Beyond Skyrim:Cyrodiil/An Introduction to the Ruby Navy

Book Information An Introduction to the Ruby Navy
Added by	Beyond Skyrim: Cyrodiil
ID	xx08B539
	11		1
Type	3
Locations
Found in the following locations: Castle Bruma (2 - Great Hall and Guest Wing) Fort Pale Pass, Captain's Quarters Gautierre Manor Sellus Prelius's House

An Introduction to the Ruby Navy

by Admiral Bacola Gloriosus

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Published 3E328

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The crew of an Imperial Naval vessel varies greatly. Each large ship generally has a complement of archers, a priest or a wizard (more often than not a spellsword mercenary), several officers and number of general sailors and Marines. The general sailors are often standard Imperial soldiers with either sailing skill, or those who have expressed an interest in a post not bound by land. These 'soldiers of the sea' help to balance out the generally ranged capability of the remainder crew. They often crew the ship in light leathers, with steel skirts and pauldrons added prior to battle, fastened together by a series of clasps. This allows for the quick removal of heavy weights if an unfortunate marine were to fall overboard. Falxes are the most common choice of weapon, but scimitars, boarding axes and other cutting weapons are not unusual. Potions and even enchanted jewellery for waterbreathing are often used by officers, although such expenses are beyond the enlisted ranks.

Some ships have a mounted ballista, but these are usually found only on warships and generally on the western coast of Tamriel. These can be used for a variety of purposes, the simplest of which being the piercing of an opponent's sail or the breaching of an opponent's hull. If there is but a small distance between combatant ships they can be used, with the addition of rope, to board the other vessel.

In battle, the Imperial Navy is incredibly effective. The tactics employed by the Navy intentionally offer them many advantages. Unorganized groups can rarely counter their advanced fleet tactics, and therefore casualties among the Navy are few; while the battle itself usually yields the winner a new ship (although the condition of it can vary greatly). In common naval battles, archers generally rake the deck of the enemy with arrows and once the ship is close enough to board, Imperial Marines mobilize and engage the remaining enemy crew in melee combat. The spellcaster on board can often change the face of the worst battles. Casters skilled in the school of Alteration can bend the wind so that enemy arrows find themselves impeded, or for a fast escape should it be needed or, more often, to prevent the retreat of the enemy. Some of the spellcasters deployed on board Navy ships are skilled in the school of Destruction and therefore don't often leave much left to capture. A Cult priest skilled in the school of Restoration can also be helpful, as casualties (though usually minor) are often inflicted on the ship's crew in the course of battle.

The idea behind capturing rather than destroying an enemy ship is often an economic one - once a ship is captured, its cargo can be returned to its original owners (generally with a nominal fee) and the ship can be sold, or used by the Imperial Navy. Even partially damaged ships can be cannibalized to repair other Imperial vessels. This system of capture and expropriation provides the navy a constant supply of new ships and shipbuilding materials for a fraction of the cost a shipbuilder might charge, making the Navy very cheap and effective for the Empire.