To drown a Verti

To drown a Verti is the term used by the Imperial Dercian Navy when a ship is measuring the depth using a weight at the end of a line, the line is typically made out of rope but ships will also carry a line made out of a thin chain of steel, the steel chain is meant to be used if the ship were to be deployed along parts of the coasts where it is known sea monsters to gather.
the weight at the end of the line would typically be made out of the lead but other materials are known to be used in the fleet, its tradition among the crews to decorate the weight with a face, a favourite among the crews is the face of one of the sea spirits known as a Verti.
To measure the depth of the water, the sailors in charge of measuring the depth will have markers tied to the line, these markers, are typically made out of leather or other material and are fabricated in such a way that the crew will know what the depth is by looking at the markers in daylight or by using tough by night.
A way for crews to see if a captain has risen up through the ranks or if they have brought their way to captain is if the captain calls for the Drowner by using the official term for the job, a lead-man

Item type

Navigational Aid / Instrument

Owning Organization

Empire of Dercia

Rarity

More than 200 are in active use with several thousand in storage.

Weight

500g

Dimensions

20x5cm

Base Price

2 silver

Origins:
It said that another origin for the name "To drown a Verti" is due to the danger that can be associated with the job of standing at the edge of the ship sometimes in choppy seas.
Markers
A common story told by sailors is that the length between the markers is according to the shoe size of the current Empress