#or the liyue qixing essentially forced her to take someone along

[setsuzoku]

hey loser talk about how hard it is for the average joe to hitch a ride with beidou

buckle up asshole here’s one for you.  //  @setsuzoku​ 

     Captain Beidou may be an icon of Liyue through her words and actions, but by no means is she the first choice when it comes to traversing the ocean.

     Liyue is a nation of trade, and it should be no surprise that a capital city supervised and governed by merchants will also have its waters frequented by merchants looking to make their penny in Liyue Harbor. With the age of international trade comes the high tides of naval advancement, with many sellers within Liyue Harbor either possessing a vessel of their own or looking to secure a spot on another ship to transport their goods abroad, if not themselves on board as well to sell their wares in the first place.

     And where does the Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean fit within this hierarchy of boats?

     Perhaps it might be more productive to consider travel routes first.

     Though Teyvat is a wide and wondrous world, there are only so many different nationalities to visit by sea. From Liyue Harbor, outgoing merchants and vacationers follow a coastal route that takes them south into the Sumeru strait that separates the region from the island nation of Inazuma. About halfway into the Sumeru strait is an inlet that segues into a rather serpentine river, one that snakes throughout a majority of inland Sumeru and finds its end in the heart of the landlocked Fontaine, the nation governed by the Hydro Archon. Of course, there are some travellers that seek a further destination, and if they dare to sail to the southernmost corner of the Sumeru coastline, they only need to round the point and bear straight west to find their way to the infamous Black Beach that constitutes Natlan’s only border with the ocean.

     Ships of all shapes and sizes enjoy the safety of these waters, though there are certain routes like the river to Fontaine that are inaccessible to larger ships and may force merchants to change vessels to continue their journey. However, the vast ocean that hugs the entirety of the Monstadt coastline (sans the frigid shallow waters of Dragonspine) and the open sea that otherwise surrounds Inazuma are not for the faint of heart or the average merchant that values their life. Unsurprisingly, it is out there that most of Captain Beidou’s heroics find their beginning.

     Then again, a gross simplification can be found within a Liyuan quote: The deeper the water, the bigger the monsters.

     The story of Beidou’s slaying of Haishan is no secret across the seas, but there are plenty of other creatures that call the ocean their home and the water’s surface their feeding ground. Most commonly used trading vessels are designed to hold more cargo and less weaponry, if any at all, making them the most ill-fated choice of ships to brave the journey to Monstadt or eastern Inazuma. Instead, these waters favor the bigger and more durable ships built with monster attacks in mind; and so this reach of the ocean is traversed and conquered by various topsail schooners and brigs geared with weapons to take on the denizens of the deep.

     That is not to say that monsters are the only danger on the high seas. Compared to the congested offshore routes taken by most sailors, the ocean is a much more lawless ground to watch over, with the respective nations finding little opportunity to exercise their legal jurisdiction over the betrayal, battles and plundering that take place so far away from their coasts. Pirates, criminals and maritime Hillichurl crews make their living in these parts, and more notably the international Treasure Hoarders conduct their own naval operations away from prying eyes. The entire region tends to be a hotbed of raiding and pillaging to a degree that even deep sea fishermen no longer approach the area, and it is no wonder that only the brave and foolhardy sail through without at least a few appropriate measures.

     It is Liyue’s fortune then that Captain Beidou sails with every and all threats in mind.

     The Crux Fleet she commands is the most armed armada that operates out of Liyue and whenever actually present to commission, is often the Liyue Qixing’s best line of naval defense. Though there have been numerous rumors that range from the government tacitly approving of Beidou’s notoriety to the Liyue Qixing outright supporting her as a state-sponsored pirate, there is no doubt that if there was grave danger to be had on the ocean, ships from the Crux Fleet were always soon to arrive and blow it all to smithereens.

     On the other hand, Beidou is more inclined to steer her fleet away from the smaller waterways and send in a single ship or two in their place. Even she is aware of what her Anchor flag represents to other nations that resent her belligerence in their waters. As such, she tends to reserve said ventures down the more popular trade routes for the traders and clients that can pay exorbitant sums to commission her for the voyage down south. After all, anyone could sail anywhere these days  --  but could they guarantee themselves a completely and consistently safe trip on their ship from start to end?

     Captain Beidou is certainly a popular figure back home among kids and merchants alike, though attempting to commission one of the most headstrong sailors in Liyue for a personal bidding only results in success if the patron is the government or of the wealthy elite. Unless Beidou issues a personal invitation to come aboard or has openings for new crewmates, there is little the common Liyuan can do to join her on her next legendary adventure.

#Anonymous #.hc #if you're on her ship you either paid her to be on there #or the liyue qixing essentially forced her to take someone along #or beidou invited you herself #or you joined her crew #finally glad i was able to elaborate on this