The Moonseeker

From clergy transporter to pirate corvette pulled by great sea monsters.

A ship can be a sailors best teacher, a cruel mistress or a reliable friend.

— Sirivela Naggacii

Across the length and breadth of the sunless seas, countless vessels brave it's perilous waters. Like much of the underworld, these vast expanses are mostly unknown, only adding to the mystique and peril of those that dare to navigate these strange waters. Of all the vessels that have sailed the inky black, no name has become more renowned than that of The Moonseeker. Despite not being the largest, or most formidable boat to grace it's waters, she is a marvel in both speed and agility, by far one of the most dauntless vessels of her class to have sailed it's dark waters. Captained by the infamous Sirivela Naggacii, the Corsair Itharinn of the midnight seas, she and her crew of seasoned reavers and brigands, have been the bane of any merchant vessel to have crossed their path. Knows throughout the Crystal Sea to the Umbral Coast, there hasn't been an illicit activity Sirivela and her band freebooters have not been caught up in, engaging in slave trafficking, smuggling and piracy.

Design

The Moonseeker is a Dral'azie corvette, a medium sized vessel strongly influenced by the ships used by their ancestors. The original design was unsuitable, and had to be adapted to the unpredictable conditions of the underworlds waters. It was the ingenuity of Great House Naggacii shipwrights of Na'alvihor, a shallower keel was introduced to the design of the traditional corvette allowing access to shallower waters and deal with tidal restrictions of the sunless seas and the labyrinthine waterways of the underworld. It's hull was also changed to possess a sharp deadrise at the ends and full mid-section with a modest deadrise, this would allow the boats to cut through the rough and unpredictable waters with ease and generally provide a softer ride that would be easier of its cargo.
These vessels would also have to rely far less on sail power than those of their overworld ancestors, While there are occasionally strong air currents in some areas of the underworld, especially in the vast chambers of under oceans and wide open caverns, for the most part the air is still and silent. More unorthodox methods were used, taming great sea serpents and beasts that lurk in the depths of the midnight seas to pull the vessels became common practice. The main disadvantage of this method can be the creatures temperament, and require an experienced keeper or beast-master on board to get the best out of the creatures and keep them calm, which is not always a guaranteed. A Dvergar tactic that has developed over numerous maritime encounters between the two races, is to instead target and neutralise the beast pulling the vessel and put in irons, effectively rendering it immobile.

Armaments

Armed with two large chaser ballista's mounted on her forecastle. They are used when attempting to slow down an enemy ship that the Moonseeker is perusing or when the smaller deck ballista's cannot be brought to bear. These ballista are powerful, design to pierce ship hulls, and the tough hides of the more monstrous creatures that call the uncharted waters of the underworld home. The ballista's are attached with magazines of ballista bolts, most of which are mystically powered and can fire a number of projectiles at once. As aforementioned, the deck and aftcastle are fitted with a number of smaller ballista, primarily used during boarding action and when engaged in navel combat. Originally there were only four mounted on the deck, however her armaments were increase during the Moonseekers involvement in Izerareah Naggacii‘s armada.
The most impactful weapon the Moonseeker possesses is reserved as a last resort, this being the ships distinctive naval ram on the bow of the hull. The ram comprises of an underwater armoured beak, found on a prolongated section on the bow of the ship, that is driven into the hull of an enemy ship to puncture, sink or disable it.

Propulsion

Though the Moonseeker does pertain a mast as it's standard means of propulsion, due to its postion frequenting the seas of the underworld, the masts are in fact retractable. A system devised by Dvergar engineers that once served house Naggacii, folding over across the aftcastle, to allow the ship to pass through the more confined tunnel systems. Despite this innervation, the Moonseeker has had her masts sheared off by cave ceilings on a number of occasions.
It was for this reason, that like many other Naggacii vessels, the main method that drives the vessel are enthralled creatures of the depths, known as Quivialith. The Quivialith are commanded and cared for by a resident Beastmaster, trained specifically to guide them and ensure the creatures are healthy when required to pull the vessel forward. A series of great chains descend from the prow of the Moonseeker, and onto harnesses that ensnare the creatures, connecting to the rudder, when the wheel of the helm of turned, it not only turns the ship but guides the Quivialith. The Moonseekers current Quivialiths have been named ? And ? By its crew.

Owner

Sirivela Naggacii

Owning Organization

Il'ron'dii Naggacii - Great House Naggacii

Crew

The crew accompaniment of the Moonseeker ranges from professional corsairs, sailors, deckhands and mercenaries to the goblin slaves that perform the menial and dangerous tasks due to their expend ability. In total, it's full accompaniment numbers at sixty hands.
Captain; Sirivela Naggacii
Quartermaster; Kalvagh
First Mate; Koradem

History

She began her life as a transport ship, her purpose was to transport cargo and passengers for the cult of Myria'cresne between Rie'shae, Menor'cress and beyond. She was commissioned by House Duskryn of Menor’cress and built in the shipwrights of Na’alvihor as a gift to the high priestess of the cult to establish more positive relations between the cult of Myria’cresne and the cult of Nemesaii. Due to this, the traditional alter at the prowl of the ship dedicated to the god Xoheia, goddess of the underoceans, it is instead actually dedicated to the moon goddess Myria'cresne.
With the fall of Menor'cress, House Naggacii was called upon to help evacuate the city, however they demanded payment from the nobles of the city to secure their ships to aid, the Moonseeker which was docked in the harbours outside Menor’cress was seized and became part of this payment for assistance. After this the ship would enter the service of House Naggacii, joining it’s sizeable maritime Amanda, under the command of numerous scions and vassals of the house, until eventually falling under the command of Sirivela Naggacii.
The Moonseeker would later take part of Izerareah Naggacii‘s armada until it’s destruction during the infamous ambush on the shimmering coast, whereafter Sirivela would break away and strike out independently from House Naggacii much to the distain of Izerareah and the rest of her kin.