Fortune (treasure ship)

Fortune (Per. بخت) was a unique trading vessel constructed in modern Zaclaria. Launched at some point in the 1180s AD, it was built for the merchant Esfandiar Ebrahimi as a large, a type of long-distance trade dhow. Fortune operated in the Sea of Istroya as part of the transcontinental spice trade until 1213, when it was contracted to bring spices to Kurikila for nearly triple the expected rate by a Coscivian trading company.

Due to deteriorating health, Esfandiar transferred ownership and captaincy of the vessel to his son Yazham, hoping to trade for foreign tinctures and the finances to purchase mercenaries for medicine raids on the Varshani coast. Undergoing port up the coast of eastern Levantia, Yazham learned that the purpose of the sale was to profit off of the chaos caused by the ongoing Great Siege of Ceisdún, which due to the city's dominant position near the Croilaen Gap had caused the cost of importing spices into the Vandarch to skyrocket. Instead of making port in Kurikila as agreed, Fortune docked in Llanwyrst and Yazham arranged the independent sale of spices through Omeath to Prince Cillian Mhere, who was the warlord responsible for the siege to begin with. Mhere and Ebrahimi agreed to raise the price even further, and Mhere contracted Fortune to laboriously import foreign weapons, beginning with a shipment of three thousand recurved lemonwood bows, to Llanwyrst for transit to his army at Ceisdún.

Fortune spend several decades and over twenty voyages under various captains transporting Zaclarian recurve bows, Vilauristre Conference, and more spices to Llanwyrst as the Great Siege continued. During this period, the ship was credited for the import of incendiary grenades, rockets, cannon, and a flame-spitting weapon described as a 'dragon ram' to Mhere's army in exchange for gold, silver, herbs, doctors, and other specialists who helped manage Esfandiar's expeditions until his death, after which his son continued Fortune 's contract in order to control the North Levantine spice trade. During this period, Fortune ran several Coscivian blockades in the Bay of Blades specifically intended to catch it, as well as heading a small flotilla of spice runners which contested Coscivian hegemony of the Kilikas trade routes. The vessel was finally sunk will a full hold of spices in 1254 by Coscivian pirates hunting for its considerable bounty, after which the Ebrahimi family turned to other ventures. News of the end of the Great Siege would not reach Zaclaria until the 1290s, though the loss of the spice route directly ended Prince Mhere's ability to upkeep his army any further and indirectly ended the Gap War.

The wreck of the vessel was explored and salvaged for artifacts in 1987, with many being held by the Teindún National Library.