"We'll be on the water for four or five days, depending on how these winds treat us. Then we unload, spend a day or two making deals and reloading the ship, and then we're on our way back." He glances back at the storm over the quickly fading shoreline behind you, but turns back around, seemingly unconcerned. "Wait until you try the food there. Strange, strange things!"
The first mate puts you all to work again once you fully reach the open sea, turning the sails back and forth depending on wind direction. Eventually you seem to be heading on a fairly stead path wit the wind at your back.
"Alright, rest your arms while you can. Only a matter of time before we need to get back on the ropes." He goes below deck for a few minutes, returning with two big loaves of bread. Each crew member rips off a hearty chunk. He gets to you and offers it up. "Cheese baked right into this one."
Once he's done offering it up to everyone, he joins you again with his own piece. Chewing, he looks around a bit awkwardly. "I got to ask...what the hell are you lot going to do with that little catboat? Got a suicide pact or something?"
Kurama took a tentative nibble of the offered meal before taking a few more hearty bites. "This is quite interesting. Can you explain the choice to bake the cheese in the bread versus adding it afterwards?" Kurama began before remembering the question asked and replying to the sailor's question. "Oh, sorry. First a reply to your question. We are in need of one of the Sisters' aid and were told we could find one of them out at sea. Our hope is, we discover some sort of lead on this voyage, after which, we'd use the smaller vessel to complete our journey to where she resides."
Effort gains her sea legs with some difficulty. "My entire life is a trial, and this is merely the latest," she mumbles, leaning on the railing and trying not to watch the ocean, despite being surrounded by it.
(I should be able to post more regularly again! Sorry for the delay!)
"Heartier meal before the sun goes down." He turns to Kurama, and a grin almost creeps onto his otherwise expressionless face. "Gotta talk to our cook about that. He used to cook for the overseer of some town on the southern coast. Does all kinds of fancy things that seamen like us don't appreciate."
He raises an eyebrow when you mention the Sister, as many have before him. "Thought I heard somebody say somethin' about her. Never seen her myself, but tale is that she's somewhere out here, in the middle of the sea between the two continents. Never heard she was in the business of offering aid, but I wish you all the best of luck."
The ship is moving along a good pace now, and you see the dark storm clouds over the receding continent slowly disappear. Of course the sky overhead is still gray and gloomy, but at least it appears you've outrun any immediate danger. Every so often, you're tasked with repositioning the sails, pulling on ropes, or bringing the cook some larger crates from the pantry below deck.
As it starts to get darker, everyone is passed a bowl of roasted root vegetables with tiny bits of some kind of meat. Lazar approaches. "You've been doing well! Here is where you really earn your trip. You'll take turns overnight - watching out across the bow for any encroaching dangers, assisting the mates with any changes of course, that kind of thing. Split it up how you'd like. I expect four hour shifts will leave you enough time to catch some sleep below deck."
"Heartier meal before the sun goes down." He turns to Kurama, and a grin almost creeps onto his otherwise expressionless face. "Gotta talk to our cook about that. He used to cook for the overseer of some town on the southern coast. Does all kinds of fancy things that seamen like us don't appreciate."
"I will have to speak with him..." Kurama began before feeling the ship sway and his stomach lurch rather uncomfortably, "...at another time."
He raises an eyebrow when you mention the Sister, as many have before him. "Thought I heard somebody say somethin' about her. Never seen her myself, but tale is that she's somewhere out here, in the middle of the sea between the two continents. Never heard she was in the business of offering aid, but I wish you all the best of luck."
"It is said that she resides on some sort of oasis in the Ocean. Perhaps we'll be fortunate and stumble across it or someone who's been there before. Or perhaps, she'll come to us. We shall see." Kurama added as he looked towards his friends.
As it starts to get darker, everyone is passed a bowl of roasted root vegetables with tiny bits of some kind of meat. Lazar approaches. "You've been doing well! Here is where you really earn your trip. You'll take turns overnight - watching out across the bow for any encroaching dangers, assisting the mates with any changes of course, that kind of thing. Split it up how you'd like. I expect four hour shifts will leave you enough time to catch some sleep below deck."
"I can take the first shift, as I suspect I will not be sleeping anytime soon" Kurama offered.
