Elven Imperial Navy
The Elven Imperial Fleet is a vast, organized navy with ships and bases in most of the spheres of the Known Spheres. It is the largest known wildspace navy, with more ships and personnel than any other nation. Its enemies paint it as a force of oppression and elven haughtiness. While individuals within the Fleet may fall into this role, as a whole, the Fleet polices trade routes and keeps them clear of pirates, marauders, and monsters. In the past they have put down dangerous threats to trade, such as the goblin-kin. They often render aid to castaways and the shipwrecked, returning them to safe harbor for no fee or charge.
Structure
The heart of this linkage between disparate elves is the elven fleet , an uncountable multitude of ships, ranging from the huge armada through the men-o-war to the small, personal flitters. With them the elves maintain regular contact (year ly or so) with the major elven capitals on the ground and in space.
The elven fleets are highly organized, with the full rulership of the fleet controlled by the Council of Admirals, headed by a Grand AdmiraI. These august leaders, elders even in elven years, rule from a hidden base called Lionheart whose location is secret and is changed every few years to avoid surprise attacks.
Local fleets within spheres are under the control of admirals, though if the number of elven ships is low (there are no elves naturally in the system), a single ship with a captain will suffice to maintain the elven presence " in a system.
The elven fleets are highly organized, with the full rulership of the fleet controlled by the Council of Admirals, headed by a Grand AdmiraI. These august leaders, elders even in elven years, rule from a hidden base called Lionheart whose location is secret and is changed every few years to avoid surprise attacks.
Local fleets within spheres are under the control of admirals, though if the number of elven ships is low (there are no elves naturally in the system), a single ship with a captain will suffice to maintain the elven presence " in a system.
Culture
The Council of Admirals recognizes the sovereignty of the various elven kings, queens, and princes littering half a hundred planets within their patrol area. An order from _o_ne of these heads is enough to mobilize elven naval forces. Balancing this is the council's knowledge of the area and the dangers of interfering overly in groundling politics. As long as the orders are of the type that show self . defense , they are passed through; otherwise, the fleets are strangely wrapped up in other matters and the orders lost. The elven rulers on the ground have learned not to depend overly on the Imperial Fleets.
That the elven nations use their spaceborne fleets in a coordinated link with other elven nations on other planets is unsurprising. Unlike humans, the elves' grasp of higher levels of magic , including planecrossing techniques , is tenuous at best. As a result , space travel is their best link, and serves them well in dealing with other like-minded elven leaders. Usually within a groundling kingdom there is an elven diplomat charged with space dealings , though he will often carry the title of court astrologer as well.
The elven fleets com e to the aid of the larger nations and exp ect those nations to in turn aid the smaller, scattered tribes of elvendom. A local outpost of elves has likely never heard of the Imperial Fleets and could not care less. The elven fleet s make an important part of keeping their contact with the groundlings (especially human groundling s) to a minimum. They are particularly interested in keeping elven magical abilities such as spelljamming helms , out of non-elven hands , and will destroy an elven ship rather than see it taken over by non- elves.
Due to their triumph s in the Unhuman War and their powerful fleets , the elves of space tend to be a little pushy and presumptuous in dealing with others. Humans and the other races are short-lived and unable to take the long , protective view that elves are capable of . Whil e not the "Guardsmen of the Spheres," elven forces have a tendency to stick their noses in areas where they are neith er wanted or needed. Dir ecting them (politely) to mind their own busin ess may result in an apology and withdrawal, or in a sky full of men-o -war.
That the elven nations use their spaceborne fleets in a coordinated link with other elven nations on other planets is unsurprising. Unlike humans, the elves' grasp of higher levels of magic , including planecrossing techniques , is tenuous at best. As a result , space travel is their best link, and serves them well in dealing with other like-minded elven leaders. Usually within a groundling kingdom there is an elven diplomat charged with space dealings , though he will often carry the title of court astrologer as well.
