Anneth also volunteers to learn the ship's workings whenever she is able.

It may take a bit of adjusting to get the schedule suitable for everyone but this is how it shakes down.


The Dwarves with their darkvision are better suited to standing watch rather than trying to scramble around in the rigging.

Likewise, while Mort can help with the lower rigger, the minotaur is a bit too large to be climbing in the rigging.

Fando is too old to climb in the rigging, so, he can only stand watch.

Anyone else who wants to learn to fly the ship can do so when you're off shift.


The second day passes uneventfully, though as you pass the floating mountain on the port side at some distance, everyone is watching out for a surprise attack. Turns out keeping watch on a flying ship is harder because you have to look below as well.

That was about noon.

Four hours later, you pass the castle in the clouds on the starboard side... at distance and maybe 2,000 feet higher.

Gierdon nods a greeting to Anya as he comes on watch, ”Anything interesting out there?  The sky castle was much ado over nothing.”

Although he in no way considered himself the captain of the ship, he did seem to have a propensity for watching out for others, particularly his comrades-in-arms or, in this case, he fellow crew.

He'd managed to catch Gierdon's comment as he was strolling on deck since it never hurt to have more than one pair of eyes on watch.

"Well... we steered clear of it," he says to Gierdon. "If we were on a general exploration mission, we might have chanced encountering it. But, we're not. We have a specific destination that we're heading to. Although no one has actually said so, I think we all feel that overrides most anything else."

"Me, I can't help wondering what we're likely to encounter in the air the higher we get. Thanks to Aurumvaigne, we knew of a few things at the lower altitudes--skywulfs, bird-men, dragons and, presumably, djinni."

"Not sure about dragons, but I'm guessing the djinn could be encountered at any altitude."

"Anyway, I'll keep watch with you for a little bit."

Any leans on the railing as she watches the castle go by.  Daydreams of fantastic peoples that dwelt in exotic floating castles drifted through her imagination.

Anneth draws her crystal ball from her belongings, and focuses in the general direction of the sky castle... Even if there was nothing of use in the castle, she might be able to see if there were any threats hiding in it...of course, she'd never been to the castle, so her chances of a successful scrying were sort of low.

Attempting to use crystal ball to examine the castle in the sky.

Rodrigo stood on the prow of the ship watching the sky castle as they flew past it, likely at safe distance, heeding the warning of the gold Wyrm. In his hand rested his bow as he was wary of any incoming attacks.

Tom is willing to try and learn how to fly the ship.  But really is only interested in the very basics in case of an emergency.

The second day passes uneventfully. Anyone that wants to learn about operating/sailing the ship can get the basics down... which is learning the parts of the masts and yards and spars, as well as the names of the sails and the rigging (ropes, hawsers, halyards, lines, shrouds, stays, sheets).

The next step will be learning how to trim the sails.

Even Elwood is still learning how the sails affect flight. A normal ship has the weight and movement and friction of the water to help stabilize the ship. Up here, a sail unfurled at the wrong time could turn the ship upside down.

Fortunately, stability and steering of the ship is mostly done by the mechanisms of the Seventh Magic.

Just past noon, Tom, who is on watch, spots something in the distance. At first, it just appears as a black speck, which is how he spots it against the blue sky.

As Tom continues to watch it, he realizes that it hasn't changed course at all.

Mort is always open to learning more, although he has a decent understand already.  He will try to get a general understanding of this seventh magic.

Mort is busy having a meal

I call out to everyone what I see as I'm on watch.

OOC:  Sorry I forgot to reply the other day when I first read about seeing something.

Hearing the call from Tom, Mort leaves his unfinished meal to come have a look.  "Tom, what you got friend?"

When Tom pointed in the direction of the black speck, Mort squinted his eye trying to make out the thing in the distance.

Rodrigo nodded towards Tom when he shouted out, moving along the ship he made his way to prow of the ship. He squinted his eyes examining the object mentioned as it doesn't change course from them. Wish he had magic to view things even better at a distance he vowed to keep that in mind for a later time when such studies would be available to him. For now though he stood there his bow in hand and an arrow resting loosely but nocked.

Not sure.  Either it is stationary and we are heading directly for it, or we are both heading towards each other on the same course.

"If it is not moving, could it be some sort of floating platform?"

The closer you get, the easier it is to determine that the object is not moving. However, it also becomes even stranger as it appears to be a wagon! It's an open wagon, no top, roof, canopy, whatever. It's a four-sided wagon with a seat on what you presume is the front, four wagon-like wheels but no yoke.

You've reached an altitude where there is no wind, which explains why the wagon isn't moving although it doesn't explain why the ship is still moving.

There appear to be several boxes and other items in the back of the wagon.

OOC: how close to the wagon are we?

"A floating wagon, we should be on guard, might be some sort of distraction to help draw our attention away from something else. "

Mort decided to call out, "Hello, is there anyone there?" as he scanned around to make sure nothing else was lurking nearby.

At this point, the wagon is about a mile away. There is no one on the wagon, and Mort does not see anyone else floating or flying in the area.

You'll reach the wagon in about 10 minutes.

Gierdon looks around for some rope, figuring to lash the wagon to the side of the airship.

It's a ship! There's lots of rope. There's always extra in case of problems.

OOC: not sure of the exact distance.

"Guess since no one is here to claim the wagon, it's fair game"

Mort will use some of his seaman skills to take one of his throwing boulders and tie  rope around, "So I can either lob the stone over the other side of the wagon and then we can pull it and the wagon back to us, or I can throw the stone through the side of the wagon and then pull it back to us." 

"Or I could fly over there and tie a rope to the wagon, but first I will use my gem" Rodrigo remarks as they approach the Wagon, his hands pulling on a small chain that was under his shirt. He holds the gem up and points it towards the wagon, slowly moving it as he examines it.

OOC: Medallion of Zagan Zeer [Emits a beam of "light" visible only to the wearer that can reveal invisible things, hidden thinigs, & lies; it is also able to emit a beam of light that anyone can see]

In reply to Rodrigo (msg # 825):

”If we can ease up to the side of it, that should work.  Could we come up under it so we don’t have to climb over the side?”. Gierdon casts a nervous eye toward the open air below them.

Mort looked at Gierdon, "Your not planning on trying to keep the wagon now are ya?"

He thought about it for a few moments, "Of course I think I could throw it back overboard"


OOC: LOL, got me laughing thinking about a wagon crashing to the ground down below."

In reply to Mort (msg # 827):

”Not keep the wagon, no.  But I’m sure eager to open up them boxes and crates.”