"Then I shall take the second shift," Effort offers. "Cadmael will assist me. I do not think I'll be getting much sleep as it is, considering our intended destination. Or lack thereof." She takes a fortifying breath and eats her roasted vegetables, though she gives her meat to Pip instead, not trusting her stomach to keep it down.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Brask will take the third shift, if needed: Perception: 14Ah, don't worry about it, he says to Effort. These sisters are a pushover, right? Brask sleeps like a baby during the others' shifts.
Kurama, you're somewhat distracted by the rocking of the boat. It almost puts you in a trance. But you make it through your shift okay. Effort, you have some trouble focusing on the task at hand as well, but Cadmael assists by flying up and around the boat, surveying the surrounding waters.
The vastness of this place is remarkable, Cadmael thinks. There is nothing but blackness mirroring an ocean of slightly different blackness. I see no signs of imminent danger, thankfully.
Brask, it takes Effort a few minutes to finally wake you. You begin your watch but get bored quickly. You try pacing, counting planks on the deck, and seeing how far you can spit into the open ocean. Eventually you decide to sit against the mast to rest your legs...and you are awoken by the sound of the crew coming up on deck. The first bits of light are peaking through the clouds. Something pecks at your head, and you sit up with a start, scaring off the gull that had found some warmth in your fur. It flaps a few times and lifts itself up and over the railing, flying off into the unknown.
Pip and the others join the first crew after a bit. The first mate comes around, handing out some kind of dried meat, and Lazar makes his way up last of all. He pulls out a small spyglass, extends it, and peers eastward. After a moment, he compacts it, tucks it away, and heads back to his quarters.
Effort approaches the others. "I hate to ask this now. But do any of you know anything about rowing boats? My sole experience was the one we had together on the river where we met up with Pip and Murmur. How will we find our way back to anywhere once we set out on our... dinghy?"
Pip looks out over the stern and down at your little vessel. It has enough room to comfortably fit you all, and the single mast has a rolled up sail sitting at the bottom. "If the winds favor us, we should be okay. Although...tougher to navigate with these clouds."
Pip and Brask work out a bit during the morning before going back to work helping out the crew. At mid-day, you hear the first mate muttering something to a few of the crew. One runs to fetch Lazar, who comes up to the deck. The first mate points off in the distance, Lazar heads back down, and you hear orders barked out. Twenty degrees starboard. The ship slowly turns as ropes are pulled and the main sail shifts ever-so-slightly.
Brask shrugs at Effort. If Pip tells me which part to pull, I can pull.
The minotaur enjoys the physical exercise and hard work of the ship, and keeps a close eye on Pip to make sure he's taking advantage of the strength building as much as possible. He glances over at any crewmember nearby who he's spent a little time with: What's goin' on?
“I grew up in the mountains, so this experience is as new to me as it is to you Effort. Hopefully Pip and Brask can take the lead should it be necessary.” Kurama then looked down in the direction of the small dingy as his stomach lurched again before adding, “Do you think my queasiness would increase or decrease riding on the smaller vessel?” there was a hint of nervousness in his voice as he asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
Kurama, who had taken to meditating in an attempt to settle his mind (but mostly his stomach), opened his eyes at the first mate’s comment. Turning towards him, he asked, “Any idea what it could possibly be or mean? Is it rare to see smoke in the distance?”
Pip looks away awkwardly at the suggestion that the smaller vessel might offer Kurama some relief.
"Either someone ****ed up," he slows and turns toward you, somewhat impatiently but not unkindly. "Or it was an ambush. Either way, lost cause and nothing in it for us except possibly being ambushed ourselves. We keep moving with the wind and there's nothing to worry about."
I can hardly even make out the smoke from here. It is quite a ways off, Cadmael thinks as he drifts upward with wings spread. But I will keep a vigilant pair of eyes on it.
Most of the day slowly passes by, with the winds calming a bit in the afternoon. Brask goes to work helping some of the crew row, while the rest of you assist where needed - ropes, bringing up food, that sort of thing. While Pip seems mostly unaffected by it, the endlessness of the ocean in every direction is starting to wear on you. The gray sky never changes. The murky, blue-gray water never changes. The chill in the air never changes.
As the clouds darken, the first mate once again assigns you all to stay on the lookout overnight. "I trust you can handle it again. It's the least favorite task for the rest of these men, so you're certainly earning your way."
Give me order and perception checks again. Effort, roll an arcana check as well.
