Vatarian Galley

Written by EmperorCharlesII

The caravan that you have been travelling with since Solas ends their travels in Welgis, and you head to the town's dockyards to get a ship to your next destination: Niganta. Walking the dockyards, you see a variety of different boats, from fishing boats and small skiffs to the large trade ships that ferry goods from the The Thousand Stars to the northwestern portion of Sedesta.
You end up settling on one ship; the Berth's Daughter. A long sailing ship from the Thousand Stars, this galley is a trading ship due to leave the next morning for Niganta. With its three large masts and gigantic hull, you figure that it would have enough room for you and your things. After having a discussion with the town's harbourmaster to get passage with the ship, you meet with the ship's captain.
He's a delightfully funny Vatarian, his small beard well-trimmed and grey and his hair obscured by a large brown cap. He welcomes you aboard and quickly points out the various parts of the vessel; the masts and the sails, the forecastle where his quarters are located, your (cramped but private) quarters on the ship, and the mess where you'll take your meals with the ship.
While he's doing this, the small crew of a dozen other native Vatarians are rolling barrels of Loria wine and crates of dried meat, fruits and vegetables for the voyage. They're rather industrious folk, and you get to spend some time with them chatting in the mess before the ship is due to take off the following morning.
You take a deep breath of the salty air as the Berth's Daughter leaves Welgis across the Sea of Tears. It's a clear day, and gulls are calling as the galley's prow drives through the ocean, spraying you from time to time as you make your way to the front of the boat. With the world you've always known behind you and nothing familiar ahead, you close your eyes and prepare for your voyage to come.

Sails

An average Vatarian galley has two main masts and a smaller mast in the front for a small lateen sail. These sails can be brought down and repaired if necessary, and the sails of older galleys are often a mess of patches and frayed edges from the stormy weather of the Sea of Tears. The Vatarians invented the lateen sail ages ago for the purpose of manoeuvring the large boat on the high seas, preventing it from being trapped when there is no wind behind the vessel. Lacking oars, it is very susceptible to doldrums or a lack of wind entirely.

Armaments and Defence

A Vatarian galley is meant to be a merchant vessel, but many can be retrofitted with ballista if they are on the larger end. Otherwise, the crew must provide any martial prowess to keep the vessel safe from pirates or sea creatures.
In case of combat on the seas, the Vatarian galley's greatest defence is its speed. Much faster than many other vessels of its size and definitely faster than larger vessels, it uses its manoeuvrability and speed to outrun any potential opponents. Many larger merchant companies have military vessels accompany them for this exact reason; if a pirate can catch up to them, they are very susceptible to being attacked.

Inventors

Vatarians

Price

12 500 gold pieces or equivalent.

Rarity

Common on the open ocean.

Beam

Between 4 and 6 metres.

Length

Between 14 and 20 metres.

Height

2.5 metres above the water, and another 6 metres to the top of the main mast.

Weight

Around 75-200 tonnes.

Speed

As fast as 8 knots.

Complement / Crew

10-20 crew members.

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

Up to about 75 tonnes of cargo or around 50 people.

Art Credit: emperorcharlesii (me!)