Aoth grins back at Zeflan, responding with "I can't go breaking it just yet, can I? We've only just boarded the ship." Aoth makes his way to another bunk, stowing most of his gear in the footlocker below, keeping his bow, quiver, and waterskin. Aoth joins the others above deck.

With a nod, Aoth agrees that the event truly is bittersweet, then brightens up as he takes in the ship as a whole. With a grin and a look at the halfling at the helm, Aoth calls out, "Captain Welby, what do you say?"

"Well, if you're all ready... Let's set sail! So... anchor up, sails set an' let's hope this hearthstone leads us true!"

"Aye Aye captain." Eradius begins hauling the anchor up, "I can already feel the anticipation at the start of our journey."

Zeflan let his hands linger on the ship's rigging, ready to drop the sail at the notice of a favourable wind. In his anticipation he could almost smell the salt water beyond the barrier.

Meredith boards the boat as you all get ready, and waves her hand. The knots connecting the boat to the dock unravel, and a gentle wind guides the boat out into the open waters.

"I'm not going to be coming with you, in case you got that idea. Just getting you beyond the barrier. Then I'll swim back."

The boat glides across the waters admirably, and doesn't fall to pieces immediately too. It seems you actually knew what you were doing when you built it, even if at times it felt like you didn't. Soon, you see it in the distance. The barrier isn't incredibly obvious, as there is no color change, but there is a slight waviness to the water, like the air on a hot day. As the boat approaches, the water rises up to form a wall in front of your boat, and you can hear the garbled sounds of the Flish, the creatures that make up the barrier.

Welby looks at his compass device as they travel out from Ioco, getting a feel for its use and bearing indicator. As they approach the wall of water, he looks up in wonder, "Well ain't that a thing? I've never come out this far. Heard tales of this thing, but damn that's a sight ta see." 

Securing the anchor Eradius turns his attention to the barrier. "Is this magical in nature or some natural occurrence?"

Zeflan looked in surprise at the wall of water welling up before them. He knew of the barrier, like everyone else on Ioco, but he had always fancied it more like a natural transition like walking from the beach sand into the greenery. He kept his eyes fixated on the creatures that constituted the wall but leaned in a bit closer to hear the answer to Eradius' question.

"I'd bore you with an explanation of all our research and whatnot, but we don't really have the time for that. Long story short, we haven't a bloody clue. Either way, we're thankful for them. They protect us from the harsh waters beyond. Now shut up, I need to concentrate on this next part."

She raises her arms, and begins incanting. The wall of Flish rises up further, and you understand that it means to stop your boat from leaving, one way or another. Then it shudders, and splits in two, parting to let your boat through. Meredith is panting, and it's clear that this is taking a lot out of her. Your boat makes its way through the gap, Meredith backing up as it goes to keep her body behind the barrier. Finally, she runs out of room, and she leaps off the back of the boat. The walls of water crash together, just barely clipping the boat's edge, yet even that contact causes it to shake wildly. After a moment the boat rights itself, and the wall of living water descends, the water becoming as flat and calm as it was before you came along, as if nothing had ever happened.

"GOODBYE, FRIENDS! AND THANK YOU!"

You can just barely spot Meredith bobbing at the surface just behind the barrier, waving and smiling.

Welby waves back at Meredith, then turns to face the wide open ocean ahead. "Well friends, we're on our own now." He looks down at his compass for a direction to lay course for, and turns the helm so that ship heads in that direction. "Now then, keep an eye out all. We have no idea what's out here. We can break up our initial nervousness by tellin' each other a bit about ourselves. You all know I'm Welby, but apart from being captain of this fine little vessel, I'm also a bard. So we've got entertainment an' inspiration galore!" Welby laughs out loud at this last part, then looks again out to the sea while he waits for another crew member to pipe up.

(Perception: 15)

Aoth, silent as they had approached the wall of water out of awe, breaks his silence as the ship leaves the waters of Ioco. "Well, there's no going back now." 

Aoth glances back at Ioco, before quickly turning back to Welby. "I'm sure you all know me - I've spun stories for years at the tavern, ever since I was a boy." As he speaks, Aoth's eyes change color from their usual blue to a sea-green, then to a purple before returning to blue. As his eyes change color, Aoth weaves a sign with his hands, then makes a beckoning motion with two fingers. As he does this, water flows out from his waterskin, and moves as Aoth's fingers move back and forth, weaving through the air. "I'm a sorcerer myself, though I play a flute like nobody else. I'll be your surgeon, healing anyone who gets hurt, and also probably your cook, if you'd have me. I'm not too terrible at cooking, though my sister was much better than I."

Zeflan waited for the others to finish. He suddenly had a terrifying flashback to a much younger Zeflan, a child really, when his grandfather took him on a trip around the island and he had to politely introduce himself to everyone they met. He never did have a silver tongue like some of his friends had.

'I built this boat.' Zeflan's eyes wandered over the deck. 'Parts of it anyway. I'm in charge of repairs, should we have need of any.' He took a moment to think of any other interesting tidbits he could share about himself with the rest. 'I fish and hunt so that'll give our cook something to work with.'

He slammed a closed fist into an upright open hand as he just remembered something important. 'I can breathe underwater, figure that might come in handy. And I'm a good swimmer.' He smiled, seemingly very proud of that last fact.

'I also sing.' Zeflan said as he returned his face back to a solemn expression. A couple of seconds passed in silence. 'I'm not very good at it.' He concluded in dull surprise. 

Eradius stepped forward when Zeflan was done. "Well, you all know I'm Eradius and I'll be serving as your quartermaster." He looks out over the water in the direction they're currently traveling before turning back toward Zeflan. "I'm not the best swimmer but I can hold my breathe for about an hour."

"I'm also probably not the best at singing or dancing but if the occasion ever comes up don't be surprised to see me give it a try." Eradius suddenly goes quiet having reached the limit of his boldness for the moment.

"Well met all, my new friends and crew!" Welby gives a broad smile. "I'm sure our singin' voices won't offend too many out here." He chuckles at this last part.

(OOC - I'm assuming our ship has a crow's nest?)

"Does someone want to scuttle up top an' keep an eye out for trouble, land, or anythin' of interest really, from up in the crow's nest?" He points up as he says this. 

(I'm afraid not, though it does have easily climbable rigging.)

Welby sees nothing besides the quickly receding island and the endless ocean. You weren't given any location to head to, as... well, no one really knows where anything is. Currently the ship is pointed (3) east.

Zeflan:

(OOC - does our compass not point us towards one of the hearthstones?)

Zeflan took a discrete look at the heartstone, stashed it away and yelled out to captain Welby.

'If we don't have a set destination, I'd suggest keeping Ioco behind us and just sail until we bump into something.' He pointed towards the bow of the ship. 'We're currently going east, if that means anything to any of you.'

OOC: does the heartstone look like an actual compass? I'm picturing some Jack Sparrow's compass lookalike thingie, unless they have a specific design?

(A hearthstone does not point to a hearth it hasn't been linked to. Your hearthstone has only been linked to Ioco, as it was newly created. And yeah, a hearthstone looks like a compass, with a little dial on the side that allows you to change the hearth it tracks.)

Welby nods to Zeflan, "Right then. East we continue. Keep a look out everyone. If you notice anything, land, creature or otherwise, call it out!"

(Perception: 19)

Aoth, with some sort of strange gesture resembling a two-finger salute, grins and begins to peer over the side of the ship, looking into the sea for anything interesting.

(Perception: 14)