--:-- Ship Time, The Void, near Shadowhaven. 54th Day, 231st year.
Martog and Freym pull up the plank as Fang returns to the captain’s side.He easily loosens the knots, and the rope slides free.The ship lurches up, and the rope under Tooly’s foot begins to pull away; he lets it do so.
The ship climbs of its own accord at a rapid pace.Everyone aboard feels their stomachs drop.The cargo appears to be distributed evenly enough, and she keeps her keel down.After you are even with the rooftops, the ship settles into an easy drift, away from the city.The shade of the envelope feels good, and there is a soft rustling sound within.Blendin thinks it sounds like singing; to the rest of you it just sounds like wind.
In the Void, the flames that engulf much of the shipyard are not as nearly as visible as the fingers of smoke.As you look down, the cargo pile explodes, and a ball of black smoke billows out.A number of the riggers, still stunned or injured, are caught in the blast.The men who burned Concordia have divert their attention to a nearby sloop.
The Swoose is not the only survivor. A few other ships are making sail for the horizon, but too many are still tied to the piers.You also see dark smoke exiting out the chimneys of the Shadowhaven near the Nexus.You hope that the destruction there isn’t anything near what you have seen today.You can see the Trade Council shipyards, and 3 Council ships.Sails are being unfurled, and they appear to be making ready to sail.You also see the massive sails of another Council ship, approaching from the horizon.
From this vantage, you can see below the shipyards as well.The windpriestesses temple is carved into the rockface under the island, as are the slipways for new hulls.These areas appear untouched by the carnage above.
Gardner makes his way to the helm.The ships rudder lines had been replaced during the repairs, so the wheel is particularly smooth.The waysphere is socketed in the center of the wheel housing, and will need attunement.
The trade council orcs look nervously about.Kline’s wound is severe, but he is still breathing.Martog approaches Tooly, with the crowbar outstretched.“Payment. Now we save Kline?”
Jay exits the cabin, after making sure that his plants were not harmed by the rough launch of the ship.He holds his new prize, and seems to be quite enamored with it.The bit taken out of his armored hide does not appear to bother him, and will likely join the other chips and scars that cover much of his thorny flesh.
Blendin cannot get the image of the woman’s face out of his head.Maybe he was just seeing things…
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ooc: Combat complete.
That battle went remarkably well, guys, both in terms of your success and interpretability from my perspective.I’m curious if it was as easy to follow for you guys.There were a couple little flubs on my part, but I hope we’re feeling good about the numbers and how things work.If there are things I can change/do to help improve the way battles go for the next one, let me know in ooc.
You got outta there without any actual casualties (Kline is incapped but stabilized.He will require medical attention to deal with his wound), which surprised the heck outta me.That, coupled with the great RPing and completion of reasonable prep for the trip, I’ve decided to go ahead and assign your advances for the first “session.”Each player will be receiving 3 advancement points.You also will receive a fresh stack of bennies so that you each have 3 total.Keep up the great play, and you’ll have that first advance (requires 5 advancement points) in no time.
In terms of equipment, in the battle you appear to have lost the following: The bone inside the box.
2 rounds of ammo (Clovis)
1 round of ammo (Gardner and Blendin)
And gained:
A gold shortsword (Jay).
A crowbar (Clovis)
I have added this information to your character sheets.If any of this is incorrect, or I forgot something, let me know.
At this point we’ve returned to standard time.I assume you will each need to complete some tasks (like ditching the soldiers somewhere) before you get underway for your journey.Take as much time to do that and RP whatever else you need/want to do.
Once you’ve done everything you want to here, and are ready to turn the ship’s nose toward Canopy/Timber, just give me a heads up in your posting any actions you want to take (probably as a list) for the journey.I’ll also need to know who is on what shift (since you’re doing 2 man shifts, as I recall). I’m not going to make you RP the entire six-week journey in realtime.Instead, I may check in at a couple points during the journey, based on what actions you choose to take.
The trip takes about 10 weeks for most people this time of year, but your captain knows these skies pretty well (Boating roll 12) and has plotted a course to get you there in 6.
Tooly takes the crowbar with a nod and a mutter of "...never have too many tools." After looking over Kline, he asks Gardner, "Can we drop these guys in the Council harbor or on a Council ship? They have healers, right?"
Once a plan for getting the troops delivered somewhere safe is determined, Tooly checks over the ship to make sure nothing was damaged or dislodged, then inspects his flare cannon carefully to make sure it's recharging properly.
Before the ship pulls away from dropping off the troops, Tooly mentions to Gardner that they did not have time to get food, and he still has the full 60 cogs for supplies. He shows him the hides and explains that since he couldn't get a receipt, he used his own money to buy them, but will generously let the rest of the crew borrow them for the trip to Canopy. He proposes splitting the unused money amongst the crew, to make up for the extra work they'll have to do catching food on the trip, though he suggests saving a few cogs to buy more ammo as he takes three rounds from the ship's small store to replace the ones he fired.
