Figurehead

A figurehead is a carving of wood designed to be mounted to the bow of a ship. It allows adventurers who have sufficiently specialised in the Helm, Watch and Command aspects of Seafaring to meld with their ship and invoke a variety of seaspells.

Once a figurehead has been consecrated and mounted, the ship's sea spirit can be summoned. The figurehead can also store power as the ship travels over the oceans; if it runs out of power while casting seaspells, the figurehead will break.

Figureheads can be bought from Vedel, the Fine Cyrene Woodcrafts shop or Eleusian Woodcrafts.

Figureheads

Rune-engraved Snow Tiger Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Rurin in the Fine Cyrene Woofcrafts shop.; Claws extended and leaping in fury, this figurehead depicts a snow tiger of the Vashnar Mountains. Crafted from fine red pine, its muscles are smooth and well-defined, while its long sabre fangs have been crafted of inlaid ivory. Carved runes cover every inch of the figurehead, particularly the protective rune of Algiz.

Graceful Mermaid Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; Hand-crafted from solid oak, this graceful image of a young mermaid with her back arched and her arms clasped to her chest affixes to the prow of the ship. Carved with exquisite care, her life-like face is raised towards the horizon, an intense look of longing etched upon her delicate features. The upper torso of the figurehead is completely naked, her luxurious, waist-length hair partially covering her voluptuous breasts and adding a touch of modesty. A smattering of delicate scales covers the lower part of her belly, just beneath her navel, connecting with her long, curvaceous tail.

Stately Seahorse Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; His back curving along the bow then curling into a spiralled tail, the stately form of a seahorse is hewn from pale elm wood. To either side of the figure, scrolled fins press against the sides of the ship and give him an air of graceful movement, despite his immobile station. His body is textured with smoothly raised lines that run in a rectangular pattern, coming together at the vertices as rounded spines. Running parallel to the bowsprit, his elongated face points into the distance, his gaze directed beyond the horizon.

Dreadful Serpent Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; Designed to affix to the bow of a ship, this exquisitely carved oak figurehead of a sea serpent has been carefully crafted so that the upper half of the beast rears back over the bow's deck. The head of the serpent is raised to look towards the distant horizon, its gaping maw revealing a menacing row of pointed teeth. Realistic scales are chiselled into the surface of the wood, smaller ones around the head and larger ones along the neck. Running along the length of the figurehead are a series of jagged spines.

Menacing Scorpion Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; Though anatomically correct, the oaken body of this scorpion is no great work of art. In many places the wood is rough, the finish applied irregularly, and some segments of the armoured back are ill-formed. His large stinger rests just below the bowsprit, curving into a tail that swoops down to connect with the main figure where it rests against the prow. Four spindly legs on either side meld into the wood of the ship, leading down the bow until the pincers sweep out again, open and ready for battle.

Roaring lion figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; This figurehead consists of a great lion rampant, its mouth open in a mighty roar. Carved out of a great block of cedar, the detail of the lion's head is finely etched, and the wavy mane is covered with thin gold foil.

Leaping Dolphin Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; This elegantly carved dolphin figurehead affixes to the bow of a ship along its arched back. Appearing as if it has just launched itself out of the water, the tail of the dolphin is curved under its body, a strand of seaweed wrapped around its fluke. The head of the cetacean is tilted towards the horizon, its smooth, rounded beak pointing into the distance. Covering the outer skin of the mahogany figurehead is a fine layer of shiny resin, giving it a wet, glistening appearance.

Fearsome Dragon Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; Hewn from the finest elm, this fearsome figurehead of an irate dragon with its great wings unfurled is mounted beneath the bowsprit of a ship. The beast's huge head looks out over the distant horizon, its jaws opened wide as if to summon forth a stream of fire, and revealing a row of jagged teeth. Close attention to detail has been taken with this carving, the body and wings carefully accented to appear almost life-like. Outstretched beneath the scaly torso are two immense claws, each talon tipped with a serrated nail.

Ferocious Wolf Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; Lupine maw twisted in an expression of animalistic fury, this representation of the upper torso and head of a wolf is crafted from pine and painted a deep black. The fur of the beast is carved in dramatic swirls, as if stirred about by some unseen wind. Raised upwards to strike, the figurehead's two massive fore paws end in curved ivory claws, while the same material is used in its mouth to form long, sharp teeth.

Eusia Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Vedel, the woodworker of Manusha.; This figurehead is made of tan-coloured wood. The figurehead depicts the sea spirit Eusia, the Guardian of the Eastern Seas. Attached to the prow of the ship, Eusia appears to be half-emerging from the bowsprit. She holds a bronze harpoon forth in one hand, and her other hand faces the sea palm-down. Her face is downcast in sadness, with tears of gold leaf adorning her face.

Majestic Stag Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Aeron, the Eleusian Whittler.; Sculpted in regal repose, the magnificent figure of a towering stag manifests from the discarded branch of an ancient redwood. The pelt derives from the rich, red-tinted hue of the wood, unadorned to showcase the grain's rare lace burl and raw, rustic appeal. The beast's head tosses back upon his slender, arched neck, brandishing a powerful set of branching antlers toward the heavens whilst keeping his gaze fixed upon the tumultuous ocean waves. The remainder of his build melds directly to the ship, as though he leaps fluidly from the great prow.

