The mainstay of most merchant fleets and independent captains, the cog or roundship can be found throughout the seas of Europe under several names. In the Baltic and Atlantic coast, they are often built with flat bottoms to rest on mudflats at low tide. The ship described by these statistics is a Cog modified for use as a warship with the addition of castles and a crow's nest. Hull Size: 5 (Seaworthiness: OK/-1/-1/-2/-3/-5/Swamped) Material: Planks (Soak: 7) Crew Size: 35 Propulsion: Sails (Speed: 5) Secondary: Oars (Speed: 1) Steering: Steering Oar (Maneuver: +1) Extras: Fore Castle, Aft Castle, Crow's Nest, 10 Normal Cabins, 3 Ample Cabins Total Tonnage: 150 Cargo Capacity: 98
The Mad Duchess is an independent Norman cog. The vessel was built in 1195 and has seen several master-&-commanders.
Captain Fleming overhauled this ship into his own personal man-o'-war in spring 1222. Her maiden voyage was to take a contingent of passengers to Scotland that following summer. Sadly, their mission was waylaid with an unexpected stop over in Arcadia, courtesy of the Autumn Court.
Captain Mel J. Fleming the Fourth, Gentleman-AdventurerAge: 17 (Born: 1205)
Size: 0
Personality Traits: Entitled +3, Naïve +2, Inattentive +1, Tranquil -1
Reputations: “The Mad Duchess” 0
Characteristics: Intelligence 0, Perception -3, Presence +2, Communication +2, Strength +3, Stamina -1, Dexterity +1, Quickness +1
Virtues: Luck (+1), Privileged Upbringing (+1)
Flaws: Lecherous (-1), No Sense of Direction (-1)
Social Status: Gentleman-Adventurer (0)
Abilities: Area Lore: England (London) 2, Artes Liberales 2, Athletics 1 (Scampering), Awareness 1 (Taverns), Bargain 3 (Favorable Prices), Brawl 2 (Below the Belt), Carouse 3 (Dice Games), Common Law 3 (Inheritance), Folk Ken 2 (Tavern Patrons), Guile 1 (Parental Units), Latin 3 (Classics), Native Language: English 5 (Bawdy Limericks), Organization Lore: English Merchant Guilds (London) 1 (5), Organization Lore: The Mad Duchess 1 (Redesign), Profession: Merchant 3 (Customs), Single Weapon (Trident) 2, Stealth 1 (Boudoirs), Survival 2 (London Alleyways)
Equipment: Fleming fancies himself a gentleman, and dresses in the finest silks imported from the Middle East. He also has a trident, which he acquired in a rather contentious bidding war. Whenever asked, he makes it sound as if he single-handedly won the crusades.
Soak: -1
Combat:
Trident: Initiative +4, Attack +7, Defense +7, Damage +8
Background:
Captain Mel J. Fleming IV is the third child of Mel J. Fleming I, a renowned merchant prince of London. As a second son, he stood no chance of claiming an inheritance and has thus struck out on his own in the hopes of carving out his own fortune and glory on the high seas.
Having won a small, Norman roundship in a high stakes game of dice back home, Captain Fleming took his ill-gotten gain and set sail for Dublin. There he sunk what little he had into the vessel, retrofitting her into a private man-o’-war. He also rechristened the ship The Mad Duchess. (Little does he know that below decks, the crew has taken to calling him as such.)
Recently, Alfeva of Cor Draconis freed Captain Fleming from a faerie enchantment. For saving him and his crew, the good captain has sworn his ship’s services to her cause.