Realizing that Kline's injury could have been worse, and no one on board is much of a healer, Tooly spends the first few days experimenting with a building a contraption that looks like a cross between a torture device and a pistol, but which he says is a device to close wounds. After a lot of experimentation and grumbling about a lack of parts, he seems satisfied with the frightening-looking result: a wooden grip attached to a section of steampipe from the old engine, containing a variety of random parts including some from his necklace, with a pair of metal spikes sticking out the end and several more interlocking spikes on arms designed to close like a pair of blacksmith's tongs. He adds a loop to his belt to hold the thing, though leaves it in the cabin.
On the trip to timber, when not helping with the running of the ship, Tooly works on the fluffy, stiff hides he bought off the riggers, working one of them into a more supple state to be used as a cape, downy side in. He helpfully cuts one down for Blendin, then uses the strip he cut off to make tubes to wrap his lower legs, a kilt to wrap his thighs, and some smaller cones to cover his feet, though the ankles of his boots are still exposed. A strip cut from his own cape makes a hood. He encourages the others to make themselves capes as well He says the off-duty crew can sleep between a pair of the extras each, and discusses making an inner door for the cabin with them to keep the cold out when crewmembers come and go.
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OOC: Working the hides back and forth over a spar or railing should loosen them up enough to work as a cape or kilt, with rope or strips of hide for ties. If anyone wants extra hide for more than a cape, or wants to cut their hide up, they can buy the hide for 20 cogs. Otherwise, they are just borrowing it and must leave it whole. As for the supply money, I suggest everyone gets 20 cogs, with Gardner keeping 10 cogs to buy ammo when possible.
As the ship is pulling away, Jay takes one final shot at the smack-talkin orc (Shooting 15), then gives a short farewell wave. -------- Sometime after the excitement of the morning passes, Jay approaches Tooly to offer high praise, "Good work out there, little man. You're not half as worthless as I figured." -------- Jay falls into his usual routine during a voyage, the most notable portion being his "morning" exercises: after waking he head out onto the deck, hops up to grab the bottom of the envelope, flips his body over so that he is standing on the envelope, then does a series of routines that consist of a mix of Yoga style stretches and Tai Chi style katas (all while upside-down). The rest of the day consists of assisting in the normal mix of Void-life chores aboard the ship.
Gardner congratulates his crew on a successful and rousing departure and offers to drop the TC soldiers off at the TC shipyard or on one of the ships as they choose. Before doing so he asks them to sign a brief statement about the incident for the log. He allows everyone to replenish ammo from the ship's stores. He offers to reimburse Tooly for the hides from ship funds but keeps the rest in reserve and suggests that working the nets is part of a sailor's ordinary duties. He attunes the waysphere for Canopy, and has the Shadowhaven soil sample carefully placed in the cabin. He briefly interviews each crew member about the fight on the docks and compiles an an account for the ship's log in which we in no way started it and all crew members acted valiantly and bravely in defense of the ship. He sets up a duty schedule so that on/off duty crew can share bed space in the cabin.
Tooly grudgingly hands over the 60 cogs in Greenbottom's purse, but declines to take any of the money for the hides. He holds that they are his, but he has no problem with anyone using them to keep warm so long as they're not damaged. By hanging three hides inside the door to the cabin, he rigs a sort of vestibule that will allow crew to close the cabin door before stepping through the hanging hides, keeping the cabin warmer. Besides making capes for use on duty, crewmembers can sleep between a pair of the hides, as well. When on duty with Blendin, Tooly often discusses his theories for improving firearm technology. Besides his obviously-functional repeating musket, he has an idea for a longer-range, more accurate slug, though he confesses it would require a bigger bore than any existing musket, as well as a custom mold for the slug. Most of his other ideas seem to require the help of the Artificer to work.
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OOC: I gather that Clovis and Blendin are on duty together, while Jay and Gardner make the other pair.
Blendin takes time each morning to file down his horns. While on duty with Clovis, Blendin asks questions about modifying his current musket for longer range firing. A sniper shouldn't have to run after all. Blendin also spends some of his free time piecing together three black powder explosives in three of his flasks. 2 have 30 second fuses and are 10 shot and powder explosives (2d6, Md Burst), while the third has a 60 second fuse and is a 30 shot and powder explosive (3d6+2, Lg Burst+1). In addition, Blendin accepts the fur shortened for him by Tooly and offers 10 cogs, because he used less materials. Blendin will work this hide to a soft fluffy feel and wear it as a cape. In addition, Blendin offers and additional 15 cogs for an uncut hide and will fluff this out. He will then cut off strips for his arms and legs and use the rest as an additional blanket. At times, Blendin can be seen sitting under the envelope and appears to be listening.
The warpriests aboard the Council ship take the three troopers off your hands with thanks. The normal inspection process is postponed due to the combination of your super-cargo and the more pressing issues at the Great Shipyards. The last you see of Shadowhaven is a dark smear in the distance; the smell of burning timber reaches you for another 2 days.
Gardner is stolid and by the book, Jay seems to be his usual self, but Clovis is particularly grumpy the first week. He then seems to relax, and the rest of the crew can rest easy as well (gained 1 level of glowmadness, but it was recovered after limiting exposure aboard ship).
