Admiral
An Admiral is a regional commander. A large part of their role is to ensure large-scale supplies of guns, timber, canvas, and vittles. To accomplish this, Admirals spend a lot of time behind their desks. Their offices are, of course, located on their flagships, though many have meeting-houses on land for occasions where it would be impolite or impossible to meet aboard-ship.
Maintaining trade with both the dwarven nations of the Crimson Heights as well as various partners in and around Oceanus, extending even as far as Arborea, takes much of an Admiral's time. In addition to the basic logistical needs of the sailors and landfolk under their domain, an Admiral must maintain morale across the board.
All citizens of Dryn are well-aware that the rest of Primus holds them in a poor light. Those who have visited other states - usually Callist, have heard the disparaging of Drynians as piratical kraken-worshippers. The Admiralty, not unreasonably, fears that its inland neighbours would gladly take any excuse to march on their borders. Maintaining morale ensures that no stories of starving, mistreated citizenry spread to tempt such conquests. Moreover, unhappy citizens are reluctant to take up arms in times of trouble, reluctant to sail under the admiral they feel disparaged by, and happy to defect to Dryn's self-righteous neighbours. Fortunately, this is easily prevented.
Since landed communities in Dryn operate with a high degree of independence, an Admiral need only keep a finger on their pulse and make sure each township is supplied regularly with anything it cannot produce on its own. In terms of justice and small-scale concerns, locally-elected community leaders are generally responsible, but may petition their vice-admiral or admiral for help if needed. The Admiral who ignores these requests risks ire not just from the ignored township, but from every sailor with family ashore.
Appointment
Admirals are generally appointed by their predecessors, and usually have captained multiple vessels. The most common successor to an admiral is a first-mate or trusted vice admiral.
Duties
An admiral is charged with several responsibilities in addition to the care of their fleet.
- To manage and regulate the fleet of vessels under one's flag
- To protect Dryn against any who would sail or march against her.
- To care for the citizens on both land and sea within one's provincial territory.
- To respect and maintain positive trade relations with Dryn's many trading partners
- In times of war, to rally one's fleet co-operatively with the other provinces and under the direction of the Fleet Admiral.
- To serve as a representative of Dryn in state-level talks with other nations of Primus.
Responsibilities
An admiral sees to the large-scale needs of their territorial waters and lands. Among their chief concerns are striking and maintaining trade agreements. These keep both their fleets - commercial and military - as well as their landed communities ship-shape. Landed communities in Dryn are mostly self-governing, but may appeal to their admiral or vice-admiral for large-scale concerns. Regarding the charge of ensuring Dryn's safety against her neighbours, keeping the citizenry safe and happy is a top priority. So even though the towns have a lot of independence, many admirals nevertheless involve themselves to ensure that the inland regions are well-supplied not only with essentials, but with valuables and cultural interests, in order to maintain morale and loyalty.
Benefits
The Admiral is an authority over all captains in their fleet, as well as any vice-admiral they may appoint. The fleet benefits from flying the Admiral's colors and thus their reputation, and the Admiral benefits from a large naval force. The position comes with an increase in pay, as each ship submits a percentage of its profits toward the current Admiralty. But it is also an expensive position, since expenses associated with the Admiral's provincial concerns are to be paid out of the Admiral's own coffers.
Accoutrements & Equipment
There is no uniform associated with the rule, but it is generally agreed that having a fancier hat than one's admiral is a huge faux pas.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
Admirals are generally appointed by their predecessors, and usually have captained multiple vessels. The most common successor to an admiral is a first-mate or trusted vice admiral. Admirals who let their fleets run amok or who neglect the needs of their landed denizens are swiftly mutinied. For this reason, few accept the title who are only interested in wealth or fame, as Admirals spend significantly less time on high-sea adventures, kept closer to the coast by their shore-side responsibilities.
The other most common cause of dismissal is death - in battle or of injuries from the same.
Type
Nobility, Military
Form of Address
Admiral
Equates to
In Dryn, an Admiral is roughly equivalent to a baron, lord, or other ruler over part of a state. Dryn is unusual in that it has no unitary state leader except in times of war, when a Fleet Admiral is elected.
Source of Authority
Merit
Reports directly to
Related Organizations