The Ballad and The Choir

Technological achievement

Montbay unveils two experimental ship designs making use of cannon technology, both dubbed the Rocket-Ship.

The Type B, nicknamed the Ballad, features a massive artillery-piece that spans the length of the battleship, allowing highly accurate propulsion of balls large enough to sink a ship in one blow. The Type C, nicknamed the Chorus, features a blunter set of cannons in a honeycomb pattern, which is meant to fire in rapid succession and sink a mass of smaller ships.   The standard battleship frame is shared by both types, and already widely employed by the Montbayese navy. It consists of ironclad sides with a massive turnwheel, powered by an engine and allowing consistent paddling regardless of weather. This is the Type A, from which the Rocket-Ships derive.