Once out in the void, you settle into the rhythm of shipboard life. Jay and Gardner take first watch, while Blendin and Clovis take second. The shifts are long, but busy enough that boredom doesn’t have much chance to take hold.
Trawling food has been easy enough the past few weeks. Food is abundant in the Void, and your new nets are working well. You also catch a number of fibrous plants that, while inedible, burn remarkably long and put out a fair bit of heat. The ship seems to be handling the growing cold well enough, unlike when you relied on the steam engine.
As your journey nears its end, Gardner and Jay are on watch while Blendin and Clovis sleep. Ice has been forming on the lines, and must be cleared so that the pulleys won’t freeze up. As you’re performing this basic maintenance, you see a pair of ships in the middle distance. They are not that far off the port bow, about twice your cannon range. They appear to have seen you first, because the smaller ship, a frigate, is turning to run. The nearer ship, a galleon, is turning to face you broadside in a clear defensive posture. The frigate has green/red striped sails, while the galleon’s hull is painted with a giant serpent.
--------- ooc: Everyone has homemade altitude gear. Its not as good as a tailored suit, but it helps.
I sent emails to all of you. These are things you’ve picked up on the past few weeks.
"Looks harmless enough. I would think the Python is escorting the cargo ship but she looks light..."
"Wake up the rest of the crew just in case."
Gardner turns the ship 45 degrees to starboard and tries to maintain the current distance between the Swoose and the Python (looping around and then hopefully getting back on course). Once the crew is awake we'll signal "inbound Canopy" and wait to see what they do.
Jay enters the cabin, roughly shakes Tooly's bedding, and flips Blevin's over completely. "Captain says get up, so get a move on." Jay exits the cabin.
Tooly blinks blearily for a moment, starting to grumble something. Then remembered stories from Void sailors flash through his mind: Voiders, undead, pirates.... He leaps up, grabbing his cape and belt, but not bothering with the rest of his cold gear, and scrambles to the flash cannon. Cursing the cold, he fumbles with it before turning it on and beginning to charge it. Only then does he look around for the source of the alert.
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(OOC: First Weird Science roll was 2, second was 6. Clovis sleeps in his leathers on ship.)
The signal flags snap in the steady breeze for a few long moments. The green-red sailed ship is moving steadily away, and the Python continues to hold station paralleling the Swoose directly between the two vessels. The Python raises her own signal flags, which indicate "Stand off" and "Dangerous Cargo/Quarantine."
Clovis looks briefly disappointed that the other ship seems to be civilized and only wary, not hostile--but only briefly. He stands by the flare gun, but keeps his hands tucked inside his cape, off the spade grips. He is tense, or at least cold, but is trying to act relaxed, whistling--and occasionally singing snatches of--a folksy-sounding tune that seems oddly specific to be traditional: "...there's no place I can roost since I signed on to the Swoose..."
Gardner will continue to maintain distance from the Python and direct the ship toward Canopy until the two ships are out of sight. "Looks like its nothing. You can go back to sleep. Be sure to keep an eye out on your next watch."
The Python parallels you for an hour, before turning to follow after the other ship. They disappear into the void.
A few days later, Blendin and Clovis catch first site of Canopy. The island is quite a deal larger than Shadowhaven. Most of the island is a massive, impenetrable forest of trees far taller than even the watchtower of Mount Ore. The trees are coated in an icy sheen, making the island sparkle with reflected glowlight. It hurts your eyes when you stare into it.
You rouse the rest of the crew as you continue the approach. Timber is visible as a muddy brown scar on the edge of the trees. Two massive sawmills dominate the town, although only one of them appears to be operating at the moment. A number of homes and smaller buildings are also present, connected by covered wooden walkways. Most of the homes are dug into the earth under the stumps of ancient trees long since cut down. The tops of these stumps are often covered parapets, and you see some signs of defenses being prepared as you approach, although this appears to be standard practice not an active threat. A single long pier extends off the shore, and both sides are lined with flat bottom barges, a few of them full of wooden planks. A few other vessels are in dock, mostly trawlers and light trading vessels.
As the Swoose circles, a pilot boat approaches and parallels you. The human pilot with a bushy beard opens the hatch of his ship and ventures out onto the deck of his tiny tug. He is covered in the thick down of an altitude suit, and hails your ship. “Good evening gentleman! Welcome to Timber, Local Time is 2230. I’m Hanover, the Harbormaster. Please have all members of the crew assemble on the starboard rail so that we can know what we’re dealing with. What is the purpose of your visit: news, safety or trade?”
Motioning toward all four of them Gardner says, "This is the whole crew, we're a small vessel. We're here for trade."
---------------------------- OOC: If its customary to have a local pilot take the ship in we'll agree to that, and pay whatever fees or tips are customary to the pilot or the harbormaster for docking.
“Trade, eh? And just you four?” He looks over the crew, and a smirk crosses his lips. “Never seen that before. Alright then, throw me a tow line and bring in your sails, I’ll take ya in from here.”
The Swoose is quickly berthed towards the end of the long wooden pier. You pay the harbormaster the typical fare, which he accepts with thanks before turning to walk towards town.
