[OOC]
Full description of Alex's ship, the Silvana.
"You just try delivering something to that cursed ship! See if you come back alive!"
Of all the ships sailing the skies, perhaps the most enigmatic is the Silvana, captained by the reclusive Alex Rowe. It holds allegiance with neither nation, and the true motives and purpose of its Captain are mysterious to say the least. Hardly anyone outside of the ship's crew know what drives him, and most of the crew they know little more than that.
What is known to the crew is that Alex is fighting a private war with an underground organizationthat he believes is attempting to foment war between Ivona and Vohemar. Opinions differ whether this organization actually exists, or if the Captain has gone around the bend. Those who fall into the latter group generaly are just in it for the pay, which (as the ship spends much of its time hunting pirates, a highly profitable trade) is considerable. Only the ranking officers know that many of the actions Alex takes are under orders received from a third party in the form of coded messages, and of those only his first mate knows that he receives those orders from Marius, the Ivonan Prime Minister, as part of the deal that got Alex the ship in the first place.
The Silvana is the only ship of her class: The prototype for a new line of warship that was scrapped because the cost of producing and maintaining the vessel kept it from being cost-effective. Several innovations went into its design, but the main one was the experimental engine, codenamed the Claudia Drive, which produced a considerably stronger lift than a conventional steam drive...but the cost of construction and the amount of fuel required for its operation was the nail in the project's coffin.
However, because of the drive's extra lift, the designers were able to equip the Silvana with heavy armor plating the likes of which would never be practical on a ship with a standard drive, making the Silvana capable of withstanding bombardments that would send most vessels right out of the sky. It also boasts not-unimpressive cannonage: turret cannons with a 180 degree field of fire line the port and starboard sides of the vessel, and below them are set into the hull broadside cannons that are more powerful, and better protected by the Silvana's armor, but with a much smaller range of fire. They are completely useless unless the Silvana manages to bring the enemy vessel alongside. The only defense to the front and rear is a single turret cannon, set below the bridge. Alex has noticed this flaw, and has plans to modify the ship to ameliorate it.
The other unique innovation of the Silvana's offense is the focus on combat by plane. It fields a full dozen planes, far more than a standard ship of the line, and has a unique setup: A massive lift system runs through the core of the ship, leading from the upper deck to the lower deck and stopping in the middle at an internal hangar. Planes travel in this lift either above or below the ship, and take off from there, and can land on either one as well. These ships are used for scouting under normal combat circumstances, but they can also be used to disrupt the enemy's vision with clouds of colored smoke, harass the enemy crews, or even to drop bombs on the decks of enemy ships.
Although the Silvana is a formidable force in combat, it's also a real pain to keep afloat: the drive is powerful, but requires an abnormally high amount of fuel to keep running. The drive and lift systems also use several non-standard parts that need to be custom-ordered at great expense. The only other option is to jury-rig something together from standard parts, but that functions only as a stop-gap measure. In addition, because the ship was an experimental model, it suffers from a number of quirks and issues that the designers never got to stamp out. The upshot of this is that the mechanics will be extremely busy, and will spend most of their time running around, putting out metaphorical fires just to keep the ship running properly.
Alex's relationship with the crew can be best described as distant. He does not engage in casual social interaction, and keeps pretty much to himself. In fact, you could sail all across the continent on his ship and never once see him face-to-face, as he generally delegates disciplinary authority to his officers, and does not engage in their day-to-day affairs unless necessary. However, he will not tolerate betrayal or infighting within his crew, and will come down hard on any such behavior.
Because of the ship's mysterious nature, as well as its Captain's imposing appearance, the Silvana has acquired something of a reputation. In rural areas and among the superstitious, it's spoken of in whispered terms, as it is commonly believed to be a cursed ship, bringing misfortune upon everyone who crosses its path. In other, more knowledgeable circles, it's frequently known as the Kill-'Em-All Silvana, due to its exceptional combat record. But the title that the ship bears the most proudly is the one that they perpetuate themselves: 'The Safest Place On Reial'. With its powerful defenses, constant movement and neutrality, it is often thought of as a safe haven for those on the run, provided that they are able to work or pay their way. Put your cargo or passenger on the Silvana, and you can be sure that no matter what happens, they will arrive safely at their destination.
