The Discovery

The Discovery is a private floating library. Their mission is to welcome aboard any and all who seek to access the knowledge held aboard the ship, and who are willing to pledge to peaceful co-existence alongside the crew and any other visitors to the library. The collection ranges wildly from common household titles to esoteric treasures, and contains some volumes not known to exist anywhere else in the world.

The Vessel

Propulsion

The Discovery is a two-mast Schooner-rigged sailing ship, whose primary power generation comes from the wind. However she, like most sailing vessels of the world, is manned by at least 1 ship mage, and could under unfavorable conditions or duress be moved some distance by magic propulsion.

Weapons and Armament

The Discovery has no inherent weapons onboard, though she has some measure of magical defenses.

Hangars & Docked Vessels

The Discovery keeps one small boat aboard, which is large enough to transport the crew into and out of harbors if the ship itself is too big to come all the way into dock. The dinghy can transport the full crew complement of 10, and could squeeze 12 in an emergency. If there are passengers, they are generally expected to have their own transportation, or else mutliple trips likely will have to be made. There is plenty of room aboard the Discovery's main deck to tie down a second dinghy, or a crew can lash their vessel to the Discovery for the duration of their stay and come across by gangplank or some other fashion.

The Library Collection

With about 160 square feet of more traditional shelving, and about 110 square feet of dense archival sliding shelving, the shipboard collection of the Discovery numbers around 8,000 books. Which, while certainly not the largest library in the world, is nothing to scoff at, and the collection distinguishes itself in several ways,

First and foremost, it is the Librarian's job to curate the titles to ensure that the objectively 'best' or 'most useful' information is available to library patrons; for instance, if two books about Delrynian history are available and one contains more information, but the other is easier to read, but there is only space for one, it is the Librarian's job to decide which stays and which goes. If two books full of transport spells come into the collection and they are entirely different, but one is mostly common spells that might be found in other compendiums and the other is full of rare spells not recorded in most spellbooks, the Librarian would likely keep the second. In this fashion, using the library on the Discovery to its fullest potential is as much an art as a science, and works best in close collaboration with the Librarian.

Secondly, though perhaps as a result of the first, the collection of the Discovery is known for having rare works and volumes that cannot be found anywhere else. And those who have come to the library as a desperate last resort looking for that one bit of information, and found it, have a tendency to send rare and unique tomes to the ship, furthering the esoteric nature of the collection. Even other librarians and scholars have been known to send rare books to the ship, for the Librarian is reknowned for the care taken with the collection.

Lastly, and perhaps most oddly, the Librarian has a way of simply...turning up whatever you were looking for, even if you could have sworn you've scoured the collection for days and looked at every title. "Oh, silly me," they'll say, "I must have misshelved this one and just forgot about it, I cannot BELIEVE I did that again." And their joy at finding the information for you is so pure, and the relief so great, that it's easy to overlook that weird feeling that maybe the book just simply...wasn't there when you looked.

Tour the Discovery

Abovedecks

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1. Stairs to Belowdecks
These stairs lead belowdecks and are right near a large forward storage room. They technically lead into the library section of the ship, but are rarely used to access the library; they are used almost exclusively by crew accessing the fore storage room.

2. The Crew Dinghy
The crew's dinghy is secured near the fore of the ship on the deck. There is space here to secure a second dinghy if visitors bring one.

3. Stairs to Belowdecks
This set of stairs descends into the middle of the library section of the ship.

4. Half-Deck
Near the center of the ship, between the masts, this half-deck raises the ship's wheel and offers a platform for the crew to gather. There is a railing along the outside, and steps up to the top of the half-deck on the aft side. The raised part allows for windows which let some light into the library below. On the deck, there is a comfortable corner couch and a table with chairs. Two large triangular pieces of waxed sailcloth are suspended, mostly overlapping, overhead to provide shelter from the sun and the worst of the elements.

5. Forward Deckhouse
The forward deckhouse is directly above the crew and visitor quarters part of the ship, and offers a place sheltered from the elements for library visitors to study and socialize. It has a door that opens onto the main deck and windows all the way around, as well as a spiral staircase that drops down into the living quarters of the ship. It is furnished with comfortable chairs and couches as well as desks.

6. Aft Deckhouse
The aft deckhouse has a single entrance from the deck of the ship, and windows all around. It's furnishings are simply - deep green upholstered cushions cover the floor and the walls, making it an excellent place to read, sleep, or hang out. The ceiling of the aft deckhouse is also glass, making it a fantastical place to stargaze on a calm ocean night.

Belowdecks

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7. Forward Storage Room
In the very front of the ship, there is a room dedicated to the storage of sailcloth, ship supplies, fresh water, and other large stock of goods needed for journeys.