Writhing Viridian Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Aeron, the Eleusian Whittler.; Crafted with painstaking detail and specially treated to retain its natural hue, a towering Viridian emerges from the mossy tones of blackened locust wood. Slender branches entwine about its forestial form and writhe in a menacing embrace, the vines bedecked with daunting spines. Hidden deep within the foliage, large, almond-shaped opals lend a swirl of maddening colours to the gaze cast out upon the sea.

Imposing Guardian of the Thorns Figurehead - 10000gp: Sold by Aeron, the Eleusian Whittler.; The statuesque form of the powerful Guardian of Thorns carves from a hefty specimen of black walnut, deeply stained to a pitchy hue. Etched along the ribbon grain, glorious locks of raven hair stream behind as if caught in a fierce ocean wind, shimmering with glints of gold from the woods unique burl. Sharp thorns pepper her flesh, bristling along her muscular shoulders and arms as though porcupine quills. A pair of enormous jade-green wings arch from her back and cast a dark shadow upon the prow, the appendages flecked with emerald. Fastening the figurehead to the ship, her hound-shaped paws grasp at the bulkhead, her figure poised as if to leap forth over the oceans waves.

Limited Edition Figureheads

Rotting Unicorn Figurehead: Carved from dark, solid teak, this figurehead has weathered the effects of underwater exposure and decay with extreme resiliency. A jagged mess of splintering, flaking wood at the base of the neck marks the point at which the figurehead was decapitated from the ship it once adorned. A deep gash dissects one of the unicorn's carved eyes, while its long spiralled horn is snapped at the mid-point.The finer details of the creature's wild, wind-blown mane are reduced to almost non-existence, yet despite this damage, the firm set of the equine's jaw and the gleam in its one remaining wooden eye manifest a persona of proud determination. The relic measures approximately three feet from the base of its neck to the tip of what remains of its tapered horn.

Figurehead of the Sentaari: The head and torso of a dragon has been masterfully carved out of mahogany. Thousands upon thousands of tiny scales have been etched into the wood, giving it a lifelike appearance as the head curves down, baring teeth in a snarl and protecting what it is holding. The dragon's arms are extended to the front, its claws grasping a shield made out of ivory. On the front of the shield is red field with a gold border, and in the middle is a blooming silver rose. Hidden behind the shield is carved a phoenix carrying a rose.

Noble Kirin Figurehead: Crafted of pale white oak and stained a lush shade of jade green, this figurehead has been shaped in the likeness of a noble kirin. Similar to a unicorn of ancient Ceylon, a sharp, prismatic horn nestles atop the crown of its head, which is draconic rather than equine, the angular face and long, graceful neck stretching along the bowsprit of the ship. Its mane has been carved and bleached, then carefully fitted over the prow, the wild strands intricately twining throughout the woodwork of the vessel. The slender forelegs have been just as carefully crafted as the rest of the piece, raised as if in a jump, and the wood of the hooves left bleached as well, to resemble ivory. Its eyes have been set with dark emerald gems.

Sea-hardened, Skeletal Figurehead

Undead Horse Figurehead: Reward from Maelstrom during the undead invasion of 684 AF.; Carved from sturdy larch and painstakingly painted in varying hues of blues and white, an undead equine head leaps from tumultuous rushes of water to form this figurehead. The rounded forms of hundreds of tiny foaming bubbles swirl in the churning flocculence of a wave's crest, the white paint brightly accented against the deep azure of the sea spray. Leaping forward on a rush of frothing seafoam, a putrifying muzzle reveals cracked, yellowed teeth through large segments of missing flesh. Only one ear remains, half-masticated and shredded into stringy tatters. Following a diagonal line cutting between the eyes, the left portion is skeletal, strands of limp sea weed hanging from the occular cavity.

Soaring Angel Figurehead: Sold by Lindire at the Itinerant Bazaar.

Variegated shades of pale and bleached poplar ripple through the flared wings of this fanciful figurehead. Stylised with atavian features, the pointed nose and elegant slope of the young maiden's forehead are raised skyward, her eyes closed in wistful bliss, while her billowing robes swathe her form in folds of polished, rounded wood. Her hands clasp a sceptre against her bosom, and her left foot is lifted as though to step towards the heavens, dainty and pointed.

Eerie Arachnid Figurehead: Sold by Lindire at the Itinerant Bazaar.; Rippled hues of dark and blackened walnut course through the hulking form of a carven arachnid, its gnarled forelegs raised in agitation. Across its body, sketchy engravings slash into the wood, coursing about the spider as wiry, twisted hair. Sharpened mandibles curve from its plump head into vicious points, and a cluster of eight, beady glass eyes stare into the distance, the orbs aglow with an eerie glimmer.

Blackened Scorpion Figurehead: Sold by Lindire at the Itinerant Bazaar.; Buffed smooth, plates of oak armour the body of this blackened scorpion figurehead. Thick varnish glosses the carapace and darkens the wood, the underbelly of the arthropod bleached to a pale hue that extends along its eight, spindly legs. From the base of the upper abdomen, a long tail curves over its body and ends in a vicious stinger.