Maelstrom: Elvish Fleet part 2

Organization
        The Elvish Fleet has a fairly strict rank structure.  Nobility, while
not an absolute requirement, greatly aids a young prospective elf to
become an officer.  Most officers in the Fleet were born nobles, but
some non-noble elves and rarely non-elves are able to earn an officer's
commission.  As all officers are treated as nobles in most elvish
nations, earning a commission is an uncommon means of commoners to
elevate themselves into higher class of society.  Hired men-at-arms and
sailors fill out the crews aboard elven ships and outposts.  Such elves
and non-elves are hired soldiers and nothing more.  Even so, only a
foolish officer treats his men with disrespect and contempt.
        The Fleet in the Maelstrom ultimately answerable to the Grand Admiral
of the whole Elvish Fleet, but her command is distant and far removed
from the Maelstrom.  The local Commander-and-Chief of the Maelstrom is
High Admiral Leafbower.  She directly commands the Twilitespace Fleet,
and the other fleets are commanded by other admirals.  Each admiral is
served by a number of captains and aides who advise the admiral and
command individual ships.  Below them are a number of officers that keep
the non-officers in line and do the work that keeps the Fleet running
smoothly.  The men-at-arms and sailors rarely have much authority but
especially talented leaders are selected to receive an education at the
Academy and an officer's commission at completion of their training.

Chain of Command
        The Elvish Fleet of the Maelstrom is ruled by one woman, High Admiral
Rolinda Leafbower.  Below her are the four sphere admirals of
Diamondspace, Icespace, Pearlspace, and Songspace, who command the major
fleets of the Maelstrom.  The small fleets at Banesun and Tyrspace are
both under Admiral Leafbower's command and neither sphere warrants an
admiral.
· High Admiral Rolinda Leafbower (NG gray elven female F12 (Swashbuckler
kit), AC 0, hp 61, Str 17, Dex 16, Int 15, Cha 18):  The  overall ruler
of the Elven Fleet in the Maelstrom, High Admiral Leafbower is
granddaughter to the famous Admiral Leafbower and was a feared pirate in
her own right little less than two cycles ago.  Since achieving the rank
of Admiral, Rolinda has used her political connections, fame, and fierce
personality to bring the other four sphere admirals of the Maelstrom
under her command, asserting an ancient right that had been forgotten
for almost 100 cycles.  Despite her high position, trouble always seems
to come looking for her, something she actually enjoys.
· Lord Knight Cyallian Aellondul (NG dawn elf male F15 (Cavalier kit),
AC 0, hp 85, Str 17, Con 15, Dex 16): A long-time supporter of the
Elvish Fleet, Lord Cyallian is Admiral Rolinda's closest friend, having
met her almost half a century ago on assignment to Greatspace, where he
arrested her as a pirate, not knowing her secret ties to the Fleet.  At
the time, Rolinda was attempting to infiltrate a nasty pirate haven, and
in a long, often explosive adventure, they developed a deep friendship.
Cyallian would later be key in appointing Rolinda to the rank of High
Admiral.  He is now first officer of the Wildspace Warden and Rolinda's
closest friend and advisor.
· Admiral Saelisdrim (CG dawn elf male M17 (High Mage kit), AC 2, hp 28,
Int 18, Wis 19 Cha 16): Eldest of the admirals and a budding high mage,
Admiral Saelisdrim is often mistaken for a bigoted, non-elf-hater
sometimes encountered with older elves in other spheres.  Further could
be from the truth, for Admiral Saelisdrim, admiral of Songspace, is
known for asking a great deal from his men but rewards hard work with
promotions and honors.  He has many concerns for the young High Admiral,
a position he does not covet, but hopes that Rolinda is the right woman
to lead the Fleet for centuries to come.
