okay... Well, it's two days since the Redwater warship _Avenger_, now renamed _Horizon_, had been captured by heretic pirate forces and placed under the command of Lt. Bourne and Ens. Neil (can't remember his last name). Since then, however, Neil has barricaded himself in the XO's quarters, and has threatened to fry or electrocute anyone who enters before he's ready to emerge. The rest of the skeleton crew, gathered from most of the other ships in the pirate fleet, has pretty much gone about it's business. * Bourne sincerely hopes any further experiments with blackpowder are not likely to blow up his hard-won ship, carries on learning the literal ropes of command. ( I think we need an OOC channel. #DIce? (rappin', snappin', cappin', yeah... [5 pt ref]) * Arianna invites you to join #dice "Wonder what the poor sod's up to down there..." "If it works, I think we may have an unexpected advantage when we attack the vault. An idea even now percolates in my brain -- no, no! It must yet congeal before it faces the light of day." * TFB71 has joined #highseas Baa * Arsenal sets mode: +o TFB71 * TFB71 is now known as Curuar (Be in in a few. Shower and food.) For those who don't remember, the ship is 160 ft long, 40 ft. wide, and has three decks plus a raised aft-deck. The sickbay is fore, the private quarters are aft, and the crew quarters are below them. Curuar, for now, is in his usual crow's nest. ((Back)) Bourne, Arianna, where are you and what are you doing? * Arianna is just kinda resting after that last fight, checking on things on the ships in general and making sure things are alright. If it's during the day, I'm walking around learning the crew's names and backgrounds, and if we haven't finished it yet, looking over the ship's inventory and papers. it's day right now, yes * Bourne eyes the ship's drift compared to the others in the fleet as the wind turns. . o O (Hmm. Needs a firm hand to turn smoothly, looks like.) Bourne: Any ideas on who to promote to Midshipman, as you may need help with running the ship in Neil's self-imposed absense? "You on the forward mainsail! Yeah. Keep that rigging tight, somebody hasn't maintained that foot right." . o O (Gotta fix that too. Sloppy maintenance'll have us under in a bad storm. Gotta keep an eye on the rigging... man, what's keeping Neil? I need another pair of eyes.) * Bourne looks around. . o O (Somebody levelheaded. Somebody I can trust. Somebody the crew would be comfortable with put ah--) "Arianna, can I talk to you?" * Arianna glances up. "Ah, sure. What do you need, cutter?" "I think I've asked this before, but what kind of experience do you have as a sailor?" "Quite honestly, I never even set foot on a ship of this sort til I met this crew." (but, you've been with the crew at least two months, assuming you signed on before they left Freehold) "So maybe about two months. Not a whole lot." "Hmm. You've picked up the basics quite adeptly, then." Josh, some of the crew seems to be working near your hiding spot, taking inventory (re) "I'm not sure what Neil is doing in there, though I have my suspicions. In the meantime, though, I need an additional hand overseeing some of the routine tasks. I don't want us to get top-heavy with officers, so I'm breveting you to midshipman. Do you know that term?" "Breveting, or midshipman?" "Both. * A pair of eyes watch from a crack in the wood, hidden by shadows. Maybe there's a way to make them not find this spot...not enough room to hide if they open it. The person to whom those eyes belong whispers a silent prayer for protection. "I think I know about brevet, though I'd still care to hear your definition so there aren't any misunderstandings. Dunno about Midshipman, though." "It means I'm giving you temporary promotion because I need someone to fill the rank, with permanence depending on your performance. A midshipman straddles the divide between enlisted and officer ranks. Basically, it will be your job to see that what the officers say needs done gets done." * Josh very carefully, slowly, and quietly slips his hand around the hilt of a saber stored in the small space with him. Josh, one of the crew looks around, almost at your position. Give me a Hide check "Got it. I'll give it my best." * Bourne grins. "I expected nothing less. I'm... not actually sure how pay grade benefits work under a letter of marque...." A momentarily odd expression crosses his face. "We'll figure something out at the end of the mission." He claps Ari on the shoulder. "You can start with