Maldorn feels he is getting the hang of these oars little by little. "This would be quite relaxing, actually, if it weren't for the incredible stamina it requires. My arms can take it; years of pulling on a bowstring and all, but my legs... they are burning, young Oeric! Burning, I say!"
-> Voluntary CON saving throw to see how much burn Maldorn feel during his leg-day workout: 18
Sagitta is coiled around the oar, seemingly enjoying the back and forth movement.
With absolutely no experience on deep water, and barely any on water at all, Jambiya is loving this! But she has absolutely no idea what the 'white line' might be. She racks her brain for any stories the Pops might have told her, while leaning dangerously far over the railing.
History: 10
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
As Anafrey analyzes the space between the peninsulas, she looks back at the shoreline she can no longer see, but sees the memory in her head, remembering there were hardly any waves near the docks. She looks back at the growing white line again and it dawns on here that waves must be breaking and crashing there ... and it won't be long before the prow of the ship comes in contact with the waves.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Anafrey grabs the back of Jambiya's clothing and pulls the young lady back from over the edge, "Best not to lean too far little sister. The sea is calm here but looks rough ahead." She looks at the seamen around her to see if any of them appear to be alarmed or if they are just going about their business as usual.
The only "seaman" Anafrey can see on deck is Ebokk, who is concentrating hard with a dash of best day ever thrown in. As far as she can tell, the entire crew consists of Captain Ebokk, Bosun Grout, Scrub, the elder sailor, twin gingers, and the Seldom Spring Quartet.
As Anafrey ponders the crew's complement while holding onto Jambiya, the bow of the ship makes a quick and somewhat jarring rise toward the sky. Ebokk yells something unintelligible. The girls are able to keep their feet by supporting each other, but they do take a few steps aft to do so. Only slightly more slowly, the ship evens out again, and the girls watch as the peninsulas slide by port and starboard.
The ship, moving more slowly now, is rocking even more than it had been before. Ahead ... is nothing but gray.
Below, as the Nightshade nears the break, Bosun Grout walks toward the benches occupied by Erric and Maldorn. He turns and looks fore. "Prepare yourselves," he says. When the bow is thrown upward, Scrub hoots, and the gingers both growl. The water suddenly feels 10 times thicker, but the ship evens out and Grout tells them just a little longer before they can stop rowing and drop sail.
Maldorn holds in a bit of extra spittle in his mouth as he feels his insides churning. "Completely out of my element," he whispers to himself. Nonetheless, he continues to follow Grout's instructions as best as he can.
During a brief lull in the movement of his arms, the old man looks behind him and speaks to his bard friend: "How are you doing there, Oeric? Need some assistance?" The second question is clearly meant to entertain. It should be obvious to Erric that Maldorn is not faring much better than the halfling is.
After another 10 minutes or so, Bosun Grout calls for the oars to halt. Once Erric and Maldorn stop rowing, the real effects of their work begins to settle on their arms, legs and backs. Grout gives some verbal commands and all the sailors head up on deck with the bosun bringing up the rear.
Jambiya and Anafrey are just noticing a slight change in the ship's momentum when the men start popping out of the hole leading to the lower deck. They watch as the twins, one per mast, climb like monkeys to the gathered sails high above. Ropes are pulled and the sails drop as other ropes are tightened. In fairly short work, both sails are down and catching the wind. Bosun Grout climbs to the ladder to join Ebokk on the quarterdeck. The burly man uses one arm as he gives instructions to the dwarf, who nods and replies verbally from time to time.
The sky is starting to lighten, and the rain, while still steady, is not nearly as heavy.
Finding her feet a little, Jambiya makes her way backwards toward the helm. "Bosun? Uh, and Captain? How long to our next, um, port of call?" She tries out the words.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
The bosun steps forward, leans on the rail surrounding the quarterdeck, and looks down at the little goblin girl. "Pray Valkur blesses us with a strong wind and calm seas, or it could be more than a tenday to Waterdeep," he replies in his husky voice.
