L'invitacion

L'invitacion was the first sailing ship from Belcantas known to have reached the Mystic Lands and returned. She was a Jónque of Sun Elf make; at its commissioning in Y144, she was the largest ship ever constructed, and remains one of the largest jónquë ever made.

History

Construction and Initial Voyages

L'invitacion was commissioned by the Starpath Society to take a crew of diplomats, historians, and experienced sailors into the east to ascertain whether or not the Mystic Lands of legend truly existed. She had eight masts and sails, weighed over 3,000 tons, and required a crew of 24 sailors. The ship was to sail under the command of explorer Captain Raína Duparc, a prominent member of the society.
L'invitacion's first major voyage was a race between her and the PKS Schnellen, a Human-made warship from Malakar. L'invitacion sailed to Urbana al-Svara in March Y145, under pounding late-season storms that left many observers in doubt about her seaworthiness for the upcoming race. Nevertheless, when the two ships raced back to Enchalmida a mere eleven days after L'invitacion made port in Urbana al-Svara, L'invitacion won the race by four hours.

Mystic Lands

L'invititacion and her crew left for the Mystic Lands in July Y144. In addition to the crew, she carried three of the Premiere's most trusted aides, several poets and weavers, and a team of historians from the Starpath Society. The party's goal was to fully capture their first encounters with whatever they found on the other side, be it the never-before-seen Mystic Lands or the Elemental Plane of Water.

Decommissioning

A model of the original L'invitacion, on display at the Starpath Society Museum in the Oronto District of Enchalmida.

Beam

180 ft

Length

420 ft

Weight

2,000 tons

Speed

7 knots