the maintenance this ship was apparently skipping." * Curuar sits in the crows nest, not exactly sulking, but definitely in deep thought wondering what happened that would have made Keegis turn coat * Arianna nods. "Anything else?" "That'll do for now." s/poor maintenance/battle damage/ ? Sure. I'd think the latter more likely Redwater crews are nothing if not proud of their ships Then, "You can start with seeing to the remaining battle damage." * Arianna nods. "Alright, getting right on it." * Arianna wanders off to supervise! Josh: the crewman turns to his partner, and nods in your direction. Both of them draw their sabers, and start to close on your hiding spot. * Josh gulps, and shifts as quietly as possible so his sabre is at least a meager second barrier between him and the incoming pirates. One of them calls to someone on the far side of the hold. "Get the cap'n." Bourne: one of the crew comes up from belowdecks. "Sir, you're wanted in the hold." Josh: their sabers are drawn, but they don't appear to be coming any closer yet. * Bourne gets an enthusiastic look, heads down. "Find something interesting?" B: "Depends on your definition. Could be left overs from a few days ago." J: you see the one that left arrive with a gentleman in his late- 20s/early-30s. At his arrival, the two that first noticed you come closer, and start moving a crate out of the way * Arianna directs and oversees repairs! She's feeling productive. Cur: you're on lookout. So far, you see... gimme a spot check * Josh presses his back into the far wall of his hidey-hole, as if hoping the shadows would just swallow him. He's clenching his jaw to keep from breathing too hard. B: as the crate is moved out of the way, you see ... Josh, physdesc? 1d20 * Prozac throws the bones for Curuar (1d20) and gets 16. (also, physdescs from everyone else, for future reference) * Josh is a black-haired, blue-eyed, almost filthy youth, maybe as old as his mid-teens, in tattered but still serviceable trousers with a matching shirt; his feet are bare. He's about five feet tall, when he actually stands, and a little on the skinny side, like many boys in the midst of a growth spurt. He's got some sort of wooden beads for a necklace that goes under the loose collar of his tunic. * Arianna is a tall young-looking woman with long, shimmering silver hair, and piercing blue eyes. She tends to wear a smile wherever she goes, and there's an aura of confidence and compassion about her. * Josh is currently pressed, crouched, against the wall, a rather nice-looking saber that seems entirely out of place with his poor garb held defensively as his eyes dart from person to person. He seems to be holding still, as if hoping he still might not be noticed. A couple bags and small chests lie near his feet. http://earl.of.sandwich.net/Photos/fushigitamah1.jpg , more like the guy on the right when he's being formal or doing magic. ((You're playing Tamahome? :P )) Just a guy who looks like him. (( Good pic, though. He Hong? )) (( Mainly asking 'cause of the japanese/chinese robes in the right-hand magic pic. )) * Bourne looks with mild curiosity at what the men have found. * Arsenal oocly pokes UL. * Curuar is a half-elf. His skin is well tanned from years on the deck of a ship, his eyes are green, his hair brown. He stands about 5'10" and has the slender build of most elves, but his muscles are well defined from shipboard labor. He typically wears only a pair of breaches and a bandana tied around his head to keep his hair out of the way. Bourne: see Josh's physdesc and action *calls down to the deck* "Fog west!" "Yep. Definitely leftovers." "Cabin boy?" The question could be addressed to Josh. * Curuar snaps open his spyglass and takes a closer look at the fog bank * Josh focuses his eyes on Bourne, then nods, once. He doesn't manage to supress another frightened gulp, though he keeps his face as stern as a 15(ish)-year-old can manage. Cur: It's thick, almost an enshrouding mist. It also appears to be not-moving. But the ship looks like it might skirt the edge. "What's your name?" "Josh." He pauses, then continues, as if remembering, "Sir." * Curuar scans the area out in front of the fog, looking for any small boats or telltales of hostile creatures * Bourne decides to see how Redwater the lad is. "What was this ship's mission?" (Josh: Int check!) * Josh still hasn't moved a muscle, other than to answer. "I don't know." His voice hasn't changed yet, but the cracking on 'don't' indicates that it will soon enough. Ars: Detect Lies (it's default, 8)? (yes) 3d6 * Prozac throws the bones for Bourne (3d6) and gets 13. "You look like that would be true." His eyes flicker over Josh's clothing. (you think he believes what he's saying, but the fear seems to be making it difficult to tell) * Bourne holds out a hand, palm up, and watches Josh's eyes carefully. * Bourne whispers a few syllables, to cast Create Water, and watches Josh's reaction to the magic. 