"You just try delivering something to that cursed ship! See if you come back alive!"
Of all the ships sailing the skies, perhaps the most enigmatic is the Silvana, captained by the reclusive Alex Rowe. It holds allegiance with neither nation, and the true motives and purpose of its Captain are mysterious to say the least. Hardly anyone outside of the ship's crew know what drives him, and most of the crew they know little more than that.
What is known to the crew is that Alex is fighting a private war with an underground organizationthat he believes is attempting to foment war between Ivona and Vohemar. Opinions differ whether this organization actually exists, or if the Captain has gone around the bend. Those who fall into the latter group generaly are just in it for the pay, which (as the ship spends much of its time hunting pirates, a highly profitable trade) is considerable. Only the ranking officers know that many of the actions Alex takes are under orders received from a third party in the form of coded messages, and of those only his first mate knows that he receives those orders from Marius, the Ivonan Prime Minister, as part of the deal that got Alex the ship in the first place.
The Silvana is the only ship of her class: The prototype for a new line of warship that was scrapped because the cost of producing and maintaining the vessel kept it from being cost-effective. Several innovations went into its design, but the main one was the experimental engine, codenamed the Claudia Drive, which produced a considerably stronger lift than a conventional steam drive...but the cost of construction and the amount of fuel required for its operation was the nail in the project's coffin.
However, because of the drive's extra lift, the designers were able to equip the Silvana with heavy armor plating the likes of which would never be practical on a ship with a standard drive, making the Silvana capable of withstanding bombardments that would send most vessels right out of the sky. It also boasts not-unimpressive cannonage: turret cannons with a 180 degree field of fire line the port and starboard sides of the vessel, and below them are set into the hull broadside cannons that are more powerful, and better protected by the Silvana's armor, but with a much smaller range of fire. They are completely useless unless the Silvana manages to bring the enemy vessel alongside. The only defense to the front and rear is a single turret cannon, set below the bridge. Alex has noticed this flaw, and has plans to modify the ship to ameliorate it.
The other unique innovation of the Silvana's offense is the focus on combat by plane. It fields a full dozen planes, far more than a standard ship of the line, and has a unique setup: A massive lift system runs through the core of the ship, leading from the upper deck to the lower deck and stopping in the middle at an internal hangar. Planes travel in this lift either above or below the ship, and take off from there, and can land on either one as well. These ships are used for scouting under normal combat circumstances, but they can also be used to disrupt the enemy's vision with clouds of colored smoke, harass the enemy crews, or even to drop bombs on the decks of enemy ships.
Although the Silvana is a formidable force in combat, it's also a real pain to keep afloat: the drive is powerful, but requires an abnormally high amount of fuel to keep running. The drive and lift systems also use several non-standard parts that need to be custom-ordered at great expense. The only other option is to jury-rig something together from standard parts, but that functions only as a stop-gap measure. In addition, because the ship was an experimental model, it suffers from a number of quirks and issues that the designers never got to stamp out. The upshot of this is that the mechanics will be extremely busy, and will spend most of their time running around, putting out metaphorical fires just to keep the ship running properly.
Alex's relationship with the crew can be best described as distant. He does not engage in casual social interaction, and keeps pretty much to himself. In fact, you could sail all across the continent on his ship and never once see him face-to-face, as he generally delegates disciplinary authority to his officers, and does not engage in their day-to-day affairs unless necessary. However, he will not tolerate betrayal or infighting within his crew, and will come down hard on any such behavior.
Because of the ship's mysterious nature, as well as its Captain's imposing appearance, the Silvana has acquired something of a reputation. In rural areas and among the superstitious, it's spoken of in whispered terms, as it is commonly believed to be a cursed ship, bringing misfortune upon everyone who crosses its path. In other, more knowledgeable circles, it's frequently known as the Kill-'Em-All Silvana, due to its exceptional combat record. But the title that the ship bears the most proudly is the one that they perpetuate themselves: 'The Safest Place On Reial'. With its powerful defenses, constant movement and neutrality, it is often thought of as a safe haven for those on the run, provided that they are able to work or pay their way. Put your cargo or passenger on the Silvana, and you can be sure that no matter what happens, they will arrive safely at their destination.