Maldorn lets the lactic acid runs its course through his arms and legs and back. Only when the pain is not as intense does he wobble his way up to the main deck. If anyone approaches, he just looks down and waves his hand as to indicate that he is in no condition to talk. Too much of a workout for the old man, it would seem.
Coiled around his calf, Sagitta looks not even a bit tired.
Erric has put on a show of being up to the task of rowing the giant oars, and once Grout orders the halt, he squeaks out, "so soon?"
After the sailors have ascended to the main deck, he collapses on the bench, breathing heavily. He looks over at Maldorn. "That was hard! We aren't cut out for this, my friend. But let's not tell anyone, or it'll ruin the mystery."
He slowly crawls up into the light. Vaguely pointing at the crew loosing the sails, he mutters, "...yardarm... deck poop... boat rope... doohickey..." and makes his way over to Anafrey. "How are you feeling? Want to know a secret? Rowing is hard!"
As the crew find quiet spots in their duties, Erric will make his way over to strike up conversations with them, small talk about the weather, how long they've been working on the Nightshade, and most crucially what their favorite music or stories are. He'll start filing away good candidates for entertainment later, once he realizes that it will take so long to get to Waterdeep.
Once they are deck, Sagitta climbs to Maldorn's shoulder, leaving as little of itself attached to the man as possible as it stretches toward the wind, its tongue darting out often.
The old sailor identifies himself as Gramps to Erric. He nods at the twins, first the one with the hook, calling him Lefty (though the hook is on the left), and the other Toothless. Without knowing they had already been introduced, he also identifies Scrub and Bosun Grout. After about 20 minutes, Lefty and Toothless disappear below deck. Gramps tells Erric they will be stringing their hammocks and sleeping until it's time for them to take the wheel and keep watch; they are the overnight crew. Gramps seems to be a friendly chap, talking amiably with the halfling while he moves about the deck doing various duties. He looks seasoned, but it's clear the old man is still in excellent shape. When there's a small duty Erric can do to help out (handing Gramps something or helping coil a rope, for example), the old man puts the bard to work. He also throws in bits of boat and sailing trivia like any good grandpa would.
As for music and stories, Gramps says he likes all kinds of human music, but especially story songs. He's a fan of love stories where the boy wins the girl's heart. "Reminds me of my Luceel," he comments.
Erric greets Gramps, Lefty, and Toothless and tells him a bit about himself -- some of it even accurate.
He eagerly helps Gramps, throwing out sailing terms that are sometimes accurate and sometimes completely made up.
"So what does the weather tell you about what the voyage to Waterdeep will be like, Gramps? And have you ever been to our secondary island destination? What's that going to be like?"
He'll keep his eyes open for any task which seems simple and monotonous enough for him to be able to get his unseen servant to do at some point later in the voyage. When Maldorn speaks up and asks about Luceel, Erric starts listening for his answer eagerly, hoping to weave together a good ballad using details from the story and a melody that's been kicking around in his head. After Gramps is done, he'll sit down next to Maldorn. "Were you ever in love, Maldorn?"
Later on, he'll walk over to Anafrey and Jambiya. "Has she looked away at all, Anafrey?" he'll ask the rogue, while also looking at the horizon. He smiles.
Once the work is done and any other conversations between the group finishes, he'll sit down on a coiled rope, pull out his lute, start to tune it, and begin to play. (Performance: 18)
Jambiya is thoroughly enjoying this voyage, though her stomach is starting to feel a little... off (but no further until the DM makes me roll a Con Save, I'm not volunteering like Maldorn!).
When Erric settles down to play, she'll sit down nearby, leaning against the rail, and listen.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Maldorn feels he is getting the hang of these oars little by little. "This would be quite relaxing, actually, if it weren't for the incredible stamina it requires. My arms can take it; years of pulling on a bowstring and all, but my legs... they are burning, young Oeric! Burning, I say!"
