Axe of the Sea
- Typical features Length 185ft, Beam 54ft, Depth 30ft. Tonnage: 500 tons Crew: 300-550
- Average Base Cost to Build 1,415,000 true
- Average Time to Build 24-48 months
An Axe of the Sea has but one purpose: to win every battle in which it finds itself. While slow and unwieldy, the amount of firepower an Axe of the Sea can carry rivals that of the best ships in the world. Built carefully and lovingly by master dwarven crafters, these ships are also things of beauty, both on the inside and the outside. Unfortunately, few will ever have the chance to observe this for themselves; the dwarves have never been a strong seafaring race and tend to dislike travel over open water, and these ships are used only when necessary.
One key feature of these devastating warships is the presence of extra-heavy crossbows which are able to fire five inch wide iron-headed spears over great distances. They also have heavy ballistae, gnomish trebuchets with explosive missiles, and quick-firing onagers. Most of these ranged weapons are fired through ports in the side of the hull. While no vessel has ever been fitted fully, it is said by dwarven craftsmen that each ship could accommodate up to two hundred and fifty firing platforms. Their firepower includes a special dwarven weapon that can be mounted on a swiveling platform that rests on the fore or aft castle of the ship. Dwarven craftsmen refer to these special weapons as Vorax's Spinning Axes, but how exactly they work is subject to speculation. While they hardly ever leave their berths, these battleships serve as a reminder that, if required, the dwarves can and will deal heavy damage to any enemy they confront at sea.
The Ulgrid dwarves have several Axes of the Sea, and it is possible that other clans with access to the sea or vast underground lakes also have their own fleet of Axes. Three or four of these ships have even been sold to non-dwarven realms in the last few decades, though this practice was recently stopped; some dwarves feared that the sale of the warships was giving too much power to those who did not deserve it.