The elven fleets com e to the aid of the larger nations and exp ect those nations to in turn aid the smaller, scattered tribes of elvendom. A local outpost of elves has likely never heard of the Imperial Fleets and could not care less. The elven fleet s make an important part of keeping their contact with the groundlings (especially human groundling s) to a minimum. They are particularly interested in keeping elven magical abilities such as spelljamming helms , out of non-elven hands , and will destroy an elven ship rather than see it taken over by non- elves.
Due to their triumph s in the Unhuman War and their powerful fleets , the elves of space tend to be a little pushy and presumptuous in dealing with others. Humans and the other races are short-lived and unable to take the long , protective view that elves are capable of . Whil e not the "Guardsmen of the Spheres," elven forces have a tendency to stick their noses in areas where they are neith er wanted or needed. Dir ecting them (politely) to mind their own busin ess may result in an apology and withdrawal, or in a sky full of men-o -war.
Public Agenda
The elven Imperial Fleet maintains an embassy in most human settlements , which is a hub of elven activities and a settling house for complaints by or against elves. As with most bureaucracies, the embassies tend to be inefficient, a matter made worse by the fact that most elven bureaucrats consider humans to be a waste of time.
Assets
Elven communications are miser able in spac e; som e elven ship s disappear every year without anyon e noticing . The elves are willing to sustain a certain number of such los ses in standard patrolling , and write off such ships as " overdue " as opposed to being lost.
The space elves maintain their ships well, and according to the regulations handed down by th e Council of Admirals. In general, th e Council will punish lightly those who flaunt their rules and succeed, but woe to the individual who disobeys their strict commandments about weapons, crews, and inspections and then fails in a mission.
The elves do maintain bases in space apart from humans. These are usually old armada-style ships linked together and permitted to overgrow into a thick protective battlement. The ships are pulled into a circular shape, such that they retain their gravity planes , and appear as a ring of butterflies linked at the wings. The living ships of the elves are planted, and the crops provide both food and air for the sett lement. Such " rings " are usually kept hidden from humans and serve as bases of large elven activities. One of the largest rings is called Lionheart , and is the base for the Council of Admirals.
The space elves maintain their ships well, and according to the regulations handed down by th e Council of Admirals. In general, th e Council will punish lightly those who flaunt their rules and succeed, but woe to the individual who disobeys their strict commandments about weapons, crews, and inspections and then fails in a mission.
The elves do maintain bases in space apart from humans. These are usually old armada-style ships linked together and permitted to overgrow into a thick protective battlement. The ships are pulled into a circular shape, such that they retain their gravity planes , and appear as a ring of butterflies linked at the wings. The living ships of the elves are planted, and the crops provide both food and air for the sett lement. Such " rings " are usually kept hidden from humans and serve as bases of large elven activities. One of the largest rings is called Lionheart , and is the base for the Council of Admirals.
History
The fleets have acted across the board against multi-sphere menaces that they have deemed dangerous to elvenkind . The last such war was in the lifetime of the eldest of the Council of Admirals, the Unhuman War. In it , a massed group of elven armadas,
men-o-war, and pyrotechnic firewind-modified flitters destroyed half the existing orcish and nonhuman fleets in the Known Worlds , and dispersed the remainder to be hunted down later . The largest battle occurred near Kule in the Greyspace system , where over 100 elven ships crushed a 50 -ship orcish fleet , but the rout was repeated in every known sphere.
The events leading up to the Unhuman War were typically elvish-longwinded debates of several human lifetimes , culminating in a single decision that, once made, was irrevocable. Currently the elven admirals are supposedly debating the danger of the Neogi to elven nations. That debate is as yet unresolved.
The events leading up to the Unhuman War were typically elvish-longwinded debates of several human lifetimes , culminating in a single decision that, once made, was irrevocable. Currently the elven admirals are supposedly debating the danger of the Neogi to elven nations. That debate is as yet unresolved.
