Petiole
This boat was specifically designed by the Order of the Nautilus for moving through the narrow underground canals connecting Bel Kaarta to the A'terian Sea. Since Bel Kaarta is situated far inland the canal system is long and susceptible to the changing tides, petioles were modeled to be narrow and short within the underground system, while having a convertible element, allowing them to withstand the waves when they reached open ocean. In most cases, Sirens from the Wayfarer's Guild who were known to work closely with the Order were typically there to assist boats on the rest of their journey.
At the end of the canal system another hidden cavern owned by the Order of the Nautilus existed where a partner shell of the boat called the bract was harboured. The petiole was designed to fit into bract which was designed for hearty seafaring rather than rapid tunnel transportation. The bract portion of the petiole was made of a sturdier wood and was equipped with sails to make use of the wind patterns accessible on the open ocean.
Propulsion
Petioles largely used a system of pressurized air to power the vessels, a technology designed by the Bel Kaartian chapter of the order. The vessel was equipped with a specialized tube that collected air as the vessel moved condensed the kinetic energy into a cylinder that could be attached to the back of the boat and released over time with a valve. Each boat was generally equipped with 2-3 cannisters so one was always reliably ready for use while the others were refilling.
Armor and defense
The petiole was built also with stealth in mind as the base of most interactions between the Siren and Bel Kaartian sects of the Order was not widely known. The sails and hull of the boat were each enchanted by Sirens to reflect back the colour of the ocean on any given day in an effort to make the boat easier to overlook. They were not fully invisible but they were hard to spot if one wasn't sure what they were looking for.
The petiole would also be occasionally removed from the bract even when on open waters depending on the sorts of places the Nautilus were travelling. Even with the visibility alterations that existed, the petiole was much smaller and thus less noticeable and more unassuming when visiting particular ports.
Owning Organization
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