The Black Swann
From HOTGT
History
In response to the increased interest in yacht racing generated by the Osiris Cup, a number of shipyards began producing new, sleek models. One of these models was the Dolphin. Designed as the ultimate racing yacht, the Dolphin incorporated some radical design concepts. Of course, the ship was also incredibly expensive to build. Putting together the prototype, the Dolphin X1, bankrupted the bankrolling firm. In order to recoup their loses and break even, the firm was forced to sell the prototype to James Swann, a noble from the border world of Persephone. That ship became the White Swann and went on to win three times in the Osiris Cup.
The Dolphin X1 was designed as a racing yacht for the wealthy. The guiding principal was performance without the sacrifice of comfort. As a result the internal layout of the ship was more open and spacious. Extra equipment, especially redundancy and emergency backups for systems that might well break in a hard race like the Osiris Cup, were centralized in a space behind the cargo hold at the base of the boat. While the pulse drive for the ship was a top of the line but standard design, the thruster pods and solar sail systems were radical for their time. The pods were narrowed to force more pressure through a smaller space, therefore increasing thrust while in space. This, however, sacrifices speed in the atmosphere. The solar sail was built to deploy in the back of the ship and not the front. The angle of deployment actually increased speed by utilizing the principle of solar lift instead of solar push.
When James Swann retired, the White Swann passed onto his son, Lord Gilmore Thorppe Swann. Gilmore wasn't very interested in racing. Instead, he had the White Swan refitted as a pleasure yacht. Cargo space was increased and auxiliary and emergency systems were torn out to create an area for crew quarters. Gilmore had no intention of crewing the ship himself. He had people for that. Two shuttle berths were also added on the underside of the boat, between the engine section and the main section. Only one shuttle, however, was ever added.
Recently, Gilmore's wild daughter, Charity Swann, learned her father intended to sell the White Swann. In love with the ship, she stole it and arranged a bit of blackmail. She would quietly stay away from the family so they could avoid the scandal and, in return, she gained ownership. It was a deal that suited all parties. To reflect her status as the official family black sheep, she renamed the ship the Black Swann.
Ship Sheet
DOLPHIN CLASS YACHT (Unique)
| Agility D6 | Alertness D4 | Strength D6 | Intelligence D4 | Vitality D6 | Willpower D10 |
Initiative: D6+D4
Life Points: 16
| Dimensions | 270x70x40 feet |
| Tonnage | 2000 tons |
| Speed Class | 8 Cruise, 11 Burn, 6 Atmospheric, 6 Solar Sail |
| Crew | Captain/Pilot, First Mate, Engineer, Medic |
| Crew Quarters | 5 double cabins |
| Fuel Capacity | 70 tons (400 hours) |
| Cargo Capacity | 400 tons |
| Passenger Capacity | 1 double stateroom, 2 single staterooms |
| Price | Used & 30 years old: 40K |
Assets: Allure (Minor), Fast Throttle (Minor), Loved (Major)
Complications: Gas Guzzler (Minor), Memorable (Minor)
Skills: Knowledge/Database D4, Perception/Sensors D6,
Pilot/Autopilot D4
Gallery
 | Black Swann Deckplans. |
 | The Bridge. |
 | The Crew Mess. |
 | Crew Quarters. |
 | Main Mess. |
 | Engine Room. |
 | Sickbay. |
 | Salon. |
| Heroes of the Great Tree Topics | ||
| Impossibilities | I-verse background • Player Characters • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Phantapunk | Aeryn Background • Player Characters • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Concrete & Crimson | World Background • Scoobies • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Keep Flying | The 'Verse • The Crew • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Polybius | The World • Investigators • NPCs • House Rules | |
| Labyrinth | The World • PCs • NPCs • House Rules | |
