From Felaguria: The Struggle for Power
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"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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THE ISLES NAVY
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More than any other kingdom, the Kingdom of the Isles has the longest and strongest ties to the sea. To no great surprise, this has also made them arguably the best ship-builders, and hands down has the most powerful navy. Where ships can be named after almost anything, it has become a tradition in the Isles to name the types of ships they build after what can be found on their islands. Ships built for trading purposes will typically be named after a spice or fruit, a grain or a flower. Mostly they are named after some kind of plant-based trade good. Warships, on the other hand, are named for animals. Faster ships are named for faster animals, stronger ships for stronger animals, and so forth. Sometimes ships, civilian or military, will be named for the flora or fauna native to the island that the original design of that ship was built on. This is not always correct however.
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THE SHIPS OF THE KINGDOM OF THE ISLES
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Turtle Said to date back to the reign of Queen Yonina Onimus, these ships are believed to have originally been built as a warship that could be defended easier against attackers than the ships of the time. As the Queen had cut off all ties to the outside world and refused to allow even her own people to leave, these ships were believed to allow the Isles to hold their own against any other power, and never be captured. Today these ships are mostly used as trade ships, though there has been small variations over the years to keep them updated to the times. Named the Turtle, it is believed the first of these ships was built on the Isle of the Giant Pearl. In keeping with warship naming traditions, it was named after the local turtles for their defensive ability against predators. Turtles continue to be produced and used for their general versatility for all ships, and good design as a trade ship. They have a large cargo capacity; a flat bottom making loading and unloading easier, and high sides making them harder to board during sea battles. Occasionally these ships still come into use by the Isles navy as troop transports and tertiary warships; the latter after some refitting is done to the fore and aft.
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Plum First designed during the reign of Urice Onimus, these ships were designed to be smaller, faster ships for localized trade. Named after the plum, this design was created on the Isle of the Crown. It was given this name due to its small size compared to other ships. Developed following the creation of The Hundreds' Years Alliance, the isles entered a new period of prosperity, and with the threat of war gone, time was spent on the creation of a new ship that would be cheaper to build than the older Turtle design. While not intended to replace the Turtle fully, it would be better suited to more localized traders and merchants who didn't have as much money to buy larger ships. A single-masted ship typically used to travel near the coast or on short trips across the seas, these ships are the most common types seen around the Isles. They serve well as a trade ship when trade routes are localized to the coasts of individual islands, or trips between two nearby islands. When employed by the Isles navy, these ships are most commonly used as a support vessel; such as carrying supplies for a large fleet, or as survey or scout ships.
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Squirrel These ships were originally designed on the Isle of the Sleeping Volcano and named for the fast, agile rodents found there. Originally designed towards the end of the reign of Queen Urice Onimus, the first ship wasn't built until the first years of the reign of Queen Zamera Onimus, making it one of the newest ships created by the Isles. Designed to be the fastest and most maneuverable ships possible, these ships are employed by the Isles navy as escorts and to make fast strikes at their enemies. These ships are designed to be very fast and maneuverable. Other kingdoms have tried to copy the design. As none of these ships have ever been captured, nor given to foreign powers, no other kingdom has yet managed to reproduce the speed and maneuverability of these ships. These ships are one of the main reasons the navy of the Kingdom of the Isles is the best on the seas.
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Anaconda Created on the Isle of the Gloomy Jungles, the Anaconda is the largest available ship (where it gets its name), and is considered by many an odd choice to come out of the minds of the residents of the Jungles. Designed and built during the reign of Queen Abegayle Onimus, these ships were meant to fill the role of a sturdier and more powerful ship than the others still in use. These ships are often seen as flagships in fleets. They are also well designed for long-distance travel over the seas. It can be said these ships are what allows the Kingdom of the Isles to travel potentially anywhere in the world, and can also provide strong warships for any fleet in need of them. These are the rarest of the ships the Isles navy has, though it is unknown just how many there are at any given time.
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