Battle of Rock Point

The Battle of Rock Point was an engagement between the Royal Charisian Navy and the combined forces of the Tarotisian and Dohlaran Navies. It was the opening battle in the long war between the schismatic Kingdom of Charis and the nations loyal to the Church of God Awaiting.

Prelude
Merlin's SNARCs followed the enemy and provided the target for the Charisian Navy south of Shan-wei's Footsteps near Rock Point, taking the Tarotisians and Dohlarans completely by surprise. Thirteen galleons of Charis were outnumbered four to one, but the sixty-two Dohlaran galleys were fouled to the waterline from time in the water and the crews were fatigued from weeks of rowing thousands of miles from home. The Charisian galleons weare outfitted with improved sail plans and sheathed in copper beneath the waterline to stop fouling. The Tarotisians and Dohlarans had more men, but the Charisians had far greater firepower. 

Royal Charisian Navy

 * HMS Dreadnought, 54 – Prince Cayleb's flagship
 * HMS Dagger
 * HMS Damsel
 * HMS Daring
 * HMS Defense
 * HMS Destroyer, 54
 * HMS Devastation, 54
 * HMS Dreadful
 * HMS Gale, 36
 * HMS Maelstrom
 * HMS Thunderbolt
 * HMS Torrent, 42
 * HMS Typhoon, 38

Royal Dohlaran Navy

 * HMS King Rahnyld – Admiral Malikai's flagship

Tarotisian Navy

 * King Gorjah II – Admiral White Ford's flagship

Course of Battle
As the storms of the previous night ended at dawn, the Charisian fleet bore down in two columns on the ragged and split lines of Dohlaran galleys, cutting through the galley lines and firing round shot from krakens at a rate of fire never before seen. Heavy round shot through the stern of HMS King Rahnyld's stern killed the rowers packed together in the lower decks. The number of galleys proved inconsequential as they could not be brought to bear against the more sea-worthy galleons.

As one galleon cleared the line, it was followed by another and another down the line. Each ship took its turn pouring 38-pound cannonballs into the helpless enemy. The Dohlaran fleet tried valiantly to come to the aide of its sister ships, to no avail. They could not break through the withering galleon broadsides.

Admiral White Ford fled the battle to report the defeat to his king in Tarot.

By noon, it was clear to the remaining Dohlaran fleet that a storm was rising, and that the galleys that were being assaulted in the morning were beyond help. Admiral Thirsk elected to move into Crag Reach to escape from both the weather and the enemy's rapid fire. 

Aftermath
Admiral Thirsk tried to escape with his remaining forces, hiding in Crag Reach, south of Rock Point. However, thanks to Merlin Athrawes, the Charisian flotilla easily found them and defeated Thirsk's forces throughoutly in the Battle of Crag Reach.