8. Stairs to Abovedeck
Stairs directly outside of the forward storage room lead up to the deck, easy access to the ship's main storage as needed.

9. The Library
The main portion of the ship's hold - about half - is dedicated to the library. In the center of the room, around the masts, the steering apparatus, and the stairs, are rolling archival shelving units on long tracks, to maximize space. Along the sides of the ship are more traditional rows of shelves, all equipped with either wooden bars across the front or strung with rope to prevent the books from falling.

10. Stairs to Abovedecks
From the center of the libary, there is a set of stairs that leads to the main deck, between the two masts and near the half-deck where the ship is steered from.

11. The Galley
The ship's galley where food is prepared for the crew and any long-term library visitors. In the hallway between rooms here in the living quarters, they have also managed to fit a table with 16 stools. If they're feeding any more that that, someone will have to stand at the counter, or sit on the floor.

12. Food Storage
Food and spirits are stored right next to the galley in the living quarters.

13. Special Collections
Across from the galley, and accessible from both the library and the living quarters (though both doors are kept locked at all times) is a small room, about 10 by 15 feet. This room is magically climate and temperature controlled, and as far as the public knows, simply home to the most valuable items in the library's collection, which the librarian will retrieve for them if they wish to view them.Secrets About the Special Collection

Unbeknowst to visitors, there is actually a magical portal inside the Special Collections room that allows the Librarian to travel to several other libraries across the world to get things from their collections.

14. Visitor's Head
Toilet and bathing facilities for library visitors.

15. Visitor's Bunkroom
Two sets of bunkbeds here for visitors, this room sleeps four adults comfortably at a time and has a small wardrobe included.

16. Visitor's Stateroom
Slightly roomier accomodations than the visitor's bunkroom, the visitor's stateroom has two single beds and also includes a small wardrobe.

17. Staircase to Forward Deckhouse
This spiral staircase leads directly up into the forward deckhouse.

18. Crew Bunkrooms
Once you enter the crew living portion of the ship, the first thing on either side of the door are the crew bunkrooms. Each contains two bunkbeds, for a total of 8 berths. Each bunk has a curtain for privacy, and there are wardrobes in each room. There are no doors on these rooms, but more curtains close them off from the main crew area.

19. LIbrarian's Bunk
The librarian gets their own small private space with room for a bed, wardrobe, and desk. This room, like the crew bunkrooms, has no solid door but a fairly substantial curtain.

20. Crew Quarters
While the crew makes use of all space aboard the ship, this living space is visitor-free, ensuring them private space even when there are library visitors aboard. It is furnished for comfort with deep upholstered seats lining the wall, rugs on the floor, and lots of cushions. Wardrobes and trunks line what is left of available wall space to allow for extra storage of personal items and clothes.

21. Crew Head
The crew has a toilet and bathing facility separate from library visitors, with a deep tub and spelled for fresher, hotter water.

22. Captain's Bunk
The final room at the far aft of the hold, the captain's room affords either more space for the crew or privacy for the captain, depending on their needs and preference.

by devinsxdesigns, gencraft

The Discovery

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Type

Sailing Ship

Classification

Two-Mast Schooner

Purpose

Floating Library

Length

200 ft

Beam

28-30 ft

Decks

3 (1 Main, 2 Below)

Complement/Crew

8-10

Passenger Capacity

4-6 Long Term
8-20 Short-Term

Crew

• Verity Senarim

Header photo by Thomas Kelly on Unsplash.

Maps of the Discovery

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If needed, gridded versions of the below maps can be found here: Abovedecks and Belowdecks.

Abovedecks

by Devin Lintzenich

Belowdecks

by Devin Lintzenich

Many thanks to Stormbril for the CSS that allows creation of in-page tabs using spoilers and CSS (displayed here in use for the character blocks). You can find the article on how to use this code here.

The Crew

Madoc
Captain

Verity
Librarian

Davin
Mage

Corio
Mage

Tully
1st Mate

Albyn
Crew

Averick
Crew

Gil
Crew

Laora
Crew

Sunny
Crew

Name: Madoc Crosse
Race: Human
Class/Occupation: Captain
From: Marches of Risand

Gender: Male
Age: 82 (Adult)
Virtues: Brave, Decisive, Responsible
Vices: Stubborn, Temperamental, Demanding

Madoc has been Captain of the Discovery for 16 years; before that, he was the previous captain's First Mate, and he has worked aboard the ship since he was barely old enough to ship out as a cabin boy, much less a sailor. He takes his responsbility for the safety of ship, crew, and visitors quite seriously, and he lives for the simple joys of sailing his ship. The only member of the crew who has been board longer than Madoc is the ship's Librarian, Verity.

