Hiereme

A hiereme is a large naval vessel used by the Ororrans as the foremost naval weapon for defending their coast.

Hieremes are essentially naval artillery platforms used to launch attacks against invaders, while smaller ships move in to engage. Most are double-hulled catamarans, with the largest being trimarans, with ballistae and other artillery mounted on their single large deck. Their great size makes them highly unmanoeuvrable, their huge compliment of oarsmen used mainly to change orientation when needed. Hieremes are generally towed into position by other ships, with anchors keeping them in place against currents and tides. They have sails to assist movement, but these are lowered during combat.

In wartime they are manned by a large crew of sailors, soldiers and oarsman, all armed to board ships or repel boarding parties. Weapons are mounted on the upper deck platform, along with accommodations and fortifications.

Because of their wide deck, stability and resistance to capsizing, hieremes can support weaponry of varying size, including larger artillery with enormous range and destructive power. Hieremes are equipped with a variety of shot, from simple stinging rocks to explosive and incendiary shells. In suitable conditions, a well positioned squadron of hieremes can easily disable an approaching fleet of ships before they come into the range of ordinary vessels. All hieremes are also equipped with a powerful grappling ballista, firing a bolt with a rope attached, allowing ships to be winched together for boardign. With their large compliment of fighting men, hieremes are easily able to defeat a smaller vessel.

Their large crew also makes them difficult to seize by boarding with conventional ships, unless they are surrounded by many smaller vessels.

When manoeuvring, their double row of oars makes them able to turn more quickly than a sailing ship, an particular advantage in the close confines of river mouths, their preferred position when defending a stretch of coast.

Their huge size and armament makes hieremes complex and expensive to construct. Despite sails and oars they are heavy, slow and difficult to manoeuvre. Speed and manoeuvrability can be improved using large numbers of oarsmen, but these add to the weight. Additionally, the provisions needed for such a large crew makes lengthy voyages impractical, as well as adding even further weight.

Despite their strength and weight, the multihull design makes them difficult to manoeuvre in very heavy seas. Although they are relatively stable and difficult to capsize, strong waves can potentially damage the deck between the hulls, and put stress on any weaknesses in the original construction. Damage to crucial points of the superstructure can lead to catastrophic collapse; once one hull becomes separated from the other, heiremes are prone to sinking very rapidly.

Because of their disadvantages, the Ororran navy generally places heiremes in permanent positions close to the coast, defending harbours, coves and the mouths of rivers. Ships are resupplied regularly, sometimes daily, with provisions from the coast, keeping only a few days worth of food and water in case of emergencies.