Endless Seas - "Here be Dragons And also Corp's deranged creations"

After years of procrastinating and a multitude of ships of various sizes, shapes and sanity I've decided to finally sit down and hammer out a post detailing the AU I use to (poorl) justify my sanity. An AU with the maps marked "Here Be Dragons" sprinkled with a bit of "Manifest Destiny" which serves as both a dumping ground and a launch pad for many of any dumb ideas I find amusing. An AU in which others can collaborate or join in on without needing to meticulously work out how to fit new nations into the backstories of other nations. I've had a lot of help on the lore over the years from various NS friends who have written their own lore tidbits or come up with ideas which have served as a launchpad for others. Some of these drawings are old and in need of revision, a few have been posted as challenges and others are relatively new. My goal with a most of them is for a sorta grounded rule of cool. I try to keep designs ground while also balancing for Rule of Cool. I feel that when you have ships that hunt kaiju in a world of magic it's okay to go off the walls a bit at times but at the same time a ship should have a realistic fit to accomplish it's mission.

A quick Introduction to the Endless Seas for those of you that haven't been on discord when I've discussed some of the stuff I've come up with:

Every inhabited world (And countless uninhabited ones) has one or more groups of "Mystic Islands". Mystic Islands are small groups of 2 or more islands which together form a Mystic Straight. A Mystic Straight is constantly shrouded in a mysterious and thick fog. Known as "The Mist", sailing through the straights and into the fog transports one to a new realm. Sailors find themselves among a similar, but not quite identical set of islands located not on their own world but instead on "The Endless Sea".

The Endless Sea, is as the name describes, an ocean expanding infinitely in all directions. Scattered with a multitude of islands and continents of various shapes and sizes. These islands are populated by all manner of men and beasts, anything from Neanderthals and Tigers to Werewolves and Dragons. The sea itself is a dangerous one, not only is rife with storms but it's also populated by Kaiju of various shapes and sizes. Coupled with the ever present threat of encountering hostile explorers from other worlds, and exploration is a dangerous task. There is Magic. A lot of the lore for magic is a wip but general idea is that a Gun is mightier than magic but you can use magic to make a really cool gun. Also magical plot macguffin limits LOS of Electromagnetic Radiation (Although Effects decrease with altitude).

Like all inhabited worlds, our own Earth has it's own connections to The Endless Sea. Earth has an above average 4 Mystic Straits. Two,located at Diego Garcia and Kwajalein Atol, are under control of the US and administered via the US Navy. The third is the Matochkin Strait in Novaya Zemlya under the control of the Russian Federation. The fourth and last Strait is buried a mile deep below the Antarctic Ice Shelf, Since Operation High Jump it has been monitored jointly under a secret clause of the Antarctic treaty.* The US regards all information related to the Endless Seas as TS/SCI information under the code name RADIANT GUARDIAN (Formerly Project WARDEN), administered under the US Navy’s SPAWAR Systems command.** The Russian government similarly holds a tight rein on all information about the Endless Seas. The reason for this is concerns about the otherwise massive effect such seemingly unlimited resources would have on the global economy should they become public knowledge. In addition their is the belief that information about the frequent warfare could cause global panic and lead to intense scrutiny over their operations on the endless seas.

* Somewhere beyond the Ice lies the land of New Swabia, home to the Reich, which since the Fall of the Moonbase has become the last Bastion of Nazi Germany. Sightings of the Reich are few and far between and their existence sits at the mind of every American on the Endless Seas.
**Evidence of these programs was uncovered by the British hacker Gary McKinnon in 2002. A combination of limited information and a prompt disinformation campaign by US Intelligence led McKinnon, and in turn the public away from the truth.

Since World War II the US has established two thriving colonies, The Columbia Colony on the Super Continent of Mu and The Jefferson Colony on the Continent of Agartha. These represent the primary Earth Strongholds on the endless seas. From these Strongholds, the US along with it's International partners sails forth on missions of exploration and discovery. These missions vary from scientific surveys, to Kaiju Hunts, to millitary missions against Man's primary adversary on the endless seas, the dastardly Elven Khanates. The US is one of the leading nations of "The Coalition of Man" a multi-world alliance of human nations formed to present a united front against the Khanates.

