The Hermetic Shipyard

One of the most important and profitable industries across Mythic Europe is shipbuilding. Whether for trade, transport, or war, merchants and princes alike need ships. Ships are vital to the flow of goods and wealth across Mythic Europe, to say nothing of armies and pilgrims.

Given the importance of ships, and the profit to be made in their construction, it is not unusual for Hermetic magi to become involved in the trade. Working shipyards can be used as sources of income (Covenants, page 61), and this makes owning and running shipyards attractive to covenants located on appropriate sites. The covenant of Oculus Septentrionalis in the Rhine Tribunal is home to Marcus Navicularius of House Verditius. He is the most accomplished shipwright in Lübeck and has earned his fortune by selling enchanted ships to other covenants. Their bitter rivals at the covenant of Waddenzee also operate a number of magical vessels and have their own shipwright, though his power is far from Hermetic. Additionally, Memnos of Verditius maintains a working shipyard in the Tribunal of Thebes. He has already produced the four enchanted vessels upon which the covenant of Favonius has been founded, and is currently planning the fifth.

This chapter presents the founding of an Hermetic shipyard and the building of its first vessel, The Hermes. It takes the project through from start to finish: finding the best location, constructing the basic laboratory, expanding it out to encompass the shipyard, laying The Hermes' keel, and enchanting the completed vessel. The construction of the shipyard and all the effects enchanted into the ship use only standard Hermetic magic; no Mysteries or restricted Virtues are required. The laboratory rules from the Covenants supplement are used extensively, but the relevant sections are referenced and, where appropriate, the laboratory totals for all activities are provided. As this is a project inspired by an existing mundane craft, City & Guild provides good background information and additional rules that you may find useful. But importantly, while there is an obvious attraction for Verditius magi, magi of all Houses can achieve these enchantments.