3d6 * Prozac throws the bones for Bourne (3d6) and gets 7. Where are you creating the water? ((Describe what happens so I can react appropriately, please. ^^;)) Just a ball above my palm. It'll splash to the ground when I'm done. (lemme check something...) Droplets of mist form and rush together in a ball above my palm, creating a ball of water about the size of a melon hanging in space. ((Waits for Ars to finish checking 'something', in case it affects this situation.)) (Josh: Knowledge arcana, if you have it) ((Don't have it.)) (Int check, then) (okay, Josh can react now) * Josh 's frightened eyes dart from Bourne's, to the men's sabers, to his own (which is beginning to shake a bit from the strain of holding it up - not from nerves, honest), and to the water hovering in mid-air. He swallows again. "Wh- what are you going to do?" * Bourne . o O (Well, that was better than anger or hostility, anyway.) * Bourne lets it splash to the ground. "With the water? Nothing. I wanted to see if you had any particular problem with magic." He quirks an eyebrow. "...have you eaten in the past two days?" "...yes." * Josh edges his feet a bit to keep the water from hitting them. Well, in an attempt to. He's kind of out of maneuvering room, so if it's going to, his feet will just have to get damp. "Oh. Good. You owe me for two day's rations, then. You can work it off on the crew. Of course, you'll probably have to eat during those days, too. Guess you'll just have to stick with us until we hit port. Of course, you could always object to my ownership of this vessel under Ritaegno letter of marque to Captain Davies of the _Rajni Natesa_. Do you... object?" "Cabin boys do not object to orders, Sir." His expression struggles to remain serious; it keeps trying to break into an amused grin, but he seems unsure that that's an appropriate response. ... and, let's cut topside to Curuar and Arianna. "I don't need a cabin boy. You're with the crew. Hand that pigsticker over politely go to midshipman Arianna to get assigned." Bourne turns to go, then looks back, with a certain smile. "Put him under the supervision of... Seaman Curuar." +and * Arianna goes about her appointed task, looking over the damages, and assigning crewmen to deal with them. (Cur, you yelled something down earlier?) "Fog west!" * Josh slowly lowers his sword, eyeing the others' blades nervously. When it's no longer in any position for use, he untenses a bit, and makes a somewhat clumsy little leap over the puddle on the floor after making sure no-one is going to stab him for moving. "Sir? How will I recognize midshipman Arianna?" J, B: the rest of the crew go about their business * Bourne stands next to the top of the ladder to the main deck, points out the statuesque blonde. Ari: you hear Cur give his announcement. * Josh follows the pointing finger, and straightens up a bit, nodding once and scampering over to stand near the woman. He waits quietly and politely for her to notice him. * Arianna gazes into the west to evaluate how bad it is. " Ari: the fog is barely visible from deck, but there seems something otherworldly about it * Curuar scans the area in front of the fog wioth his spyglass * Arianna blinks at the new arrival. "Why, hello there. My name is Arianna. Do you require guidance? the fog also seems to be not-moving, but the ship is angled to skirt the edges of it "The...captain?" he seems not -quite- positive of the designation, but goes on with that assumption, "ordered me to turn my 'pigsticker' over to you and get assigned." His serious expression has completely dissolved behind an excited smile, now, and his voice is positively piping with said excitement. "Ah, I see. Hm..." * Arianna looks over Josh, evaluating him. "Tell me a little about your experience." Ari: that fog seems a bit familiar to you... * Curuar puts away the spyglass and continues scanning the ocean, but glances back at the fog to make sure we aren't moving any closer to it * Arianna glances back at the fog, trying to place it. * Josh sucks in a deep breath. "I stowed away on the ship and