Shorewatch Merchant Marine

== Background ==
The Shorewatch Merchant Marine was originally formed by a pair of Granthelian merchants who had an eye for foreign shores. Loganne Prastirt and Vincent Ristanthrat launched their expeditionary trade mission off in hopes of garnering new markets abroad that were untapped by rivals and local businessmen. When the ships returned mere days later, with half of their crews strung up by the masts, the proprietors of Prastirt & Ristanthrat Joint Venture were appalled. The losses taken by their business attempt had dashed any hope of making vast gains over their competitors, P&R Joint Ventures began to make investments that would yield a slow but steady profit that would eventually find itself in the trust of remaining Ristanthrat, sonless Prastirt dying far before his goals of economic success could be realized.
The three sons of Ristanthrat began to use the money from the Ristanthrat Trust to construct a new fleet. This time, the sons learned from their father's mistake, forming a small but heavily armed merchant marine squadron. The ships would launch with intention to make tentative voyages along the coast of Granthel to test its capabilities. However, the unexpected buyout of the Ristanthrats' business venture by the upstart daughter of Loganne Prastirt.
Having less of a sense for maritime necessities and a keener eye for business, the provisions for the merchant marine fleet was kept in its state. This included the lack of proper deep sea going navigational techniques of experts. Adapting the shortcoming to her advance, Precilla Prastirt employed the expanding fleet for what it suited best, coast-bound voyages. Using her position to maneuver into dominance as leading maritime force in Commonport, Madame Prastirt officially commissioned the Shorewatch Merchant Marine and set its course into motion as a bastion of coastal defense against nefarious forces vying for Granthelian shores.
== Organization ==
Despite having been many years since the formation of the Shorewatch under Madame Prastirt, the merchant marine still operates under the iron fisted administration of her progenitors. However in recent times the Prastirt descendents rule the merchant marine from their offices high above the docks in a Commonport compound. It is here they see that their ironclad grip on the financial niche they've secured is eternally guarded. The actuality of maintenance, ship construction, operation, and command is left to the Trifecta.
The Trifecta consists of the Grand Navigator, the Shoreseer, and the High Commodore. Each commands a respective aspect of the merchant marine to ensure things are run out of meritocratic means rather that autocratic.
The Grand Navigator being the commander and guiding mind behind deployment of the longshoremen, possessing the emerging and rare capabilities of the merchant marine to travel far afield from Granthel on deep water.
The Shoreseer has his jurisdiction over the small selection of mages utilized to maximize travel out of larger ships via the arcane and elemental magics, he himself being of the most esteemed in their number.
High Commodore is the rank provided to whoever has authority over the deployment of the shorewatch. An office bound bureaucrat, he also must see to the liaison efforts with those other companies that the Shorewatch must interact with.
Below these ranks are the various lesser roles aboard the ships themselves, largely unimportant to the financial affairs of the Prastirts.
== Present Course ==
The Shorewatch in its current track continues its conservative expansion both materially and economically. With the Shorewatch's coastal sorties remaining its largest sector of investment, the exorbitant taxes launched on fishermen and foreign traders coming to and from the Granthelian coast are a primary source of income. Beyond this, the Longshoremen are proprietary to the seabound fishing ventures and newly instigated trade missions. Tentativeness in such matters is high as the Prastirts are keen to avoid the fate of the original seabound missions of their forefather.
The lack of interest in furthering the capabilities of the Longshoremen has left current Grand Navigator Theodore Prox with a certain amount of autonomy. With no orders from the top, he is free to order and see into whatever manner he wishes. This stands opposite to the consistent oversight of the High Commodore Edmond Geplar, whose failure to properly handle recent situations which lead to the loss of 2 sorties at the hand of a Kraken off the southern Sea of Wandering. Between these two extreme situations sits the presiding Shoreseer Walter Torling. Due to his magical ability and the tightly knit bond of the few mages at the merchant marines disposal, the Prastirts have avoided angering the Shoreseer, and exercise moderate authority.
With the situation bleak much like the rest of Granthelia, the Prastirts, despite their conservative business practice, have begun looking to the Grand Navigator for more results from his largely self declared expeditions and launches. However, as the Shorewatch moves into the future, the integration of the Trifecta seems ever more inevitable for an organization that has known nothing but Polyarchy.
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