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Description

For the people of Infrastructure, the End of the Escort War meant peace. For the Drow States, it meant that efforts were shifted from the upstart power to the Eternal Foe. After the defeat at Daagsgrad, the High Elves had launched their squadrons to stalk the seas for Dark Elven warships and merchantmen to take advantage of their losses and diversion. Some of them outfitted with Infrastructural Guns to make already fearsome warships all the deadlier. The High Elves made good use of the new weapons against a largely distracted foe, taking out dozens of Dark Elven ships in a month with minimal losses and continued to make a good show even as the Dark Elves mustered a proper response. While there were plenty which felt that they were throwing in the towel too soon in the fight against Infrastructure few could argue that the shifting scenario meant that their Seaborn Strategic Situation had improved, even if there was still hard fighting ahead.

On a hot summer day south off the coast of the Protectorate of Nycon a trio of Arrowships spotted a Dark Elven light squadron of four ships. Two of which were brigs along with two sloops, one of which might have been a small frigate. A target large enough to be worth pursuing but weak enough for them to dispatch with comparative ease. The fact that they were all steamers was just icing on the cake to Commadore Liamir of House Rilhim, eager to avenge a lost father and sister. While they did not have Infrastructural Guns, about half their cannons were now rifled. They formed up to try to envelop the formation and moved to intercept. But as they closed it became clear that there was something strange about the largest vessel in that small force, especially when it began to motor towards them head on. The first salvos of the battle were arrows from the Waveriders bows, boosted to extreme range and carrying either a basic fire, rupture or rune eater spell. There was little effect as the crew and marines were below deck. But the real shocker came at a mile and a half as an Arrowship fired off eight Twenty Vel cannons into the drow waship. But while seven roundshot struck home, none did more than dent the Iron Hull of their target.

Onboard the armored wheelhouse of the Tanxal*, Captain Thalzarin ti'Volnan felt the ringing impacts watched as the first salvo was taken and took note as her gunners returned the favor. Eight silvery barrels poked out from her gunports and over a span of two seconds fired. As that return salvo was launched Thalzarin briefly mused on how the old way of reckoning things it was a fairly wimpy response as they fired a third of the weight on metal that the Arrowship did. Then shortly latter the first of those eight projectiles struck home. Two of them missed, two more slammed into their hulls doing moderate damage. But four of the Five-Vaul shells worked as intended, exploding either on or within the Arrowship shortly after impact. The sight of living wood and Illvanan Scum were blasted apart got her blood racing. It was not enough to kill her, but a few seconds latter a second salvo was off, then a third just before a ragged return volley was sent their way by the stricken craft. She did not know if the forth volley they sent to the Arrowship was necessary to finish her off and the fifth honestly just seemed redundant, but when dealing with the High King's Hypocrites it was better to play it safe and make sure they're dead.

By that time, however Tanxal was under fire from both port and starboard. One of the ships came about and cast a Shard into her hull. She had her mages brace the ship against this and the offending magical projectile skittered across it's bow carving a groove before being reflected into the waves to slice some random fish in half before fading away. Another cut across side a short while latter with same marginal effect while a third probably went a bit deeper. She grinned at that, Shards were useful in ambushes and taking out enemy masts but with mages and foresight a few of them were easy enough to counter iron hull or no. While they might get lucky and get one through a gunport if they they were down to using Shards like this they were getting desperate.

"Helm," she ordered letting only a glimmer of her satisfaction pass her lips "Maintain distance if possible. Tell gunnery to Fire At Will."

"Yes Mistress!" her helmsman and a junior officer Corused, enthusiasm dripping from their words. The metal hulled warship cut through the waves relentlessly, taking salvos in stride and replying with an erratic but steady hail of return fire. The rest of the squadron provided some assistance as well using more conventional naval artillery for what it was worth, though as far as she could tell most of what they did was provide a distraction. But none of that detracted from the savor of this triumph in progress. Every Drow aboard Tanxal was feeling some measure of Catharsis right now but the captain more than others. She was based on the Raethis , Valnothron's ill fated first Ironclad. A Revolutionary Warship that could and did successfully engage it's Coldlander Counterparts that was by all indications squandered in a suicidal charge against their full Line of Battle, along with one of her sisters. It was because of that loss that Lady Valcas recommended her as the commander of Tanxal. Vengeance against the Coldlanders would have to wait, but there were plenty of scores to settle with the Eternal Foe.

