The Coffin is a Barazan submersible, officially given the designation Physeter. The vessel first acquired its nickname for the perceived danger it posed to its occupants, though the nickname has taken on more of an affectionate nature now that its reliability has been established.
Appearance
The Coffin is precisely 40 ft long on the exterior, with the habitation area taking up a roughly 10 ft by 20 ft space inside. The rest of the interior of the submersible is used to store the techno-magical devices, clockworks, and life support systems that allow it to function. The Coffin varies in width and height, much wider and taller in front, tapering off towards the rear.
The vessel has a vague similarity in appearance to a sperm whale, with control surfaces where a whale's fins would be and a loading hatch in front, almost mouth-like in design.
Technical details
A thick hull of adamantine alloy protects the passengers of the Coffin from both the crushing pressures of the depths and aggressive sea creatures, though the plating tends to attract a few types of barnacles that seem drawn to the specific alloy used. The hull is additionally backed by magical force fields, which help to resist the high pressures and serve as a backup in case of a breach.
The Coffin incorporates many of the signature techno-magical innovations of the Barazans. Air processors extract breathable oxygen from the surrounding water, and ventilation systems keep interior air circulating and clean. Magical methods of heating are used, though crews typically wear thick clothing as the interior can quickly become quite frigid regardless. Bio-luminescence is used to provide a backup to magical lighting, especially on the control panels. An acoustilocator is also included among the instruments of the ship, providing the crew some sense of their whereabouts and surroundings.
A corkscrew propeller is used to drive the motion of the Coffin. In addition to the exterior control surfaces, the propeller can be directed to provide a surprisingly flexible freedom of movement, allowing the Coffin to make ninety degree turns remarkably quickly.
Crystals imbued with magical force are used as a fuel source for the Coffin. Able to travel for roughly 40 miles at top speed with all systems operational on a single crystal, and farther if non-critical systems are disabled, the vessel is quite efficient compared to previous Barazan experimental submersibles. These crystals are specially created for this use, and have the distinctive appearance of a foot-long seven-sided prism. Crystals are pale blue and translucent when fully charged, gradually turning color until they are black and fully opaque when empty. The ship is not capable of recharging its fuel source independently (though multiple crystals are usually carried when in use), which does limit its range and operational capacity somewhat.
Rotating magical floodlights on the fore and aft of the Coffin can provide illumination of the nearby sea floor, visible through very small reinforced windows in the habitation area. Visibility is very poor from within the ship, forcing reliance on the acoustilocator.
Though the Coffin does not have an airlock, the loading hatch can still open without flooding the interior. The magical force fields that reinforce the hull also serve to keep water out when the hatch is open.
History
The current culmination of Barazan experiments in submersible design, the Physeter is an evolution of the designs first tested in its predecessor, the Caishau. While the Caishau showed promise, it had many possible points of failure, a very limited range, and was hazardous to its crew in day-to-day operations, frequently spewing toxic smoke into the habitation chamber. Ultimately subject to a catastrophic failure (and subsequent scuttling) near Surxgarm, the base design of the Caishau was iterated upon and improved to develop the Physeter.
Though quite reliable even in initial tests after its construction in Y9966*, the Physeter nonetheless had to overcome the reputation of its predecessor. Early test crews christened the ship the Coffin, in a half-serious belief it would become their tomb. Despite these misgivings, the Physeter has proved its capabilities, operating within tolerable parameters for the last decade.
Originally intended to assist in charting the trenches east of Surxgarm and Kurinza, since successfully completing its initial mission the Coffin has since seen use in transporting precious cargo and important individuals between the deep-sea settlements of Barazar El.
The Coffin is usually berthed in dry dock at Pelagic Frontier when not in active use.
Crew
The Coffin was designed to carry a crew of four. While more can fit, the space inside quickly becomes cramped and uncomfortable. Only one crew member is strictly required for operation, to steer and direct the ship, as long as the rest of the vessel has not been damaged to the degree that manual operation of propulsion is necessary.