Belore's Grace, by Aeriyth.
Belore's Grace was the flagship of House Dawnsorrow's naval fleet, bearing the regency of Quel'Belore in militant, diplomatic and politicial affairs.
It came under attack on July 22nd, 624 K.C. for its cargo, Wolfkrone's Bracers, and successfully fended off the would-be boarding party, yet not without eventually succumbing to critical hull damage via explosions and artillery fire that broke the vessel in half. Even then, its design to operate as a sea-faring bunker and the safeguard of its passengers was entirely successful as the crew, passengers and cargo were safely evacuated.
It should be noted that the boarding party that was sent to establish contact with the "'Belore's Grace"', consisted of four Knights of Stormwind and officers of the Grand Alliance: Sir Alexander Verdun, Commander of the Grand Alliance, Sir Brian Alden, Commander of the Grand Alliance, Dame Valynde Malvine, Lieutenant Commander of the Grand Alliance, and Sir Ross Dawkins, Knight-Captain of the Grand Alliance. Sir Alexander Verdun was sent to a lower altitude from his flying machine to establish contact with the Highguard, and due to a misunderstanding, Lady Dawnsorrow ordered him to be shot down. His flying machine was struck and as a result crashed into the beaches. It would be weeks before he was able to return to Stormwind and regain his strength from the wounds he suffered. Seeing the attack on Sir Alexander Verdun, the other three Knights regarded the event as an act of aggression and retaliated accordingly.
Design[]
Evolving from the standard Thalassian Destroyer model of naval transport, Belore's Grace was a vessel classified by the humans as an Icebreaker. Heavily armoured on all sides and featuring a solid phoenix's head and jagged bow made from an amalgamation of elementium and iron, Belore's Grace had a primary function of secure transport. The Quel'dorei banners were entirely decorative and served no purpose as sails, as the ship itself was steam-powered with a rotor in the stern.
Unlike other vessels, the primary quarters for the onboard Lady Dawnsorrow was nestled among the solid metal phoenix, beneath the upper deck. Strategically odd when under full-speed, the heavily armoured prow of Belore's Grace provided the safest point of defense if the ship comes under attack. The same, jagged design under the phoenix's head enabled the vessel to cut through ice and wood, as well as breeching the hull of any ships attempting a blockade; Doubling as an effective, steam-powered battering ram when needed.