then they found me and they put me to work as a cabin boy 'cause it was too far from shore to do anything else with me and then you attacked and they shoved me out of the way and I hid and then you found me and now I'm to be a member of the crew," he exhales, all on that breath. He then takes a moment to catch it again, having deflated his lungs. Cur: the fleet is due to pass through the edge of it shortly... at the current speed, it'll be sunset. no other ships or boats can be seen. ( heh heh heh ) Hm. Check over the rations, make sure they haven't gotten wet after the recent fighting. I'd hate to see 'em start rotting." * Arianna glances back at the fog. * Curuar calls down a warning to change course away from the fog "Fog?" * Arsenal oocly checks the world doc * Bourne looks over and sees it. "Oh, are we passing Al Quenda?" * Josh nods, about to acknowledge, then pauses. "Oh. And, um, the captain said I'm supposed to be under the supervision of 'Seaman Curuar'. I'll be down going over the rations, ma'am. Should I report back to you when I'm done?" (Allire'al... retroactive name change) Sure. Check . "Sure." * Josh 's voice gets just a little nervous saying that seaman's name. "Yes, ma'am." He dashes off, back down the steps. "Allire'al Barrier Mist to port, cap'n!" "Hm. Reminds me of Sylvania..." * Bourne tries to recall whether skirting the mist is safe. Probably a good idea to stay well away... "Wonder what the fog over here is for... if this is abnormal for this place, I'd better get to the dark of it." (( no one who has ever entered the mists was seen again )) : . o O ( Oh well. We'll follow the fleet. ) Most of the fleet seems to be poised to head right through a section of it * Arianna watches the reactions of the crew. "What's the mist here for?" Most of the crew is getting a little nervous as they approach the fogbank * Bourne tells the guy at the wheel, "Edge toward the starboard side of the fleet. We'll see if they get the hint." * Josh is belowdecks, inventorying the rations, so doesn't see it. ^_^ What ship is actually in the lead at the moment? "No one knows, except maybe the elves." B: Drake's, the _Rage of Darkness_ and he ain't swerving in the least the gnome airship is also lowering its altitude "..." * Bourne looks around at the rest of the fleet. Nobody seems at all nervous about our course? B: most do. The Rajni is slowing down the Rage and the Cold Steel are blazing forward, as is the Lina Inverse * Bourne tells the guy at the wheel, "Keep with the _Rajni_. Captain Davies won't steer us wrong." the orcs in the longship have stopped The sun lowers behind the mists, and Josh finishes his task * Bourne calls some seamen to drop some sails briefly, to match speeds with the _Rajni_. Cur: spot check hell, everyone, spot checks * Josh double-checks his list, blowing on the ink gently to make sure it's dry before rolling it up into a neat scroll and heading up the ladder, looking to find Arianna. He once again waits quietly for her to notice him when he finds her. This time, his attention is caught by the mist, while he waits, but he bites his tongue on any questions. 3d6 * Prozac throws the bones for Bourne (3d6) and gets 12. Cur, Josh, and Bourne see the outline of the Rage as it enters the mists seem to shift ... up. the Cold Steel does the same "What in the world..." * Josh gasps a bit, and takes a step back. "Wow..." as it shifts up, it fades * Arianna BLINKS. "What 's going on there?" . o O (That can't be right...) . o O (Unless the Rage is an Elven ship?) the Lina and the flying cigar do exactly the same. "That's the Allire'al Barrier Mist. Legend has it no one who's gone in there has ever come back out. The elves go there when they're ready to leave the world." (they lift twice a year to allow passage to Allire'al) * Josh asks immediately, without thinking, "Why?" (on the solstices) The legend/rumor/myth/whatever is that no one who's entered the actual Mist has come back out, right? *calls to the deck* "Master Bourne! What is the date?" right *to Josh* "Which part?" B: A giant eagle is flown over from the Rajni, the Pride, and two other ships, and the longship captain requests a ladder to board "I, er... am not sure. ... Why are we going in, I suppose." It's hard to tell if he's worried or anticipatory. "...the gnome ship. It descended, did you see that? It deliberately went down to enter the Mist. It didn't just go in blindly or accidentally." * Bourne signals a seaman to drop the ladder and a boarding bridge for the other