Man-o-war

Man-o-war A man-o-war was a large, highly maneuverable, flying spelljammer ship of elven construction.

Description
Elven man-o-war ships had a delicate and ethereal design, with glossy, crystalline wings. They were grown from plants and remained alive like trees throughout their existence.

Due to their versatility and ease of repair, men-o-war were employed in many activities, ranging from free adventuring to military use. They were the standard ships in elven spacefaring fleets. Men-o-war crewed by adventurers were usually decorated with colorful symbols on the hull and wings.

Men-o-war were powered by minor or major helms.

Like other elven spacecraft, such as armadas, flitters, and gadabouts, elven men-o-war were enchanted fruit from starfly plants that were allowed to grow to maturity without taking root, shaped into their final form thanks to the starfly's easily changeable nature.

Also like other elven craft, an abandoned man-o-war left unattended continued to grow. Known as "wild men-o-war", these ships' hulls became more brittle as a result of age and lack of care, and their wingtips curled in ornate patterns, but they remained functional. If salvaged, they could be repaired and trimmed back to full health.

History
In orbit around the planet Karpri was a space station built out of seven ancient man-o-war vessels welded together by their wings. It was designed to protect the aquatic elves that had been placed on the planet after leaving their former home in the Trackless Sea close to Evermeet in an attempt to protect the race from extinction. After an attack by illithids, the base's crew was killed, leaving the satellite deserted except for the ghosts of its former occupants. The elves inhabiting the planet below remained a secret and were never discovered by the illithids.

In the mid‒14 century DR, the elven admiral Icarus commanded a large fleet of elven spacecraft that contained twelve men-o-war, among other types of spelljammers. Icarus operated exclusively in Realmspace.