The Alienage
All Things Relating to Trade, Shipping, and Commodities








The Shipwright

Current Era (700 TR – 720 TR)

The Venarian Sea

The Venarian Sea has been the economic hub of Northwestern Lýthia since the Targan Empire and most likely well before that time. As a result it has a long shipbuilding history. The technologies in this area are well defined and some of the more advanced within the region. Even so, they have been slow to adopt the stern rudder. Within the Venarian Sea there are four dominant vessel types. That said, there are numerous variation to these four vessel types and numerous lesser known vessel types associated with local customs and traditions.

  • Venar: A one masted, carvel-straked venyn-rigged vessel with a single steering oar has been in use for about 400 years. The sail design was adopted from eastern Lýthia and the rig is now named after this vessel, which in turn is named after the sea on which it is most common. Smaller Venars serve as fishing boats and light river transport; larger Venars are employed as coastal traders. The Venar generally has an orlop deck, but no main deck; it is not very sea worthy in stormy seas.
  • Raem: A merchant vessel used extensively by Azeryani and Karejian traders for nearly 200 years in one form or another. She is caravel straked, with two masts and twin steering oars. Both masts are venyn-rigged. The twin steering oars, one each quarter, provide better steering when the vessel heels to one side or the other. The Raem has a high freeboard, full length orlop and main decks, and a poop deck. The Raem is very seaworthy and capable of ocean travel. Some shipyards have begun designing a larger variant of the Raem that will have multiple decks and may even incorporate the stern rudder.
  • Laru: The war galley of the central and eastern Venarian Sea that has maintained its current appearance over the last 100 years. The Laru has a low, sleek profile, a ram, and is propelled by a large Venyn sail bent on a single mast and by oar. She has a full orlop deck, partial main decks at the bow and stern, linked by a narrow deck (called a catwalk). Most also have quarterdecks and focsles, and carry 20-30 bowmen. Oarsmen are positioned two or three to a bench, pulling a single 24-36 feet oar in unison.

    Depending on the vessel size there can be 12-36 pars per side. Cruising speed under oar is four knots, although twice this speed is possible for 15-20 minute bursts. The vessel can make eight knots with a good following wind, but is vulnerable in rough seas. The Laru is mainly employed to protect merchant convoys and to patrol the sea lanes and coastal waters, usually in flotillas of 2-6 vessels.
  • Larumar: A merchant galley used by wealthy Karejian and Azeryani merchants, generally only for valuable cargoes; it first appeared only within the last 100 years. The Larumar is fast and relatively seaworthy for a galley. Her hull may have caravel or kamba straking. She has an orlop deck, main deck, and (usually) a deck house atop the quarterdeck. Such vessels may have two or three venyn-rigged masts. They carry large crews which are more for defense than rowing because they only use oars when becalmed or entering/leaving a part.

    These elite merchant ships rarely travel alone, convoys of 2-8 vessels comprising a Larun being more common. Most Larun originate in Livelis, the major port/city of the Karejian League, and are named after their principal destination such as the Larun of Hebos, the Larun of Janora, or the Larun of Cherafir.

The Gulf of Ederwyn

With the gulf being on the margins of the Venarian Sea and northern shipbuilding traditions, it is not unusual to see ships of both regions working these waters. However, the waters around southern Trierzon tend to use Venarian Sea vessel types and those to the west around Palithane tend to use northern vessel types. As a result of this crossing of vessel types someone wanting a ship built can find a shipwright specializing in either clinker or caravel construction. In addition, the region is known for its innovative designs incorporating both shipbuilding techniques; an example being the Karune.

  • Karune: A revolutionary design which first appeared in Trierzon and Palithane less than thirty years ago. The Karune is an all-purpose vessel intended for long voyages and capable of handling all but the roughest seas. Ranging in length from 60-96 feet, the Karune may have caravel or kamba straking, an orlop deck, one or two tween decks, a main deck, and a focsles and quarterdeck. The Karune has two or three masts, with square, venyn, or most often mixed rigging. Compared to a Dak of similar size, the Karune has less cargo capacity due to her slimmer lines, but is faster. There are only about sixty of these vessels afloat, partly because shipwrights elsewhere have been slow to adopt the design.

    Due to Trierzon being midway between the rich goods of eastern Lýthia and bulk and textile goods of the north, Trierzon’s leadership and merchants started questioning the possibility of rounding Anzeloria in the search for a passage to the Gulf of Mafan and regions further to the east. They knew most vessel already at hand were either to slow for such a journey or not seaworthy enough. The Karune was the answer to this dream. It is fast, seaworthy, and can sail with or against the wind.

