The Ocean

The ocean is a mass of roiling waters and dark skies. The eastern sea is the end of the world. No vessels capable of safely traversing the ocean exist. The constant storms on the deep ocean make travel beyond the sight of shore deadly. There are legends of strange boats arriving from beyond the storms, battered and torn. Most people, however, believe the world is flat, and that the tumult on the sea is the water running over the side.

Ships are made in Watertown. Forests in the northwest are cut, and the logs come down the river to the shipyards of Watertown.

Pirates will steal merchantmen and outfit them with weaponry, including low level sorcerors, archers, and crossbows. Very rarely, a prophet of the night gods will sign on as a pirate to further some nefarious purpose.

Ship Information

Highland and Bend merchants use curragh, cog, and coaster-style vessels to transport goods and people. Cogs and coasters are preferred for goods for their tonnage and speed. Sailed curraghs carry people and are slower, but are much cheaper.

Further north, some of the barbarian tribes use drakkar and knarr to travel along the coast in raids and trading missions. To the average coastal highlander, barbarians and pirates are the same thing, with different ships.

Cog

For its size and its cargo capacity, the cog is most suited for carrying goods from Highland to South Bend. It sports three sails. The cog is the most commonly used ship in Highland.

Coaster

The coaster gets its name from its mode of travel: it never sails out of sight of land. In Highland, of course, no one sails out of site of land, but the coaster was the first sailing ship used for trade in civilized Highland. It is commonly used for trade between two nearby ports. It is commonly used, now, in South Bend, where there are many more ports than in Highland. In Highland, coasters, will travel from Watertown to Crosspoint, or from Crosspoint to High Town.

Coasters sport two sails.

Curragh

The curragh in Highland is quite a bit larger than the curragh we’re familiar with, but is still the smallest of the merchant ships used in East Highland. The curragh may be either sailed or rowed. It boasts two sails and is also designed for rowing. The curragh is often used for passenger transport between nearby ports.

Drakkar

Knarr

Highland to Bend Sea Travel

All of these costs and times are measured from Crosspoint. Costs from Watertown are 10% higher and another half day.

Costs may be bargained down significantly if the customer is charismatic and not tied to a specific time or captain. Winter travel is more dangerous, and costs rise 50% from December to March.

Travel Times

Travel times can vary considerably depending on weather, especially for sailing ships.

Shipping Costs

There will be a discount of 1% for every three tons on a coaster or cog. Costs are in Crosspoint shillings and pennies, and are per ton.

Travel Costs

These costs are per person, and include basic food and lodging. Costs are in Crosspoint shillings and pennies.

Charter Costs

Chartering a boat can be time-consuming and requires planning in advance. A boat is rarely available for charter in less than a week. The initial payment must be paid to reserve the ship, and the costs per day must be paid on taking the ship. Costs are in Crosspoint shillings and pennies.

Charter costs include a basic crew. Tipping is generally accepted and the expectation of tipping will usually produce better service.