“He… … It.. was… …”. Lia is still processing.

But she eventually manages a flat, ”Thanks…”, with a solid half-smile.

Lia watches Neth handle the boat for a few seconds, then looks out over the dark lake. “Have you ever seen a frozen lake, and thrown a stone out onto it, thinking the ice would smash… but it doesn’t?… … And instead the stone skittles along over the ice making a kind of twanging-cracking noise a hundred times louder than it has any right to be?!…”.

”it’s almost musical… ‘The Song of the Ice’ some call it… … Have you heard that?…”. Lia looks back at Neth measuring his reaction.

Neth, listening to Lia’s description of ‘the song of the ice’ closes his eyes and is still, imagining the sound.

“I know the sound… terrifying isn’t it? Also beautiful. Peaceful maybe?” Neth says with a half-smile across his face. 

He looks at Lia evenly. “Odd question given our current predicament. What brought it to mind?”

When Neth says ‘terrifying’ Lia winces slightly, but then she says simply, “It’s the sound that drew me to you… … The sound that saved us both…”.

”I heard it, I saw you… I saw you, I heard it…”.

”I’m not sure what it means yet… I thought maybe you could tell me… Maybe it… means something… … I don’t know yet”. She looks at the deck, puzzled, like she’s looking for a pattern in the wood grain.

Neth contemplates the words he is hearing. He stares out at the water a bit, no longer rowing.

”I… don’t know. I often hea… no. Not that. Uhm.”

He turns towards Lia with a huge grin on his face. “I have no idea why you would hear that. Very strange! Maybe you’re mad.”

Stena continues softly questioning the drow kid.

"I must have had a family once, but only remember being slave. You say ALL of them are dead? You promise?"

He's otherwise been evasive with eye contact, but as he asks his questions, he meets yours with an intense stare.

@Neth

Neth and Lia have a bit of a chat, feeling one another out. It would be a very puzzling conversation for anyone eavesdropping on them, and in fact may be a bit puzzling for the two of them as well.

Galingal gives the cabin a more thorough once over, the drow child startling and moving closer to Stena as he starts rummaging about. 

The elf finds that Blopp had a bit of a sweet tooth, finding a bag filled with sugar crusted mushroom caps.  There is the remains of her last meal on board, on a tray on a side table is nearby, part of a fish and some mushroom porridge remains. There is a pair of barrels on board that could serve to carry drinking water, but keeping them topped up doesn't seem to have been a top priority. If you can find a tributary trickling into the Darklake that seems reasonably potable, you could fill them up. No ready to eat rations are on hand, but a locker along one side of the cabin does have a few spears with pronged serrated bone tips. They would be fairly ineffective against an armored opponent, but may suffice for spearing fish. If it's clear what Galingal is searching for, Jimjar will toss him the net he claimed from the dead guard as part of his disguise as he cedes the helm back to Buppido to go lie down for a while.

((How much rations/water would you have had on you when you got on the boat? Think everyone was carrying some, at least for a few days, but you're likely going to need to be finding food and water somehow in the next day or so.))

The more perceptive among you may hear a change in sound, but at about the point that it becomes clear to most of you, Buppido calls out in Undercommon that is rapidly translated by Jimjar (or Stena).

"It's narrowing here, current's picking up! Keep us off the rocks!"

((I'd like a straight Dexterity Check from everyone as part of a group check to keep the boat under control.))

Buppido: 9

Jimjar: 22

Ranador: ---

Galingal Dex Check:14  

Lia responds to Neth, “Ha, ‘mad’?... Uh huh, it’s not the first time someone’s suggested that…. Not normally quite so politely though“, she concedes and smiles a little… then her eyes go wide: “Forks!!… Hold on!…”.

”Hold her steady, Neth!…”.

Lia grabs the guard rail she’s leaning against and tries to get low and balanced, trying to wind one hand and arm around a nearby rope…

Lia’s DEX check: 19 (add +1 for acrobatics).

((This is an 'all hands on an oar' check. We haven't hit the Dex Save part yet!))

Lia realises they might be able to navigate the waters and takes an oar…

”Grab an oar everyone!!….”.

((previous DEX check okay? I maybe flavoured it like a save but it was just a check like you asked))

((Yep, was just clarifying for flavor. Would be overly pedantic not to count it just because of that!))

(Didn't touch the post but it changed the number to an 8. Was a 19 before. Need to stop posting from my phone maybe. I'll roll here again if you want one without the warning: 22  )

Stena holds eye contact with the boy and nods,

She watches Galingal root around but doesn't comment. She does say to the boy,

 ----

Stena runs up the stairs to assist. Last thing they need is a swim.

Dex check: 20

With your combined efforts, you manage to fend off the any rocks or other dangers, and after a few tense moments, the boat floats out into a broader riverway and you can all breath a bit easier.

((You're about 4 hours out from Sloobludop at the moment, with the day you had, you're probably pushing the reserves you have in terms of maintaining the level of alertness and meeting the physical demands of navigating the boat through the Darklake. Do you wish to push on, or see about halting to rest?))

Galingal shows the spears and net as the closest things they have to fishing gear and that there’s very limited food on board.

” Should rest now. Then find food. Then continue on way. Later discuss what the creature was.”

((That's two PCs for rest, Jimjar and the drow child would concur. Buppido wants to keep going, but will cede to the majority.))

((If you are taking a long rest, how are you going about it? Boat can be anchored or beached, there's a lack of comfortable bedding, but plenty of room. Watches?))

((You can give me Perception checks for your watches, as well as a WIS Save vs bad dreams. The NPCs are available to take watches either solo or paired up.))

Lia:

Perception check: 9 

WIS save: 18 

Galingal watches Buppido for a moment.

He leans in closer to Stena and whispers.

"I don't think leave him alone on watch," Galingal whispers. "I still remember twins."

Louder he continues.

"Lia is okay to take watch?" Galingal asks. "I can double watch. Not need sleep. Either way though I will take middle watch. Buppido join me."

Perception: 25  

WIS Save: 25  

"Galingal! Buppido! Watch!", Buppido exclaims in broken Common as he grins and nods his head, and almost slaps Galingal on the back, before running his hand through his tangle of hair. 

Lia has an uneventful first watch, after which she wakes Galingal and Buppido to take the second, as she settles in for her evening's rest.

Buppido spends most of the watch using his short sword to cut through some of his hair, tossing the dirty clumps overboard, and scooping up some of the lake water to give himself as good of a scrub and rinse as he's able. He doesn't look presentable, per say, but more 'eccentric uncle' than 'grungy derelict'.

Galingal notices nothing amiss, the boat floating at anchor in a large, quiet cavern.

((Stena, Neth and Jimjar to make up the last two watches?))

Perception : 6

WIS Save 6