· Admiral Gilsparlas (CG twilight elf female F11/M14 (War Mage kit), AC
4, hp 48, Str 15, Int 16, Cha 15).  Admiral Gilsparlas is probably one
of the more unusual leaders in the Fleet.  She is powerfully built and
tall, a stark contrast to shapely elven maidens.  A woman of action,
Admiral Gilsparlas used to enjoy good tavern brawls but decades of
service to the Fleet has cooled her temper and taught her
responsibility.  Age has started setting in (Gilsparlas is over 400
years old) and her athletic body is not as well-toned as it was in the
past.  Gilsparlas is a strong fighting leader, willing to take the fight
to the enemy and 'get bloody', as it were.  Rolinda and Gilsparlas,
despite the similar personalities, don't care for one another.  Still,
Rolinda knows a good warrior when she sees one and puts a good deal of
trust in her.  Admiral Gilsparlas commands the Aldavilya Avenger, an
armada with a double complement of Kintiara Marines, some of the finest
in the Maelstrom.
· Admiral Kankiean (NG twilight elf male F14 (Windrider kit), AC -2, hp
75, Str 14, Con 17, Cha 16).  An aging but well-respected noble and
admiral, Kankiean was the elf many would have preferred to become High
Admiral rather than Rolinda.  Hailing from a rich and powerful royal
clan, Kankiean was raised in a life of privilege and wealth.  As such,
he has many friends among the so-called 'old nobility' that hold much
power within the Fleet.  He firmly believes in the nobility's right to
lead the Fleet, a right earned in wars now forgotten by man.  Nobility
can be earned however, Kankiean believes, through hard work and service
to the Fleet.  His flagship is the armada Wings of Majesty, which is
protected by a magical shield that defects all artillery fire.  A side
effect of this field prevents artillery from being fired from the Wings,
so instead it carries a triple complement of spellcasters and extra
flitters.

        The remaining two admirals are left to the DM's invention.  Each
commands a small fleet from their armada flagships.

Rank and File
        The middle ranks of the Elvish Fleet consist mainly of captains, high
rank officers and lieutenants, and the most powerful allies of the
Fleet.  Rank carries great responsibility, but most admirals allow their
captains great freedom in their commands.
· Captain Malavel Daele (CG twilight elf male F9 Cavalier): Captain of
the Kiuath, a Man-O-War assigned to patrol Avalon, Malavel is a noble
and proud elf.  A native of Aldavilya and a firm supporter of Lord
Knight Cyallian, Malavel is hailed by many as an example of Aldavilya's
ability to lead the Fleet.  He is well-like by his men because of his
skill in battle and the generous promotions he gives to those who
display ability.
· Captain Vonir Amaro (CG dawn elf male W11 Patrician): The Man-O-War
Tahlrad is Vonir's ship, which carries a large complement of mages, with
almost half the crewmen have at least some magical abilities.  Vonir
keeps a high profile in the kingdom of Simlam, making frequent trips to
the Royal Palace itself to speak before the King and Council of Lords.
· Lord General Ridnis Drerail (NG dawn elf male F11 Myrmidon): The army
at the castle known as the Spires of the Stars is under Lord Ridnis'
command.  Ridnis has held his position for almost two cycles and has
become increasingly involved in the politics of the Fleet.  He supports
Lord Cyallian in hopes of landing a fief in that land.  Lord Ridnis is
slowly losing respect among his men, who see less and less of him as he
devotes an increasing amount of time 'at court'.
· Lord General Ansravel Tyali (CG twilight elf male F8 Windrider):
Ansravel is the commander of the garrison at Silverspires and
subordinate to Lord Ridnis.  Ansravel has held his position for a mere
seven years but has already built a strong political base by making many
friends with the captains that are stationed at Ethwold and making sure
his men firmly support him.
· Captain Fera Jaroro (NG dawn elf female F7/W6 War Wizard): Fera's
ship, the Man-O-War Kyrad, prowls Tyrspace seeking pirates.  Fera works
with the local centaur kings to track the activities of pirates in the
sphere.  A quarter lance of centaurs, the sons of powerful nobles and
fast becoming capable warriors, is under Fera's command, a gift from the
king of Taur.
