Ship's Grave
Names: Ship's Gravethe GraveRiesRies astroblemeDas Rieskessel bei Nördlingenthe craterRies craterShip'sGraveBrede's Ship crash cratercrater lake
First appears in Book 1: The Many-Colored Land, chapter 39 (1)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: The Many-Colored Land
- Ch 39The Grave's location is lost to the Firvulag, and it likely holds still-operational gravo-magnetic aircraft left behind there.
- Ch 39Destination of the planned expedition to retrieve the Spear of Lugonn; reaching it requires finding the Danube.
- Ch 40The Ship's Grave holds the Spear and flyers; it lies in the Ries crater, reached via the Danube.
- Ch 41The party's quest seeks the Ship's Grave, which others might find first; it lies somewhere along the Danube.
- Ch 45The Ries crater is over twenty kilometers wide; the party reached its rim after about two days on the Danube and a hike north.
- Ch 45The crater holds a line of Tanu flyers, the Ship's Grave, with Lugonn's body in the fifth flyer inspected.
Book 3: The Nonborn King
- Ch 26The Ship's Grave holds ancient gravomagnetic craft with orbital capability; the humans hope to make flyers operational and possibly convert tractor, pressor beams or lasers into weapons.
- Ch 33The site is sacred to both Firvulag and Tanu, who taboo revealing the resting place of the dead; salvaged aircraft there must be hidden before Firvulag attitudes change.
Connections
- containsNumber Four Aircraft
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 39Fitharn tells Brede's Tale
Fitharn recites the tale of the Ship's death, the Grave's consecration and the first Great Ordeal, hinting at aircraft and the Spear at the Grave.
- Book 1 · Ch 39Claude identifies the Ship's Grave
Claude reasons from geography that the Ries crater in the Swabian Jura region is the Ship's Grave, sparking celebration among the Lowlife.
- Book 1 · Ch 45Arrival at the Ries crater
After a hot trek, with Martha hemorrhaging and carried on a litter, the party reaches the pass and sees the crater rim, confirming Richard's navigation.
- Book 1 · Ch 45Lugonn's tomb and the Spear
The party finds Lugonn's skeleton without a torc; Felice rages and is subdued, then they recover the Spear and powerpack and move to Number Four Aircraft.
- Book 1 · Ch 46Planning the Finiah raid
Around the campfire the group discusses the flyer, the Spear and the air raid on Finiah. Madame overrules Claude's objection and insists on providing a metapsychic screen; Claude will fire the Spear.
- Book 1 · Ch 46Richard and Martha's night walk
Martha, frail and ill, asks Richard if they can return after the Finiah attack. He promises they will find a private home, and they affirm their love.
- Book 1 · Ch 46Flyer's maiden flight
Richard powers up the restored flyer, lifts off, performs maneuvers over the Ries crater, then shoots vertically toward the ionosphere to learn its handling.
- Book 3 · Ch 38Number Two-Niner flight test
Betsy and Ookpik finish repairing the last flyer; the Baroness test-flies it successfully, and the Bastards celebrate. Betsy hints that Basil suspects the Baroness of wanting to steal it.