Adventures of the Shadow Dragon

Summary

After the Phoenix War a few years ago, folk hero Mercedes de Luna—having been violently introduced to the hidden world of magic—and her wife, the former Dragon Queen Yum Cimil III, decided to leave the life of politics and set out on the seas in search of magical artifacts and mythical monsters.

For this, Yum commissioned the ship The Shadow Dragon; a rebuilt military galley capable of incredible speed, and gathered a motley crew of brave souls willing to sail under the command of this unusual and intense couple in search of adventure.

After poor results in the New World to the west and with finances dwindling, the ship has now sailed south to the South Taalux Sea—Yum's ancestral home region—in hope of better luck. They want something to show for their efforts before sailing back home to Alldris to ask for more money.

Etian History Religion South Taalux Sea

The Shadow Dragon

The Shadow Dragon is a galley rebuilt to remove the oars, about 40 meters in length and 8½ meters in breadth. She's capable of very high speeds and can operate in very shallow waters compared to other vessels of similar size.

A large cage has been built into the lower deck, which can be opened from the upper deck. A large crane on the poop deck, mounted on rails for extra versatility, can move—for example—a large sea monster to be dropped into the cage.

Her armamanets are 11 Sakers on each broadside and two 3-lbs. guns fore and aft. She also has one Swivel-Gun each in the fore, aft, starboard and portside on the top deck.

Skill ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move Lwt. Load SM Occ DR Range Locations Draft
Shiphandling (Ship) 255† -3/5 12c 0.3/5 700 490 9 90 5 - 3MS 6

Main Characters

Mercedes de Luna
Noblewoman from Alldris who played a prominent role in the Phoenix War. Famed for her skill with the rapier, her sincerity and her passion, which some would call her complete lack of control over her emotions.
Lucien de la Mère
A mysterious sailor originally from Bomania, having sailed the South Talux Sea for decades. Now on a hunt for the elusive pirate ship 'Skull Tide'.
Allegro
A young heartthrob Caldonian sailor and fortune hunter, violently dragged into a life of adventure by fate after being thrown over board during a manshark pirate attack, marooned on an island and kept as a prisoner by an old man and his tribe of armed blue monkies until rescued by the crew of the Shadow Dragon.

Crew

Captain Yum Cimil
Former Dragon Queen and head of the powerful Cimil family, Oceania's chosen. Has a very extreme personality and had, to put it mildly, a very tumultuous and controversial reign, including a highly unusual marriage to Mercedes de Luna. Abdicated the throne to her sister after the Phoenix War and set out to sea with her wife to hunt monsters, study magic and collect unusual artifacts.
Bosun Mezlotl
An experienced sailor and boatswain having sailed the seas for most of his life. He is of good humour and popular with the crew, even though he will not tolerate slacking or sloppy work as he knows the grave risks that comes with complacency.
Quartermaster Sienna Dunbroch
Was a merchant and accountant before joining the crew to do quartermaster duties, especially to help keep the finances in check as the captain and first mate are notoriously bad with money. She is very good at what she does; a perfectionist who knows about every piece of eight that comes and goes, every grain in the pantry and every sip of rum. Also a shrewd negotiator in her own right.
Strategist Jasmine al-Andros
A former officer and privateer in the Mirradhin navy, now no longer welcome in her home country for reasons she refuses to share. She has a strong adventuring spirit kept in check by her strict military personality.
Loremaster Ubasi
Knowledgeable about the spirits, magic and occult lore of his archipelago homelands as well as the neighboring island and coastal cultures around the southern sea.
Surgeon Robert Acland
Was until recently a scholar, sheltered by his mother as the only heir to the family, but ran away with the crew as the stories of their wild adventures made him long for some freedom and gaining his own experiences.
Master Hunter Amidou Sanago
Responsible for the hunting of sea monsters and supernatural beasts. He hails from the same island nation as Ubasi and has extensive knowledge about the fauna of the southern sea—both common, rare, supernatural and mythical.
Carpenter Erik Snickare
Hails from a long line of respected carpenters in Erilö, and so has the experience and skill to make him capable enough to serve directly under the bosun despite his young age.
Cook Estaban
In charge of the food on the ship, making sure everyone is not only fed but also enjoying his food (as much as is possible with the available ingredients on months long voyages), seeing it as his mission—nay, his fate—to keep this crews morale higher than any other ships. At least as far as the meals go. He nominally works under Quartermaster Sienna but as long as the pantry doesn't go empty she generally let's him do as he pleases.
Veshnayak Acland
A seasoned warrior despite his relatively young age who carries himself with confidence and pride. He is a distant relative of Robert but still has the same deep red hair—a very dominant trait in the entire Acland bloodline. Carries a unique, archaic but masterfully forged longsword with a blood red blade. Usually shirtless.
Fernando
An experienced fencer. He is supposed to be Mercedes' bodyguard, but it's a difficult job; she is both very impulsive and one of the worlds best fencers in her own right. She often ends up disappearing without Fernando knowing where, leaving him very frustrated and with a feeling of lack of purpose, unable to do his job which he takes very seriously.