It's cramped quarters on a small sailing ship. While you have one less human and some smaller sailors you still have three hooved animals crowded on the aft and a large dog on patrol.

There's room beneath the hold for storing supplies and cramped quarters for sleeping. Unlike any ship you may have been on before, her hold is clean and devoid of rats, at least for now. There is a lingering smell of wine and a single unmarked wooden crate below.

Add to that one space in the crow's nest.

Between Manaku (who has some incidental knowledge of sailing) and Alietra (who was on a prison boat once), the party gets a crash course in nautical know-how, and now knows their stem from stern and and their port from starboard. Harald also plucks out enough shanties on his lute to provide hints on how this collection of ropes and sails is supposed to work.

It takes ten of you at any given time, plus one of the ersatz captains to sail her effectively.

One last detail - it was too small to read through the distorting glass of the bottle, but now you can read the name of the ship painted on the side.

Abradoc's Folly

Leohart does his best to shirk duties and shifts but ends up involved in the working of the small sailing ship with the rest of the party. He rolls his sleeves up and ties the hem of his robe to one side to raise it slightly for better footing and labor. His hands to the tasks, he turns his ear to the lute, listening to the lyrics sung by Harald -- listening for the odd bit of history and truth that might find its way worked into song.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:40, Mon 27 Jan 2020.

Brodd sat down and manned an oar. He leaned down seeing the name of the ship, and giggled and rolled his eyes.

Looking up at the crow's nest he realizes it would be a bad idea for someone to climb up there and keep an eye out. "I'll climb up to the crow's nest and keep an eye for anything that might be of concern." as he grabs hold of the rigging. "It'll make for a little bit more room down here."

Taking his time he slowly climbs the rigging up to the crow's nest.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:17, Mon 27 Jan 2020.

Duerghar opens the unmarked chest. Well of course he does! He does at least look to see if it is trapped as best he can.

21:23, Today: Dwarghar Stoneblood rolled 3 using 1d6.  Traps
This message was last edited by the player at 05:24, Tue 28 Jan 2020.

Abradocs Folly now there's an encouraging name. Who's Abroadoc and why is it a 'folly' ?? Amalrik keeps looking for leaks and holes to let the water run in and out while 'learning the ropes' and such. Something new to experience here.

Not really one to be at sea.  After loosing his breakfast and then his lunch over the side he realized why dwarves don't have Navies..  Finding an Oar he focuses on rowing and not loosing his dinner......

In reply to Gorn (msg # 4):

There are handholds for climbing at a deliberate pace, no roll needed.

In reply to Dwarghar Stoneblood (msg # 5):

Duerghar finds no traps on the crate. It opens easily with tools at hand and finds...

It's full of raisins.

Once they get moving, Manaku finds himself at the wheel and tests how she handles and tries to keep their current course - that is; not to run immediately to ashore...

"She's quite agile and responds to the wheel nicely - which I should expect, probably, due her being magical. Should we raise sails?" There is expression of pure childish joy on his face.

(How's wind? Can we sail or do we need to row?)

In reply to Manaku (msg # 10):

A gentle breeze flows, enough to manage a full sail and save the rowing for later.

In reply to Leohart (msg # 2):

Jarvak stayed active on the deck.

He looked around for anything that was loose and could trip anyone or cause a problem and secured it or moved it to a safe place.

"It's a river, what is the current like? Thank the gods Manaku is a sailor!"

In reply to Brother Brodd (msg # 14):

After several hours the rush of water from the depths of the mountain has slowed. What do you call the flooded remains after a dam has burst?

In reply to DM (msg # 12):


Hearing tell of the boat's magic and having been in a bottle, Leohart is curious. "Where did you encounter this boat before?" he asks his fellow adventurers. "It was in a bottle? What know we of its magic?"

In reply to Leohart (msg # 16):

This was hells more pleasant than the prison boat!        Soothing to the spirit, after being entombed in that creepy mountain for so long, with all those freakish creatures, and that harrowing ride she'd taken on that runaway steam cart.

She stood near the rail over on the starboard side, and flipped a copper piece into the water, per an old tradition back home, that it was a lucky thing to do, as well as warding against evil fey, such that if you ever met one, it would rip someone else's eyes and tongue out instead.

She watched the coin strike the surface of the water, then vanish from sight, letting go a contented sigh.

Will mark off the 1 cp.

Finally getting his 'sea legs' under him, he quickly begins to search the river ahead of them. They hadn't been on the river long, the ride was just starting to settle when a sound came to his ears. Not seeing anything ahead of them he quickly look to the sky. Shocked at first, he could barely see it but there was a winged creature circling the mountain ahead of them.

