i admit i took inspiration and some ideas from existing as not to over crew or over arrm my vessel into some kind of river going Yamamoto of the rivers,
so all close facts are meant in appreciation and good faith.
first draft
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Name: Captain Minjun “Stone Breaker”
Age: Your character's age. 39
Gender: Male
Appearance: Rough and ready, with a dark beard and close cut hair with flecks of grey from a lifetime of hard duty, calculating and strong dark flint eyes. Some scars and signs of shrapnel wounds originally serving as a Gunner, then Deck Officer, finally promoted when his captain was slain taking over command of the venerable Iron Dragon.
5’3 and stocky built from years as serving the heavy duty of the gun deck, he is physically strong and with a slight limp from a accident when his carriage broke one its mounting ropes.
Dressed in heavier studded leathers and the golden marks of a captain on his sleeves, but also a gunnery officers battered breastplate for protection from shrapnel, despite weighing down in water, he never intends to need to test that one in combat.
On normal duty he wears darker colours to not stand out on coastal duty, dark leather boots, and a black heavy jacket with badges of rank and honours over a simple shirt often makes him one of the more plainly dressed and plain captains.
On formally and winter duty he has a thick formal coat of a Naval officer oiled against the sea for bad weather even if he gets some jokes from the other Officers in there finery and golden trimmed attire,
Personality: cool, calculating and often overly direct the captain has rubbed up with some degree of friction with the Officers in the sea going fleet. Years of river patrol, siege command have tempered the man’s patience and does not mind playing the long game to achieve victory and quick to detect weakness in both stone and wood structures and guide his ships powerful guns to target.
Background: Born in a small coastal town he soon was working aboard one of the numerous trade vessels that took supplies from the coastal areas deeper into the peninsulas main rivers until he was in his teens quickly learning the trade of navigating the winding rivers of Tawai's and its rugged coasts.
His enlistment into the Navy was first during a local rebellion when the Lord conscripted the local river men to man a new generation of river boats, heavily armoured and armed they were used to quickly crush the towns that broke tribute.
Recognizing his skills he soon earned his way from the oar deck to gunnery deck, and his progress began on patrol duty his skills learned in teens saw him well to promotion to the Officer of deck after taking charge during an minor mutiny and bringing the gun crew to loyalty with strong leadership and a carpenters axe.
Later in his career he earned his captaincy when he was forced to take command when the captain was killed, leading the ship to victory against an enemy warship and bringing the nearby town back to the Lords fealty he was promoted the Iron Dragons captain which he has held for the past 4 years.
Equipment:
Heavy war axe for combat, a remaining trait from the act that brought him into Officer of the deck.
rough and heavy pistol for range combat, made at local smith it incorporates and a iron butt plate for bringing those who break post quickly into line.
Long Glass. The yearrs have weakened his eye sight and now uses a long glass to sight and see weakness in enemy ships or defences from afar.
Breastplate, metal. Rather a odd trait for the naval officer he wears in in battle after years on the gunnery deck seeing many more men die of shrapnel than drowning.
now old, solid but still effective it is simple steel, and without ornament.
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I would prefer it to be galleys, since it does not rely on nature and rather on human power, but if you want an exception, you can notify me. If you do not want to make your own ship, then you can use the default ship, which I will upload if anyone want that.
Name of ship: Iron Dragon
Type of ship: Heavy River Patrol ship, Armoured Siege vessel. (Oar powered with sails, mainly uses Oars in tight conditions)
3 low decks, Oars, Stores and magazine. Lower fighting and gunnery deck for big guns, Upper fighting deck for lighter weapons.
Armaments:
2 long barrelled cannon to fore, 4 port and starboard, 8 guns total plus 2 forward. (Mounted on heavy systems to bring the barrel back inside for reloading and back out, driven back by recoil, and worn mouths in the form of fanged dragons) (All on lower fighting deck)
Long range guns. Heavy calibre and good penetrative power.