-> Voluntary CON saving throw to see how much burn Maldorn feel during his leg-day workout: 18
Sagitta is coiled around the oar, seemingly enjoying the back and forth movement.
With absolutely no experience on deep water, and barely any on water at all, Jambiya is loving this! But she has absolutely no idea what the 'white line' might be. She racks her brain for any stories the Pops might have told her, while leaning dangerously far over the railing.
History: 10
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
As Anafrey analyzes the space between the peninsulas, she looks back at the shoreline she can no longer see, but sees the memory in her head, remembering there were hardly any waves near the docks. She looks back at the growing white line again and it dawns on here that waves must be breaking and crashing there ... and it won't be long before the prow of the ship comes in contact with the waves.
Erric is just trying to hold onto the oars and move them as best he can. His confidence is slipping a bit.
Anafrey grabs the back of Jambiya's clothing and pulls the young lady back from over the edge, "Best not to lean too far little sister. The sea is calm here but looks rough ahead." She looks at the seamen around her to see if any of them appear to be alarmed or if they are just going about their business as usual.
insight : 14
~♡~
The only "seaman" Anafrey can see on deck is Ebokk, who is concentrating hard with a dash of best day ever thrown in. As far as she can tell, the entire crew consists of Captain Ebokk, Bosun Grout, Scrub, the elder sailor, twin gingers, and the Seldom Spring Quartet.
As Anafrey ponders the crew's complement while holding onto Jambiya, the bow of the ship makes a quick and somewhat jarring rise toward the sky. Ebokk yells something unintelligible. The girls are able to keep their feet by supporting each other, but they do take a few steps aft to do so. Only slightly more slowly, the ship evens out again, and the girls watch as the peninsulas slide by port and starboard.
The ship, moving more slowly now, is rocking even more than it had been before. Ahead ... is nothing but gray.
Below, as the Nightshade nears the break, Bosun Grout walks toward the benches occupied by Erric and Maldorn. He turns and looks fore. "Prepare yourselves," he says. When the bow is thrown upward, Scrub hoots, and the gingers both growl. The water suddenly feels 10 times thicker, but the ship evens out and Grout tells them just a little longer before they can stop rowing and drop sail.
"Wooo!" Jambiya shouts with delight as the ship bucks, holding on to Anafrey to keep from slipping. Best day ever, indeed!
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Forgot about Eilikasys when counting everybody aboard.
OOC > That's how she likes it. ;)
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
(OOC: I'm getting that scene from Moana running in my head as the ship tries to move beyond the break)
Maldorn holds in a bit of extra spittle in his mouth as he feels his insides churning. "Completely out of my element," he whispers to himself. Nonetheless, he continues to follow Grout's instructions as best as he can.
During a brief lull in the movement of his arms, the old man looks behind him and speaks to his bard friend: "How are you doing there, Oeric? Need some assistance?" The second question is clearly meant to entertain. It should be obvious to Erric that Maldorn is not faring much better than the halfling is.
After another 10 minutes or so, Bosun Grout calls for the oars to halt. Once Erric and Maldorn stop rowing, the real effects of their work begins to settle on their arms, legs and backs. Grout gives some verbal commands and all the sailors head up on deck with the bosun bringing up the rear.
Jambiya and Anafrey are just noticing a slight change in the ship's momentum when the men start popping out of the hole leading to the lower deck. They watch as the twins, one per mast, climb like monkeys to the gathered sails high above. Ropes are pulled and the sails drop as other ropes are tightened. In fairly short work, both sails are down and catching the wind. Bosun Grout climbs to the ladder to join Ebokk on the quarterdeck. The burly man uses one arm as he gives instructions to the dwarf, who nods and replies verbally from time to time.
The sky is starting to lighten, and the rain, while still steady, is not nearly as heavy.
Finding her feet a little, Jambiya makes her way backwards toward the helm. "Bosun? Uh, and Captain? How long to our next, um, port of call?" She tries out the words.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
The bosun steps forward, leans on the rail surrounding the quarterdeck, and looks down at the little goblin girl. "Pray Valkur blesses us with a strong wind and calm seas, or it could be more than a tenday to Waterdeep," he replies in his husky voice.
