HMS Fordragon

*"There she is... Last of the Adamant-class interceptors."*

The HMS *Fordragon* is a frigate of the Royal Navy, launched in 603KY following the reclaimation and restoration of the Kingdom of Azeroth and the conclusion of hostilities with the Orcish Horde. It has remained in service since, undergoing modernization alongside its sister ship, HMS *Laughing Lady*, in 618KY. The last remaining *Adamant*-class frigate afloat, her unusual durability is believed to stem from the extensive period of aging her framework underwent due to the First War and Northern diaspora, remaining unmolested by the Orcish Horde through sheer chance. She is currently captained by Captain Jonas Osterblut and stationed in the South Seas to protect trade ships on the Pandaria routes and intercept remnant True Horde cruisers.

## Design

   The *Fordragon*, by virtue of its age and distinguished service, deviates from the *Adamant-*class pattern in significant ways. When finally finished after the Orcish Wars, she was built with a prominently raised quarterdeck and forecastle. While this places more weight higher up and affects the ship's centre of gravity, the importance of chase guns became undeniable during the skirmishes fought by the Azerothian refugee fleet's escorts against pursuing commandeered Horde ships.

Following the Third War, the *Fordragon* was further modified with a spar deck of Redridge oak planking, placing the poop almost level with the new spar deck. This light deck is only rarely used for guns in order to avoid throwing the centre of gravity further awry, but was believed invaluable to protect against attacks by Gargoyles and other aerial foes. Consequently, the *Fordragon'*s gundeck is in fact covered rather than exposed. Light cannon are infrequently placed on the spar deck - usually, those of the quarterdeck and fo'c'sle are relocated when full broadsides are expected to be the order of the day and promptly replaced again afterwards, at no small amount of effort.

In most other respects, the *Fordragon* resembles her class design in a more conventional manner. Her copper sheathing is no exception, nor are her lines or the angles of her hull. Like the other *Adamants*, she is of a sharp and elegant nature at and below the waterline for improved speed, though the additional weight of her spardeck has necessitated a slight change during her last rebuild to maintain these proportions.

Critical to her continued survival in an increasingly advanced naval world is the predominantly Northeron Ironwood construction of her frame. Like the *Laughing Lady* before her, she combined ironwood and redridge oak. Unlike the *Lady* and the other *Adamants*, her frame was built of the expensive Ironwood almost in its entirety. This already durable wood then sat for over a decade due to the disruption of the Orcish wars, and today lives up to its name. The gundeck and waterline planking being similarly made of extensively-aged ironwood, the end result is a formidable fighting vessel. Lighter-caliber cannon shot has been known to quite literally *bounce* off her planking, with heavier shot significantly diminished in impact. In order to maintain this remarkable durability, the Office of the Admiralty prioritizes the *Fordragon* for aged ironwood planking where repairs are needed in the applicable areas.

Like the *Lady*, the *Fordragon* received significant internal bracing during her retrofit shortly before the Fourth War, including improvements to all three masts that allow it to employ a larger area of sail in rougher conditions than previously, helping to counteract the increased weight. She remains frightfully fast, with a record speed of 13.7 knots in perfect conditions off the coast of Balor.