ships. well, Davies and the other three ship captains that aren't viking orcs are flown ovre. * Josh nods. "I saw, sir. What do you think it means?" . o O (I hope someone can explain that. I'm going to get hammered with question tonight, I just know it. Sometimes being half-elf is a real pain.) "I haven't the... if you'll pardon the expression, foggiest." "Bourne. How's your command going?" * Josh laughs briefly with genuine amusement, and just stares at the mists. He seems to have forgotten his situation, and that he's holding a rather large scroll. * Bourne eyes Josh, turns back to Captain Davies. "Every day a new excitement, Captain. She's a well-kept ship, I think she'll serve us faithfully." "Does anyone have any idea what in the world just happened?" "I was thinking one of your crew does. Curuar *was* raised on an Allire'al ship, was he not?" "...sorcery..." "Was he, Captain? I wasn't familiar." Bourne looks up. "Seaman Curuar, report to the foredeck!" * Arianna watches the fog. "I don't think it's sorcery... I think we've stumbled on something we not intended for us. * Curuar grabs his longbow and quiver and gets to the deck "Maybe if we tied ropes between ships, so they could be pulled back, it wouldn't be so dangerous?" "I don't think that'd work. We don't have the strength to pull them, and we'd likely just get dragged along. On the plus side, we can't get separated. *once at the foredeck* "You called, cap'n?" * Josh nods, still watching the fog. "Curuar. You served on a ship that sailed the Allire'al route, right?" "Aye, Master Bourne. But only during the solstices." "Of course. Tell us... what happens to a ship that enters the Mist at *other* times?" "I've come from Allire'al out of the mists at other times. But I've always been warned to keep from entering them." "As far as anyone, they vanish from this world to no one knows where. Except maybe the Elves of Allire'al." "If my guess is right, we're headed straight for the center of Sylvania. Very pretty place. Trees, mountains, very pretty and refreshing. I've no doubt it'd be a pleasant stay, but getting out is going to be a tad complicated..." "Sylvania? Home of Gessa, the huntress goddess?" * Bourne addresses the captains. "Do any of you have any idea why the other captains of the fleet would charge straight in there? Had they said anything that might have given you an idea they were going to do such a thing?" "Yeah. Just my guess, though." Three of them, including Davies, shake their heads. The orc, however, stops and mutters something under his breath. * Bourne (as I assume my fellows do) turn to the orc. "Elves seem to like it." "Some elves, lady Arianna." *to the Orc captain* "You heard something?" "I heard Drake say that the Black Vault wasn't on this world. I didn't believe him." "But why paln this raid and not tell anyone how the fleet was to get there?" "Or were those ships the only ones he thinks he needs?" * Josh whirls, wide-eyed. "Maybe... he trusted us to follow him. But I refuse to go in there." "Curuar asks an excellent question. I'm not interested in barrelling in to the Mists without assurances of my navigation." * Davies pulls out a flask and takes a deep swig. * Bourne mutters an obscenity, followed by "The planning of this whole raid has been slapdash." "Shall I up the mast, sirs?" "He never told us where to go." "He gave me directions, but never said anything about this." "... and Vy-dammit, Charboneau was on the Inverse!" "Maybe we were... an escort. Extra bodies until we got to the Mist, and he thought he could handle it from there with a few of the others, and split the take fewer ways. That's just speculation, though." * Arianna frowns. "Well, I suppose he has his reasons... and it's not like it's hostile territory. So long as we're careful about the wildlife. Still, I don't know how we're going to get out. "Another question. Which ship was the medusa on?" *to Arianna* "You seem pretty sure... is a ship that enters those mists right now headed for Sylvania?" "...medusa?" *to Cur* "She was on Duras's ship... the _Cold Steel_." *to Arianna* "I've heard planars can see gates and such. Can you tell where it heads?" "It's just my best guess at the moment. The fog looks practically the same as the type found in the middle of Sylvania, and this is where elves are supposed to go when they decide it's time to leave this world. Can't think of any other place they'd leave for." * Curuar keeps his suspicions to himself for now. He'll discuss them later with Master