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Description

In Bluewine Bay on a cool winter day, two ships were on patrol. The flag of the Serene Republic of Venoa fluttering from their lookout towers. The SVS Ferlando il Vecchio and the SVS Temporale (formerly the Crocomander*) steamed along at a sedate seven knots, following the coast of the Anvosi Peninsula as their flags fluttered. A squadron of steam galleys leading ahead of them, another following their rear just in case, though none of the other powers dared cause trouble.

From the Bridge of Ferlando il Vecchio, Captain Malonso Cosetti surveyed the seascape, taking in the sailboats in the distance and the faint outline of land on the western horizon. It was normal and calm and muffled rumble of the engines chugging along was a pleasant underscore for this. By dint of extensive command experience and a couple of victories against Seraphate Privateers in the Dragon's Teeth on the Scia a year ago he'd been given command of her. She was not the first Venoan Ironclad, that honor had gone to the Brocchiero, though she was a regular steam galley with iron plates bolted on in hasty preparation for a war which fortunately never came. Ferlando il Vecchio in contrast was purpose built from stem to stern as an ironclad for an age of Ironclads. Eighty two yards long, she was bigger than any warship he'd ever served on, on top of being the hardest. Up to 10 Uncia* of of cast iron plate would do that. She was armed for the New Age based on reports of the Escort War. She currently carried two massive 160-Pounder rifled cannons in a forward mounted fully enclosed turret, plus twenty three 24-pounders broadside and chase. What she lost in Weight-of-Metal compared to a Ship of the Line she made up for in range, accuracy and power per shot. Especially given that there were plans on the Drawing Board for better guns. If all else failed she had her Runic Ram.

In short, he loved his new command. Some features like the large Venoan Naga Statue on top of the bridge was a bit much for him, but he could forgive the Arsenal. Even so, in his shadow sailed a ship which he had mixed feelings. Last year, after much negotiation in distant Dalatyr, the Serene Republic managed to buy an Infrastructural Navy warship. She had been monumentally expensive, about 253,000 Lyra from what he'd heard, more than the Ferlando il Vecchio cost to build despite She small size. She was delivered a couple months ago with everything in place save for her Radio signaling device. Technically she was a marvel, he would not deny that. She had a remarkable 2,410 horsepower engine and a top speed of 19 knots (nearly as powerful and seven knots faster than Ferlando despite being a fifth of her displacement), was steel hulled rather than iron hulled, could handle the high seas better than most Venoan warships, leaving aside it's sixteen Coldlander Guns. On top of that there were other small things he'd admired about Temporale when he toured her upon her arrival. The ugly little ship was impressive and had a reputation, which was part of the reason why she was sailing around the peninsula. A show of wealth and strength to the other Avonsi states as well as the Drow and the Dalisids.

For all of that, Malonso questioned the wisdom of employing her directly like this. As powerful as she was, she could still be lost in a storm, being swarmed or by sabotage. In his mind, it would be best to keep Temporale near Venoa or possibly stationing her the Dragon's Teeth while letting The Arsenal's engineers and shipwrights look over her every rivet and bolt and pipe day and night until they could build something as good. If that meant dismantling her to take notes of all the parts, so be it. He knew that he was not the only captain in the Venoan Navy who felt like this, but for now the Admiralty had other plans for their new toy. Naval warfare had changed and by all appearances would continue to change. He just hoped the powers that be in his nation would keep up.

*Improved Ironsides-class, launched in 36 IA

**26cm

From the Beginning

Previous-Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Fifteen

Next-Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seventeen

Description

In Bluewine Bay on a cool winter day, two ships were on patrol. The flag of the Serene Republic of Venoa fluttering from their lookout towers. The SVS Ferlando il Vecchio and the SVS Temporale (formerly the Crocomander*) steamed along at a sedate seven knots, following the coast of the Anvosi Peninsula as their flags fluttered. A squadron of steam galleys leading ahead of them, another following their rear just in case, though none of the other powers dared cause trouble.

From the Bridge of Ferlando il Vecchio, Captain Malonso Cosetti surveyed the seascape, taking in the sailboats in the distance and the faint outline of land on the western horizon. It was normal and calm and muffled rumble of the engines chugging along was a pleasant underscore for this. By dint of extensive command experience and a couple of victories against Seraphate Privateers in the Dragon's Teeth on the Scia a year ago he'd been given command of her. She was not the first Venoan Ironclad, that honor had gone to the Brocchiero, though she was a regular steam galley with iron plates bolted on in hasty preparation for a war which fortunately never came. Ferlando il Vecchio in contrast was purpose built from stem to stern as an ironclad for an age of Ironclads. Eighty two yards long, she was bigger than any warship he'd ever served on, on top of being the hardest. Up to 10 Uncia* of of cast iron plate would do that. She was armed for the New Age based on reports of the Escort War. She currently carried two massive 160-Pounder rifled cannons in a forward mounted fully enclosed turret, plus twenty three 24-pounders broadside and chase. What she lost in Weight-of-Metal compared to a Ship of the Line she made up for in range, accuracy and power per shot. Especially given that there were plans on the Drawing Board for better guns. If all else failed she had her Runic Ram.

In short, he loved his new command. Some features like the large Venoan Naga Statue on top of the bridge was a bit much for him, but he could forgive the Arsenal. Even so, in his shadow sailed a ship which he had mixed feelings. Last year, after much negotiation in distant Dalatyr, the Serene Republic managed to buy an Infrastructural Navy warship. She had been monumentally expensive, about 253,000 Lyra from what he'd heard, more than the Ferlando il Vecchio cost to build despite She small size. She was delivered a couple months ago with everything in place save for her Radio signaling device. Technically she was a marvel, he would not deny that. She had a remarkable 2,410 horsepower engine and a top speed of 19 knots (nearly as powerful and seven knots faster than Ferlando despite being a fifth of her displacement), was steel hulled rather than iron hulled, could handle the high seas better than most Venoan warships, leaving aside it's sixteen Coldlander Guns. On top of that there were other small things he'd admired about Temporale when he toured her upon her arrival. The ugly little ship was impressive and had a reputation, which was part of the reason why she was sailing around the peninsula. A show of wealth and strength to the other Avonsi states as well as the Drow and the Dalisids.

For all of that, Malonso questioned the wisdom of employing her directly like this. As powerful as she was, she could still be lost in a storm, being swarmed or by sabotage. In his mind, it would be best to keep Temporale near Venoa or possibly stationing her the Dragon's Teeth while letting The Arsenal's engineers and shipwrights look over her every rivet and bolt and pipe day and night until they could build something as good. If that meant dismantling her to take notes of all the parts, so be it. He knew that he was not the only captain in the Venoan Navy who felt like this, but for now the Admiralty had other plans for their new toy. Naval warfare had changed and by all appearances would continue to change. He just hoped the powers that be in his nation would keep up.

*Improved Ironsides-class, launched in 36 IA

**26cm

From the Beginning

Previous-Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Fifteen

Next-Infrastructure: Part Three Hundred and Seventeen