond most of Rorqual's feudal societies.

Two former members of the Great Bolko's Order -- Martion and Woldan -- played key roles in operating the vessel after its capture, with Martion teaching the crew how to operate the airship and Woldan serving as helmsman.

Crew

The SOMASA's crew was assembled ad hoc following its commandeering from the Arcanians. It comprised Terranauts, rescued shipwreck survivors, and former members of the Great Bolko's order.

Command & Operations

Terranauts Aboard

Rescued Survivors & Passengers

History

Construction by the Arcanians

The SOMASA was constructed on Saryfa, an island on Rorqual controlled by the Arcanians, a fanatical monastic order serving the Great Bolko. The Arcanians devoted their resources to building this cylindrical airship, the most advanced aerial craft known to exist on Rorqual. The exact purpose for which the Arcanians originally built the SOMASA is not specified, but the Order's authoritarian control over Saryfa and their willingness to sacrifice outsiders suggest it may have served military, ceremonial, or strategic purposes.

Commandeering and Escape from Saryfa (2587)

When David terGorden, Thorna, Marcel d'Guinne, and other companions washed ashore on Saryfa after their two-master was destroyed by a Roulian (a whale-like creature), they were captured by the Arcanians, who planned to sacrifice them. During the sacrifice ceremony, David and Marcel incited a revolt among the captives and other dissidents, including former members of the Order such as Martion and Woldan. The rebels seized the SOMASA and launched it into the stormy skies, escaping the island (Booklet 051).

The initial flight was chaotic -- the airship was caught in a storm and crashed, though it remained operable enough to continue its journey in the subsequent events of Booklet 052.

The Long Journey North (2587)

Once airborne and clear of Saryfa, David terGorden felt a subconscious pull northward -- a psychic connection to Yggdrasil guiding him toward the Valley of the Green Flowers, where the seeds he sought were located. Under Marcel d'Guinne's piloting, the SOMASA navigated the turbulent atmosphere of Rorqual, flying over the Northern Sea.

Rescue of the STURMVOGEL and HYBRIS Survivors

During the overwater crossing, the SOMASA encountered two sinking sailing vessels -- the STURMVOGEL, belonging to Collyn, and the HYBRIS, belonging to Guy LaRamee. The airship rescued survivors from both ships, significantly increasing its passenger complement. Among the rescued was Toland Ryker, whose aggressive demeanor and demands for safe passage would soon create a crisis aboard the vessel.

The Mutiny

The influx of survivors, combined with dwindling resources and conflicting objectives, created explosive tensions. Toland Ryker, the former General Manager of the Music-Minus-One Corporation who had been reduced to a common sailor on Rorqual, seized on the discontent and led a mutiny against David and the Terranaut crew. A fierce battle erupted aboard the airship. The mutiny was ultimately suppressed -- Ryker was thrown overboard -- but the fighting cost lives and damaged the vessel.

The Black Mountains and the Green Pass

Continuing northward, the SOMASA encountered the Black Mountains, a formidable mountain range blocking the route to the valley David sought. With the help of Elmo Vandervort, a superstitious but skilled hunter who possessed intimate knowledge of the mountain terrain, the crew located the Green Pass, a narrow defile through the range.

Attack of the Raven-Birds

As the SOMASA threaded through the Green Pass, it was attacked by swarms of raven-like birds -- aggressive aerial predators native to the mountains. The attack resulted in casualties among the crew and further damage to the already battered airship.

Crash in the Valley of the Green Flowers (2587)

The SOMASA, damaged by the mutiny and the raven attacks, crashed in the Valley of the Green Flowers -- the very destination David had been seeking. The valley proved to be the home of the Helpers, an ancient race connected to the World-Trees, and contained a mammoth tree linked to Yggdrasil.

Encounter with the Helpers

After the crash, David terGorden met Yella, a member of the Helpers, who revealed the history of the World-Trees and the Helpers' role in shaping cosmic civilizations. She also warned David that a traitor lurked among his companions.

Betrayal and Destruction

Yella's warning proved prophetic. Nordstrom, who had traveled aboard the SOMASA as a trusted Terranaut and Driver, was in fact a Shadow agent -- a covert operative of the Gray Guards. After the crash, Nordstrom revealed his true allegiance, stealing the seeds of Yggdrasil and a map critical to the Terranauts' mission. In the ensuing attack, Yella was mortally wounded. With her dying breath, she spoke the words "The Great Abyss" -- a cryptic reference that would drive the next phase of the Terranauts' quest.

The SOMASA was destroyed in the aftermath of these events, leaving the surviving crew stranded in the Valley of the Green Flowers without means of aerial transport.

Key Events

Appearances

The SOMASA is also referenced in the IDEAS" class="text-slate-dim hover:text-cream/80 transition-colors border-b border-dashed border-white/10 hover:border-white/20">STORYIDEAS file as one of six ships proposed for an anthology concept ("The Ships of the Terranauten"), alongside the GDANSK, MIDAS, BELFAST, FUGGER, and JAMES COOK -- testifying to its narrative significance despite appearing in only two booklets.

Significance

The SOMASA occupies a unique position in the saga's roster of vessels. Unlike the Terranauts' fleet of interstellar Driver ships -- the TASCA, the CYGNI, the GARIBALDI, the JAMES COOK -- the SOMASA is a pre-industrial atmospheric craft, a balloon-borne airship navigating the skies of a world where metal is scarce and PSI powers are suppressed. Its journey is not measured in light-years but in mountain passes, sea crossings, and the stamina of its crew.

This makes the SOMASA's voyage one of the saga's most grounded and human-scale adventures. The threats are not alien armadas or cosmic phenomena but mutiny, storm, predatory wildlife, and the treachery of a trusted companion. The airship serves as a microcosm of the Terranauts' broader struggle: a fragile vessel carrying a desperate crew through hostile territory toward a goal that may not exist, beset on all sides by enemies both external and internal.

The SOMASA's destruction in the Valley of the Green Flowers -- at the very moment when the quest for Yggdrasil's seeds seemed within reach -- encapsulates the saga's recurring theme that victory and loss are inseparable. The Terranauts reach their destination, only to have the prize stolen by a traitor from within.

Related Articles

• Locations: Rorqual | Saryfa | Northern Sea | Black Mountains | Green Pass | Valley of the Green Flowers
• Characters: David terGorden | Claude Farrell | Thorna | Marcel d'Guinne | Toland Ryker | Nordstrom | Yella | Maris | Elmo Vandervort | Martion | Woldan
• Organizations: Arcanians | Terranauts | Gray Guards | Helpers | Shadows
• Technology: Yggdrasil | World-Trees | Driver Space Travel | PSI Abilities
• Other Ships on Rorqual: STURMVOGEL | HYBRIS | North Wind
• Story Ideas: The Ships of the Terranauten (anthology concept)