Bourne. (Point of order: the elves do not "leave the world". They live on the continent which is in the center of the barrier mists) * Arianna blinks. "Where'd you hear that?" ( ooh. ) My bad. (of course, returning to Allire'al can be considered "leaving the world" in many ways) (speculation abounds about the nature of the barrier mists) "Anyway, we can't see what's on the other side unless we stick our face through. Of course, that might not be the best way to try determining the dark of where it ends up." 9The Spluggorth use it to hide their illegal casino operations!) *snrk* -9 +( "There's this one poor sod who got a good look at the Elemental Plane of Fire that way. Or so I hear." "...ow." (elemental planes: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood) * Josh winces in sympathy, too. "He was never the same afterwards. Or so I hear. I dunno if I believe the story. SOme people just say it's made up to teach kids not to be stupid. I don't care to learn if the story's real or not. It serves its purpose pretty well. * Bourne thinks. "Elves are known for a weird sense of humor but they're not *vicious*. I don't imagine it would take us somewhere horrid. Or at least no more horrid than we were ourselves. There's still the whole problem going somewhere one doesn't know how to go back." "Well... you said he came here intentionally, right? Would he come here without knowing how to get back?" "Or intending to get back?" * Curuar stands by quietly and listens to the conversation "He claims to have been there once before and come back alive." * Josh keeps stealing glances at Curuar and the orcs, while listening to the conversation. * Bourne makes a half shrug. "I haven't know Duras as long as some others here. He's... odd, but not stupid." "If he knew the Vault was there and there was a way back, though, why wouldn't he have told us?" (man, if Legis were here, she'd prolly be raring to go in) "Then it could be possible that Captain Drake and the others planned this well in advance and gathered the rest of us to cover his tracks. We have a sizeable fleet assembled, and four ships going missing wouldn't be hard to miss." Hell, *I'm* raring to go in. (As-is, Josh is about 70% raring to do just that. He's just inhibited by the fact that he's, well, cabin boy.) * Arianna nods. "Well... let's give it a go, then." "Well, I'm pulling out. Bourne, this ship is yours, do as you will." * Curuar looks to Master Bourne for orders The captains disperse. * Josh looks to Bourne, too. He looks...hopeful. * Bourne . o O (Oh yeah, that's right. *This* is why the captains get the sleepless nights.) The orc longship pulls away, raises sail, and paddles into the mists Session Time: Sat Aug 20 00:00:00 2005 the Rajni Natesa pulls away, headed northeast * Bourne takes a long look at the mists. * Curuar is somehow offended in a nagging manner that orcs sailed into those mists. Damn elven blood. "Master Bourne, I think we should follow Captain Drake in." "Well." The other ships appear to be waiting. * Curuar looks at the mists to see if they are still raised or settling back into place the mists never raised "...I made a promise to that woman. And hell's bells if I'm gonna be outdone by a longship full of orcs! Curuar, get back up to the crow's nest. Raise that foremast mainsail back up, we're going come hell *and* high water!" "Aye, sir!" * Curuar get's his skinny half-elf ass back up the mast * Josh throws a fist in the air and jumps. "Woo!" When he lands, he looks sheepish, and averts his eyes. He manages to keep hold of his scroll, though. * Bourne throws a mage-wind in the sails. If you're going to go into the Mists, go in full tilt and reaching for the Horizon! *cough* Um. Lady Arianna? I finished with the inventory. *ahem* "Huh? Oh, thank you. How was it, overall? As the ship enters the mists, the ship and crew feel the strangest sensations. You hear smells, taste colors, and the sensation of falling and going up at the same time pervades the ship. There is a rocking, a slight spinning, and the mists become all types of impossible colors. Then, abruptly, as you're all getting used to the sensations, they stop, and you find yourselves.... in an open sea, the mists to your back, and the sun rising in the east. No, wait, that actually *looks* like a horse-drawn chariot rather than a glowing disc. "By the gods, we're seeing gods." The four ships that entered the mists before you are there, as is the gnome flying contraption. Two other ships appear out of the mists beside