"We'll be on the water for four or five days, depending on how these winds treat us. Then we unload, spend a day or two making deals and reloading the ship, and then we're on our way back." He glances back at the storm over the quickly fading shoreline behind you, but turns back around, seemingly unconcerned. "Wait until you try the food there. Strange, strange things!"
The first mate puts you all to work again once you fully reach the open sea, turning the sails back and forth depending on wind direction. Eventually you seem to be heading on a fairly stead path wit the wind at your back.
"Alright, rest your arms while you can. Only a matter of time before we need to get back on the ropes." He goes below deck for a few minutes, returning with two big loaves of bread. Each crew member rips off a hearty chunk. He gets to you and offers it up. "Cheese baked right into this one."
Once he's done offering it up to everyone, he joins you again with his own piece. Chewing, he looks around a bit awkwardly. "I got to ask...what the hell are you lot going to do with that little catboat? Got a suicide pact or something?"
DM - Above & Below
Brasks shrugs, entirely focused on his meal, and waits for Kurama to answer if he wants. This isn't bad. Got any more?
Kurama took a tentative nibble of the offered meal before taking a few more hearty bites. "This is quite interesting. Can you explain the choice to bake the cheese in the bread versus adding it afterwards?" Kurama began before remembering the question asked and replying to the sailor's question. "Oh, sorry. First a reply to your question. We are in need of one of the Sisters' aid and were told we could find one of them out at sea. Our hope is, we discover some sort of lead on this voyage, after which, we'd use the smaller vessel to complete our journey to where she resides."
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
Effort gains her sea legs with some difficulty. "My entire life is a trial, and this is merely the latest," she mumbles, leaning on the railing and trying not to watch the ocean, despite being surrounded by it.
(I should be able to post more regularly again! Sorry for the delay!)
Hooray, welcome back! Hope all is well.
"Heartier meal before the sun goes down." He turns to Kurama, and a grin almost creeps onto his otherwise expressionless face. "Gotta talk to our cook about that. He used to cook for the overseer of some town on the southern coast. Does all kinds of fancy things that seamen like us don't appreciate."
He raises an eyebrow when you mention the Sister, as many have before him. "Thought I heard somebody say somethin' about her. Never seen her myself, but tale is that she's somewhere out here, in the middle of the sea between the two continents. Never heard she was in the business of offering aid, but I wish you all the best of luck."
The ship is moving along a good pace now, and you see the dark storm clouds over the receding continent slowly disappear. Of course the sky overhead is still gray and gloomy, but at least it appears you've outrun any immediate danger. Every so often, you're tasked with repositioning the sails, pulling on ropes, or bringing the cook some larger crates from the pantry below deck.
As it starts to get darker, everyone is passed a bowl of roasted root vegetables with tiny bits of some kind of meat. Lazar approaches. "You've been doing well! Here is where you really earn your trip. You'll take turns overnight - watching out across the bow for any encroaching dangers, assisting the mates with any changes of course, that kind of thing. Split it up how you'd like. I expect four hour shifts will leave you enough time to catch some sleep below deck."
DM - Above & Below
(Welcome back!!)
"I will have to speak with him..." Kurama began before feeling the ship sway and his stomach lurch rather uncomfortably, "...at another time."
"It is said that she resides on some sort of oasis in the Ocean. Perhaps we'll be fortunate and stumble across it or someone who's been there before. Or perhaps, she'll come to us. We shall see." Kurama added as he looked towards his friends.
"I can take the first shift, as I suspect I will not be sleeping anytime soon" Kurama offered.
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
"Then I shall take the second shift," Effort offers. "Cadmael will assist me. I do not think I'll be getting much sleep as it is, considering our intended destination. Or lack thereof." She takes a fortifying breath and eats her roasted vegetables, though she gives her meat to Pip instead, not trusting her stomach to keep it down.
Effort perception: 9
Cadmael perception: 17
Brask will take the third shift, if needed: Perception: 14 Ah, don't worry about it, he says to Effort. These sisters are a pushover, right? Brask sleeps like a baby during the others' shifts.
Luck check for each shift:
17
3
14
DM - Above & Below
Kurama, you're somewhat distracted by the rocking of the boat. It almost puts you in a trance. But you make it through your shift okay. Effort, you have some trouble focusing on the task at hand as well, but Cadmael assists by flying up and around the boat, surveying the surrounding waters.