Current US Efforts on the Endless Seas are focused on Operation Camelot Yankee:
In the early 2000s with the Columbia Colony on Mu and Jefferson Colony on Agartha no firmly established, the US Colonization Service set it's sight on establishing a third stronghold on the super-continent of Avalon. Under the designation of Operation Camelot Yankee, a foothold was established on Avalon in 2003 in the form of Fort Twain at Stranger's Bay on the Western Coast. A month's sail from the port of Embassy Bay on Mu, Fort Twain is currently the most distant American Settlement on the Endless Seas (Not counting forward operating bases with transient populations). In the following years Fort Twain has grown rapidly from a small resupply base, to a full fledged small city surrounded by productive agricultural fields. As the largest Colonization Effort currently underway, Fort Twain is a city of constant construction. In only a few short years the city has a rapidly expanding deep water container port, extensive airport and dry-docks for ship repair. A substantial military garrison has been established at the nearby Joint Base Mark Twain, the namesake of the town. From Fort Twain the colony has expanded outwards with growing agricultural settlements such as as Lancelot and Morgan. Each settlement serving as both a step towards colonial self-sufficiency and a further launchpad into the interior of the continent. Other major Earth Settlements include the French Colony of Charlemagne, British Avalon and the Japanese colony of Bakin.

As an endless sea naval power is Important in supporting US Efforts and as a result a number of unique ships can be found sailing the seas:
The most notable category of Ships Unique to the Endless Seas are the Kaijuers. A kaijuer is a heavily armed ship designed, as the name suggests, for hunting kaiju. Supported by Flensing ships, the Kaijuers embark on long expeditions like whalers of old in search of their prey.

Here is a brief intro to Kaiju Lore provided by my friend Ark of NS:

Quote:

Since before the discovery of the gates, most realms knew of the existence of the Kaiju. Despite it being a rare occurrence, some of the smaller specimens would occasionally find their way through a gate and terrorize the local populace for decades or centuries, before eventually succumbing to either old age or malnutrition. In those rare worlds where a dead kaiju either drifted ashore or (even more rarely) was killed, at least some of the abnormal properties of these titanic creatures have been known even prior to the discovery of the endless ocean. Their bones are, traditionally, one of the first discoveries a nation makes, due to their organic stability. Highly durable yet exceptionally lightweight, kaiju bone is often used in weapons, armor, or in decorative displays, and is often noted for its exceptionally lustrous and broadly pearlescent appearance in the latter. This is largely due to its near unique natural occurrence of boron allotrope γ-boron, which is more commonly synthesized in laboratories at high pressures and temperatures. Carving or working this material is exceptionally difficult, but due to boron’s affinity for hydrogen and nitrogen, it is able to be (and is traditionally) worked through nitric acid etching, a process that can take several days to strip away a noticeable layer, making Kaiju bone artifacts extremely time consuming to produce. The relatively inert nature of the bone, however, means it pales in comparison to the other compounds that can be recovered from a fresh Kaiju corpse. By volume, most Kaiju materials come in the form of mucosal membranes (and their associated emissions) or adipose tissue, which are used by the kaiju as an energy store, and generally are composed of either diborane or lithium borohydride. While volatile, if properly retrieved these compounds can be used as highly potent sources of energy.

Having covered the most common materials derived from the Kaiju, we can now delve into that most sought after: the trace amounts of element 126, colloquially referred to as Corticum, that can be derived from within a Kaiju’s brain. Usually carried in trace amounts, Corticum is the largest known semi stable element, proving an effective nuclear fuel, a highly active catalyzer, and a high density, high strength alloying agent. With a variety of uses, it has driven the Kaiju hunting industry to pursue ever larger prizes to extract their disproportionately large concentrations of Corticum.

Enough with the lore onto the drawings, starting with older ones which are due for redraws and revision.

This was the first Kaijuer I drew. Not exactly happy with it in hindsight but everything starts somewhere:
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Here are the backbone of the US Kaijuer Force
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They Are supported by the Flensing Ship and Led by a command cruiser (My ASW Flagship Challenge Entry)
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And lastly a modern Japanese Kaijuer
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Some Familiar US Government Agencies have their own naval forces
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The famous United States Postal creed "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these
couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" remains true even upon the vasst expanse of
the Endless Seas. In order to fulfill this creed, the USPS operates an extensive flotilla of mail ships. Carrying
the Prefix USMS (United States Mail Ship), the fleet serves not only as the primary means for delivery of
mail but also function as passenger ferries transporting people and cargo between ports throughout
America's colonization sphere.

The Park Class are one of the smaller classes of mail ship currently within service. Designed primarily
for Littoral Operations, the Park Class serve as ferries between the many settlements set up by the US
Colonization Service. Fitted with a compact nuclear reactor, the Park Class is capable of exceeding 40 knots
in good seas. The ships have a crew of 60 and are capable of ferrying anywhere between 500 passengers
on day trips and 120 passengers for 3 week trips. The vehicle deck is capable of carrying 600 tons of mail
including letters, packages, bulk cargo and armored fighting vehicles. A Vehicle ramp allows for easy
pierside loading/unloading and the ship's low draft allows for docking at less developed forward operating
bases. The ships also have a flight deck and hangar capable of supporting both the CH-60P Postal-hawk
and a CQ-24P Mail-Max, although they are rarely embarked on most regular USPS ferry routes.

