I work my way up towards the top as quickly as I can.  Hoping more gargoyles don't join their friends.

Come on guys.  The faster we get up there the better it will be. 

I stay with the group even as I urge them on.  There is safety in numbers.

Mort growls, "Let's keep it moving, they have backed off for now.  Doubt that it will last for long"  Mort continues to move toward the exit still holding onto the remains of the severed leg ready to throw it at the wing of any attacking gargoyle.  He takes two steps at a time to get up to the next level
This message was last edited by the player at 03:03, Wed 23 Mar 2016.

"We're right behind you," Elwood says to Tom and Mort as he helps Fando up the incline. He keeps his flail in one hand in case the gargoyles make another pass at them, and tries to hurry the elderly wizard along as much as possible with the other.

Aaron grimaces as he feels his side. Looking at his hand he sees it is covered in his own blood. He renews his efforts and scampers further up the path.

Gargoyles aren't known for their smarts, but even they recognize the threat posed by Mort, Elwood and the dragon. Although they continue to fly around and swoop in and out looking for an opening, they aren't foolishly aggressive any more. You all make it back up to the tunnel where Anneth, Kareth and Gierdon are waiting, also defending against a lone gargoyle that can't quite fly into the tunnel and apparently isn't desperate enough to land and walk in.

From there, you can go back through the tunnel to the entrance. Fortunately, the ship is still there, but the sky had darkened considerably and the wind has picked up. In the shelter of the cliff, though, the wind isn't bad yet.

"The dragon's with us," Durek explains to the others when he reaches the tunnel. "He's just a baby. He was in a cage and starving. The gods know how long he's been down there unfed. Dragons can go a long time without eating."

"Also, his wings have been clipped. We don't think he can fly. He certainly hasn't shown us that he can."

"I know it's a dragon, but I feel bad for the little fella. I'd like to see if we can't get his wings repaired somehow."


When they reach the ship, the dark sky and the howling wind start him moaning and complaining.

"Are you crazy? A Dwarf getting on a flying ship is insane as it is, but I ain't nearly drunk enough to get on one in this weather!"

Elwood tips his hat to the party members who remained up above as the group heads back to the Strange Magic.

"Well, if we try to run before the storm, we may be fine...or smashed to bits when we crash. But if we wait out the storm, I'm guessing we'll have a lot of repairs to do to the ship before she flies again," he replies to Durek.

Aaron hurries up the gangplank and shouts back, "Well, Durek, do you want to stay here with these friendly gargoyles? Or shall we get this ship away from these mountains where the storm can smash it to smithereens into a sheer wall?"

I follow Aaron.  Avoiding the storm is probably the best idea of the day.

"Let's get this tub out of here." Mort started working on freeing up the mooring lines

The wind is gusting frequently now, but the gusts aren't all that strong. Mooring lines are cast off quickly, and Talis carefully steers the ship away from the stony walls of the canyon.

He keeps most of the sails furled, but pushes the ship upward.

He suggests everyone tie themselves to the ship, for once the ship clears the lip of the canyon, the winds should get more violent.

The dragon makes its way to the bow of the ship, and sticks its head forward into the wind.

In reply to Mysterion (msg # 192):

Unless I'm really needed on deck to do anything, (no sailing or flying skills), then I will go into one of the cabins. Otherwise I will tie myself securely to ship.

Elwood makes sure everything on deck is secured, hatches battened down, and all that as the ship rises. Then he ties a rope around his waist and secures the other end amid ship and prepares for the full force of the storm.

Anneth wastes no time in hurrying onto the ship, making sure to take her new gain with her!

Mort tied himself off first and then went about helping secure the ship.

The ship slowly climbs upward, even more slowly veering away from the cliff as Talis fight's the winds, and finally the ship edges over the top. No sooner has it cleared the lip of the canyon wall than a violent gust of wind catches the Strange Magic amidships and flings it over nearly unto its side.

