The Imperial Navy

The seafaring counterpart of the legions, the Imperial Navy is the unparalleled maritime power of the Time of Tumult. But where the legions are divided among the Great Houses, the preponderance of Realm sea power remains under one banner. House Peleps administers the Navy by Imperial premit.
Final authority is vested in the Rightly Guided Admiralty Board on the Isle of Wrack, who pass directives to the five elementally named directional fleets’ grand admirals. The Earth Fleet guards the Blessed Isle’s coasts and roots out pirates and smugglers on its shores. The other four fleets convoy legions to and from the Threshold, cow lesser navies, and crush whatever seaborne forces threaten the satrapies — pirate fleets, Lunar navies, rogue spirits, or monsters from the deep.
The Earth Fleet, the eastward Wood Fleet, and the southward Fire Fleet comprise primarily triremes, biremes, and smaller craft, their design ideal for rivers, coastal waters, and the placid Inland Sea. Only the westward Water Fleet and, to a lesser extent, the northward Air Fleet invest in larger vessels. Built to weather stormy Western waters and the icy White Sea, their deep bellies store cargo and contain fresh water and rations for crossing the ocean to Fajad, Wu-Jian, the Caul, and other distant lands.

• Air Fleat, North
• Wood Fleat, East
• Earth Fleat, Center
• Fire Fleet, South
• Water Fleat, West
• Merchant Fleet,

Lesser admirals direct flotillas and squadrons assembled for various purposes. Admirals are always Dragon- Blooded; most belong to House Peleps, but a few hail from other families, promoted for undeniable competence or through spousal influence. Other Princes of the Earth command individual vessels, though most of the Navy’s thousands of ships have mortal captains. These are all patricians and un-Exalted Dynasts, many of whom purchased commissions from House Peleps. On the rare occasions a peasant rises through the ranks to captaincy, typically because her fellow officers perished, she’s elevated to patrician status.
Likewise, other shipboard officers, such as the first officer, pilot, purser, and surgeon, usually come from the patriciate; aristocratic officers respect peasant-born peers’ skill and dedication, but never recognize them as social equals. Each officer has an assistant to fill her role when off duty or incapacitated. Common sailors and rowers are peasants. Marines — Peleps paramilitary and auxiliaries, abetted by rowers and sailors — follow similar patterns.
Legionnaires distrust the Navy. The legions are helpless at sea; storms can sink their convoys without recourse. Sailors, for their part, rarely witness land battles; they see only legionnaires’ seasickness and ignorance of sailing. Furthermore, while the legions extend the Realm’s reach, only the Navy ensures that no enemy can touch the Blessed Isle’s shores. So the Navy, from the most dandyish officer to the sweatiest, most salt-crusted rower, regards the legions with disdain, seeing them as mere adjuncts to the Imperial fleets.
Since the Empress’ disappearance, the navy has become a tool of House Peleps’ ambitions. Shipbuilding focuses on deep-drafted vessels to reinforce the Water Fleet, which has grown significantly to support the Peleps campaign to carve out an empire in the West.

Fleat Special Units

Sorcerers often find service attached to fleets and flotillas, twisting the weather to speed travel and to ward off storms and doldrums, and deploying battle magics and conjured spirits in naval engagements. Such postings are lonely, however, as sailors view them with especial superstitious dread.
Immaculate monks occasionally accompany fleets to deal with aquatic spirits. In their absence, the Navy tends toward irreverence; the sea is wild and deadly, and sailors deem themselves wise to propitiate its native powers. Cult worship of Daana’d is common, as is veneration of major thalassic gods and elementals.
Flying ships attached as a Aerial Reconnaissance unit is part of they fleats command. It is with they help that the navy ensure that no enemy will reach the blessed isle

Parent Organization

The Imperial Service