Yuvqaru (juv.qa.ru)

What she loses in stealth on account'a that steam, she more'n makes up for in speed. Quickest voyage from 'ere to Vyanutiqu over winter, she made. She'll batter down yer 'atches afore you've a chance to batten 'em!

— A proud sailor of the Yuvqaru

The IB Yuvqaru is a schooner belonging to Admiral Aavtyash Ulqarast of Xiy Kiiquldast , and designed by renowned shipwright Dilash Ulhuzwi'yu. An ice-breaking paddle steamer, the Yuvqaru is noteworthy for being the only steam-powered ship in the "navy" of Xiy Kiiquldast, an advantage its captain has leveraged on many occasions.

Design

The Yuvqaru is a three-masted schooner, fairly typical for boats in the north seas. What makes it stand out are the paddle wheels located on each side of the ship, which are powered by a steam engine. Due to being designed as an icebreaker, it has an egg-shaped hull for directing broken ice away from the paddles. Most of the ship is built from local timber, but parts of the hull are built with a stronger continental timber to better withstand ice pressure.

Propulsion

At the core of the Yuvqaru is the cutting-edge steam engine and Planar Iron-plated boiler. This boiler is able to provide steam for the engine in various ways: manually, such as with coal or wood; magically, such as with fire or wind magic; or, more uniquely, through the use of necromancy, as the Planar Iron becomes hot in its presence.
This engine powers the paddles on either side of the boat, which push against the water and propel the boat forward. If the engine is unavailable for any reason, the sails can be raised on the three masts, allowing for standard wind propulsion.

Defence

The ship has multiple forms of defence, the most obvious being the iron reinforcements found throughout the hull to ensure integrity and the iron sponsons which protect the paddles from attack and ice. But, as any good pirate knows, the best defence is a solid offence, and so the Yuvqaru is armed with 10 cannons.
Each member of the crew is expected to carry a weapon, and most are well trained in various magicks to be used in raiding. However, Ulqarast does not require that someone has magical proficiency to be part of her crew.

History

Design & Construction

In 24 Return, Aavtyash Ulqarast's ship was sunk by the Biinamii paddle steamer the Dhiqan, leaving her and her crew stranded on Biin's eastern islands. To avoid arrest by Biinamii authorities for her many acts of piracy in the region, Ulqarast posed as a merchant from nearby Zunatuudh and Qariy , and sought out the designer of the Dhiqan.
Once she found Dilash Ulhuzwi'yu, Ulqarast set about arranging a meeting to discuss the design and construction of a more improved version of the Dhiqan, which her "trade operation" would use to protect themselves from dastardly Xiy Kiiquldamii pirates in the area. Ulhuzwi'yu merrily complied, working closely with Ulqarast on a design that suited her needs and allowed themself to experiment with a more efficient steam engine.
This process ultimately took three years to complete, with the finished ship dubbed the Yuvqaru and launched in 27 Return.

Smuggling and Heisting

The Yuvqaru now obtained, Ulqarast returned to Xiy Kiiquldast to resume her true profession - privateering. Though not strictly designed for that purpose, Ulqarast had ensured that it would perform admirably. The ship participated in many successful attacks in the ocean around the country, and began to make a name for itself as a remarkably fast and sturdy vessel.
These qualities were put to the test during a smuggling effort in 29 Return undertaken by a few members of Xiy Kiiquldast's Privateer Fleet, delivering Futhul to the western country of Vyanutiqu . When the group met fierce opposition by the coastal patrols of many of their neighbours, Ulqarast decided to do something unorthodox - reach Vyanutiqu from the north, via the difficult ice fields, in the middle of winter.

Yuvqaru Smuggling Run 29 Return

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Due to the Yuvqaru's design, this trip was made surprisingly quickly and safely, resulting in Ulqarast getting most of the spoils from the arrangement. She was even able to return to Xiy Kiiquldast before many of her fellows had even successfully reached Vyanutiqu, and this success catapulted her into a position of authority within the Privateer Fleet.
The ship's lack of reliance on wind power would come in handy during a series of attacks on rich merchant vessels over the following years, with the Yuvqaru attacking them in such a way that they could only escape by sailing into fierce headwinds, which the ship could easily follow them into.

Flagship

The multitude of successes accumulated by the Yuvqaru and its crew attacted the attention of the other captains in the Privateer Fleet. Dissatisfied with the leadership of their commander, Admiral Luqra Rulidni, many secret meetings were held aboard the vessel to discuss whether he ought to be deposed in favour of a more capable captain. While Ulqarast was initially resistant to the suggestion, a disastrous port attack led by Rulidni forced her hand, and she agreed to challenge the Admiral to a battle for authority.
Her opportunity came after a raid on a town in Kuwvyana , in the wake of which the Privateer Fleet sailed quite far north near the ice fields. Taking advantage of the fact they were all sailing against the wind, the Yuvqaru overtook Rulidni's flagship and forced it to turn into the ice to avoid a collision, briefly becoming stuck. Before Rulidni's crew could dislodge the vessel, Ulqarast had her crew board and take control. Though Rulidni refused to give up his authority, before sunset Ulqarast had been proclaimed Admiral by the rest of the fleet.
With her first order, the Yuvqaru was made the flagship of the Privateer Fleet, a position it has retained to this day.

Launched

27 Return 12 Years Ago

Nickname

Pale Dream, Ice Rider

Designation

IB (official), TXK (unofficial)

Manufacturer

Xiy Kiiquldast

Owner

Aavtyash Ulqarast

Beam

11m at waterline
15m at paddle

Length

39m

Speed

11km/h

Complement / Crew

35 including captain

Designer

Dilash Ulhuzwi'yu is the mastermind behind the Yuvqaru and its powerful propulsion system, and one of the foremost experts in steam and mechanical power in all of Thurásin. Due to lacking magic, their dreams of being a sailor were dashed young, and they turned to rudimentary machines as a replacement.
Though Ulhuzwi'yu's inventions have a limited market due to the reliance on magic most navies have, they were granted a contract with the Biin navy back in 19 Return, resulting in the commissioning of the Dhiqan. Despite its impressive demonstration of its capabilities in the sinking of Aavtyash Ulqarast's old ship, they still found few buyers.

Sailboat by Mturner

This changed as the Yuvqaru gained notoriety throughout the northern seas. Initially Ulhuzwi'yu refused to believe it was their vessel, and later claimed it must have been stolen from Ulqarast by dastardly Xiy Kiiquldamii pirates. They only learnt of the truth when they witnessed the ship come into a Biin port on diplomatic business and saw its captain.
Luckily, the Yuvqaru has popularised their engine, and Ulhuzwi'yu has been hard at work on another paddle steamer for the Biinamii navy, designed to be even better than the Yuvqaru, and more capable at war.

Sailing Boat by Free-Photos

Admiral

Though Xiy Kiiquldast is nominally a republic, it is better described as a pirate dictatorship, ruled by the Admiral of its Privateer Fleet. In the near 300 years of its existence in its current form, a rare few of these admirals have resigned or died of old age, far more commonly being overthrown by their subordinates.
In this regard, Aavtyash Ulqarast is an unremarkable Admiral. Though supported in her rise due to her capable tactics and the strength of her vessel, she has rankled many a captain with her fascination with untested new developments and her supposed intentions to reform the republic into something more democratic.
While efforts have been made by various captains to take away her power, any attempt to depose her has been foiled and all responsible humiliated. And though she has not made any major moves towards democracy, some fear her recent diplomatic visits have been aimed at ensuring foreign support for her plans.

Crown by Jared Subia