Maelstrom



Ship name – T.S. Midnight Maelstrom

Officially formed -

Affiliation – allied with Airships of the Central Expanse, neutral to SCARS, hostile to Order

Vessel classification – Trade Vessel

Vessel type - Hovercraft

Crew classification – Merchants and Smugglers

World of origin – Rio Bravos 5

Crew:
Captain - Ruby Spitfire, jack of all trades, smuggler and thief

Master of Cargo – “Lil Man”, an orphan Ruby picked up during her only journey back to her original home

Medical – Dr. Helena Silver, alchemist and potion master

Ship's Entertainment – Mei-Xing, panda anthromorph, dancer and assassin

Mechanic - Heinrich von Jager, ex-Order inventor and engineer

The Maelstrom is a land and sea vessel comprised of a locomotive engine atop a 500 ton hover barge platform. It is traditionally powered by coal, however due to constant repair and modifications alternate fuel sources can be used at some risk.

The “hover” part is actually propelled by large screw drives and buoyancy tanks located beneath heavy canvas skirts. This allows the Maelstrom to travel across virtually any surface except rocky outcroppings and steep inclines. The Maelstrom can float without a sustained power source, making ocean travel possible, but uncomfortable and a bit dangerous due to the ship's comparatively small size and lack of stability in open water.

Much of the ship is open-air design. Three-quarters of the available cargo space is right out on deck, with the sheltered cargo area reserved for tools and supplies. Lockers holding chains, ropes, and cargo nets are located near various mooring points. There are small crew quarters, but they are sparse and not designed for comfort. There is an enclosed observation area which houses maps and navigation and communications equipment, and a galley which utilizes steam-powered refrigeration technology as well as an electric oven and burners for cooking.

The crew has been formed from accidental journeys to other worlds, and members from many different timelines have brought their knowledge of technology with them. The ship is often pieced back together with these different levels of technology, leaving it susceptible to breakdowns that leave the crew stranded for short periods of time. This has caused the some of the crew to learn various survival methods such as hunting and foraging, and even agriculture in inhospitable climates, while those with higher technological knowledge work to repair the ship.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Due to the ship's earthbound nature, traveling the Aether is very difficult and unpredictable. Most of the multiverse is still a mystery to this crew, as journeys to other worlds are often accidental. The Maelstrom is able to avoid conflict with most air pirates due to being a land vessel; they deem it to be too much effort for not enough plunder.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Ruby Spitfire -

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Ruby was born in Chicago in the multiverse world of Xion. She was fascinated by electric devices and learned as much as she could about the technology of her world. After an encounter with strange forces she barely remembers (possibly Order operatives), she found herself on the desert world of Rio Bravos 5. Using her knowledge of her world's technology and items she scavenged or stole, she built a craft that could quickly traverse the flat desert environment of her new home. Along the way she managed to steal some key technology from the Order and has been on the run from them ever since. During her travels, Ruby has met characters and ships outside of the SCARS multiverse and has made loose alliances with them, but the likelihood of meeting with them in the future is slim due to the unpredictability of her ship's travels.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">*other crew stories to be added*