· Captain Ariemar Al'ther (LG half dragon (dawn elf/silver dragon) male
Pal12 Envoy): Appearing as an elf with an almost alien appearance,
Captain Ariemar commands the Man-O-War Thaim.  Ariemar is a skilled
diplomat, often sent into 'hot' situations to calm things down.  Famous
for rarely, if ever, losing his temper, Ariemar is level-headed and calm
even in battle, often unsettlingly so.
· Master Battlepoet Ruvia Fisdeth (CG dawn elf female B14 Minstrel):
Ruvia is the highest rank battlepoet in the Maelstrom and the chief
entertainer at Hidden Haven.  Many lesser battlepoets serve her
directly, learning secrets of the trade at the feet of the master.
Ruvia is known for her singing and poetry, which she uses to retell the
history of the elves and the Fleet.
· Lord General Vonri Koehaith (NG half-giant (dawn elf/thane giant) male
F10 Myrmidon): At 9' tall, Vonri is easily the tallest elf in the
Fleet.  He hired on as a mercenary well over a cycle ago and was
eventually granted an officer's commission.  Vonri now commands a marine
army of about 500 stationed at the Armada Castle Seldul.  Vonri's
marines are all elite and experienced, often the first sent into
battle.  All of Vonri's men are of at least 4th level, with the officers
rising to 8th level.  Vonri is a hardened warrior, renowned for winning
battles thought lost or impossible.
· Lord Knight Nymahruil Throuath (CG twilight elf male W15 Patrician):
Ambassador to the dwarvish homeworld, Nymahruil is well-trusted among
the dwarves because of his recovery and return of at least a dozen
religious and historic dwarvish relics.  An old-wealth noble, Nymahruil
has little respect for Admiral Leafbower, whom he considers an outsider
and interloper.  Despite his dislike for Rolinda, he respects her
authority and reluctantly obeys her orders.
· Lord Knight Ilevar Jaroro (CG dawn elf male F8 Noble Warrior): The
Fleet's diplomat in the Sunflow Republic, Ilevar is often in the
Empress's court.  He finds the politics of the Republic tiring and hopes
that eventually his years of service and hard work returns him to a
captain's post that he so enjoys.  When not attending court functions,
Ilevar is found in the Sunmist Valley with the elves found there.
· Captain Afhaler Evual (N dawn elf male F8 Merchant): High
Quartermaster for the entire Fleet, Afhaler has the unenviable task of
keeping every ship, base, and outpost fully stocked and supplied.
Afhaler personally commands the Saeim, a hammership that helps keeps the
Hidden Haven supplied due to its extra-dimensional cargo hold, which
quadruples its cargo capacity.  Most of Afhaler's time is spent
organizing supply pick-ups and shipping schedules.  Afhaler sometimes
uses his position to get better pay for his men, but also skims a little
off the top for himself and funnels that money to his family estate.
· Ragothmiirym (LG bronze dragon female): A long-time ally of the Fleet
and friend of many captains, Ragothmiirym was raised by a former Admiral
in the Fleet.  When that admiral retired, Ragothmiirym remained as the
guardian of the Hidden Haven.  She enjoys the company of elves and loves
nothing more than to lounge in the lake while gossiping with the wives
of captains and admirals.  She particularly enjoys children and allows
them to use her body as a playpen.  When she wants some freedom of the
sky, Ragothmiirym travels to the surface of Sherall's Comet to fly about
the snowy atmosphere.  Because of her great personal abilities,
Ragothmiirym's duty in the event of an attack is to protect the
children.
· Lord Knight Pyiat Havain (CG twilight elf female W9 Patrician): The
Fleet's representative for the Middle Kingdoms of Ethwold is Lady Pyiat,
a noblewoman and skilled mage.  She is most often at the court of the
King of Cepessa, but sometimes travels via magic or eagle-back to the
courts of Lefton, Volva, and even Ruliengar when the need arises to
discuss matters with them.  Lady Pyiat is a quiet, gentle woman, but her
petite exterior hides a cunning and manipulative woman.  She uses her
influence to negotiate favorable trade deals for elven merchants and
managed to secure basing rights in the mountains north of Cepessa where
a Cutter is stationed to protect merchant houses in the area.
Discussion list for the Spelljammer campaign setting
--
Adam Miller