Post by phick on Apr 21, 2017 19:00:27 GMT
Considering the large area of the city and the marsh that floods most of it, gondola's have been implemented to provide citizens access from one area to the other. There are different classes of Gondola as in, the gondolas the upper-class use are specially chosen for the task of escorting the merchant families and their immediate family beyond them. These gondolas are twice and wide and have a ^ shaped partition in the middle of the craft that keeps the rider out of view and is especially thick wood to prevent assassination attempts via projectile. There are two people staffed on the ship.
One is a specially bred slave with increased size and muscle to be able to drive the craft with a single oar, the other is a bowman to lend assistance to the oarsmen and to provide security for the honored travelers.
The other two gondolas make up the transit system of the rest of Peccenum. Gondola's with a Peccenum seal burnt into their boat are part of a loose union of gondola drivers who have banded together to show solidarity when one of their own is robbed or hurt by a passenger. It is also for the sake of the citizens as those marked with the seal are generally verified as safe drivers who won't steal from a citizen or take them to back alley gold digger to dig the gold from their veins. Drivers of these gondolas may with the union's allowance make augmentations to their crafts.
It is a somewhat lengthy process which frustrates owners who want to install their own security measures or make the vessels seaworthy in the event they have passengers who want go to port.
However, these drivers demand a sizable fee that is a bit much for day to day travel and usually craftsmen and business owners are the only ones who use them regularly.
Leaving the rest of the population to use independent drivers. Independent drivers all types, but it is a stereotype they are criminals who killed a union driver, scraped their brand off and stole their boat for their own needs. This is mostly inaccurate as if most indies did this, they'd be hunted by the union have more than the brand installed in their boats to show ownership (there are other trade secrets that are built into the boat to prevent theft). In fact, most indies have salvaged their boats from the marsh or built them from scraps.
There is nothing illegal about this but considering the amount of expertise needed to build a vessel to take people places day in day out without sinking leads to many soggy landings and the occasional drowning.
This is not to say that indies are all inept shipbuilders, some are foreigners who can't or won't align with the union but have brought their expertise to the city to make them as viable a transport as the unions. Some are citizens of Peccenum who have natural knack or relatives who have taught them the craft and refuse the union because they are criminals or they customize their boat outside union parameters.
The indies are by and large cheaper and provide the bulk of transportation for the citizenry. Because of the dangers associated with indies, it is a good rule of thumb for citizens to get to know their local gondola indie. Familiarity with them can breed trust and mutual understanding. Stranger danger is a real hazard for taking any independent driver on so getting familiar is a smart way to stay safe.
One is a specially bred slave with increased size and muscle to be able to drive the craft with a single oar, the other is a bowman to lend assistance to the oarsmen and to provide security for the honored travelers.
The other two gondolas make up the transit system of the rest of Peccenum. Gondola's with a Peccenum seal burnt into their boat are part of a loose union of gondola drivers who have banded together to show solidarity when one of their own is robbed or hurt by a passenger. It is also for the sake of the citizens as those marked with the seal are generally verified as safe drivers who won't steal from a citizen or take them to back alley gold digger to dig the gold from their veins. Drivers of these gondolas may with the union's allowance make augmentations to their crafts.
It is a somewhat lengthy process which frustrates owners who want to install their own security measures or make the vessels seaworthy in the event they have passengers who want go to port.
However, these drivers demand a sizable fee that is a bit much for day to day travel and usually craftsmen and business owners are the only ones who use them regularly.
Leaving the rest of the population to use independent drivers. Independent drivers all types, but it is a stereotype they are criminals who killed a union driver, scraped their brand off and stole their boat for their own needs. This is mostly inaccurate as if most indies did this, they'd be hunted by the union have more than the brand installed in their boats to show ownership (there are other trade secrets that are built into the boat to prevent theft). In fact, most indies have salvaged their boats from the marsh or built them from scraps.
There is nothing illegal about this but considering the amount of expertise needed to build a vessel to take people places day in day out without sinking leads to many soggy landings and the occasional drowning.
This is not to say that indies are all inept shipbuilders, some are foreigners who can't or won't align with the union but have brought their expertise to the city to make them as viable a transport as the unions. Some are citizens of Peccenum who have natural knack or relatives who have taught them the craft and refuse the union because they are criminals or they customize their boat outside union parameters.
The indies are by and large cheaper and provide the bulk of transportation for the citizenry. Because of the dangers associated with indies, it is a good rule of thumb for citizens to get to know their local gondola indie. Familiarity with them can breed trust and mutual understanding. Stranger danger is a real hazard for taking any independent driver on so getting familiar is a smart way to stay safe.