Madoc was born to a large, fairly wealthy merchant family in the Marches of Risand. His parents could afford to purchase their children apprenticeships in any number of fields and sponsor their studies, but Madoc just wanted to sail. His parents wanted him to at least have a safe and productive introduction to sailing, despite hoping he'd give it up, and were friends with the then-first-mate aboard the Discovery, so that is where he got his start and that is where he stayed. Both Averick, one of his crew, and Albyn, Verity's apprentice, are his children though they are only half-siblings.

Name: Verity Senarim
Race: Human
Class/Profession: Librarian, Cleric
From: The Brilliant Empire

Gender: Female
Age:112 (Mature Adult)
Virtues: Clever, Vivacious, Resourceful
Vices: Secretive, Messy, Erratic

The Discovery's Librarian is Verity Senarim, an elder human woman. She was raised in a Nakhtim temple in The Brilliant Empire as a Foundling, and recommended to the previous Librarian by one of the clergy there when it became clear to them that her path lay outside of taking vows to the temple. From that point, which was about the time she turned 20, Verity was raised on the ship and trained to take the Librarian's place. Like those who came before her and those who will come after her, she was also required to work alongside the other sailors as she was learning her trade; the crew of the Discovery is too small to allow the Librarian's apprentice to not pitch in as one of the crew.

Verity is well-known to be a little bit of an odd duck; which, rumor is you'll have that in both elders and Librarians, so at 112 she's got double the excuses. But she knows more than a little bit about everything, she's still fit enough to pitch in when her help is needed around the ship, and she's sharp as a tack. She might be the ship's grandma, but this isn't the type of grandma you want to cross. She's also got a...particular look about her, that might be familiar to anyone who has spent a lot of time around Eschien nobility, but nobody on the ship talks about it.

See Verity Senarim's Character Page

Name: Davin Sayle
Race: Human
Class/Profession: Ship Mage
From: Galanthis

Gender: Male
Age: 57 (Young Adult)
Virtues: Loyal, Charming, Courageous
Vices: Impulsive, Arrogant, Quick-Tempered

Davin and his twin Corio were hired on to the Discovery by Madoc when he lost his last set of mages; one dying of a heart attack old age and the other retiring at the offer of a well-paid teaching position at the university in Oriath. When they docked the Discovery in Oriath to drop her off, and and Madoc went looking for her replacement and found the twins, just graduated and looking for work together. They've been on the ship about 10 years.

Minutes younger than Corio, Davin is louder and more brash than his brother. He has a temper that burns hot and not always fast, and likes to live the high life of a well-off and showy mage at the rare times when the Discovery is in port. Despite all of this, he is fiercely loyal to the ship and the crew and a talented ship mage, especially good with weather; the crew has a standing joke that Davin works so well with storms because he is a storm himself.

Name: Corio Sayle
Race: Human
Class/Profession: Ship Mage
From: Galanthis

Gender: Male
Age: 57 (Young Adult)
Virtues: Loyal, Calm, Rational
Vices: Vindictive, Obsessive, Indecisive

Corio and his twin Davin were hired on to the Discovery by Madoc when he lost his last set of mages; one dying of a heart attack old age and the other retiring at the offer of a well-paid teaching position at the university in Oriath. When they docked the Discovery in Oriath to drop her off, and and Madoc went looking for her replacement and found the twins, just graduated and looking for work together. They've been on the ship about 10 years.

Minutes older than Davin, Corio is calmer and steadier than his brother, and always has been, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get behind some of his brother's mischief either. He's the patient planning behind Davin's ideas, when he isn't the voice of reason. And you know what they say - revenge is a dish best served cold; some would prefer Davin's straightforward fury to Corio's simmering long game. Still, he does generally have a calmer head on his shoulders and gets along with more people.

Name: Tullius ("Tully") Crombaigh Thanach Crosse
Race: Marelis
Class/Occupation: Sailor
From: Marches of Risand

Gender: Hermaphrodite
Age: 70 (Adult)
Virtues: Protective, Forgiving, Perceptive
Vices: Indolent, Opinionated, Self-indulgent

Tully, who has been on the Discovery almost as long as Madoc, is the captain's first mate. He and his two Kucha-mates, Gilander and Laora, joined the crew twenty-five years ago, after coming aboard as visitors to do research and simply never leaving. They have officially adopted the crew as their Pod, even so far as adding Madoc's last name to their own name-list as a Pod name.

Tully is like everyone's favorite cousin, uncle, or brother, and a confidante to everyone on the ship. He is Madoc's best friend, and a good foil for the captain's sometimes quick temper and harsher instincts.

Hover over the image to see Albyn's true form.