you. Has my Wind spell been affected by the transition? Drake's ship raises a message. "What kept you?" * Bourne has a seaman raise "Lack of intelligence / Many thanks". * Josh STARES at the chariot-sun. (err, intelligence as in, information, data, scouting, etc.) *Rage* "Where's Davies?" (most likely convo via semaphore than flags) * Arianna winces, trying to regain her bearings and figure out where they are. ((Samaphore is flags.)) (not the kind you raise on the mast, though) * Bourne has their guy signal, "Stayed behind. We weren't told how to come back." ((Oh. That's what you meant by 'flags'.)) *Rage* "Just turn around!" (If there was a semaphore smiley, I'd use it.) ((Sadly, Josh doesn't speak Semaphore. So he is just staring at this place.)) * Bourne starts telling his guy to signal, "That's not what rumor says," then tells him, "screw it. Ask 'where are we'?" (( basically, the signalmen's messages are being translated )) *Rage* "Two day's sail from the Black Vault." *to Rage* "What plane? Nice horse, by the way." *Rage* "We're not sure. It doesn't match anything in the mythology." *to Rage* "But you know where the Vault is? How long to get there?" * Curuar keeps the spyglass out and alternates between checking spefic points through it and watching the general scenery -last line *Rage* "Two days* Yeah, brainfart Signalman probably would have told me that. ;^) * Arianna glances at Curuar. "OH yeah, Curuar, JOsh here is now under your care." ,ooc> *snicker* *to signalman* "Allright, close transmission. Wait, ask one last thing. 'Anything else you've forgotten to tell us?'" * Curuar is up in the crows nest, so doesn't hear Arianna (assume Ari calls it up) "Send him up!" *Rage* "We need to rework the plan since Davies pulled out." *Rage* "There is a small uncharted island three days' sail to starboard. We'll plan there." * Josh is a bit distracted by this strange world, so didn't actually realize he was being discussed. *to Rage* "Understood, will follow you." *to signalman* "Close transmission." As near as anyone can tell, this world appears to be similar to the Material Plane you're familiar with, except for the flying, glowing chariot in the sky * Bourne thinks out loud. "If we can really just waltz back through the Mists, we could go back for Davies, but it'd take... mmph. Probably days at our relative rates, even if I haul up a wind." Someone needs to buy Stormwrack (mischan?) ( yeah ) "Oh well. I'll surprise him some day." . o O (I hope.) * Bourne gives the necessary commands to have the ship follow the _Rage_. "Josh, why aren't you up in the crow's nest yet? You can stare at the chariot from up there, though don't do it too much, you'll go blind." * Curuar watches the surrounding ocean while waiting for Josh to get up here Cur: spot check? :) The horse is letting a pie fly. Dodge check! (that's factored into AC for d20) +3 Horse Apples of Maiming! GM: By the way, I've let the wind drop now, but was it at all affected by the nature of the new plane? * Josh blinks. "Oh. Right. Yessir!" He turns and takes a good running start at the mainmast, then -runs- straight up its side, clambering into the crow's nest without so much as using the ladder. He grins cheerfully at Curuar. "Hi! I'm Josh." :. o O (That's a new one...) (the ladder *or* the rigging) * Josh commences staring at the sun again. Or as near to as he can without burning his eyes out of their sockets. "Took you long enough to get up here." *looks at Josh, doesn't see the normal flush the effort ofclimbing usually takes* "So, what am I supposed to do with you?" * Bourne bes all scientific, heh heh. * Arsenal oocly hits the MMs to see what Cur spotted, hold on) * Josh doesn't meet Curuar's eyes. "I don't know." After a moment, he appends "Sir," onto the end of that. "... Did you just call me 'sir'?" *in mock anger* "Do I look like an officer, boy?! I WORK FOR A LIVING!" *grins* "Besides, not being an officer lets me take the best view on the ship." * Bourne heads to the captain's cabin. Bourne gets two sheets of paper or parchment, as clean as possible. Bourne uses some glue... hmm, no glue. Bourne gets a small pin from one hinge of a cabinet. Bourne pokes a hole through one of the sheets. "I'm sure officers work for a living, too. What should I call you?" Bourne then puts the pin back in the hinge and steps outside. Bourne holds the sheet with the pinhole a few inches away from the other sheet twoard the chariot, and safely observes the reverse image of this world's sun created by