The Fides
History
The Fides, also known as the "round ship", was a very large barge whose ruins lie off the whirlpool coast. By the time it was completed in 4111, it was the largest vessel known to any civilization. It successfully completed it's maiden voyage across the Sea of Starlight, to the Themmit Tablelands and to Darkshelf; where it was loaded with a massive obelisk, built by the citizens of Darkshelf to symbolize peace and strength between the two nations. The obelisk was successfully installed in Carcino in 4116, where it still sits on the docks, at the center of a large trade center. A year later, in 4117 the Fides would launch for its second voyage, under the command of The Royal Navy Admiral Gnaeus Sulla. With a command of nearly 1,500 crew, the ship was sent out with one goal in mind: to protect the trade-ways that lead to Carcino. In the year 4126, after almost completing its 10-year mission, the Fides was attacked off the whirlpool coast by Pirate Lord Ograd Tusk (Ograd meaning white). Both ships would go down in this battle, their ruins joining many others in the graveyard beneath the angry whirlpool chain.Description
The Carcinian barge had a length of 500 feet and a beam of about 70 feet. It was ten decks high, and displaced a minimum of 8,900 tons, and carried a crew of 1200-1600. The crew of the Fides was broken up into two main groups with many subgroups to them. These two main groups were the Fabri and the Cohors. The Fides could is also classified as a lightvessel (a type of ship that acted as a mobile lighthouse for when building a physical structure was not recommended) thanks to the large towers that dotted the deck of the barge. The tallest of these light towers was built to resemble the Pharos of Darkshelf, one of the ancient wonders.Construction
The Fides was constructed from Oak (for the keel), pine (for the masts), and various hardwoods for decking and the hull. The hull, unlike many other ships of modern design, was clinker-built, with the edges of the hull overlapping each other, as opposed to being smooth. The expenses involved in building galleon-type ships are already enormous, and the expenses involving The Fides was no exception. Hundreds if not thousands of tradesmen (including carpenters, pitch-melters, blacksmiths, coopers, shipwrights, etc.), under the genius command of the shipmaster and designer Sergius Rayan Salacia, worked days and nights for 3½ years before this giant barge was seaworthy. To cover expenses, The Fides was funded by groups of wealthy merchants and businessmen who pooled together their resources in hopes the ship would deter any from attacking their own, smaller trade ships. Because of this, The Fides was primarily used on missions of trade. Either being the vessel loaded with vast quantities of goods or precious artifacts, or being the vessel that protected such ships from pirates and enemy combatants seeking to disrupt and plunder.Armaments
The most common gun placed on ships used by the Carcinian Royal Navy is the demi-cannon. However, this is not the case for The Fides. This vast ship supports the largest cannons built by the Royal Navy, called the Dardanelles Gun or the Great Bombard or the Super Bombard by those that use them. This siege weapon was designed by Munir Ali, a drow from Darkshelf that moved to Carcino to attend the Capital University. The cannon is cast from bronze, weighs on average 16.8 tons, and has a length of 5.18 meters (17.0 feet), being capable of firing stone balls of up to 0.63 meters diameter (24.8 inches) that weighed up to 260 kg (570 lbs). The powder chamber and the barrel are connected by the way of a screw mechanism, allowing easier transport of the unwieldy device.Propulsion
The Fides had sails that could be used in favorable winds, but human effort, performed by men and women called Rowers, was always the primary method of propulsion. This allowed The Fides to navigate independently of winds and currents.
Weapons & Armament
Dardanelles Gun [x62]
Class
Nickname
The Round Ship
Owner
Price
12.8 billion Aureus in material and labor
Rarity
Unique, one of a kind
Width
46 cubits (70 feet)
Length
335 cubits (502.5 feet)
Height
50 cubits (75 feet)
Weight
62,000 tons
Speed
27 mph (32-35 mph with strong headwinds)
Complement / Crew
1,000-1,600
In response to the prompt What is the most popular military vessel in your world? Where was it made and how does it work?
Comments
Author's Notes
This ship, like most things in my world, is heavily inspired, if not taken right from real life. The Greek ship of antiquity, often thought to be the largest ship of antiquity, called the Syracusia, was the inspiration for The Fides. The Syracusia was reportedly so large that no port in Sicily could hold her, thus she was sailed only once, whereupon she was given as a present to Ptolemy III Euergetes.