The vastness of this place is remarkable, Cadmael thinks. There is nothing but blackness mirroring an ocean of slightly different blackness. I see no signs of imminent danger, thankfully.
Brask, it takes Effort a few minutes to finally wake you. You begin your watch but get bored quickly. You try pacing, counting planks on the deck, and seeing how far you can spit into the open ocean. Eventually you decide to sit against the mast to rest your legs...and you are awoken by the sound of the crew coming up on deck. The first bits of light are peaking through the clouds. Something pecks at your head, and you sit up with a start, scaring off the gull that had found some warmth in your fur. It flaps a few times and lifts itself up and over the railing, flying off into the unknown.
Pip and the others join the first crew after a bit. The first mate comes around, handing out some kind of dried meat, and Lazar makes his way up last of all. He pulls out a small spyglass, extends it, and peers eastward. After a moment, he compacts it, tucks it away, and heads back to his quarters.
DM - Above & Below
Effort approaches the others. "I hate to ask this now. But do any of you know anything about rowing boats? My sole experience was the one we had together on the river where we met up with Pip and Murmur. How will we find our way back to anywhere once we set out on our... dinghy?"
Pip looks out over the stern and down at your little vessel. It has enough room to comfortably fit you all, and the single mast has a rolled up sail sitting at the bottom. "If the winds favor us, we should be okay. Although...tougher to navigate with these clouds."
Pip and Brask work out a bit during the morning before going back to work helping out the crew. At mid-day, you hear the first mate muttering something to a few of the crew. One runs to fetch Lazar, who comes up to the deck. The first mate points off in the distance, Lazar heads back down, and you hear orders barked out. Twenty degrees starboard. The ship slowly turns as ropes are pulled and the main sail shifts ever-so-slightly.
DM - Above & Below
Brask shrugs at Effort. If Pip tells me which part to pull, I can pull.
The minotaur enjoys the physical exercise and hard work of the ship, and keeps a close eye on Pip to make sure he's taking advantage of the strength building as much as possible. He glances over at any crewmember nearby who he's spent a little time with: What's goin' on?
"Bit o' smoke off on the horizon. Nothing to worry about - just gotta stay clear." The first mate replies as he walks past, not stopping.
DM - Above & Below
“I grew up in the mountains, so this experience is as new to me as it is to you Effort. Hopefully Pip and Brask can take the lead should it be necessary.” Kurama then looked down in the direction of the small dingy as his stomach lurched again before adding, “Do you think my queasiness would increase or decrease riding on the smaller vessel?” there was a hint of nervousness in his voice as he asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
Kurama, who had taken to meditating in an attempt to settle his mind (but mostly his stomach), opened his eyes at the first mate’s comment. Turning towards him, he asked, “Any idea what it could possibly be or mean? Is it rare to see smoke in the distance?”
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
Pip looks away awkwardly at the suggestion that the smaller vessel might offer Kurama some relief.
"Either someone ****ed up," he slows and turns toward you, somewhat impatiently but not unkindly. "Or it was an ambush. Either way, lost cause and nothing in it for us except possibly being ambushed ourselves. We keep moving with the wind and there's nothing to worry about."
DM - Above & Below
Noting the activity, Effort squints. “I would start worrying. Generally one tends to live longer when one does."
Cadmael, stay high and warn us of something approaches this ship from that direction, Effort instructs the owl, sending him into the air.
I can hardly even make out the smoke from here. It is quite a ways off, Cadmael thinks as he drifts upward with wings spread. But I will keep a vigilant pair of eyes on it.
Most of the day slowly passes by, with the winds calming a bit in the afternoon. Brask goes to work helping some of the crew row, while the rest of you assist where needed - ropes, bringing up food, that sort of thing. While Pip seems mostly unaffected by it, the endlessness of the ocean in every direction is starting to wear on you. The gray sky never changes. The murky, blue-gray water never changes. The chill in the air never changes.
As the clouds darken, the first mate once again assigns you all to stay on the lookout overnight. "I trust you can handle it again. It's the least favorite task for the rest of these men, so you're certainly earning your way."
Give me order and perception checks again. Effort, roll an arcana check as well.
DM - Above & Below
(Kurama will take first watch again)
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
(effort has lantern which you all can always use)