The Medai caravans aren’t exclusively landbound; there also are seabound caravans—appropriately called flotillas—that ply the various seas of Vitallia. The main distinguishing feature of Medai ships are the many-coloured sails, a tradition that’s also reflected in their clothing. It’s because of this that flotillas are known among the other races as Painted Sails. As it so happens, dyes of every colour are one of the specialties of their alchemists.
As one would expect, the Trident has the greatest number of seafaring Medai, but the flotillas usually disperse during their time in the Trident’s islands. The weather affects the movements of the flotillas more than it does their landbound brethren. The winter is prohibitive for sailing the northern seas, for example, and so the flotillas spend the winter plying the seas of the Trident and they make their circuits in the other seas during the spring and summer.
The Medai are master seafarers and they’re safe from piracy thanks to large numbers of ships and mutual defence. However, when the flotillas disperse in the Trident, Medai ships become as vulnerable as any other ship.
The Medai divide their ships into wagonships and cargoships. The wagonships carry families, children and the elderly while the cargoships carry goods and have crews of adults, single or married but without children.
The Medai use predominantly two ship types in their flotillas:
Kelande – A large ship with three masts with lateen sails and two sets of 20 oars on each side (80 oars in total)—a bireme. The largest reach 80 metres in length and 10 in width and house 150 Medai of whom 40 are the crewmen. When necessary and for brief periods, it can accommodate 160 rowers plus up to 120 crewmen and residents. Kelandes are almost always wagonships.
Koggen – The most common ship type in the Vitallian seas. Built to carry cargo, it has a single mast with a square sail and typically is 30 metres long and displaces 150 tons. A Koggen wagonship needs 10 crewmen and carries 40 civilians while a cargo ship can make do with 8 crew minimum but usually has around 15.
The Kelande was unknown in Vitallia until the Medai arrived. Shipwrights among the clans constructed the first such ships and raised lateen sails for the first time to catch the Vitallian winds. Although it’s not yet widely adopted, the Trident’s captains transition their ships to lateen sails as they are advantageous over square ones.
Danys Flotilla (Medium, Medra) and Arax Flotilla (Small, Gowros) make the round of Exotia.
Tharia Flotilla (Medium, Melidra) sails between Starbleed and Inselin and calls on both coasts of the Nakra Canal.
Brasys Flotilla (Small, Melidra) sails the Forklands coasts and reaches west up to Armorbay.
Vastria Flotilla (Medium, Medra) sails the Draikar and Nightfall Seas.
This is the only flotilla to go round Vitallia every year. They begin in Tren in the Trident and follow an east-to-west circuit that brings them full circle to the Trident. Throughout this long journey they mostly hug the coast and stay in the channels and canals but do sail the open sea at places.
This particular flotilla is well-known among Medai and many caravans or individual Medai are aware of the Hansa’s timetable and make sure to be at specific ports where the flotilla docks. Even caravans that have no point of contact will send some of their people to the nearest of the Hansa’s ports-of-call to meet. Population exchange, sharing of news and other business is conducted during these meetings. If the Medai Nation can be said to have one annual festival, it is a meeting with the Hansa Flotilla. In this sense, the Hansa is possibly the most important among all Medai caravans.
The Hansa Flotilla numbers about 550 Medai and is comprised of 2 Kelandes (wagonships) and 10 Koggens (of whom 3 are wagonships and 7 are cargoships). The leader is Zarus et Hansa an Melidra, a venerable Medai recognised for his wisdom and ability. If the Medai Nation had a king, Zarus would probably wear the crown.
The wagonships spend the winter at Tren and they’re put at drydock for maintenance but their cargoships—barring their maintenance period—wander the Trident and the three Forklands coasts up to the Burning Coast. By mid-April, the Hansa ships gather at Tren and begin their long journey around Vitallia.
Tren → Knight’s Coast → east and north to Ildren → across the Sirian Sea to Exotia → north to Goldport (long stay) → King’s Island → cross the ocean to Sentir (perilous) → Nakra Canal → Frakar Canal → Draikar Sea → Firetooth Canal → Greydeep Canal → Caran Coast → Black Coast → back to the Trident (October–early November).
Any time the GM rolls 1 for a random encounter, he can change the encounter to a Medai Caravan.
Small caravans: 40–100 (one Kelande and 1 Koggen)
Medium caravans: 100–300 (one Kelande and 2–4 Koggens)
Large caravans: 300–1,000 Medai (2–3 Kelandes and 3–8 Koggens)
The dominant clan makes up over half of the population and leads the caravan. Gowros numbers are always small. Medra caravans are the most hospitable ones and Gowros the most reserved ones.
Regarding services, one can expect to find General Store, Alchemist, Blacksmith and Healer in all caravans and more services in the larger caravans. One service is premium or more than one in larger caravans. Lone or family peddlers provide one of the above services.