¶ The Shipwrights
Builders of boats. Brawlers in bars. Occasional bagpipers.
Slogan: "Measure twice, threaten once."
Unofficial Slogan: "If you can't fix it with a wrench, you're not using a big enough wrench."
Motive: To keep ships running, beer flowing, and the Big Four confused long enough to charge them double.
Unofficial Mascot: A soot-streaked sheep in a welding mask named "Sparky", who headbutts malfunctioning engines and occasionally judges ship designs with a disappointed bleat. Sparky once won Employee of the Month.
¶ Overview
The Shipwrights are the beating, slightly greasy heart of Calad Bar's harbour district. They build, repair, and occasionally reimagine wildspace vessels of every shape and ambition. From nimble skiffs to hulking longships that sail solar winds, if it floats, flies, or offends the laws of thermodynamics, they've probably built it — or know someone who did, poorly.
They're loud, broad-shouldered, oil-stained, and impossibly competent. They're also rude in a way that feels like a compliment, and surprisingly philosophical, in the same way a sea storm can be surprisingly refreshing.
¶ Activities
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Ship Repairs & Construction:
From shattered hulls to experimental arcano-engines, Shipwrights handle it all with gritted teeth, glowing tools, and highly creative swearing. They've recently specialised in wildspace vessels, including one rumoured submarine-class ship kept under wraps (and several tarpaulins). -
Harbour Control:
The Shipwrights run the docks, charge "reasonable fees plus politically strategic surcharges" for Big Four vessels, and issue licences that definitely exist and aren't just drawn in charcoal on pub napkins. -
Taverns & Inns:
Their harbour inns are rowdy, cheap, sturdy, and come with guaranteed fights, food, and sleep — though rarely in that order. Their flagship inn, The Salty Spanner, features reinforced chairs, a no-spellcasting policy (mostly ignored), and weekly orchestral performances. -
Orchestra:
Yes, they have one.
It consists of:- 14 bagpipes (all in tune, which is technically a war crime),
- A sentient trombone named Bob, who only plays during bar fights,
- And a trained seagull named Maestro, who handles percussion by divebombing the triangle.
¶ Relationship with the Law
The Shipwrights maintain an unspoken understanding with the Khelda:
- She tolerates a bit of smuggling and the occasional Viking barge,
- They make sure Calad Bar always has functional ships and functional order.
- They don't interfere with the Sons of Hothar, unless asked.
- They don't report Viking activity, unless it involves impolite docking.
- And they absolutely do not speak to diplomats unless they're complaining about a pipe solo.
¶ Conflict Resolution
The Shipwrights don't like violence, but they understand it. Most tavern fights end with a single look from a Shipwright. If that doesn't work, a large wrench is often involved. This is why the phrase "That escalated like a Shipwright's toolbox" has entered local parlance.
¶ Head Shipwright
Hamish the Bold, a retired space-viking turned master shipwright, is the boisterous, bagpipe-loving head of Calad Bar's Shipwrights Guild. Towering, horned, and perpetually singed from welding, he builds wildspace vessels with the same gusto he once used to raid them — only now with more blueprints and fewer lawsuits. Known for his thunderous laugh, dragonchess prowess, and a multipurpose wrench that doubles as a door knocker and attitude adjuster, Hamish is fiercely loyal to his crew, the Khelda, and any beverage served with snacks. He maintains a passionate grudge against the flamboyant Lord Vaelith Silquess and dreams of one day defeating a warforged chess druid in a rematch not interrupted by ale or protest ferrets.
¶ Rumours
- They're building a submersible wildspace ship in secret.
- Bob the Trombone once bested a bard in open debate.
- Maestro the seagull is in a relationship with a weather vane.