Leaning over the side of the crow's nest, he hollered down to the rest on the boat, "Hey, check out the mountain ahead of us, there's a large winged creature flying around it." Once he can see someone has heard his alert, he turns his sights back to the mountain, keeping a close eye on the flying creature.

Alietra glanced up, both to peer at this supposed creature, as well as to see whom had spoken.    It was that newcomer, Gorn, up in the crow's nest.   She reflected for a moment he was a very quiet, contemplating individual.  His movements and words all seemed to be very calculated.    Well, he wasn't quiet now.    And she didn't think this bit was calculated.

Anyway, if the flying thing was an evil fey, then her tribute had been most timely.   Not wishing to rely on ancient tradition only, she strung her short bow, just in case, while still watching, trying to get a better view.

Amalrik stands and looks towards the mountain for the flying thingy. A roc, dragon, swarm of some sort. Squinting, he keeps looking ...

Focused on rowing and not loosing his dinner at the talk of the 'flying thing' he lifts his head.  "Flying.... ugh was hoping for some dry land.  Not a fan of fighting from a boat."

Brodd sees nothing so continues looking at the water. His vision wasn't the best from long years of reading holy texts.

Manaku concentrates mainly on handling the wheel, but looks at the direction the flying creature. A large winged creature flying brings all kind of mental images to one's mind too tempting to pass...

"Is it coming towards us? What is it? A dragon?" He asks Gorn, smile and childish joy gone from his voice and demeanor.

Jaravak used his hand as a visor to block the sun and looked toward the mountain.  He tried his best to see what it was, or if he could see anything.

[Anyone I haven't spoken to in DM who's watching the skies, roll a D6]

This message was deleted by the player at 00:40, Thu 30 Jan 2020.

Ashore quickly, hide the boat !! Looks like the manticore is flying about !!

Hearing Amalrik's words made Javarak freeze in his tracks.

He looked to the shore line for a spot to land the boat or a cove.   Then he began to adjust the sail on the mast or lower it so they could drift into shore.

"Can't we sail it close to shore and hide it with magic?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:19, Thu 30 Jan 2020.

The old cleric had been busy carving the symbol of the Wandering God into the weathered wood of the bulkhead when Amalrik announced certain news. With a heavy sigh, Regdoc put his dagger away, reached for his gear, and motioned to Chomper, who, having put a great deal of hurt upon a large bone he'd somehow gotten onto the boat, came padding over with a low WUFF!?

"That cursed beast is what drove us underground to begin with! Sooner or later we're going to have to confront it, if only to dissuade it from sending us scurrying into holes whenever it flaps its way about!"

Not looking particularly eager to participate in such an undertaking at this point, Regdoc simply scowled and stayed out of the way of those whose muscles were better fitted for the wresting of lines.

Harald had been leaning against a railing tuning his lute. It may have seemed to the others on board the Folley that he'd been doing so for quite a long time, but the fop would only smile and nod and then turn very seriously once again to his task of getting just the perfect tone.

"...clock...sock...smock...flock... who wast thou Abradoc?" He mused to himself quietly.

Contemplation was broken by commotion!

"But...!" was his initial reaction to having the ship steer shoreward.

"I've not yet begun to sing! Surely yonder menace is of no immediate peril to our persons! Let us continue forth for a league or twain... I feel as though the waterbourne life inspires me! I'm perched upon the brink of a great ballad even now. Should a fell threat descend, I fear it shall ruin my day's efforts entirely! Concentration, such intense concentration, is not easily attained, I can assure you!"

Nevertheless, the garrulous fellow cast his gaze nervously skyward.


Lore - Who was Abradoc and what was his Folley? For surely a ship by very nature is feminine, and to be folly-some must only have meant a lad was involved... Harald rolled 5 - Nupe!

The elf grimaces upon the news and turns the wheel slightly to adjust their course towards bank away from the flying beast.

"Now, I can do this in a hard way and fast, or soft way and slowly! I can run her straight to the bank, so we can get off quickly and run, but that will likely break the boat!"

"Or I can steer her softly by the bank. That is slow and will take time - which we may not have - but it will save the boat!"

Boat or not, they could not outrun any flying creature, that was given.

"Has it spotted us yet? Is it coming?"

A roar echoes off the mountain as it dives straight towards you. Without a doubt you have been noticed.

[SEE SETUP FOR NEXT SCENE]