The Adipocere

The Adipocere
Model:	War Sloop (Predator)
Inception:	~1720s
Allegiance:	Captain Finn Hamm; Brethren Court
Hull:	Storm Chaser VI
Rigging	Offense II

     

The Adipocere was a cursed sloop-of-war captained by the insidious Finn Hamm during the Age of Piracy. Originally a Navy Predator model named the HMS Australia, she was commandeered early on in Hamm's career using a fishing boat and repurposed into his terrifying flagship. For much of its life, it was referred to as the Shadow Song, but following Hamm's abdication of his position within the Brethren Court, it was renamed to Adipocere.

The ship itself made berth in Finn's hideout somewhere off the coast of Italy, in his domain of the Adriatic Sea; Captain Hamm and his crew were notorious for their raids on the Italian coast in the early 1740s, though the ship was known to also operate in the Caribbean, the heartland of Brethren territory.

Hamm also captained the War Frigate Cutthroat Comet and Galleon Red Ransom during his extended career as a lawless brigand, though he is most notorious for his actions committed at the helm of the Adipocere.

Disregarding hull and survivability, the Adipocere was a brutal water-based murder contraption of Hamm's own design, intended to deliver as much pain as possible while maximizing on speed so as to stay one step ahead of all potential foes at all times. It was also highly regarded for its stealth capabilities - witnesses report that the vessel is invisible to the naked eye during the darkest hours of the night. In truth, this was thanks to an artifact dubbed "Rin's Spyglass," an ancient voodoo totem that grants its owner virtual control of the sea's light, but weighs a heavy toll on its captain, crew, and the vessel itself over time. The degradation resulted in the ship's signature decaying appearance and granted it its new name.

The Adipocere is featured heavily in the story of the same name.

Specifications

The Adipocere was, in Finn Hamm's mind, the ideal vessel for a pirate; she was small and agile enough to outrun most warships, powerful enough to gun down a merchant vessel in seconds, and just spacious enough to accommodate for the crew and a sufficient haul of cargo. She carried a maximum of twenty cannons below decks and topside with additional space for swivel guns. Additionally, the ship possessed a set of long-range "mortar" cannons that fired devastating lightning rounds. The standard cannons were regularly fitted with firebrand and explosive ammunition.

The vessel was repainted ocean blue and white upon its capture by Hamm and at some point fitted with a carved wooden figurehead depicting the likeness of the titan Cronus. The dark blue sails of the ship were fittingly decorated with a depiction of a white serpent.

Within Finn Hamm's own cabin, which only he and his most trusted officers were permitted to enter, all manner of occult paraphernalia could be found chaotically strewn about. It was rumored a variety of arcane rituals were performed by the captain within the cabin, presumably to bolster his own strength by communing with dark spirits.

The ship itself made berth in Finn's hideout somewhere off the coast of Italy, in his domain of the Adriatic Sea; Captain Hamm and his crew were notorious for their raids on the Italian coast in the early 1740s, though the ship was known to also operate in the Caribbean, the heartland of Brethren territory.

The crew of the vessel rotated regularly due to the risks associated with piracy, though one constant crewman was the black ship's cat, Bartholomew, named for the infamous pirate. An elderly feline that sometimes inspired unease among the men aboard, his presence on the Adipocere was nevertheless completely benign; he was brought aboard to catch rodents and other pests.