Naglfari
Description: a mixed-construction powered ship about the size and capacity of a largish tramp steamer: the superstructure is steel, but the hull is carved from a single scale of the World-Serpent (and glistens unpleasantly, of course). The metal parts of a Naglfari quickly and permanently acquire a covering of rust. Oddly, there’s no smell of snake about a Naglfari. There’s definitely a certain odor of old blood, but no snake.
“Cursed ship” is such a loaded term, really; a Naglfari ship simply has specialized abilities and requirements. To begin with, Naglfari make for excellent cargo vessels; the Serpent-scale hull gives it a remarkable amount of speed for a ship this big, and it’s impervious to anything except military weapons. More importantly, Naglfari are never attacked by any sort of sea monster. As in, never attacked. A kraken will just swim by, and not even try to pluck any sailors off of the deck. Naglfari are easily the ships most likely to be used in what trade exists with the Ras al-Thuban, for precisely this reason.
As for the requirements? Well, every month you have to take a person down to the ‘mouth’ at the keel of the ship, and throw him in. Living, unfortunately: Naglfari like their meals alive and kicking. At least it’s quick. Sort of. And if this feeding isn’t done regularly, then the Naglfari starts to starve. When that happens, it stops smelling invisible to sea monsters, and starts smelling delicious. So, yeah, that doesn’t end well.
You’d think that civilized countries would ban and/or sink Naglfari ships on sight, and you’d be right. With the caveat that a lot of places out there are real willing to somehow not officially see those ships, either. Lots of people have cargos that they’d like to get from Point A to Point B without it getting attacked by sea monsters, and all of those people are real good at rationalizing away their behavior.
Besides, some Naglfari are used as pirate hunters. That’s different, right? Hanged from the yardarm or getting keel-chewed: what’s the difference, really?
Naglfari
ACC/Top speed: 5/15
Toughness: 14 (3)
Crew: 18 +10
Weapons: various (nothing mounted under the water)
Cost: You don’t buy a ship like this with money.
I can see it being an option offered to prisoners slated for execution, or imprisoned in bad conditions. “The ship’s voyage will take two months to get there and back. We’ll accept four volunteers from the prison population. Meals will be picked by random lottery from among the four, and the survivors get to go free after the return trip.”
Sounds like a job for Mad Jenny to me! 😛
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF3rR9KJ4q8
After all, one presumes there’s a *reason* that the priest saved her from being hanged. ^_~