As you secure the vessel, two men approach from shore. Both look rather nondescript in their thick clothing and heavy beards.
“Good Evening gentlemen, welcome to Timber. Name’s Dirk, I guess you could call me head of the Watch, such as it is. I don’t know if you boys have been to Timber before, so I’ll say it anyway. We run a quiet town here, and like to keep things safe – the cold will get us all before long if we don’t. I don’t much care for weapons in my town, but I won’t take them from you. I’ll ask you to leave them aboard ship, and hope that as honorable men you’ll do so. If you use a weapon on another man in my town, don’t expect to leave the island. You're free to move about town, but don’t stray into the treeline alone – the wildlings out there are nervous about your kind,” he points at Jay, “and won’t be too keen on trespassers. They leave us pretty well alone as long as we do the same, so don’t expect help from me if you get yourself lost in the Woods. Also, keep out of the mills. Those are our lifeblood and we can’t afford to have them both be down at the same time. I can’t guarantee your safety if you go in there, the men are pretty nervous about strangers.
“This time of night, most everything is closed up. But the tavern, “ he gestures in the general direction of a particularly large stump, “will be open for another few hours. Milton has bunks for a cog a week, private rooms for 3 that’ll sleep the lot of ya’, and hot food and drink for another per week. Milton, our very own Provider, runs the place, so there’s even hot baths in it for ya if you are willing to part with another cog for the Lifemother’s work. Of course, you can stay on the ship if you want, but I imagine after a few weeks in the void you could use a chance to stretch your legs. Hell, we even have some entertainment tonight, so you’re in luck.” The other man chuckles at this, and draws Dirk’s glower. “Oh, this here is our steward…”
The other man interjects, “Renault, at your service. I hear from Hanover you have items for trade. I’ll be happy to discuss terms with you in the morning, just bring your manifest and trade council papers so that I can keep the books. My offices are near the tavern,” he gives simple directions you feel you can follow.
Dirk continues, “Alright gentlemen, I know you’ve heard that in Timber we do things a bit differently. The boys are prone to roughhousing a bit. It looks like you can handle yourselves, but remember if you escalate to more than your fists, you’ll have me to deal with.”
OOC: Some organizational stuff our characters would already have worked out (probably). We'll want to leave one crewmember on watch on the ship at all times. Any one of us can deal with anything short of a determined attack, since thieves aren't going to charge up a gangplank at a gun or an Oakthorn. So four 6.25-hour shifts Let's assume Blendin and Clovis were only on duty a couple hours before sighting land, so one of them gets first watch to finish his shift. Gardner is going to want to be up to trade in the morning, so he won't get next shift. I rolled for us (the crew would draw straws) to see who gets first watch, first Clovis vs. Blendin, then the other three vs. each other. Tooly lost to Blendin (1 vs. 2), so he gets first watch to his GREAT disappointment. For the rest, Blendin lost(2), then Jay(4), then Gardner(6). I assume Jay and Gardner will want to go back to sleep. Blendin will need to be up for the next 12 hours (unless he naps), but even if he's been up for 4 or 5 already, that shouldn't be a problem.
JWW: If Gardner is enough of a control freak he won't draw straws and wants to set the order, feel free to override me (though the order worked out pretty well).
Tooly grumbles as he draws the short straw against Blendin and gets stuck with first watch. "Well, at least this way I'll have time to enjoy myself when I get off..." He touches the belt pouch where his flask normally hangs, then loads three rounds into his musket and drags a pair of hides out of the cabin so he can sit in the shade of the envelope and still watch the gangplank, wrapped in the hides as well as his cold gear.
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OOC part 2: The crew IS going to expect leave when not on watch, at least the first day. Standard practice. It'll likely take that long to get the trade organized anyway.
After realizing he was second watch, Blendin offers to take the first watch off Tooly's hands. Blendin explains that he doesn't have much interest in going into town anyway.
Gardner agrees with the watch-setting plan. He pays for a private room at the tavern for a week to be shared by the crew who want to stay ashore while not on duty.
-------------------- OOC: I think me being "in charge" is kind of setting up a bottleneck in the action and seems to restricting everyone else since I can't usually post more than twice a day. I think we should try find a way to RP our roles but still allow everyone to be more independent and not have to wait for me to say something before acting, because I imagine that's pretty annoying. This instance seems to have worked well.
Tooly considers taking the second watch, but after a breif internal struggle--eagerness to go ashore versus having to stop partying in six hours--he decides to stay aboard. " doubt I'll be in any shape to come back here in six hours if I go now, laddie. I'll take the first watch."
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OOC: I already emailed Clovis's actions assuming first watch, and apart from that, it's likely Tooly wouldn't make it back for the second watch, so he won't try.
JWW: I think half the problem is that we don't have any info on what we're doing here. We don't even know what the cargo is, much less who we're trading with or if we're cutting a deal ourselves. I have a decent idea of how a sailing vessel is run, but my character doesn't, so I can only make suggestions OOC. I emailed my actions for the next day or more, because most of them are independent of the rest of the crew, also, so you're not holding me up any. The others may have done the same. We may be on hold for a bit anyway, so no worries. I do half my posts from my phone's browser on my breaks because it's more fun than most things I could do, but no one expects anyone to post more than twice a day.
