Dark Wings

From Glen Cook Wiki

The Dark Wings is an enormous black sailing vessel, a quinquireme sporting five banks of oars. It sports a large black sail with an enormous silver skull set in a circle, with flaming eyes. The vessel is so large that it could only have been constructed and function with the help of major sorcery.

The vessel was built by Soulcatcher and is the ship used to transport the Black Company - all 1,000 of them - from Beryl across the Sea of Torments to the Northern Empire. The Empire continues to use the ship after Soulcatcher is gone, up to the point when Croaker and the Lady make their escape south.

It is the only ship of its kind, and the only evidence of an Imperial navy. However, it is likely all the navy the Empire needs - the Sea of Torments is not that large and there are no vessels that even seem close to capable of challenging such a monster.