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Creating the Amazing Power of Sailing: The Awesome Fantasy Shipbuilder
Sunfire
CONTENTS
The Premise
In a fantasy world, there is no better way to explore it than jumping onto a ship and sailing the mighty seas to see what’s out there. You get to experience life on the seas and see mythical creatures like the kraken before finally reaching your destination. Such a transportation option couldn’t be possible without the occupation of the fantasy shipbuilder.
The shipbuilder doesn’t just make ships. He makes it possible for people to travel to different parts of the world, whether it be another port on the continent or one on the other side of the world. He does so as he works at the shipyard, a strategic area located in the port town or city.
To many people, ships aren’t just a way to go to another area of the world. They offer dreams, an opportunity to start a new life in a different city or land. Through his hard work, the fantasy shipbuilder makes it easy for people to change their lives and go after what they’ve long desired to do.
The occupation of the shipbuilder makes various types of ships. What he can make depends on where the world is technologically. For instance, in the medieval era, he can make galleons and frigate ships whereas in the industrial era, he can work on battleships and destroyers. Since many worlds take place in the former, this article will focus on the ones you’re likely to come across in these worlds.
The fantasy shipbuilder plays a key role in the world. The seafaring vessels he makes connects different lands together. This makes the world smaller since people can traverse to and from different parts either for pleasure or for business. Ships also carry plenty of cargo which will eventually reach their destination and be sold for money.
This is article number thirty-one in the series going over the various fantasy occupations. If you’d like to see what else we have, you can find more on our blog page!
How the Fantasy Shipbuilder Creates Dreams
In many worlds, sailing the high seas is often romanticized and pitched as a chance for people to start over. One thing that’s easily overlooked is that none of this could be possible without the shipbuilder. Without this occupation, people would be stuck where they are, with no way of traveling across a vast expanse of water.
The nautical vessels the fantasy shipbuilder creates has the power to transform people’s lives entirely. No longer are they resigned to dwelling in just one place for their whole lives; a whole new world is now open for them to explore, that is if they have the money to do so. While a great many can’t afford it, those that can are quick to take it which jumpstarts their new adventure.
There are people who will while away the hours sitting on the bench on the harbor, watching ships arriving and departing. They play games guessing where they’re going while boasting that if they had the money, they’d be on one of them, bound for adventure. Others will simply go to the shipyard and watch people constructing new ships to see how they do it.
Whether people are at the shipyard, harbor, or onboard a seafaring vessel, they’re participating in the romanticization of sailing the seas. They’re merely expressing a desire to see what else is out there, beyond the world they know. Some talk about striking it rich and coming back home with a treasure trove of gold, some want to fight pirates, and others want to taste exotic foods.
The hard work of the fantasy shipbuilder enables people to pursue their dreams of starting a new life, an opportunity to reinvent themselves. They take to the seas with the idea that just about anything is possible and that fuels their determination to make it succeed, no matter the cost.
Types of Ships the Fantasy Shipbuilder Constructs
So what naval vessels can a shipbuilder make? What he can build is heavily dictated on the world’s technological level. For instance, you wouldn’t see ships using steam technology if the world is set in ancient times. Doing so hurts your audience’s chances of immersing themselves into the world you’ve so painstakingly built so shy away from doing this!
The majority of imaginary worlds take place in the medieval era which is what this section will cover. One surefire vessel a fantasy shipbuilder will build is the mighty galleon. This aquatic vessel is the go-to option when populating a fictional world since it can carry a sizable amount of cargo and a decent number of soldiers to ferry across water due to its great size.
Another ship you’ll likely see in this era is the frigate. This is more of a warship than the galleon since it holds a heavier armament compared to the other. It has a sleeker design which enables it to move nimbler in the water, perfect for escorting missions or launching attacks.
The beauty of creating a fantasy world is you can have the fantasy shipbuilder construct vessels you otherwise wouldn’t see in the real world. For example, he can work on the airship, an airborne version of the galleon or a wholly different style of ship. This ship can be used for a multitude of things like transporting cargo or carrying soldiers that can quickly reach its destination. Think of the airship as the medieval predecessor of the airplane.
If you’re planning to bring the airship into your world, you have to show your audience how such a thing is possible in your world, whether it’s using a magic-based power or a new power source that has yet to be used elsewhere. While you don’t need to explain every detail of how it works, you want to show how it’s possible for it to exist in the world with the technological level it’s at.
The World and the Fantasy Shipbuilder
An imaginary world is chock full of many places that are spread out across multiple landmasses. Traversing between one and the other isn’t easy, more so if a large body of water is in the middle. If someone wishes to visit another land, he’ll need to use a naval vessel built by a shipbuilder.
The main purpose the occupation of the fantasy shipbuilder is to construct buoyant vessels capable of moving through oceans and waters. That purpose makes it possible to link different parts of the world together. This enables people from these areas to get to know each other and form relationships.
The ships a shipbuilder constructs can lead to a period of prosperity since they carry goods from one place to another. People have access to new resources like bananas or cocoa beans that they can market and make money. These new resources lead to new businesses opening up or become lucrative for existing ones.
People also travel for pleasure. This is especially true for the wealthy who can afford it. They ride on luxury ships, all of which were made by a fantasy shipbuilder, and visit new places where they take in the sights, sample the local cuisine, and see what they have to offer. They get to see a wholly new part of the world and boast about their travels to their families and friends back home.
Not every ship made by a shipbuilder is used for good. Some are taken by pirates or other mercenaries and become a base of operations to plan ambushes or stealing other ships or gold. The smart ones bolster their vessels’ defenses to make it harder for other people to take whether they’re anchored, on the seas, or in the middle of a raid.
Tying it all Together
From start to finish, a shipbuilder creates vessels that are capable of traveling on the ocean in all kinds of weather. He does so working in the shipyard, located in one of the kingdom’s ports. When a ship reaches completion, he watches it take off towards the horizon before starting the next one.
To many people, the ships a fantasy shipbuilder creates represent adventure and a chance to reinvent themselves in a new land. They show a world larger than the one they know, a world calling out to be discovered. Those who can afford it are quick to seize this opportunity to live in a different part of the world where the power to reach their heart’s desire lies in their hands.
Not one particular type of ship dominates the seas. Rather, the shipbuilder makes a variety. Some are popular like the galleon and frigate which mirror their real-world counterparts. Others like airships are exclusive to the world and are always awe-inspiring whenever they appear.
The world benefits from the shipbuilder in that what he makes connects different parts of the world together. Different cultures interact with each other, leading to a trade of goods and people who choose to move elsewhere to experience a different way of life.
Every ship you see in a tv show or video game was built by a fantasy shipbuilder. While this occupation may not necessarily be prominent in the story, it nevertheless is when it comes to worldbuilding. Without it, people wouldn’t be able to explore different areas of the world that are separated by oceans. Bringing this occupation into yours gives you the chance to bring in new lands to your story!
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Thanks for reading this and until the next time,
Sunfire
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