The Navies of Kralorela
by Mark Galeotti
This article is development work for the Kralorela book series -- the final version may be different. It may also appear in Men of the Sea, the future Sailors' book.
Kralorela is not a renowned maritime power, for its ships rarely travel far beyond the so-called Harmonious Waves, the waters that wash its shores. However, its fleets are mighty and varied, reflecting the interests of the empire.
Kralorela has three great navies, each manifesting as a War Dragon. The Peaceable Embrace of Divine Amity is responsible for patrolling the inland sea known as Suam Cho, while the Vigilant Expression of Imperial Caution controls the coastal waters as far as Koromondol. Both navies contain a mix of vessels, from the great turtle-barges whose decks are fortresses, to flotillas of smaller junks. The turtle-barges are mighty battle platforms, huge oared barges designed so that they can be lashed together to form floating islands on which mighty rituals can be enacted and men can fight as if on land. The largest barges even have their own unique cults. Some say that the larger turtle-barges have zombie oarsmen, although it would be difficult to distinguish such undead crew from the dazed and driven convicts generally used. A favored tactic is to harry corsairs and intruders with junks and oared dragon-boats, which seek to bring hangzu [marines] to boarding range. Many marines use hsunchen magic to transform themselves into orcas to reach or even ram enemy . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: November 7, 2003
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