Maximiano, Beloved Quartermaster of the Mad DuchessAge: 34 (Born: 1188)
Size: 0
Personality Traits: Evenhanded +3, Disciplined +2, Stern yet Fair +1, Boisterous -1
Reputation: Saltwater in his Veins
Characteristics: Intelligence 0, Perception +3, Presence +1, Communication +1, Strength 0, Stamina 0, Dexterity -1, Quickness 0
Virtues: Cautious w/ Profession: Sailor +1, Well-Traveled +1, Wilderness Sense +1
Flaws: Craving for Travel -1, Outsider: Portuguese -1, Temperate -1
Abilities: Area Lore: England (Bristol) 2, Area Lore: Ireland (Dublin) 2, Area Lore: Portugal (Algarve) 2, Area Lore: Scotland (Maybole) 2, Area Lore: Spain (Ferrol) 2, Artes Liberalis 1 (Geometry), Bargain 2 (Dockmasters), Brawl 2 (Dagger), Charm 1 (Shipmates), Etiquette (Shipboard Regulation) 1, Folk Ken 2 (Shipmates), Leadership 3 (Shipmates), Living Language: Arabic 3, Living Language: English 3, Living Language: Gaelic 3, Native Language: Portuguese 5, Organization Lore: The Mad Duchess 2 (Shipmates), Profession: Fisherman 4, Profession: Sailor 5, Survival 3, Swim 5, Wilderness Sense: Seas (Oncoming Storms) 4
Equipment: A man of modest means and tastes, Maximiano is dressed in simple fisherman attire, complete with a dagger he keeps concealed. In spite this, the much loved quartermaster does have one claim to opulence on his person, however: A lone teardrop earring that he wears in his left ear. He has never told a soul how he came of this memento or where the earring’s mate is to be found.
Soak: 0
Combat:
Dagger: Initiative 0, Attack +4, Defense +3, Damage +3
Background:
Born at sea outside Algarve, Portugal, Maxiamiano has seen the world and then some. In stark contrast with his captain, the quartermaster is an old sea dog, serving on several ships in his time as he worked up through the coast of continental Europe before arriving at his present station sailing the seas of the British Isles.
In spite his “Outsider: Portuguese” Flaw, he is much loved and respected among the crew. So much so that if he were so inclined it would not take much to incite the men to mutiny, rallying behind their quartermaster against the captain. Thankfully—for Fleming— Maxiamiano appears bereft of such inclinations. A shrewd pilot, he is not one to flaunt his privileged standing amongst the crew to the captain in deference to the younger man’s insecurities.
His time at sea has allowed him to develop a sixth sense, one that warns him of unfavorable weather. This has served him so well that there are those in port who claim he has seawater in his veins. He is also skilled at interpreting maps though he’ll tend to trust his instincts over a mapmaker’s any day of the week.
Bruno, the Cook
Age: 25 (Born: 1197)
Size: +1
Personality Traits:
Reputation:
Characteristics: Intelligence 0, Perception +2, Presence 0, Communication -3, Strength +3, Stamina +3, Dexterity -1, Quickness -1
Virtues: Large (+1), Tough (+1), Reserves of Strength (+1)
Flaws: Mute (-3)
Reputation: The Bellicose Poet
Abilities: Artes Liberalis 2 (Poems), Athletics 3 (Shipping Rigging), Awareness 2 (Crew's Morale), Brawl 5 (Fisticuffs), Carouse 4 (Drinking Games), Great Weapon 5 (Cudgel), Native Language: English 5 (Taking Orders), Organization Lore: The Mad Duchess 3 (Steerage), Profession: Sailor 4, Profession: Ship’s Cook 1 (Stew)
Equipment: Bruno carries on his person a modest notebook and a pencil. His artes liberalis score allows him to write a quick note in order to communicate with those who have literate. When alone, he tends to write his own poetry for personal amusement. These pieces are guarded vehemently, and he has even thrown one man overboard who dared tear out a page and mock him.
Soak: +3
Combat:
"Ladle" / Cudgel: Initiative 0, Attack +9, Defense +6, Damage +10
Fist: Initiative -1, Attack +5, Defense +5, Damage +3
Kick: Initiative -2, Attack +5, Defense +4, Damage +6
Background: No one quite knows where the man mountain hails from; he just walked on-board the ship one day and made his home in the ship's galley. When the previous quartermaster approached him, demanding to know what the hell he was up to, Bruno knocked the seaman out with one blow to the head and continued working on his stew as if nothing had happened. He has since assumed the duties of ship's cook. (In truth, Bruno is an abominable cook, but no one on-board has the stomach to tell him so.)
He also carries with him a cudgel that has been affectionately christened "Ladle" by the ship's crew.