The Black Tide
HISTORY
PURPOSE
The ANN Black Tide was originally manufactured to serve as a military vessel for the Al-Nien Navy. It was a support ship, designated to carry supplies and maintenance equipment for the combat ships. There were three decks and six main rooms; the captain's quarters, the officers cabin, and a lounge on the top deck. The lower decks had two barracks for the crew and a kitchen. The kitchen has been repurposed into a brig, though the undead crew isn't keen on leaving prisoners alive for long. The lounge is now a trap, luring curious sailors in with the sounds of a soft piano accompanied by the haunting voice of a maiden lost at sea.
The purpose of the Black Tide as of present day is to imprison living creatures to feed the crew or capture mortals with the intention of forcing them to join Heinrik's legion of undead. The lower deck that once secured ammunition and rations for a trained military is now home to rotting meat and the bones of prisoners who thought they could hide and flee when the ship came ashore. Unfortunately for them, the Black Tide is cursed to remain at sea, its crew to never see landfall ever again.
Propulsion
The ship is propelled by the wind and ocean currents, controlled by a steering wheel and three, large masts to hold the tattered sails. On the night of a full moon, the ship is able to travel much more quickly when it remains within the reflection of the moonlight on the surface of the sea.
Weapons & Armament
It has twelve springals in banks of six on the starboard and port sides of the ship. These weapons are only able to fire from where they're positioned and cannot be swiveled to fire on targets that are towards the forward or aft sides. In addition to the springals, there's a pair of firedrake cannons on the top deck. These weapons are on wheels, allowing them to be swiveled and moved to target an enemy in any direction. The cannons are capable of firing an alchemist's concoctions, though the Black Tide uses them to fire plague bundles and bombs.
On the forecastle is a large catapult, though it seldom sees use. It's a last resort for the crew and in dire circumstances, they turn the tide of the battle by launching infected bodies or pieces of them onto the rival ship. While the effects of being around those corpses isn't immediate, the intimidation factor is, allowing the Black Tide to disappear beneath the waves once more.
Armor and defense
Made mainly of a hardwood that is strip-built with a layer of strip planking beneath the veneers for added protection. Over time, iron plates were added to the ship's exterior. This armor is haphazard at best, contributing to its weathered appearance. Iron plating arranged on the forward side of the hull is adorned with rusted spikes, giving the ship's ramming capabilities a better chance of causing serious damage to its targets.
The undead crew is always armed if they aren't tasked with manning the cannons or springals. It's not wise for anyone to step aboard the Black Tide as even the rats that call it home are rotting away and carry the plague. Once one is on the ship, they're unlikely to leave alive.
Nickname
The Yxechtiao Ghost Ship
Designation
ANN
Motto
"Death to all that carry the air within their lungs."
Beam
35 ft
Length
100 ft
Speed
Current: 180 ft per round
Muscle: 60 ft per round
Muscle: 60 ft per round
Complement / Crew
20 (minimum, half speed)
45 (standard)
90 (capacity)
45 (standard)
90 (capacity)
Cargo & Passenger Capacity
60 passengers
150 tons
150 tons
While it is implied in a game such as pathfinder that speed is in feet per round it may be good to put a unit of time on the speed in the article (even if it is just adding /round). Other than that awesome ghost ship, i hope it sees much use in campaigns to come.
Thank you! I don't know a whole lot about ships, so I've been learning as I go.