Blendin accepts his second watch and moves toward the cabin to stow his musket. Blendin hides his dagger in his boot and makes sure that he is still wearing his trusted knuckles. "I guess I'll go see what this entertainment is about." Blendin leaves the ship and heads toward the tavern.
------------------------------------ ooc: According to the rules, brass knuckles are not viewed/treated as weapons.
OOC: Realistically, a knife or dagger wouldn't be considered a weapon, either, most times. Especially in Sundered Skies, taverns aren't going to be able to afford to have a lot of knives on hand for people to use. People have to have their own.
"Seeing as how we all have a stake in this ship and the cargo, I should let you all know what we're here to trade. If you hadn't looked already we've got 4 crates of bronze logging tools worth about 2500 cogs on Shadowhaven. Magnus wants us to come back with a new cargo and a signed contract for regular shipments of tools, rope, and spices in exchange for wood and iceseal. While I think I'm up to the task of getting us a good price, since we're all in this together any of you that want to come along to trade in the morning are welcome. Otherwise I figure we'll complete our business and stay and relax for a few days or until the cold becomes worse than the thought of the glowmadness on the voyage back."
Tooly takes the crowbar with a nod and a mutter of "...never have too many tools." After looking over Kline, he asks Gardner, "Can we drop these guys in the Council harbor or on a Council ship? They have healers, right?"
ReplyDeleteOnce a plan for getting the troops delivered somewhere safe is determined, Tooly checks over the ship to make sure nothing was damaged or dislodged, then inspects his flare cannon carefully to make sure it's recharging properly.
Before the ship pulls away from dropping off the troops, Tooly mentions to Gardner that they did not have time to get food, and he still has the full 60 cogs for supplies. He shows him the hides and explains that since he couldn't get a receipt, he used his own money to buy them, but will generously let the rest of the crew borrow them for the trip to Canopy. He proposes splitting the unused money amongst the crew, to make up for the extra work they'll have to do catching food on the trip, though he suggests saving a few cogs to buy more ammo as he takes three rounds from the ship's small store to replace the ones he fired.
Realizing that Kline's injury could have been worse, and no one on board is much of a healer, Tooly spends the first few days experimenting with a building a contraption that looks like a cross between a torture device and a pistol, but which he says is a device to close wounds. After a lot of experimentation and grumbling about a lack of parts, he seems satisfied with the frightening-looking result: a wooden grip attached to a section of steampipe from the old engine, containing a variety of random parts including some from his necklace, with a pair of metal spikes sticking out the end and several more interlocking spikes on arms designed to close like a pair of blacksmith's tongs. He adds a loop to his belt to hold the thing, though leaves it in the cabin.
On the trip to timber, when not helping with the running of the ship, Tooly works on the fluffy, stiff hides he bought off the riggers, working one of them into a more supple state to be used as a cape, downy side in. He helpfully cuts one down for Blendin, then uses the strip he cut off to make tubes to wrap his lower legs, a kilt to wrap his thighs, and some smaller cones to cover his feet, though the ankles of his boots are still exposed. A strip cut from his own cape makes a hood. He encourages the others to make themselves capes as well He says the off-duty crew can sleep between a pair of the extras each, and discusses making an inner door for the cabin with them to keep the cold out when crewmembers come and go.
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OOC: Working the hides back and forth over a spar or railing should loosen them up enough to work as a cape or kilt, with rope or strips of hide for ties. If anyone wants extra hide for more than a cape, or wants to cut their hide up, they can buy the hide for 20 cogs. Otherwise, they are just borrowing it and must leave it whole.
As for the supply money, I suggest everyone gets 20 cogs, with Gardner keeping 10 cogs to buy ammo when possible.
As the ship is pulling away, Jay takes one final shot at the smack-talkin orc (Shooting 15), then gives a short farewell wave.
ReplyDelete--------
Sometime after the excitement of the morning passes, Jay approaches Tooly to offer high praise, "Good work out there, little man. You're not half as worthless as I figured."
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Jay falls into his usual routine during a voyage, the most notable portion being his "morning" exercises: after waking he head out onto the deck, hops up to grab the bottom of the envelope, flips his body over so that he is standing on the envelope, then does a series of routines that consist of a mix of Yoga style stretches and Tai Chi style katas (all while upside-down). The rest of the day consists of assisting in the normal mix of Void-life chores aboard the ship.
Gardner congratulates his crew on a successful and rousing departure and offers to drop the TC soldiers off at the TC shipyard or on one of the ships as they choose. Before doing so he asks them to sign a brief statement about the incident for the log. He allows everyone to replenish ammo from the ship's stores. He offers to reimburse Tooly for the hides from ship funds but keeps the rest in reserve and suggests that working the nets is part of a sailor's ordinary duties. He attunes the waysphere for Canopy, and has the Shadowhaven soil sample carefully placed in the cabin. He briefly interviews each crew member about the fight on the docks and compiles an an account for the ship's log in which we in no way started it and all crew members acted valiantly and bravely in defense of the ship. He sets up a duty schedule so that on/off duty crew can share bed space in the cabin.
