Great Ships

"Great, large wooden things which go from hither to thither, carrying goods or people. Faster than roads, if you catch the wind just right. Bigger than wagons, excepting those enchanted to thumb their nose at reality. I'd if it weren't for ships, I'd be out of a job. Oh, the world would keep going... but it'd be much more boring."

— Captain Benten Archer, known pirate

The presence of boats on the open water has a long history, with or without sails, but it was some time after the rise of the Rhyliss Empire when advances started being rapidly made in the design of such vessels. Most sources trace the first of these "great ships" back to Kivese shipbuilders, though Estebrook was also responsible for later designs which persist in the current era. With regions starting to stabilize from hundreds of small kingdoms into larger nations, trade was becoming more attractive than raiding as a means of acquiring wealth and goods. For nations on the coasts of Erisdaire, the sea was as attractive as roads for trade and this meant boats would need to become larger to accommodate.


And due to tensions between nations, this inevitably led to the development of weapons and tactics meant for ships to take on foes. Starting with simply ramming one ship into another and boarding with warriors changed as the development of crossbows led to a similar device scaled up being bolted to decks. The "lancer" was capable of great distances, and decent accuracy, but it was not quite damaging enough. The principles were adapted to fling stone spheres at shorter distances with "greater stonebows", to more devastating effect. This is without bringing up the most devastating weapon on a ship: magic-wielding elementalists. Being able to control the wind or conjure blasts of searing flame was a potent advantage in a fight, but such individuals were often expensive to employ. Most modern large ships have roughly a half-dozen lancers and half-dozen stonebows for defense, and this is enough to deter most would-be pirates.


Imperial records of Kivesian trade ships start as early as the reign of the third Emperor, including such names as the "Steady Hand", "Guiding Star", and "Sea's Bargain". These ships were built of wooden planks put together with either nails or dowels, propelled by sails and rudder, and often crewed by a dozen individuals. Following decades contained a rapid development of ship design to larger hulls to carry more cargo and more sails which could bring vessels to greater speeds. This has somewhat stagnated in recent centuries as a limit to size has been reached, with a handful of distinct designs having become common.

The Kivesian clipper is a common type of merchant vessel, and is one reason this nation has such a reputation for seafaring prowess. The basic design has been mostly unchanged since its inception six centuries ago, though newer advances have been incorporated into the construction method and control mechanisms. It is built for speed on the open ocean, using three masts with multiple sails to catch the wind. It is also not lightly armed, using a pair of stonebows and a pair of lancers split between either side of the ship.

The Imperial galleon is both used as a warship and cargo vessel in Empire-controlled seas, and is mostly constructed at drydocks near Eva Oceana. It has multiple decks and can be heavily armed with lancers and stonebows, or configured into secure cargo holds, or even to carry passengers in decent comfort. However, it is rather expensive to procure from the Empire and requires a much larger crew.

The Estebrook galley remains in use largely along the northern shores of Erisdaire, as it is smaller and capable of navigating rocky harbors. It is a mixed-propulsion ship, using both sails and oars, and primarily is outfitted for naval combat instead of trade. Having a lower profile on the water makes it a harder target, and it employs an iron-shod ram on the beak as a weapon. The Imperial Navy uses a similar design for their own smaller warships, though with different materials and added weapons.

The Myrisian caracce is a vessel seen often in Helenic ports, and rarely in Eva Oceana. It is similar to the galleon but is smaller and wider, with broader square sails as opposed to more triangular ones. What sets it apart from the other three common vessels is the method of construction, as magic is quite liberally utilized to shape and affix materials together. It is also built with magical assistance in mind, the aft of the ship having a platform from which an elementalist can conjure winds into the sails.

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Uses

Cargo Vessels

By far the most common usage of great ships is for carrying goods from one place to another, using the ocean instead of roads. Even galleys, which have a design optimized for smaller-scale transport, are more commonly used for this purpose as opposed to combat. Cargo ships are now a considerable part of trade networks and disputably now responsible for the majority of bulk trade. Caravan masters will often claim they have a great deal more territory they cover, but while ships cover less territory they move much larger amounts of material. Officials who work at ports are hard-pressed to keep up with the volume of goods coming through their docks at the best of times.

Passenger Vessels

Traveling great distances is dangerous on foot but safer while on a ship, or so the common wisdom says. Truthfully, it is about as safe and likely less comfortable due to food being more of an issue for long voyages. Shorter routes often will not have time for food to spoil, and so the passengers can have lavish meals with meats, cheeses, and fresh bread. Longer routes with fewer stops suffer with hard twice-baked breads and stews where the ingredients are often indistinguishable from each other. For some ship owners, the trip from Eva Oceana to Lybermis, The Free City is more lucrative.

Warships

As noted above, some of the more common designs were outfitted specifically to fight other ships on the open ocean. Pirates and naval fleets are outnumbered by the peaceful ships, but their presence still prompts every vessel to be armed in some fashion. There are few powers who organize actual fleets these days, with the Imperial Navy and Myrisian Seahunters being the most influential of the two. Most warships have been built with that purpose in mind, with reinforced hulls or extra weaponry. Many sailors will also mention the possibility of fighting "sea monsters", while laughing at those who believe them. Astute people may note veterans do not laugh along.

Used by

• The Ships of Gold