Ship: The Maelstrom

The Maelstrom is an artifact level vessel, often sought by the reigning Pirate Lord of the isles.

The gods demand many tests of such a claimant, and if worthy, the Maelstrom rises again from the watery depths to terrorize the seas.  Nearly a decade ago, Captain Scarbelly, the current Pirate Lord, was successful in this, and has since become the (nearly) undisputed master of the pirates.

This colossal warship (when built) was the latest in destructive eco-technology. It is built from the bleached carcasses of leviathans, and resembles a gargantuan floating fossil. The masts are visible as the giant creatures’ vertebrae. Massive rib cages serve as jail pens and holding cells below the immense deck.

Below the main deck sits a labyrinth of passageways, sewer lines, holding cells and slaves’ quarters. An entire subculture exists within the bowels of this monstrous vessel.

A small armada can be released for ship-to-shore activity, and for negotiating waterways where The Maelstrom would never fit.

Like a modern aircraft carrier, the Maelstrom is equipped with air power in the form of dagrons, pterodactyl-like reptile beasts, semi-trained to carry a rider. These one-seater beasts have been trained to take pirates aloft on raiding missions, but are erratic vehicles at best, sometimes eating their own riders in mid-flight!

In the center of this death vessel dwells the dreaded Constrictus. This massive water beast sports four tentacle-like heads, each with a set of savage jaws. Being eaten by the Constrictus would be compared to jumping into a meat grinder. This beast is in the heart of the ship, its deadly core.