Top-heavy. Unseaworthy. Floating hovels. Wooden barns on the water.

All of these–and more–have been applied to the ferries that stagger their way through the Inland Sea’s shallows and estuaries. Many are decades old, most are barely afloat, and nearly all are pushed to their limits with each trip to try and squeeze as much coin as possible into the hands of their owners.

And they are a vital lifeline between the remaining cities strongly in Imperial hands like Iskandria and the heartland.

Once upon a time, merchant navy vessels were escorted by warships and built in the shipyards of the heartland, as they were regarded as a vital interest of the Verdant Empire. Now, those same ships are still in service, unescorted, and with the detritus of decades of unauthorized modifications festooning them. Wrecks are common, and piracy even more so.

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