The Sea of Ivae

This region is home to the clinker straked shipbuilding technique. Although the longships of this region are readily associated with the Ivinians and their ravaging of northwestern Lýthia over the last 300 years or so; most civilizations north and west of Trierzon have adopted the techniques for their own purposes. However, the Ivinian designs are still the most technologically advanced of all the verities built. Even so, the design has reached its limits and its utility is waning in favor of other vessel types that can meet the same needs more efficiently. Although any vessel with a high length to beam ration is considered a longship, they can be classed into two distinct vessel types.

  • Dragonship: A collective name for all types of the traditional Ivinian warship, although the name is sometimes reserved for the largest of them. The first true longships began to make their appearance about 300 years ago. The smallest type is called a warboat (60-80 feet), and is followed by a longship (81-96 feet). Dragonships have evolved from a long and violent maritime tradition, and depend on their large crews for seaworthiness. They are built with shallow draft clinker hulls, and orlop decks. They never have more than one square-rigged mast, but are capable of making up to twelve knots with a good following wind,and six knots under oar. Crews are large; all bear arms and help sail, row, and fight. Cargo capacity is minimal, restricted to small valuable items such as might be acquired by raiding. These vessels rarely have benches for their oarsmen, the tradition being that each oarsman sits on his personal sea-chest when rowing.
  • Nivik: A one-masted, square-rigged vessel which is the most common merchant ship found in the waters of Hârn and Ivinia; it has been around for almost as long as the Dragonship above. The Nivik has a clinker hull, a full orlop, but no main deck. Cargo and men are protected from the elements by tarpaulins and canopies. A single square sail is the only source of propulsion, and there is a single steering oar on the starboard quarter. A coastal trader would typically have a length of 30-42 feet; a sea-going trader might vary between 42-60 feet in length. Niviks of 24-30 feet are the most common fishing boats in northwestern Lýthia. When employed for military use, small raised platforms called castles may be added at the bow and stern.

The Gulfs of Shorkyne and Modan and Quandas Bay

The Gulf of Shorkyne is the major trade route of bulk goods out of Hurisea and grain and wine from Shorkyne. The Gulf of Modan and Quandas Bay are significant sources of linen and other textiles. The hub of all this activity is centered on Chelemby Island and the city of Chelemby. With the increased demand for these bulk goods and the decline of Ivinian raids, Shorkyne shipwrights developed the Dak.

  • Dak: The Dak has replaced the Nivik as the most popular merchant vessel in Shorkyne, Emelrene, and the western regions of Trierzon. Built from a clinker straked hull, this vessel has a full length orlop and main deck, and may have a tween deck depending on size. The Dak also has a quarterdeck and forecastle, although recent designs now have an enclosed focsles. Most have a single square-rigged mast. The vessel is slow and unwieldy but very seaworthy because of its high freeboard. An important feature of the Dak is her stern post rudder which is far superior to a steering oar, particularly in rough seas. Invented by Shorkyne shipwrights in the middle of the last century, the rudder is slowly being adopted by other builders, most notably in Trierzon, Emelrene, and Palithane.

Generic Vessels

There are two vessel types that can be found throughout all these regions with either clinker or caravel straking and a numerous variations on the standard design shown here. The Pinda is primarily a ships boat or small fishing vessel and the Talbar is the most dominant riverine vessel in all of these regions.

  • Pinda: Small, deckles boats, equipped with oars and carried by ships as ship’s boats. A Pinda will have 1-4 oars per side depending on its length and most have a single stepped mast that is square or venyn rigged. Most large vessels carry at least one Pinda, stowed on the main deck or slung over the side, In terms of human capacity; a Pinda can carry one man per quarter tun Gross Burthen. Hence, a Pinda of 2 tuns can hold about 8 individuals with provisions for about two days, assuming that it carries no other cargo.
  • Talbar: A beamy but shallow draft trading vessel designed to operate on rivers or in shallow coastal waters. The Talbar dominates water transport on most navigable rivers and lakes. The overwhelming majority of Talbars are a few inches less than thirty feet to circumvent piloting restrictions. The Talbar hull may have clinker or caravel straking. They are both oar and sail powered. The oars are used primarily for upriver travel and when docking. The small sail is bent on a stepped mast that can be easily lowered to pass beneath bridges, and may be square or venyn rigged according to local custom.

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