White Ducks

The White Ducks was Delu's command ship and mother ship of the Dissolvers. The name refers to albino ducks, whose lack of markings often causes them to be harassed and rejected by normally-colored ducks; it is also a reference to the White Wings, the name of the mother ship she grew up on.

Size and Layout

The White Ducks was triple-hulled, two-masted, fore-and-aft rigged. The main hull was nearly 100 feet long with a 10-foot beam. It could be sailed by a crew of six, but eight was preferable and ten was optimal. Unlike traditional mother ships, the White Ducks had quarters only for Delu and the essential crew. It carried as little cargo as possible, traveling light for better evasion. The deck and hold were outfitted for a short-term passenger capacity of 150, but that was exceeded by more than double in times of great need. Delu's personal cabin also functioned as her office, and it was there that most of the missions were planned.
Although technically a mother ship, Delu's use of the White Ducks broke a few longstanding tiderider traditions. Ordinarily members of a family would reside on the mother ship, but Dissolvers lived aboard their own boats. Because of the fear that Wringers could read peoples' minds, it was important to know as little as possible of the group's activities as a whole, and avoid any chance of overhearing too much dangerous information.

History

The ship was built on Scaetra in the late 1990s Vol, and operated for several years by the Duost tideriders under the name Everblue. The construction of conduits across the Inside Sea disrupted traditional sailing routes, and the Duost were among those families who lost their fortunes to the competition of the conduit trade. When the family disbanded and sold its assets, Delu bought their mother ship. She had everything projecting above the deck painted white to make the ship harder to spot at a distance, fitted it with white sails, and Everblue became White Ducks.
The White Ducks never took part directly in any sabotage missions. During its 35 years under Delu's command, it spent most of its time in the outer ocean, specifically the waters near Aktergea. Because it lacked conduit compatibility, it could not travel freely across the Inside Sea unless accompanied by cutships. On a few occasions it traveled to other islands to assist in evacuations, such as of the survivors of the eruption of Zaiyev. It was during those events that Delu determined the ship's maximum human carrying capacity.
The White Ducks was damaged beyond repair during the Aktergean Evacuation. The Dregs' long-range projectiles destroyed one of the outriggers, killing Delu and several of the crew and passengers. The ship limped to safety, but the damage extended below the water line. Once out of range of the Dregs' attacks, the survivors and cargo were distributed among the other boats, and the White Ducks was left to sink.

Weapons & Armament

Mother ships do not carry weapons, leaving defense of the fleet to smaller fighting boats.  This is one tradition Delu upheld, in order to maintain the White Ducks' appearance as a tiderider ship, but she kept small arms on board for the crew's personal defense.

Owner

Delu

Crew

• Delu

Owning Organization

Dissolvers

Beam

10 feet

Length

98 feet

Complement / Crew

6-10

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

150 passengers