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The Artega is a polémiko, a fast and highly manoeuvrable ship that once belonged to the Espurian Navy but is now share-owned by its crew.
Originally meant for legitimate trade, the Artega's crew fell on hard times and now also undertakes pirate missions on the side. Her speed, increased by her gunners, makes her a formidable opponent against defenceless merchant vessels.
Like most peirati, the Artega has been restructured slightly to add extra cargo space on the top deck at the bow, but she is otherwise unmarked save for her name, which is sprawled in Elysian on her prow. The Artega's original redwood hull has been patched up a few times, but the brass plating that stripes down her sides is mostly intact, if a little tarnished in places.
Relations
The crew get along for the most part. Banter, friendly or otherwise, is common and they are all drinking buddies. They are not without their rivalries, however, and shore leave — to cool heads and put some distance between heated parties — usually comes in the nick of time.
Territories
The Artega stalks the Espur Straits and mostly ferries cargo between Espur and Marport. They are, however, desperate for money and will take almost any job that will not blatantly get them killed. When not at sea, the Artega finds port mostly in Espur, though most of the crew have family scattered across Dardanos and the mainland.
Organisation
The crew of the Artega have a fairly relaxed structure. The crew are disciplined enough to heed the chain of command in the heat of battle, but each member has a say in what jobs they take so there is a greater sense of camaraderie than on other, stricter ships.
Each member of the crew also brings something to the table that is not specific to sailors, such as Zozeko's skill in negotiation and bartering or Raven's ability to charm passengers.
History
Joining
The captain is always looking for extra gunners and might hire a trustworthy sort on a temporary basis if they have a particularly dangerous job in mind. However, Jackson tends to reserve judgement and only trusts at his back those who have proven they are not about to stick a knife in it, so they do not often hire strangers. Instead, crew members can recommend sailors they know and trust.
If you would like to
replace a member of the crew, please contact Zozeko's player (
Emma) to discuss a plot to do so.
Known Members
- Captain Sebastian Jackson
- Sebastian, a Therian, has been captain of the Artega since the crew gave a vote of no confidence in their previous leader, who suffered a near-fatal series of failed trading gambles. A hard man, Sebastian nevertheless is a strong leader who is respected, if not liked, by the crew. His distaste for piracy is evident, but he's a pragmatist with a large family to feed. His favourite form is that of a hawk, enabling him to scout out prey with relative ease, and while attacking a ship, he's the first one in to the fight.
- Navigator Adrian Dominic
- A Rutilus, Adrian is in charge of navigation and the sailing of the ship, including steering most of the time. He's the most familiar with the waters between Espur and Marport, so directs the Artega's course and looks after the maps and instruments necessary for navigation. Whenever Sebastian is below decks, Adrian is the one in charge.
- Boatswain (bos'n) Keegan Roul
- Keegan, another Therian, supervises the maintenance of the Artega and its supply stores. He's responsible for inspecting the ship and its sails and rigging each morning, and reporting their state to Sebastian. He's also in charge of all deck activities, including weighing and dropping anchor and the handling of the sails — so he and Zozeko spend quite a bit of time working together.
- Carpenter Deion Gibb
- Gibb is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the ship's hull, masts and yards. He and Keegan work closely together, and his duties include checking the hull regularly, plugging leaks and reporting to Keegan any materials needed for maintenance.
- Healer/Cook Lucio Ristard
- Luc is a Viridis with a friendly smile, serving as the Artega's healer during times of need and as the cook otherwise. He's become something of a surrogate father to Malik, who reports directly to him as the cabin boy.
- Rigger Cale Robberts
- Cale spends a lot of his time in the ship's rigging and crow's nest, a dangerous job made easier by the sheer amount of time he spends in his monkey form. He likes to joke that he stays up there to avoid Zozeko and Malik's stench, but there's a lack of grace about these jokes that suggests he's actually quite serious — and which causes a great deal of tension between he and the two Zanaryans.
- His job for the most part is as a look-out, but he's also up there to work the running rigging and to furl or release the sails as needed.
- Gunner & Boatswain's Mate Raven Kam
- Raven is a disgraced half-Sidhe run out of his commune for wilfully breaking the Sylvan Creed. He's an aggressive and almost feral Nyad who claims to have been born under a rock to a witch who died in childbirth and deserved it.
- Most of the time, he assists Keegan while learning the boatswain's trade, but during battles and storms he reluctantly helps Zozeko as a gunner. He plays a mean kimaran, but his music tends to be just as wild as he is so when he and Zeko play together their styles can clash. The others often say how fun it is to listen to them compete for "ear time", though.
- Gunner Zozeko ibn Nihim
- Zozeko is a Djinn and responsible for making the ship go faster.
- Cabin Boy Malik ibn Zozeko
- Malik was practically kidnapped by his father (Zozeko) and brought aboard the Artega against his wishes because he was "acting out". He was thrust into Luc's care as a cabin boy, and even though Zeko is meant to be giving him some fatherly guidance, it's Luc who is actually providing the father figure he desperately needs. Of course, Malik resents being bossed about and the sheer workload forced on him. He also resents his father for simply handing him off to some other man instead of taking responsibility himself, but he's secretly thrilled to be on such an adventure.
