Emerald Shores Merchant Navy

The Emerald Shores Merchant Navy (henceforth ESMN) is the naval wing of the Emerald Shores Alliance. Formed 27 years after the formation of the Alliance, the ESMN serves to protect the shipping routes and trade interests of the ESA, particularly through the northern half of the Emerald Sea.

Founding

The ESMN was formed as a means by which to protect trade into, out of, and through the members of the Emerald Shores Alliance. Due to the independent nature of the settlements along the Emerald Shores, the lack of a greater population made it difficult to properly protect trade routes, particularly those heading to the Southern Rim. Upon the signing of the Alliance Decree, discussion of trade protection was the immediate unified cause, though it would take some time to get all members to agree to the terms of the charter.

Use

The Merchant Navy is used to keep the primary trades routes of the Emerald Sea safe from all threats. This often means providing escort for ships with large loads, or traveling in and out of the Emerald Shores region, and patrolling trade routes. Occasionally, a ship or two will seek out a specific threat - most typically an aggressive sea beast. The fleet has not undertaken any assignments past the Southern Rim or the mouth of the sea to the east. However, there have been discussions among the ESA about potentially undertaking a scouting assignment beyond the rim for new trade partners.

Composition

Manpower

The entirety of the ESMN is reported to be well over 1,800 enlisted mariners, though that number more than doubles when counting untrained adjacent employees, such as ship builders, cook staff, etc.

Equipment

The ESMN currently has 17 full duty ships, with three new clippers being the crown jewels of the fleet. The Verdant Three have been reported to cover speeds of over 14 knots, making them more than 1.5x faster than the fleet's next fastest large ships. They also feature 16 cannons each, making them the most armed ships behind the head gunship, the ESS Thunder, which features 30 canons.

Weaponry

All ships feature arrow slits/mage slits for use in minor skirmishes and casting protections. The full fleet of ships, excluding guideboats, also feature cannons as primary artillery. Support vessels only feature the personal weaponry of the crew that mans them at any time.

Individually, all enlisted mariners are provided a blade of their choice, and protective equipment of their choice. Those serving in ranged and security roles are often provided bows, crossbows, or other various personal weaponry as may be needed by their unit.

Vehicles

The ESMN fleet features 17 ships, including five clippers, three frigates, a gunship, four schooners, and four guideboats. All boats smaller than guidesboats fall into the support vessel category, and number around 60. The most recent assessment indicated the fleet featured 63 of these support vessels, though the ESMN is known to consistently cycle these boats in and out of service, leaving the exact number at any given time to be only an estimation.

The pride of the Merchant Navy's fleet are their newest three clippers, referred to as the Verdant Three. Commissioned in 843, 3E by the ESA, and making their maiden voyage on 3 Meadowglow 848, 3E, the Verdant Three has proven to be the fastest ships in the Emerald Sea. Stocked with 16 cannons each, at least one of the clippers is in active duty at any time, as the speed allows the ships to reach any point in the sea within 8 days.

The Verdant Three

Structure

The ESMN command structure is somewhat murky at the top. The navy is chartered by the Emerald Shores Alliance, an economic and political alliance. Unlike most military branches under alliance direction, the ESMN is not comprised of, or supported by, other armed forces units. Instead, the navy is a distinct entity under the Alliance, and as such is entirely under the direction of a group which does not have a distinct leader, either elected or appointed. As such it is unclear where the top of the hierarchy actually lies, though it is believed that the strongest voice(s) come from Emerald Point.

The clearest view of the hierarchy begins with the Fleet Commanders. There are 7 FC's - one for each class of ship, and two for the support vessels (SV's). Each class of ship has a pool of mariners that rotate assignments on the ships as needed. The mariners are broken up into units based on their skillset, ie. rangers, cannoneers, defensive mages, etc. Each unit has a commander who leads their unit as assigned.

Assignments are handed down to the FC's who then pass these down to their Ship Captains, who assemble the necessary units and ships, making each crew unique. Once assembled, each ship will see the captain supported by his First Mate, who is responsible for the Deck Coordinators. Each Coordinator is then responsible for delegating to the commanders on their assigned deck.

Training

Mariners are trained primarily in the Depths of the Emerald Isles. A day's sail from the barracks on Meridian Island, the Depths features the ideal training ground as the sharp, rocky, uninhabited islands make for rough waters and isolated lands on which to ply their craft, challenging the recruits while protecting the public from any dangers. As most shallow patrols rarely feature any threat beyond the occasional sea beast, these patrols are where recruits typically receive their final training before becoming fully enlisted mariners.

Logistics

Logistical Support

Nearly all activities of the Merchant Navy are based out of Meridian Island. Centered around shipbuilding, the island provides the best opportunity to dock and perform maintenance on the ships, before they set off on assignment. While on assignment, ships will often restock at the nearest port if needed, though assignments rarely last so long. The ships stationed at Arrowmark Island are stoked by shipments coming from Emerald Point.

Upkeep

The Merchant Navy is funded through a joint tax levied on all citizens within the Emerald Shores. The tax is relatively small, and as such the Navy is supported heavily by Emerald Point. It is believed by some that Emerald Point's elite support this funding, so as to allow them more sway over the branch's use.

Recruitment

The Emerald Shores Merchant Navy recruits young men from all walks of life throughout the Emerald Shores. First born sons from families of status are expected to enlist and will often begin climbing the ranks at a young age. The bulk of the manpower, however, comes from sons of families who are attached to the water in some way, be they the sons of sailors, fishermen, enlisted mariners, etc. The Emerald Sea has been relatively peaceful for many millennia, leaving the notion of joining the ESMN as one of adventure.

Type

Navy

Founding

14 Summercrest 202, 3E

Overall training Level

Elite

All images other than the Summer Camp 2024 logo were created by the author with Bing Copilot | Designer
"Emerald Shores Merchant navy Shipyard" Generated with AI ∙ July 9, 2024 at 9:04 AM