Maldorn lets the lactic acid runs its course through his arms and legs and back. Only when the pain is not as intense does he wobble his way up to the main deck. If anyone approaches, he just looks down and waves his hand as to indicate that he is in no condition to talk. Too much of a workout for the old man, it would seem.
Coiled around his calf, Sagitta looks not even a bit tired.
Erric has put on a show of being up to the task of rowing the giant oars, and once Grout orders the halt, he squeaks out, "so soon?"
After the sailors have ascended to the main deck, he collapses on the bench, breathing heavily. He looks over at Maldorn. "That was hard! We aren't cut out for this, my friend. But let's not tell anyone, or it'll ruin the mystery."
He slowly crawls up into the light. Vaguely pointing at the crew loosing the sails, he mutters, "...yardarm... deck poop... boat rope... doohickey..." and makes his way over to Anafrey. "How are you feeling? Want to know a secret? Rowing is hard!"
As the crew find quiet spots in their duties, Erric will make his way over to strike up conversations with them, small talk about the weather, how long they've been working on the Nightshade, and most crucially what their favorite music or stories are. He'll start filing away good candidates for entertainment later, once he realizes that it will take so long to get to Waterdeep.
Once they are deck, Sagitta climbs to Maldorn's shoulder, leaving as little of itself attached to the man as possible as it stretches toward the wind, its tongue darting out often.
The old sailor identifies himself as Gramps to Erric. He nods at the twins, first the one with the hook, calling him Lefty (though the hook is on the left), and the other Toothless. Without knowing they had already been introduced, he also identifies Scrub and Bosun Grout. After about 20 minutes, Lefty and Toothless disappear below deck. Gramps tells Erric they will be stringing their hammocks and sleeping until it's time for them to take the wheel and keep watch; they are the overnight crew. Gramps seems to be a friendly chap, talking amiably with the halfling while he moves about the deck doing various duties. He looks seasoned, but it's clear the old man is still in excellent shape. When there's a small duty Erric can do to help out (handing Gramps something or helping coil a rope, for example), the old man puts the bard to work. He also throws in bits of boat and sailing trivia like any good grandpa would.
As for music and stories, Gramps says he likes all kinds of human music, but especially story songs. He's a fan of love stories where the boy wins the girl's heart. "Reminds me of my Luceel," he comments.
Maldorn hears Gramps mention a lady name and feel sympathetic to the fellow old man: "Care to share with us? Who is Luceel?"
Maldorn is still rubbing his arms and legs from the pain.
Erric greets Gramps, Lefty, and Toothless and tells him a bit about himself -- some of it even accurate.
He eagerly helps Gramps, throwing out sailing terms that are sometimes accurate and sometimes completely made up.
"So what does the weather tell you about what the voyage to Waterdeep will be like, Gramps? And have you ever been to our secondary island destination? What's that going to be like?"
He'll keep his eyes open for any task which seems simple and monotonous enough for him to be able to get his unseen servant to do at some point later in the voyage. When Maldorn speaks up and asks about Luceel, Erric starts listening for his answer eagerly, hoping to weave together a good ballad using details from the story and a melody that's been kicking around in his head. After Gramps is done, he'll sit down next to Maldorn. "Were you ever in love, Maldorn?"
Later on, he'll walk over to Anafrey and Jambiya. "Has she looked away at all, Anafrey?" he'll ask the rogue, while also looking at the horizon. He smiles.
Once the work is done and any other conversations between the group finishes, he'll sit down on a coiled rope, pull out his lute, start to tune it, and begin to play. (Performance: 18)
Jambiya is thoroughly enjoying this voyage, though her stomach is starting to feel a little... off (but no further until the DM makes me roll a Con Save, I'm not volunteering like Maldorn!).
When Erric settles down to play, she'll sit down nearby, leaning against the rail, and listen.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me