Flying Dutchman

The **Flying Dutchman** is the name of the ship Charon uses to ferry the souls damned to Hell.

## Description

The Flying Dutchman resembles a massive ocean liner with the same black colored keel but the hull had a crimson tint that faded upwards. Its total height, measured from the base of the keel to the top of the bridge, was 104 feet (32 m). It measured 46,328 tons and with a draught of 34 feet 7 inches (10.54 m), she displaced 52,310 tons.

Despite being an ocean liner, the Dutchman was armed with forty-six cannons, not including two triple-barreled chase guns. The Dutchman was considered to be the fastest ship both on and beneath the sea betraying its colossal size. According to Wink, a trimmer on the Dutchman, the cannons were never used for combat but mainly for ejecting passengers into their designated Circles hence why sinners are seen literally flying out of the sky and into said Circles.

The Dutchman also serves as a place of "rebirth" meaning that once the passengers board the ship they begin to slowly but painfully transform into their demonic forms that will forever be grafted unto the souls as a form of torment. Their demonic appearance corresponds with whatever mask they wore while on the Macabre Orient and the Dutchman simply finalizes what the mask reads from their soul and manifests it outward onto their bodies. Moreover, it is said that the longer the Dutchman remains on the Styx the worse the punishment will be. In such cases, passengers begin to hallucinate and be mercilessly tormented by the sins they committed that is conjured by a Personal Demon, driving them to the brink of insanity until they are ejected from the ship.

### Decks

The decks of the Flying Dutchman houses passengers that are reserved for a specific Circle of Hell. Not counting the Boat Deck where Charon's and his officers' quarters were there were a total of nine decks corresponding with the Nine Circles of Hell. Usually the decks associated with the most prominent sins are regarded as First Class while other sins that are in the midst or below the upper circles are regarded as Middle and Lower Class. The decks are listed as below:

* **A Deck**, also called the **Promenade Deck**, extended along the entire 546 feet (166 m) length of the superstructure. It is reserved exclusively for Pride and contains high quality cabins, a lounge, smoke room, reading and writing rooms and a Palm Court.
* **B Deck**, the **Bridge Deck**, is the top weight-bearing deck and the uppermost level of the hull beneath the Promenade Deck where souls damned to Pride reside. B Deck is reserved for souls that are damned to Lust.
* **C Deck**, the **Cuisine Deck**, is the highest deck to run uninterrupted from stem to stern. It is reserved for souls damned to Gluttony. On the Dutchman, *À La Carte Restaurant* and the *Café Parisien* provide dining facilities to the passengers. Both are run by subcontracted chefs and their staff.
* **D Deck**, the **Casino Deck**, is a game room used by passengers who would indulge themselves in various forms of gambling and card playing. It essentially resembles a miniature casino. It is reserved for passengers damned to Greed.
* **E Deck**, the **Saloon Deck**, is dominated by three large public rooms—the First Class Reception Room, the First Class Dining Saloon and the Second Class Dining Saloon. An open space is provided for these passengers who were free to engage in rowdy and violent antics as it is reserved for those damned to Wrath.
* **F Deck**, the **Pool Deck**, is predominantly used for passenger accommodation for all three classes. It houses an aquarium and a Third Class dining saloon is located here, as is the swimming pool, Turkish bath and kennels. It is reserved for Envy.
* **G Deck**, the **Lounge Deck**, is a public room resembling a hotel or club where passengers sit and relax. It holds a smoke room and a long hallway filled with berths. It is reserved for Sloth.
* **H Deck**, the **Masque Deck**, is a deck resembling a ballroom where passengers are dressed in exquisite clothing and wear Venetian masks all while none are aware of each other's identity. It is reserved for Fraud.
* **T Deck**, the **Cold Deck**, is the lowest complete deck that carries passengers, and has the lowest portholes, just above the waterline. Food is also stored there. It is particularly known for its cold atmosphere and is reserved for Treachery.

## Trivia

* The ship's name is derived from a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever.
* The Dutchman is referred in feminine terms. Moreover, given that the ship is sentient in a sense it is safe to assume that it is a female entity.
* Humans say that sightings of the Flying Dutchman is a bad omen, a sign of death to come to whoever sees it.
* The ship being presented as an ocean liner is likely a nod to a similar plot concept found in the 1930 film *Outward Bound* and its 1944 remake *Between Two Worlds*.