Pictured is the USMS Yosemite. The Yosemite is one of the more visible members of the class, as she is
home ported at USPS Office Outer Kwajalein and provides twice twice daily service "inside" ferrying
passengers and light cargo to and from the Ronald Reagan Test Site. She and her sister USMS Sequoia
stationed at Outer Diego are among the few vessels which regularly transit through the Straights. For
immigrants she is their first exposure to the Endless Seas, and for native born "Outsiders" she's their first sight of home after an exciting trip “inside” to CONUS. Regardless of one's origin, Yosemite's prominent USPS markings, as well as those of her sister's serve as an assurance that even if they're leaving the land they know behind, they can rest assured that wherever they travel, the United States Postal Service will deliver.

Public Health Service operates a number of hospital ships:
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The USGS also has their own ships:
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The Clearance King is an Expeditionary Research vessel designed to operate as a floating base for a Geological Reconnaissance & Armed Strategic Survey (GRASS) Team
Nicknamed the "Navy SEALS of Scientific Surveys", GRASS Teams are trained to operate at the extreme limits of the land known to the Coalition of Man. A GRASS team is as equally likely to be sent to map the unknown interior of a megacontinet as it is to perform a survey of enemy controlled islands deep behind enemy lines. The Clearance King serves as a base for GRASS Team which forward deployed to Joint Base Fort Twain on Avalon in order to explore the interior of Avalon as part of the ongoing Operation Camelot Yankee colonization efforts. Team 7 is notable as members of the team on a long ranger survey mission were the first to encounter and positively identify a Demon Lord type Kaiju.

Another couple of old challenge entries:
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Beyond ships I also drew a Mecha because if I have Magic I may as well use it to justify dumb mecha
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"It's like something out of one of those weird Chinese Cartoons" - Anonymous Mage, 2020

Designed as a Counter-Kaiju weapon, the M-7 MASTER (Magi-Mechanical Assault system for Tactical Engagements and Reconnaissance) is a prime example of the the US Army's skill in utilizing magic to gain a technical edge on the battlefield.

While long thought to be impractical and even impossible with modern technology, the development of a humanoid mecha was made possible on the endless seas through the unique operational environment. The key to the design is the inherent magical energy available on the endless seas, the magic mist, while this energy is usually impractical to harness due to the unpredictable and sporadic nature of the mist, recent advances have made the exploitation of magic power feasible. In the case ofthe MASTER suit, a combination of cyrberneticllay augmented Kaiju tissue, a Mist Condensation System and a magically adept pilot are used to channel the magical energy of the mist into a form usable by the system.

The Kaiju Tissue is used to construct "synthetic" muscles which provide the mechanical force needed to operate the limbs. These synthetic muscles are controlled via electro-magic impulses from both the combat computer and an onboard Mist-Condensor. The magical nature of the Mist-Condensation process requires a Magic user to draw Mist into the condenser. The Condenser is rated for 720 Hours of operation before the Condenser's Corticum Crystal Matrix needs to be replaced. The combat computer draws power from a set of 4 Hot-swappble Batteries each rated for 18 Hours of operation, allowing for a total maximum operating time of 72 hours before resupply is needed. It should be noted however that the surveillance radar is powered from the same batteries as the combat computer and use of the radar will decrease maximum operating time from 72 to 24 Hours.

In addition to the kaiju-tissue, back up electric servo-motors are fitted to allow for limited mobility by a non-mage pilot for maintnence or emergency situations. The servo-motors are powered by a dedicated battery pack which allow for approximately 15 minutes of full power operation. There are 3 primary variants, they differ only in the shoulder weapon and associated equipment. The Westmoreland has a 120mm Recoilless Gun-Launcher, The Weyland a 40mm Autocannon, and the Wheeler a sexdecuple launcher for Anti-tank, Anti-Air and Loitering munitions. All other avionics and mechanical components of the MASTER variants are common. Standard armaments include 40mm "Battle Rifle" and the "Quick Shot, a Quad-Launcher for AT Missiles.
In addition to the conventional weapons, the kaiju tissue allows a pilot to amplify their innate magical abilities for use in combat.

And lastly some recent drawings for the USCG

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"Expeditionary Navigation Tender" are US Coast Gaurd amphibous warfare vessels designed to support Expeditionary Aide to Navigation construction teams (EATON). USCG EATON teams are responsible for establishing and maintaining navigational aides in newly explored and remote areas of the endless seas. EATON teams construct and service equipment such as auotmated lighthouses, weather stations, navigation beacons and buoys. Additional duties of EATON teams include building relations with local maritime authroties and upgrading indegenous navigation aids to be in line with international standards.

