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Many worlds have far more water than land. That’s a lot of water to travel, especially in-between separate landmasses. Unfortunately, sailing the high seas is no walk in the park. It just might be one of the most dangerous parts of the world, for there’s a myriad of threats to watch out for. Fortunately, a lot of them can be deftly dealt with by the fantasy navy.
The navy in fictional worlds is largely based on that of the real world. You have mighty ships, each one staffed with a full crew, that patrol the seas at regular intervals. And it has its own hierarchy and rules and regulations that all those within the naval branch of the military must adhere to at all times.
While some officers do their work on land, the vast majority of the fantasy navy is out on the water, whether it’s on a boat that’s pursuing a pirate or dealing with a tentacled terror. On the boat, the captain is the king though he might not necessarily be the one calling the shots. The captain is the one whose responsibility is to ensure that all of his men return home safely.
It wouldn’t be a navy if there were no ships. The vessels it uses is naturally depends on the era of the world it’s in. It makes sense for it to have battleships in the modern age, not in medieval times. These floating behemoths can do practically anything at sea which is what makes them dangerous.
The role the navy plays in the world is to deal with all aquatic matters within a country’s boundaries. The exception to that is in the middle of the sea where there are no jurisdictions, meaning it’s wild out there. In those areas, it’s easy for disputes between countries to break out which will eventually be settled after some intense diplomacy.
This is the fifth article in the series delving into the fantasy military. If you want to see our other articles, you can find more on our blog page!
When building the navy for an imaginary world from the ground up, don’t overlook the importance of giving the people who work within the positions that make sense given their job responsibilities. Many creators borrow heavily from the real world which helps link the two worlds together and gives the audience something they easily associate with the latter.
At the top of the fantasy navy stands the admiral. Now he can have any other title in front of the word like grand or high but what he does is essentially the same no matter what. He commands a fleet or multiple fleets of ships and it is his job to develop and coordinate strategy and have his forces do what they’re ordered to do. When he’s not on land, he’s usually on the vessel he designated as his command ship.
While the admiral oversees the fleet, each ship of the fleet is commanded by a captain. In some worlds, the captain was appointed by the admiral himself or the ruler of the country. Nevertheless, the captain’s role is to execute orders, from the admiral or the ruler, and see his ship through to the other side safely. When the admiral is onboard, the captain serves as his second-in-command.
Assisting the captain in his duties is the lieutenant. As a member of the fantasy navy, his job is to focus on the small matters while the captain takes care of the large details. Sometimes his duties include dealing with personnel conflicts or administrative duties such as ordering sufficient munitions and food for the upcoming trip.
You have various other positions such as corporal or gunner. Each one of them does something that helps the ship proceed on its mission such as keeping the deck and cannons clean so that the ship always looks the best and is ready to do battle at any moment. Many of them recognize that in order to move on up in the navy, they have to constantly do their best and push to become better at their work.
One of the best things about the navy is the ships that it works with. They are essentially floating fortresses with the ability to inflict catastrophic damage either against other vessels, nasty monsters, and the land itself. They are staffed by people who know their inner-workings inside and out which can serve them well in the heat of battle.
One ship you’re most likely to associate with the fantasy navy is none other than the fabled battleship. This vessel boasts an impressive armament of cannons on both its port and starboard side along its bow. It is a force to be reckoned with on the sea, easily taking care of small vessels with ease and can deal with pretty much all the nasty monsters who call the sea home. Its medieval predecessor is the galleon.
Next up is the destroyer. The sole purpose of this ship is to hunt down and eliminate other ones like submarines which makes it one of the most useful in the fantasy navy. It moves faster than the battleship which is why it’s more agile than its larger counterpart. The frigate does the same thing in medieval times.
Transport ships are a significant asset to the navy, regardless of which era they appear in. You have the classics like the galleon and landers whose only function is to ferry people and goods from one place to another across an expanse of water. Not all of them have the ability to fire back in the chance they’re under attack which makes them an easy target for the enemy to take out.
In technologically advanced worlds, the fantasy navy has developed the ability to construct vessels that can cruise under the waves. The submarine is deadly since it can move through water undetected and unleash a salvo of missiles from afar to either destroy the target or immobilize it so that the rest of the fleet can move in and mop up the remainder.
The world benefits from the navy in that it deals with all aquatic-related matters. The sea is a no-man’s land, meaning that beyond the jurisdiction of a country, anything goes. It’s a great place for criminals and other troublemakers to cause problems and evade being apprehended by the authorities.
One way the fantasy navy serves the world is to patrol the waters that fall within a country’s boundaries. Each day, ships sail the shoreline as their crew keep a watchful eye out for any potential signs of trouble. The moment something catches their eye, they’re quick to pounce, moving to intercept it before it escalates.
Many criminals think that once they get out far enough in the ocean, they believe they’re safe from the authorities. It’s up to the navy to pursue them so that they can’t abscond with the stolen goods and it’s empowered to make arrests beyond the country’s boundary. It has this power because there are no concrete rules when sailing in international waters, meaning it is perfectly free to take whatever measures it deems appropriate to capture the bad guys.
Another way the fantasy navy helps the world is to deal with pirates and other nuisances that bother the citizens of the realm. Pirates and mercenaries are notorious for conducting raids upon the port cities, stealing gold and weapons. The navy works to stop them from fleeing and arrest them to keep these troublemakers in the brig so that they can’t cause any more trouble.
In times of war especially on the seas, the navy takes a prominent role, patrolling the waters for signs of hostile forces. It prioritizes the protection of the homeland while dispatching fleets abroad to eliminate enemy fleets so that they can’t attack from the sea. The navy also has the power to fire upon its targets from afar, either softening them up and making them ripe for a takeover or raze them completely.
When it comes to the sea, the navy plays a significant role in worldbuilding. Its brave men and women put their lives on the line each day to keep the seas safe so that everyone else can travel without having to worry about pirates or vicious monsters. They get to travel on ships that can utterly destroy an enemy vessel in a number of seconds.
The fantasy navy is packed to the brim with quite a few positions, each one important in the grand scheme of things. The regular seaman plays his role just as the admiral does though they have entirely different responsibilities. Yet for the navy to have success in policing the seas, they all must collaborate and do so with aplomb.
The vessels the navy uses ranges in size from small to large. You have the galleys which are dwarfed by the battleships. Each one of them has their own strengths and weaknesses and it’s up to the navy to determine which ones to send out on missions.
As for the world itself, the fantasy navy works overtime to clear the seas of things that pose a threat to other people. Pirates and hostile craft are just two of the many things the navy deals with on a daily basis.
The navy is a massive organization filled with a lot of moving parts. Fleshing it out might be hard work but the payoff will be worth it for you’d have built one from the ground up that your audience will want to learn more about!
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Sunfire
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