The Cherry Armada Organization in Aode | World Anvil

The Cherry Armada

Basics
The Cherry Armada is known throughout Naufath, mostly in the East, as the esteemed protectors of the sea. Based in Tederland, they provide escorting, patrolling, and occasionally mercenary work with their unique and top-quality ships.  
History
The Cherry Armada was originally an experimental idea from the Zatalian Navy around 700 years ago. The Elvs of North Castil, at the time still a part of the Zatalian Empire, had been developing the majic of wood shaping for centuries, and a talented Elv named Orion of Unas decided propose the idea of ships completely made from living wood, specifically the sturdy redwood of North Castil, that would be maintained by wood shapers and could repair itself with ease. This idea was put to test, and proved so effective that within the century nearly the entire Zatalian fleet was replaced with these majical red ships. The fleet was dubbed the Cherry Armada, and was vital in keeping the outer reaches of the Empire in check. Of course, after the Froalen independence, the ships and the shipyard that produced them fell outside of Zatalian reach. Some loyalists stayed, but without new ships being built and most of the wood shaping talent defecting, the Zatalian Navy is less than a shadow of its former self. The new country of Tederland became the unrivaled master of the Steel Sea, and the Cherry Armada became an essential part of monitoring for seaborne threats and protecting the waters, all of course backed by Froalen of Far Peak.  
Living Ships
All the ships of the Cherry Armada are formed from the redwoods of North Castil, specifically a set of 3 massive trees in Unas-Val that have been carefully cultivated and worked to output high quality living ships with little hassle. The ships themselves range in size, shape, and function, but a few things remain consistent about all of them, besides the redwood hulls. All have at least one mast, where massive leaf sails provides sunlight for the living ship and are quickly and easily maintained. All have similar command structures and include at least one wood shaper as a member of crew, usually given status secondary only to that of the captain. As the fleet as expanded, however, the average quality of the wood shaper on board has declined dramatically due to demand, and can vary wildly in speed and skill.