Soon enough the High Elven Squadron was nothing more than burning wreckage. As she admired the floating piles of burning flotsam, she was soon met by a lieutenant as she began to make her way below deck. "Mistress. I am glad to report that damage was minimal and we have suffered no loss of crew. Two Sailors and a slave have suffered minor wounds from iron splinters, a slave's foot was crushed by a gun carriage and another was concussed when he stumbled into a bulkhead after loosing his footing. All are expected to make a full recovery."

"Very good. What of the rest of the squadron?"

"I'll check on that now." He said as he ran to a small compartment near the forecastle where an odd device was secured in a specially designed table with a couple of sailors operated it. One of which put a device to his ear and spoke into a trumpet, both connected to the contrivance by wires. He quickly jotted down the message onto a piece of paper, gave it to the lieutenant and returned to his CO.

"Thirteen wounded in total, three seriously. One sailor and two slaves dead on Tharlim and one dead slave on Qailneth**. Minor hull damage and one broken spar. The Commadore sends his congratulations."

"A victory without loss of life on our part would have been a fine thing to boast about, but all and all the I feel that this has been an overwhelming success." Up until now a trio of arrowships would have a notable if not insurmountable advantage over a full squadron of four frigates and almost any engagement with them, even if they were victorious would be hard fought and bloody. A handful of casualties and some minor damage for what mostly a light squadron was an incredible run of luck. So far, House Valcas' second Ironclad warship had passed its first trial by fire with flying colors and the Radio equipped experimental squadron had fared quite well even if the thing were finicky and temperamental. By all indications she'd had gotten lucky this time in that they were not expecting an Ironclad, but as it stood she felt she could take on a high elven Tempest and at least hurt a Maelstrom. Not that she'd engage with heavier elements if it could be avoided, her job was as much to test this craft out under live fire conditions to train up crews and provide House Valcas' shipwrights with notes to help them make better Ironclads for them to man. But bloodying the High Elves for minimal losses was always worthwhile. "Relay my gratitude to the Commadore. Have the Kitchen to prepare a feast and get the Venoan wine out. This calls for a celebration."

*Crossbow Bolt

**Both brigs were named for villages in Valnothron.

From the Beginning

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Two hundred and Ninety Six

Next: Infrastructure: Part Two Hundred and Ninety Eight

Description

For the people of Infrastructure, the End of the Escort War meant peace. For the Drow States, it meant that efforts were shifted from the upstart power to the Eternal Foe. After the defeat at Daagsgrad, the High Elves had launched their squadrons to stalk the seas for Dark Elven warships and merchantmen to take advantage of their losses and diversion. Some of them outfitted with Infrastructural Guns to make already fearsome warships all the deadlier. The High Elves made good use of the new weapons against a largely distracted foe, taking out dozens of Dark Elven ships in a month with minimal losses and continued to make a good show even as the Dark Elves mustered a proper response. While there were plenty which felt that they were throwing in the towel too soon in the fight against Infrastructure few could argue that the shifting scenario meant that their Seaborn Strategic Situation had improved, even if there was still hard fighting ahead.

On a hot summer day south off the coast of the Protectorate of Nycon a trio of Arrowships spotted a Dark Elven light squadron of four ships. Two of which were brigs along with two sloops, one of which might have been a small frigate. A target large enough to be worth pursuing but weak enough for them to dispatch with comparative ease. The fact that they were all steamers was just icing on the cake to Commadore Liamir of House Rilhim, eager to avenge a lost father and sister. While they did not have Infrastructural Guns, about half their cannons were now rifled. They formed up to try to envelop the formation and moved to intercept. But as they closed it became clear that there was something strange about the largest vessel in that small force, especially when it began to motor towards them head on. The first salvos of the battle were arrows from the Waveriders bows, boosted to extreme range and carrying either a basic fire, rupture or rune eater spell. There was little effect as the crew and marines were below deck. But the real shocker came at a mile and a half as an Arrowship fired off eight Twenty Vel cannons into the drow waship. But while seven roundshot struck home, none did more than dent the Iron Hull of their target.

