Trow
From Free net encyclopedia
A trow was a type of cargo boat found in the past on the River Severn in England. The mast could be taken down so that the trow could go under bridges, such as the bridge at Worcester, England. The mast was stepped in a three sided frame open at the rear but closed with an iron pin or rope lashing. From the top of the mast a forestay ran down to the bow winch. To lower the mast the pin was removed and the winch slackened off to let the mast fall towards the stern. The reverse operation pulled the mast up. Trows were sea-worthy, as with an added keel they could take 90 tons of salt from Droitwich to France across the English Channel. The flat bottomed Trows sailed on the sea by hauling a twenty foot log of wood under the hull strapped with chains to give 'grip' and stop the hull sliding sideways.
A smaller version of the above (18 feet max) is peculiar to the Fleet lagoon in Dorset. It is used primarily for the transport of mackrel caught by seine crews off Chesil Beach. Once caught they are boxed and transported across to the mainland by these flat bottomed boats. Unlike the River Severn version the "Fleet" variant is only ever towed, rowed or punted and has no mast or sail. Incidentally although pronounced Trow in Dorset we pronounce Trough in exactly the same way (the "ough" as in though); therefore the spelling could be as Trough.
Trow is also the oldest race in the World of Myth. According to legend, the Trow were the creation of the goddess Nyx. They aided the deity to build the world, and beheld her great battle against the Wyrd, another deity, who reshaped the world from a dream. After this event, they began to build their empire and, eventually, would raise shrines in praise of their goddess. Since they were a non-combative race, they were surprised by the viciousness and savagery of the Sileh'hei. With this they asked for the aid of their goddess and, through her, learned the secret of Iron. With this knowledge, they forged iron weapons and armors to retaliate that race. As the centuries passed, the other races evoluted. One of these races, the Callieach, found fragments of the Wyrd and, through those, learned the Dream of Unlife. The Trow were overcome with lust, since they had no knowledge of necromancy, and waged a war agaist that race. The conflict ended with the destruction of the entire race of the Callieach and some of the Trow, thus creating the Great Devoid. In the Wind Age, they joined Tireces as he returned as Moagim, with the aid of their Oghre slaves. After years fighting against Connacht and the Cath Bruig Empire, they lost the aid of their former slaves and, in the end, had their empire decimated by the power of the SunHammer. In THE FALLEN LORDS, they were beside Balor and the Fallen Lords and, in SOULBLIGHTER, they agreed to aid the Legion during a year, being responsible for the recapture of the Muirthemne.