the pinhole camera. Science Is Fun[tm]! :^) "Just call me Curuar." *goes back to watching the sea and the sky as we talk* "SItting up here isn't all fun. At times, it can be pretty dangerous. Like during storms." "Yessir. er, Curuar." Bourne: it seems to be a horse-drawn chariot, flying through the sky I'm not actually expecting to learn anything other than the obvious. (. o O (Hmm, it's ungelded.) ) I was just keen to do it because I could. ;^) "Here." *hands Josh one of the lines tied to the mast top. "Tie this on. It won't do for you to fall out of the nest on your first day." (heheh) Great, the new kid meets Curuar and the first thing he's asked to do is tie one on.... Is that a crack on us Elves?! "Tie one on" = "have a drink" * Josh takes it and ties it around his waist. The knot is actually passable, for a sailor's knot. Not spectacular, but passable. Cur: off to the far port, on the horizon, you see what would be a blue whale... only it would be about twice to three times as large as you would think * Curuar snaps open his spyglass for a better look * Legis has joined #highseas * Arsenal sets mode: +o Legis Cur: The only way to spot it is *through* said spyglass it's that far out 'k *to Josh* "Ever seen a whale?" "A whale? No, I haven't." * Arianna looks around, taking in the sights. "Feels kinda like home.... kinda." "Then have a look." *points to where Josh should look and hands him the spyglass (* * Josh takes the spyglass, looking at it curiously for a moment before putting it to his eye, and finding the whale in question. His soft sound of awe is all the confirmation he's spotted it Curuar gets. "That beast has to be the largest I've ever seen, and I've seen a few." *shouts down to the deck* "Watch for whales!" * Bourne looks at the sky, wonders about the weather patterns and currents on this plane. . o O ( Does it have stars at night? Little mule-drawn carts for planets? Is it flat, or do we have latitude and longitude? I wonder if anyone's mapped the currents.... *sea-faring nerd powers activate!* ) (well, if *anyone* has that info, it'd be Redwater) What time is it as the horse flies, anyway? * Legis hiccups, from up in the rigging somewhere, and cracks an eye. "Urh..." she mutters groggily. "What happened, dreamt world went all sanelike for a bit." * Bourne . o O (Think now, what's the log convention for noting a time shift between planes....) (Bourne: mid-morning) (and it was sunset when you entered the mists) * Bourne hits his cabin to take very careful notes on recent events, especially our transition's departure and arrival apparent time, and our apparent current wind, speed, and heading, as taken in relation to the sun. Thing. * Legis flips upright, overcompensates slightly, and gracefully falls to the deck. * Curuar takes the spyglass back and continues his scanning of the area *to Josh* "Just keep your eyes open for anything you don't recognize. Let me know when you see something." * Legis yawns while stretching cat-like, then shakes her head and gets to her feet. "Okay." "Hm. Any idea how long we'll be back here? I'm hoping it won't be too hard to find Davies again when we head back to the Prime Material." "No clue as to that, though all totaled it seems we'll be eight days at sea at most. Then there's the actual work at the Vault, no telling there, and sailing back, which if it's like Duras says, should be two more. So, 10 or a bit more, then from the Barrier Mist back to Caer Ritaegno." (Drake, not Duras. Drake captains the Rage, Duras the Cold Steel) s/Duras/Drake/ (Drake's the ringleader) "Hey," Legis comments, still waking up. "Weren't there more boats around before?" "Davies stayed behind. We weren't sure if we could come back." "Still aren't, but at least we're currently alive and inhabiting three dimensions in one contiguous piece." * Legis nods thoughtfully, then pulls Charles the rock out of her pack, letting him orbit. * Curuar starts his habitual singing to himself while he watches the sea everyone good for stopping here for the night? "Umm... that would be a mathematical thing. Not really important unless you're fairly heavy into the finer points of navigation and need to know about things like the differences between flat maps and curved worlds." "Oh, I was talking to him but... uh... navigation leaving to others, I think is best given my history of direction finding." Later folx * Curuar is now known as TFB71 * TFB71 has quit IRC (Quit: People who run from God keep forgetting that He is an excellent sniper. )