Onboard the armored wheelhouse of the Tanxal*, Captain Thalzarin ti'Volnan felt the ringing impacts watched as the first salvo was taken and took note as her gunners returned the favor. Eight silvery barrels poked out from her gunports and over a span of two seconds fired. As that return salvo was launched Thalzarin briefly mused on how the old way of reckoning things it was a fairly wimpy response as they fired a third of the weight on metal that the Arrowship did. Then shortly latter the first of those eight projectiles struck home. Two of them missed, two more slammed into their hulls doing moderate damage. But four of the Five-Vaul shells worked as intended, exploding either on or within the Arrowship shortly after impact. The sight of living wood and Illvanan Scum were blasted apart got her blood racing. It was not enough to kill her, but a few seconds latter a second salvo was off, then a third just before a ragged return volley was sent their way by the stricken craft. She did not know if the forth volley they sent to the Arrowship was necessary to finish her off and the fifth honestly just seemed redundant, but when dealing with the High King's Hypocrites it was better to play it safe and make sure they're dead.

By that time, however Tanxal was under fire from both port and starboard. One of the ships came about and cast a Shard into her hull. She had her mages brace the ship against this and the offending magical projectile skittered across it's bow carving a groove before being reflected into the waves to slice some random fish in half before fading away. Another cut across side a short while latter with same marginal effect while a third probably went a bit deeper. She grinned at that, Shards were useful in ambushes and taking out enemy masts but with mages and foresight a few of them were easy enough to counter iron hull or no. While they might get lucky and get one through a gunport if they they were down to using Shards like this they were getting desperate.

"Helm," she ordered letting only a glimmer of her satisfaction pass her lips "Maintain distance if possible. Tell gunnery to Fire At Will."

"Yes Mistress!" her helmsman and a junior officer Corused, enthusiasm dripping from their words. The metal hulled warship cut through the waves relentlessly, taking salvos in stride and replying with an erratic but steady hail of return fire. The rest of the squadron provided some assistance as well using more conventional naval artillery for what it was worth, though as far as she could tell most of what they did was provide a distraction. But none of that detracted from the savor of this triumph in progress. Every Drow aboard Tanxal was feeling some measure of Catharsis right now but the captain more than others. She was based on the Raethis , Valnothron's ill fated first Ironclad. A Revolutionary Warship that could and did successfully engage it's Coldlander Counterparts that was by all indications squandered in a suicidal charge against their full Line of Battle, along with one of her sisters. It was because of that loss that Lady Valcas recommended her as the commander of Tanxal. Vengeance against the Coldlanders would have to wait, but there were plenty of scores to settle with the Eternal Foe.

Soon enough the High Elven Squadron was nothing more than burning wreckage. As she admired the floating piles of burning flotsam, she was soon met by a lieutenant as she began to make her way below deck. "Mistress. I am glad to report that damage was minimal and we have suffered no loss of crew. Two Sailors and a slave have suffered minor wounds from iron splinters, a slave's foot was crushed by a gun carriage and another was concussed when he stumbled into a bulkhead after loosing his footing. All are expected to make a full recovery."

"Very good. What of the rest of the squadron?"

"I'll check on that now." He said as he ran to a small compartment near the forecastle where an odd device was secured in a specially designed table with a couple of sailors operated it. One of which put a device to his ear and spoke into a trumpet, both connected to the contrivance by wires. He quickly jotted down the message onto a piece of paper, gave it to the lieutenant and returned to his CO.

"Thirteen wounded in total, three seriously. One sailor and two slaves dead on Tharlim and one dead slave on Qailneth**. Minor hull damage and one broken spar. The Commadore sends his congratulations."

"A victory without loss of life on our part would have been a fine thing to boast about, but all and all the I feel that this has been an overwhelming success." Up until now a trio of arrowships would have a notable if not insurmountable advantage over a full squadron of four frigates and almost any engagement with them, even if they were victorious would be hard fought and bloody. A handful of casualties and some minor damage for what mostly a light squadron was an incredible run of luck. So far, House Valcas' second Ironclad warship had passed its first trial by fire with flying colors and the Radio equipped experimental squadron had fared quite well even if the thing were finicky and temperamental. By all indications she'd had gotten lucky this time in that they were not expecting an Ironclad, but as it stood she felt she could take on a high elven Tempest and at least hurt a Maelstrom. Not that she'd engage with heavier elements if it could be avoided, her job was as much to test this craft out under live fire conditions to train up crews and provide House Valcas' shipwrights with notes to help them make better Ironclads for them to man. But bloodying the High Elves for minimal losses was always worthwhile. "Relay my gratitude to the Commadore. Have the Kitchen to prepare a feast and get the Venoan wine out. This calls for a celebration."

*Crossbow Bolt

**Both brigs were named for villages in Valnothron.

From the Beginning

Previous: Infrastructure: Part Two hundred and Ninety Six

Next: Infrastructure: Part Two Hundred and Ninety Eight