Low reload time. Need 5-6 gunners to be effective even with modified systems.
One forward mounted heavy metal armed crossbow on upper fighting deck, firing from dragon head mouth at ships bow. (Replaces a siege morter or rocket system from land duties) (long range, limited angle traverse, forward some 45 degrees. )
Long range. Limited traverse. Needs 5 men to operate. 4 on winders, 1 master bowman to load and fire.
Fairly powerful metallic bolts.
Slower rate of fire.
4 semi auto magazine fed crossbows on the upper fighting deck each side, firing from protected slits for close in Defense when on river patrol, or attacking open decked ships.
1 of same mounted covering aft section off vessel.
(Shorter range, but gain higher rate of fire than gun powder, installed to defend against river ambush now turned against exposed crews)
Lower damage than aqabus
Faster rate of fire up to 20 bolts a minute.
One gunner, one loader for max fire rate. Magazine fed system.
(did exist in ancient China)
Crew: 25 Marines Manning upper decks, 2 per semi auto, 5 for heavy crossbow. Also stocked with bows and weapons for boarding, shore duty etc as needed.
30 Oarsmen per side, total 60. (under manned for a vessel of its class)
30 sailors, manning main guns, the sails, and the rudder. (can only man 5-6 of the main guns at once.)
Captain
3 Officers of the deck. Marine Comandor, Gunnery officer, and the Master of Oars.
Appearance:
Iron Dragon is a heavy river patrol boat and coastal vessel, painted in muddy and darker tones fitting its previous duty. The battered, older and more worn vessel has long been the butt of jokes of the more flamboyant and ornately decorated vessels of the fleet. She is undermanned for her size having been assigned the far less glamorous duty of river patrols, younger men often gravitating to the more exciting sea duty.
However its heavy guns, and armour have surprised the more arrogant captains soon finding Iron Dragons battered exterior is hiding a capable vessel of war, and her long guns give it a surprising range built at first to attack enemy land defences and river fortifications.
Built of thicker timbers its hull is well protected against lighter weapons fire and roof is reinforced with battered, repaired and scarred Iron plating from close engagements. All this armour and heavy guns have however slowed the old ship down and is one of the slower vessels in the fleet, taking more time to turn, move and get underway. Unlike its sea going sisters it can turn in a small area due to shallow draft but its mass has made this a slow and labour intensive exercise as its rowing crew is undersized for a vessel of its class.
Being a river boat its lower draft means it’s less stable in rough seas, and unable to deploy in open sea or coastal strom conditions. This also means though it can sail closer to shore and operate in areas sea going ships cannot.
Much like a Turtle ship, of a slightly older design than some of the ships in the fleet, its battered figure head though patched, repaired And scarred has never been replaced since its duty started and is considered a honour to carve your name into its timber for acts of heroism, Valor, and distinction.
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How it got to battle.
Iron Dragon was a assigned to river patrol duty when the war broke out. During the invasion it supported a local Lords defense of several key fords and held off several vanguards before the main army arrived.
Outnumbered and vulnerable to enemy artillery in the cramp rivers she was forced back several times and despite inflicting heavy losses the ground war was quickly lost.
The captains skill and years of experience enabled him to evade the enemy for days and pick off a few enemy patrols, bridges and slow down the advance in his sector. Soon a captured group of river boats where put to hunt him down and despite beating the ill experienced troops who manned them they where only delaying the inevitable.
While holding up for repairs in one of the few remaining loyal river bases the call up for all ships to join the defence of the Strait.
Knowing it was a desperate battle, and that the war was going badly the crew voted and decided to join the fleet despite not being officially a Navy warship they joined a determined few ships willing to make a final honorable stand for there country.
Sailing into the gathering point the battered, bloodied but proud river boat joined its Navy cousins, its Armour dented, hull riddled with bullet scars and bolt heads still stuck in its thick timbers. No time to repaint her for costal deployment she still sports her proud river camouflage setting her apart from the warships of the Navy.
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