The Copper Kraken is really more wood than copper, but features very strong white oaken construction, coupled with a layer of copper plating all over her hull. Like most submersibles, the entrance hatch (I) is through a small conning tower located dorsally, and central; the drive system, a special parabolically-shapped copper dish about five feet wide (D), sits in the rear. Unlike most submersibles, the Copper Kraken is covered in a dozen copper-plated, adjustable, wooden rudders. Eight rudders dominate -- two on either side of the drive parabola (E), and six up near the nose (C) that direct the submersible up or down in the water column. The remainder of the rudders function to delicately control pitch and yaw. While underwater, the Copper Kraken is directed by means of a divining spell board (A), coupled with navigational charts of the area optained by tomanths or the like. The divining spell board has limited range and abilities, and functions much like a 'locate object' spell, giving the navigator a 400ft range in three dimensions around his craft. The spell board can only detect objects that fit specific notional concepts that were programmed into it, so rather odd or unusual objects are effectively unusual to the spell board (such as real kraken). Objects like ships, docks, rocks, sand, and seabed, for instance, are programmed in. Located with the divining board (A) is a navigator's wheel, hooked into a linkage system that runs the length of the ship, and goes to the rudder crew. Clicks on the navigator's wheel are echoed in the rudder crew compartment, so that they can direct the ship at the navigator's command, by changing the rudders aligned to the drive system (E). The drive system is either 'full on' or 'full off' -- which is one more reason for all the control rudders. The rudders, when fully deployed against the current, allow for a sort of 3/4 speed, and can also help slow or speed up the craft, depending on their orientation. The drive rudders can also be used in a full reverse position. The drive system itself is a modified version of the 'wind wall' spell, and the enchanted parabola takes two men, even with a good pulley system, to move the drive while it's engaged. The vessel has two decks, with the galley and food/water storage located on the first deck (H), and most of the crew accomodations located on the second deck, where the chain lockers and small anchors (F) are kept. The captain's cabin (L) and the first-officer's cabin (M) are located on the first deck, just behind the spell board. The galley and storage systems are accessible by deck hatches (G) that are over-designed to handle the intense pressures of a dive. They also serve as emergency systems, depending on the needs of the captain and crew. An emergency ballast system (K) allows the vessel to surface if the drive system fails or is broken off. The four lateral ballast systems also help the vessel keep an even keel, both while surfaced, and when submerged. The maximum diving depth of the submersible is 200ft. The drive system and the spell board together were two-thirds of the cost of the odd vessel. The Copper Kraken's primary weapon is a detachable ram built into the dorsal bow section (J). The ram deals 3x3d12 damage on a successful attack; in the event the ram becomes lodged in an attacking vessel, it can be released. Two spares are affixed to the dorsal deck during normal operations, accessible through deck hatches (B), and a crew of fourteen can reattach it with ropes and winches, by way of the conning tower. The installation ropes are detached once the ram is installed with special detachable plates, and the ram breaks free on its own when a certain torque is reached. Special spell-plated rams have been designed for one-time use, although the standard ram is still preferred. Secondary weapons include two light ballistae, mounted fore and aft of the conning tower, dorsally. While surfaced, the Kraken has about four feet of hull off of the water line, and a curved surface; for this reason, a guide rope runs fore and aft from the conning tower to help sailors maintain their positions. Light is maintained inside the vessel by mage orbs, and a type of small fern is tucked into every nook and cranny possible. The longest the Copper Kraken can stay submerged with a standard crew compliment is six hours -- three with a maximum crew compliment. The vessel is not heavy on space for food or water, and is capeable of operating for only a day without resupply due to food and water requirements. Minimum crew requirements would be 10, and the vessel could operate for almost two days in that capacity. |