ReplyDeleteTooly grudgingly hands over the 60 cogs in Greenbottom's purse, but declines to take any of the money for the hides. He holds that they are his, but he has no problem with anyone using them to keep warm so long as they're not damaged. By hanging three hides inside the door to the cabin, he rigs a sort of vestibule that will allow crew to close the cabin door before stepping through the hanging hides, keeping the cabin warmer. Besides making capes for use on duty, crewmembers can sleep between a pair of the hides, as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen on duty with Blendin, Tooly often discusses his theories for improving firearm technology. Besides his obviously-functional repeating musket, he has an idea for a longer-range, more accurate slug, though he confesses it would require a bigger bore than any existing musket, as well as a custom mold for the slug. Most of his other ideas seem to require the help of the Artificer to work.
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OOC: I gather that Clovis and Blendin are on duty together, while Jay and Gardner make the other pair.
Blendin takes time each morning to file down his horns. While on duty with Clovis, Blendin asks questions about modifying his current musket for longer range firing. A sniper shouldn't have to run after all. Blendin also spends some of his free time piecing together three black powder explosives in three of his flasks. 2 have 30 second fuses and are 10 shot and powder explosives (2d6, Md Burst), while the third has a 60 second fuse and is a 30 shot and powder explosive (3d6+2, Lg Burst+1). In addition, Blendin accepts the fur shortened for him by Tooly and offers 10 cogs, because he used less materials. Blendin will work this hide to a soft fluffy feel and wear it as a cape. In addition, Blendin offers and additional 15 cogs for an uncut hide and will fluff this out. He will then cut off strips for his arms and legs and use the rest as an additional blanket. At times, Blendin can be seen sitting under the envelope and appears to be listening.
ReplyDeleteooc: Those small explosives were placed into leather wallets, not flasks.
ReplyDeleteThe warpriests aboard the Council ship take the three troopers off your hands with thanks. The normal inspection process is postponed due to the combination of your super-cargo and the more pressing issues at the Great Shipyards. The last you see of Shadowhaven is a dark smear in the distance; the smell of burning timber reaches you for another 2 days.
ReplyDeleteGardner is stolid and by the book, Jay seems to be his usual self, but Clovis is particularly grumpy the first week. He then seems to relax, and the rest of the crew can rest easy as well (gained 1 level of glowmadness, but it was recovered after limiting exposure aboard ship).
Once out in the void, you settle into the rhythm of shipboard life. Jay and Gardner take first watch, while Blendin and Clovis take second. The shifts are long, but busy enough that boredom doesn’t have much chance to take hold.
Trawling food has been easy enough the past few weeks. Food is abundant in the Void, and your new nets are working well. You also catch a number of fibrous plants that, while inedible, burn remarkably long and put out a fair bit of heat. The ship seems to be handling the growing cold well enough, unlike when you relied on the steam engine.
As your journey nears its end, Gardner and Jay are on watch while Blendin and Clovis sleep. Ice has been forming on the lines, and must be cleared so that the pulleys won’t freeze up. As you’re performing this basic maintenance, you see a pair of ships in the middle distance. They are not that far off the port bow, about twice your cannon range. They appear to have seen you first, because the smaller ship, a frigate, is turning to run. The nearer ship, a galleon, is turning to face you broadside in a clear defensive posture. The frigate has green/red striped sails, while the galleon’s hull is painted with a giant serpent.
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ooc: Everyone has homemade altitude gear. Its not as good as a tailored suit, but it helps.
I sent emails to all of you. These are things you’ve picked up on the past few weeks.
Clovis snores loudly.
ReplyDelete"Looks like the Python out of Dragonspine. Often serves as an escort ship. What do you think, Jay?"
ReplyDelete"The sails on the frigate look like those Mishka's fleet uses. He and Magnus don't get along so well..."
ReplyDeleteBlendin sleeps soundly, a quiet tune emanating from his lips.
ReplyDelete"Looks harmless enough. I would think the Python is escorting the cargo ship but she looks light..."
ReplyDelete"Wake up the rest of the crew just in case."
Gardner turns the ship 45 degrees to starboard and tries to maintain the current distance between the Swoose and the Python (looping around and then hopefully getting back on course). Once the crew is awake we'll signal "inbound Canopy" and wait to see what they do.
Jay enters the cabin, roughly shakes Tooly's bedding, and flips Blevin's over completely. "Captain says get up, so get a move on." Jay exits the cabin.
ReplyDeleteBlendin awakes startled, quickly throws on his leathers and hide cloak, and grabs his musket on his way on deck.
ReplyDeleteTooly blinks blearily for a moment, starting to grumble something. Then remembered stories from Void sailors flash through his mind: Voiders, undead, pirates.... He leaps up, grabbing his cape and belt, but not bothering with the rest of his cold gear, and scrambles to the flash cannon. Cursing the cold, he fumbles with it before turning it on and beginning to charge it. Only then does he look around for the source of the alert.