For a moment, the ship is flying on its side, but then Talis somehow manages to right the ship again. Mostly. The strong wind is still driving the ship from behind, and it's hard to keep it completely level.

The dark cloud behind them is gaining on them; it flashes with lightning, and the thunderclaps shake the ship.

As Talis glances back at the steadily gaining thundercloud, he realizes that the ship is too broad and bulky for the howling wind to push it fast enough.

"WE NEED MORE SAIL!" Talis yells above the wind.

Maybe they could outrun it... or maybe they could rise above it! He really had no idea how high the cloud extended, and he certainly didn't know how high the ship could climb. They hadn't been flying the ship long enough to have figure that out yet.

He guessed there had to be some sort of upper limit.

Aaron checks his line is secure before yelling back too Talis, "Are you sure we need MORE sail? I would have thought we would need less!"

He then scampers over to release more of the sail.

Kareth hurried over to assist Aaron.

"We need to outrun the storm, or try to rise above it," Kareth explained as they worked. "We need more sail for the winds to push against."

"We DO NOT want to get caught in that storm!" he added at the last, glancing back at the menacing dark clouds.

"You've got enough sail any more and the shear wind will tear this ship apart.  Down is no good.  Up there is less chance of slamming into something."

Mort double checked all the ropes of those still topside.  "Dis is going to be bumpy"

"Dragon do you want to be tied down?"

As Mort approaches the dragon, he sees that the dragon has its head extended forward into the wind, its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. It seems to be enjoying itself.

"So this is what it feels like to fly!" it responds to Mort.

"No, I do not wish to be tied down... or caged... ever again. I have four legs and claws, and a tail for balance. I will not be thrown from this ship!"

As the front edge of the storm gets closer, lightning bolts begin to flash around the ship. The magic of the ship does not force the ship to tilt at an upward angle in order to gain altitude, so it's hard to tell if the ship is actually rising or not.

One lightning bolt strikes the bowsprit. A bluish glow flashes along the deck and hull of the ship, not unlike St. Elmo's fire. The ship seems to speed up.

Another bolt strikes the top of the mainmast. It has the same effect.

That last strike seems to have imparted enough speed to the ship that it's now running ahead of the storm. Lightning still flashes behind you, but none of it strikes the ship any more.

The flight continues for about 15 minutes, though it seems a lot longer, and then suddenly the ship is above the storm. The dark clouds are below you now, and they still flash with lightning.

It's a novel view now, out in the light of the sun, looking down at the storm cloud below you.

"That was fun!" the dragon says. "Can we do that again?"

Dazed from her fight with the gargoyles, and in otherwise bad shape, Anneth does not know what to make of the Dragon.  But, the little creature has not proven problematic yet, and her companions did say that he was trustworthy.

After offering what help she can, the Dabbler-in-Arts begins to approach the curious creature...then lightning strikes the ship, and she jumps, letting out an inhuman cry.  She is even more shocked when she sees that the ship has not been reduced to kindling!  The second strike, while still shocking and still eliciting a surprised cry, is better-accepted.

After coming to the conclusion that the ship is quite possibly one of the most magical things she'd seen in her quarter of a century of life, she approaches the little Dragon, observing its behaviour.

Anneth only has a minor knowledge about dragon behavior, assuming she discounts most of the wild tales she's heard, but she has seen how young animals behave. The dragon seems to be displaying some of those.

Based also on what the others told her of how they found the dragon, Anneth has the distinct impression that the dragon never 'imprinted' on a parent. Its wings were clipped so that it couldn't fly, so it's had a limited existence. Considering that it wasn't getting fed as often as it probably should have been, she has no idea how old it might be. It's probably stunted growth.

"Fun??"  "You mean the storm or the whole flying thing?  "I'm that that fond of lighting."

Mort covers his eyes from the bright sunlight allowing time for his eyes to adjust.

"Open up your wings and see what kind of wind they catch"

Mort bothered to walk over to the edge of the ship and look down over the rail.  He marveled at the thought of a magical flying ship.