Name: Albyn Teklason Crosse
Race: Faedin
Class/Occupation: Apprentice Librarian
From: Nikandros

Gender: Male
Age: 36 (Teenager)
Virtues: Keen, Daring, Vivacious
Vices: Naughty, Quixotic, Wilful

Albyn is the son of Madoc and the half-brother of Averick. His mother was one of the Folk, someone that Madoc had a tryst with during one of the ship's stops in the Triumverate of Nikandros. He was unaware of Albyn's existence for the first 15 years of the boy's life, but the next time they docked in Nikandros his mother presented him at the docks and demanded Madoc take him - Madoc was reluctant to bring a child aboard the ship - for at 15 with the maturity rate of the Folk that is what Albyn was - but to his surprise Verity disagreed, and claimed the boy as her apprentice, forcing his hand; Albyn has lived with them aboard the Discovery ever since.

In his true form, Albyn has the antlers of a deer and pointed Folk-ears; he rarely bothers to conceal them amongst the crew, and sometimes 'forgets' to do so if visitors have been aboard more than a day or so. He is still quite young and rambunctious, prone to pranks and getting into trouble.

Name: Averick Flystraight
Race: Human
Class/Occupation: Sailor
From: United Tribes of Mare'n

Gender: Female
Age: 32 ( Young Adult)
Virtues: Sensible, Hard-working, Fearless
Vices: Unschooled, Melodramatic, Inflexible

Technically the younger of Madoc's two children, Averick is most often the more mature, as she is fully human and her half-brother Albyn is half-Folk and maturing much more slowly. Still, she is barely old enough to be be at sea, but she begged her father to take her and her mother's people were quietly insistent; Averick did not belong in their jungles or on their plains, and needed to go to sea. He agreed when she was 25, and she has been on the ship for 7 years.

Averick is a natural, talented sailor, though she still has to be drug kicking and screaming through anything that even remotely resembles 'book learning'; of everyone on the ship, she has the least regard for the library itself. Madoc thinks she'd make a great captain someday, but he isn't sure it will be of the Discovery, unless something changes.

Name: Gilander ("Gil") Criath Thanach Crosse
Race: Marelis
Class/Occupation: Sailor
From: The Marches of Ranoke

Gender: Male
Age: 71 (Adult)
Virtues: Straightforward, Good Teacher, Logical
Vices: Judgemental, Picky, Rigid

Gil, who has been on the Discovery almost as long as Madoc, is one of the ship's crew. He and his two Kucha-mates, Tully and Laora, joined the crew twenty-five years ago, after coming aboard as visitors to do research and simply never leaving. They have officially adopted the crew as their Pod, even so far as adding Madoc's last name to their own name-list as a Pod name.

Gilander is straightforward, stern, and no-nonsense; he is soft and gentle only in the most private of moments. Otherwise, he expects everyone to do their jobs and do them well, and doesn't have a lot of tolerance for incompetence. However, if you are willing to admit you need help and want to learn, he is the most patient teacher aboard the Discovery. He also has limited tolerance for mischief or silliness if it interferes with work, and absolutely no tolerance for the shenanigans of their younger crew members if it creates unsafe conditions.

Name: Laora Blar Thanach Crosse
Race: Marelis
Class/Occupation: Sailor
From: Marches of Risand

Gender: Female
Age: 68 (Adult)
Virtues: Cheerful, Capable, Funny
Vices: Flippant, Shameless, Procrastinates

Laora, who has been on the Discovery almost as long as Madoc, is one of the ship's crew. She and her two Kucha-mates, Tully and Gil, joined the crew twenty-five years ago, after coming aboard as visitors to do research and simply never leaving. They have officially adopted the crew as their Pod, even so far as adding Madoc's last name to their own name-list as a Pod name.

Laora is a hard worker and a cheerful one. She is slow to anger and quick to forgive, and works well with everyone on the crew. While she has little to no magical ability, she has made it her task to become quite competent as a field healer.

Name: Stephenson "Sunny" Hely
Race: Human
Class/Occupation: Sailor
From: The Marches of Ryfile

Gender: Male
Age: 73 (Adult)
Virtues: Easy-going, Dependable, Frank
Vices: Imprudent, Taciturn, Indulgent

Hailing from the Marches of Ryfile, Sunny rounds out the Discovery's crew as another solid, experienced sailor, who came aboard about 10 years ago, at the same port stop as the twins. He was serving aboard another ship, but Madoc recruited him because he needed simply more hands - though the reminder of home probably didn't hurt in the interview process. Neither did his culinary skills - he is the primary cook for the ship, and everyone prefers his meals to anything they can scrape together themselves when he takes the day off or is needed abovedecks.

The Discovery is crewed by a minimum of 8, and usually 10: the Captain, the Librarian, 2 Ship Mages, and six general hands. Of course, with such a small crew, most of them do more than one duty: ship hands may also be assistant Librarians, Ship Mages will rig canvas, and everyone is on the chore roster - including visitors to the library, most of the time. Select a character tab above to learn more about the crew of the Discovery.