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(OOC: First Weird Science roll was 2, second was 6. Clovis sleeps in his leathers on ship.)
The signal flags snap in the steady breeze for a few long moments. The green-red sailed ship is moving steadily away, and the Python continues to hold station paralleling the Swoose directly between the two vessels. The Python raises her own signal flags, which indicate "Stand off" and "Dangerous Cargo/Quarantine."
ReplyDeleteClovis looks briefly disappointed that the other ship seems to be civilized and only wary, not hostile--but only briefly. He stands by the flare gun, but keeps his hands tucked inside his cape, off the spade grips. He is tense, or at least cold, but is trying to act relaxed, whistling--and occasionally singing snatches of--a folksy-sounding tune that seems oddly specific to be traditional:
ReplyDelete"...there's no place I can roost
since I signed on to the Swoose..."
Gardner will continue to maintain distance from the Python and direct the ship toward Canopy until the two ships are out of sight. "Looks like its nothing. You can go back to sleep. Be sure to keep an eye out on your next watch."
ReplyDelete"Aye Captain." Blendin makes his way back to the cabin and heads back to sleep, being sure to leave his leathers on.
ReplyDeleteThe Python parallels you for an hour, before turning to follow after the other ship. They disappear into the void.
ReplyDeleteA few days later, Blendin and Clovis catch first site of Canopy. The island is quite a deal larger than Shadowhaven. Most of the island is a massive, impenetrable forest of trees far taller than even the watchtower of Mount Ore. The trees are coated in an icy sheen, making the island sparkle with reflected glowlight. It hurts your eyes when you stare into it.
You rouse the rest of the crew as you continue the approach. Timber is visible as a muddy brown scar on the edge of the trees. Two massive sawmills dominate the town, although only one of them appears to be operating at the moment. A number of homes and smaller buildings are also present, connected by covered wooden walkways. Most of the homes are dug into the earth under the stumps of ancient trees long since cut down. The tops of these stumps are often covered parapets, and you see some signs of defenses being prepared as you approach, although this appears to be standard practice not an active threat. A single long pier extends off the shore, and both sides are lined with flat bottom barges, a few of them full of wooden planks. A few other vessels are in dock, mostly trawlers and light trading vessels.
As the Swoose circles, a pilot boat approaches and parallels you. The human pilot with a bushy beard opens the hatch of his ship and ventures out onto the deck of his tiny tug. He is covered in the thick down of an altitude suit, and hails your ship. “Good evening gentleman! Welcome to Timber, Local Time is 2230. I’m Hanover, the Harbormaster. Please have all members of the crew assemble on the starboard rail so that we can know what we’re dealing with. What is the purpose of your visit: news, safety or trade?”
Tooly mutters "All three sound good to me," but lets Gardner do the talking.
ReplyDeleteJay casually leans against the specified rail while taking in Hanover, his boat, and Timber beyond.
ReplyDeleteMotioning toward all four of them Gardner says, "This is the whole crew, we're a small vessel. We're here for trade."
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OOC: If its customary to have a local pilot take the ship in we'll agree to that, and pay whatever fees or tips are customary to the pilot or the harbormaster for docking.
“Trade, eh? And just you four?” He looks over the crew, and a smirk crosses his lips. “Never seen that before. Alright then, throw me a tow line and bring in your sails, I’ll take ya in from here.”
ReplyDeleteThe Swoose is quickly berthed towards the end of the long wooden pier. You pay the harbormaster the typical fare, which he accepts with thanks before turning to walk towards town.
As you secure the vessel, two men approach from shore. Both look rather nondescript in their thick clothing and heavy beards.
“Good Evening gentlemen, welcome to Timber. Name’s Dirk, I guess you could call me head of the Watch, such as it is. I don’t know if you boys have been to Timber before, so I’ll say it anyway. We run a quiet town here, and like to keep things safe – the cold will get us all before long if we don’t. I don’t much care for weapons in my town, but I won’t take them from you. I’ll ask you to leave them aboard ship, and hope that as honorable men you’ll do so. If you use a weapon on another man in my town, don’t expect to leave the island. You're free to move about town, but don’t stray into the treeline alone – the wildlings out there are nervous about your kind,” he points at Jay, “and won’t be too keen on trespassers. They leave us pretty well alone as long as we do the same, so don’t expect help from me if you get yourself lost in the Woods. Also, keep out of the mills. Those are our lifeblood and we can’t afford to have them both be down at the same time. I can’t guarantee your safety if you go in there, the men are pretty nervous about strangers.
“This time of night, most everything is closed up. But the tavern, “ he gestures in the general direction of a particularly large stump, “will be open for another few hours. Milton has bunks for a cog a week, private rooms for 3 that’ll sleep the lot of ya’, and hot food and drink for another per week. Milton, our very own Provider, runs the place, so there’s even hot baths in it for ya if you are willing to part with another cog for the Lifemother’s work. Of course, you can stay on the ship if you want, but I imagine after a few weeks in the void you could use a chance to stretch your legs. Hell, we even have some entertainment tonight, so you’re in luck.” The other man chuckles at this, and draws Dirk’s glower. “Oh, this here is our steward…”
The other man interjects, “Renault, at your service. I hear from Hanover you have items for trade. I’ll be happy to discuss terms with you in the morning, just bring your manifest and trade council papers so that I can keep the books. My offices are near the tavern,” he gives simple directions you feel you can follow.