The USCGC Golden Gate is a Toms River Class "Expeditionary Navigation Tender" and is designed to embark a company-sized Expeditionary Aid to Navigation team for a 3-6 months deployment. A typical deployment will see the EATON establish up to two dozen automated lighthouses, ten navigational/timing beacons, and six to twelve automated weather stations.

Due to the ship's large size and extensive aviation facilities, Expeditionary Navigation Tenders are often used as forward bases for US Coast Gaurd law enforcement missions. The ship have a modest self defence suite including a 16-cell Mk 41 VLS launcher, 2 x Two Mk 38 25mm guns, 2 x Phalnax CIWS and a 5"/54 Mk 45 Gun. A Counter-kaiju sonar provides for limited ASW capability.

Aviation facilities include a hangar capable of carrying all USCG rotorcraft up to and including the HV-75 Stork Heavy Lift Tiltrotor. A typical aircraft load is either one HV-75 or two HH-53K along with two MH-60 Jayhawks. HH-65 Dolphins are occasionally embarked for Law enforcement missions. The flight deck is connected to the main cargo deck via a lift allowing Additional Jawhawks and Dolphins to be carried on the vehicle deck although in practice this is rarely done.

The Well deck has space for two LARC-CL landing craft. The LARC-CL is an ultraheavy captive air amphibious transport designed as a replacement for the older LARC-XL. The LARC-CL has a payload cpacity of over 150 tons, a crane and space for multiple 40" ISO containers. The LARC-CL allows for the transportation of heavy and outsized cargo from ship to shore, enabling for easy construction of ATON systems.

USCGC Golden Gate is currently forward deployed to Fort Twain as part of Operation Camelot Yankee. She frequently deploys to the far side of Avalon with her sister ship USCGC Cape Disappointment and the Maximum Endurance cutter USCGC Valentine in support of the US Corps of Discovery's exploration efforts. The USCGC Golden Gate is named for Coast Guard Station Golden Gate. Here moto is "ardenti viam auream", latin for "Blazing a Golden Path"

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The Maximum Endurance Cutter designation was created by the Coast Gaurd in the 1980s to better differentiate the large nuclear powered cutters used upon the endless seas from the more conventional High Endurance cutters used terrestrially. The most numerours Maximum Endurance Cutter in service is the Sandsbury Class. Named for Gold Lifesaving Medal winner Captain Thomas F. Sandsbury, the Sandsbury Class Cutters are large multipurpose warships. Equiped with the AEGIS combat System, a Sandsburry Class Cutter is comparable to a guided missile cruiser in displacement and armament. The ships primary Armamant is the Mk 41 VLS System. Originally 80 cells were fitted, a 48 Cell Module forward and a 32 Cell Module Aft. (On most ships this was later reduced to 32 Cells forward to make room for a 32 cell Launcher for RGM-114L Seafire Missiles) Secondary Armamant includes a twin-mount installation "Weapon Delta" ASW launcher. The ship's main gun battery is composed of a single 8"/55 Mk 71 gun forwards and two 5"/54 Mk 45 guns (one Forward, One Aft). Two Mk 38 25mm guns are fitted amidships, which along with a number of machine guns provide for small boat defense.

A distinctive feature of the Sandsbury Class is the offset rear gun. The aft Mk 45 is offset to the port side in order to accomadate the ship's spacious boat bay. The bay has space for two Over the Horizon Cutter Boats and a Long Range Interceptor. An overhead hatch with integrated crane allows for transfer of cargo from the quarterdeck to the boat bay. The boats in the boat bay can be launched/recovered while underway from the stern ramp. The stern ramp is offset to the starboard side. To the portside of the launch ramp are a towed sonary array and AN/SLQ-25 Nixie decoy. The ships hangar is sized for up to two MH-60 Jayhawks and/or MH-65 Dolphins. In addition to the Cutter boats stored at the stern, two additional workboats are carried on amidship on the portside. A fold-down kingpost is located on the flight deck to allow for UNREP.

Pictured is the USCGC Valentine, currently forward deployed to Fort Twain as part of Operation Camelot Yankee. She frequently deploys to the far side of Avalon to provide protection for the ATON Cutters USCGC Cape Disapointment and USCGC Golden Gate as they support of the US Corps of Discovery's exploration efforts. The Valentine is named for Captain Charles H. Valentine, an officer in the United States Life-Saving Service, who in 1880 led his Station's crew in rescuing two seperate ships in a single night during a major storm. Her Motto is latin for "Love for all we save"

The USN has a lot of Surface Effect Ships which I'll put up in separate posts along with some submarines.

Shipbucket

Endless Seas - "Here be Dragons And also Corp's deranged creations"

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