Dirk continues, “Alright gentlemen, I know you’ve heard that in Timber we do things a bit differently. The boys are prone to roughhousing a bit. It looks like you can handle yourselves, but remember if you escalate to more than your fists, you’ll have me to deal with.”
ooc: I will be in and out of contact until friday. my apologies.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Some organizational stuff our characters would already have worked out (probably).
ReplyDeleteWe'll want to leave one crewmember on watch on the ship at all times. Any one of us can deal with anything short of a determined attack, since thieves aren't going to charge up a gangplank at a gun or an Oakthorn. So four 6.25-hour shifts
Let's assume Blendin and Clovis were only on duty a couple hours before sighting land, so one of them gets first watch to finish his shift. Gardner is going to want to be up to trade in the morning, so he won't get next shift. I rolled for us (the crew would draw straws) to see who gets first watch, first Clovis vs. Blendin, then the other three vs. each other. Tooly lost to Blendin (1 vs. 2), so he gets first watch to his GREAT disappointment. For the rest, Blendin lost(2), then Jay(4), then Gardner(6). I assume Jay and Gardner will want to go back to sleep. Blendin will need to be up for the next 12 hours (unless he naps), but even if he's been up for 4 or 5 already, that shouldn't be a problem.
JWW:
If Gardner is enough of a control freak he won't draw straws and wants to set the order, feel free to override me (though the order worked out pretty well).
Tooly grumbles as he draws the short straw against Blendin and gets stuck with first watch. "Well, at least this way I'll have time to enjoy myself when I get off..." He touches the belt pouch where his flask normally hangs, then loads three rounds into his musket and drags a pair of hides out of the cabin so he can sit in the shade of the envelope and still watch the gangplank, wrapped in the hides as well as his cold gear.
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OOC part 2: The crew IS going to expect leave when not on watch, at least the first day. Standard practice. It'll likely take that long to get the trade organized anyway.
OOC yet again:
ReplyDeleteTooly accepted Blendin's offer of 25 cogs for the cape and extra hide, by the way. Did anyone else pay for theirs?
After realizing he was second watch, Blendin offers to take the first watch off Tooly's hands. Blendin explains that he doesn't have much interest in going into town anyway.
ReplyDeleteGardner agrees with the watch-setting plan. He pays for a private room at the tavern for a week to be shared by the crew who want to stay ashore while not on duty.
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OOC: I think me being "in charge" is kind of setting up a bottleneck in the action and seems to restricting everyone else since I can't usually post more than twice a day. I think we should try find a way to RP our roles but still allow everyone to be more independent and not have to wait for me to say something before acting, because I imagine that's pretty annoying. This instance seems to have worked well.
Tooly considers taking the second watch, but after a breif internal struggle--eagerness to go ashore versus having to stop partying in six hours--he decides to stay aboard. " doubt I'll be in any shape to come back here in six hours if I go now, laddie. I'll take the first watch."
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OOC: I already emailed Clovis's actions assuming first watch, and apart from that, it's likely Tooly wouldn't make it back for the second watch, so he won't try.
JWW:
I think half the problem is that we don't have any info on what we're doing here. We don't even know what the cargo is, much less who we're trading with or if we're cutting a deal ourselves. I have a decent idea of how a sailing vessel is run, but my character doesn't, so I can only make suggestions OOC. I emailed my actions for the next day or more, because most of them are independent of the rest of the crew, also, so you're not holding me up any. The others may have done the same. We may be on hold for a bit anyway, so no worries.
I do half my posts from my phone's browser on my breaks because it's more fun than most things I could do, but no one expects anyone to post more than twice a day.
Blendin accepts his second watch and moves toward the cabin to stow his musket. Blendin hides his dagger in his boot and makes sure that he is still wearing his trusted knuckles. "I guess I'll go see what this entertainment is about." Blendin leaves the ship and heads toward the tavern.
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ooc: According to the rules, brass knuckles are not viewed/treated as weapons.
OOC: Realistically, a knife or dagger wouldn't be considered a weapon, either, most times. Especially in Sundered Skies, taverns aren't going to be able to afford to have a lot of knives on hand for people to use. People have to have their own.
ReplyDelete"Seeing as how we all have a stake in this ship and the cargo, I should let you all know what we're here to trade. If you hadn't looked already we've got 4 crates of bronze logging tools worth about 2500 cogs on Shadowhaven. Magnus wants us to come back with a new cargo and a signed contract for regular shipments of tools, rope, and spices in exchange for wood and iceseal. While I think I'm up to the task of getting us a good price, since we're all in this together any of you that want to come along to trade in the morning are welcome. Otherwise I figure we'll complete our business and stay and relax for a few days or until the cold becomes worse than the thought of the glowmadness on the voyage back."
ReplyDelete"Well, if the choice is between the cold and the glow, I choose glow, but maybe that's just me." Blendin says.
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