The Arc is a vast ship, significantly larger than a galleon. It would not be a pratical craft with mundane shipbuilding techniques - the sails could never be good enough, and the planks and frame would be under tremendous strain from the sheer weight of the ship. God knows how you'd turn the thing.

Thankfully, you can cheat.

Scholar's version of the vessel doesn't put planks together, he molds sand and rocks into hull material with roughly the same weight and strength of wood. The spars are constructed similarly. There's no joints, no nails, no planks: scholar is able to mold materials directly, of a frankly unsuitable nature, to construct the boat. He uses a lot of rocks, because that what is available.

The sails are similarly made. Scholar doesn't stitch, he just throws stuff together, and it fits seemlessly, somehow.

Again, this would be an impossible to manuver boat except in perfect wind conditions, however, you can create those using Claire's cheating. Together, however, the huge ungainly vessle somehow functions. It looks odd - the lack of planking makes it look like a large, scaled up version of far less complicated ships - specifically a tri hulled outrigger canoe (Scholar found this to be the best way to make the ship stable when constructing it in the shallow waters of the island).

 Marius and his servant, a one armed elderly man with a loud voice, manage to get the untested crew into worthwhile shape. The island inhabitants watch the construction with interest as it continues on at breakneck pace. A little more than half decide to go with you. The crew are inexperienced. You have a few sailors, but not nearly enough, and a lot of your people are maimed or lame. Most of the drug addicts chose to remain on the island, as even Resplendent had difficulty freeing them from this addiction.

Towards the end of the time, Laiser presents you all with wealth 5 in conjured trinkets and foodstuffs, along with a few items he swears were imported naturally. Of course, you are still massively short on supplies for a new colony. Either Scholar is going to have to scramble when you land, or you are going to have to pick up additional supplies. People are another issue - you have a starting community, but you are lacking a lot of valuable skills, and a good portion of your crew is disabled or infirm. Alas, health is not one of your pantheon's gifts. Additional warm bodies and supplies, acquired by any means, could be absurdly useful.

Once you'd decided on a rough plan on what to do, the others acomplanying you had their own suggestions on where to go. There were three rough options.

The voyage is rather uneventful - the weather is merciful, either due to one of your doing or sheer fate. Seamonsters do not harass your vessel due to the careful employment of Lorn grasses. You keep a little extra for the trip back.. or maybe you'll just trade it away. You are assured that the pirates will not bother you while Laiser's vessels run alongside, and they will escort you to the coast. Of course, they aren't so much guarding you as saving the pirates. The voyage is uneventful, and soon you have a decision to make - exactly where to go. Of course, you've already discussed this before.

Vicino Alla Sabbia is the nearest city to the area you are going. It would make it easier for Plaga to reach her destination, and would be easy to supply. It's right on the border with Vissio. Of course, it's officially IN Vissian territory, but you could find the stuff you wanted very easily here. It's primarily a trade city and works mainly in pearls and seafood. You might be able to recruit a lot of people here (very easily if you were willing to buy slaves).

Spiaggia Sabbiosa is a small village. It's officially outside of the Vissian borders, and the walls aren't nearly as well defended as the ancient Vissian cities. It essentially exists as a crossroads trading town so that people can resupply. If you went here you'd have more trouble picking people up.

Your third option is to land directly on the beach and try and make a settlement right there. Beach settelments would officially anger the body politic of Vissio and the Howler tribes, and would be prone to coastal raiding from pirates, but if you could get it going it would solve a lot of your food and trade problems. Of course, if you head there straight up, you are going to have a VERY small community.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:40, Sun 28 Oct 2018.

Claire's initial thoughts on the subject were,

"I am ambivalent. I had planned to settle first, let the place grow and defend it from raiders, but I can't see a way to make that work unless we're prepared to take captured raiders as slaves. We can do that, but it would make a mockery of our principles. On the other hand, so would buying slaves from the Vissians."

  "So buy them and set them free," Gaja offers.  She'd been balanced on the top boom, slowly moving through a series of contorted postures, and now she drops straight out of the rigging.  The rope she snags with an ankle stops her just before she hits the deck.

  "Does it only count if you free them with violence?  That doesn't seem like you: use coin.  And leave the raiders with me; there are ways to make peace with them that don't involve crushing anyone."  She rolls her eyes dramatically, then kicks free of the rope and turns upright with a languorous backflip as she continues.  "It's a way of surviving, that's all.  If you try to be still like a rock, the wind wears you down.  Ride it like sand, and the wind builds you up."

The city wins out after a lack of debate. It sort of makes sense after all: the Gods do not trust Laiser's summoned fairer, but there's only this and some imported preserves on the island, and a hundred or so plus people is hardly enough to build a balanced community.

Particularly these people, many of which were not well suited to physical labour due to infirmament or previous injury.

The voyage is relatively uneventful. There is one brief interlude when you see pirates, though none end up approaching. A few times, the crew swear they see flashing of large objects just beneath the ocean currents, though by the time any of the pantheon investigate, it has departed.

After a few days, things settle into a comfortable routine.

The crew are excited and scared, but they are around these strange new gods that they have put their faith in, and one only needs to see Claire commanding the winds or Scholar spinning junk into boat materials or controlling the ship itself.There is a short storm one night, but you easily withstand it.

 Eventually, you begin to see the small fishing vessels that dot your destination. The sea is very dangerous, but some find the risk worth it, and fish here are huge and plentiful. It is early summer, and the sun does lift some of your spirits some: Laiser's island seemed a bit lifeless and gloomy.

As you get closer you spy the city proper. As with most Vissio cities, this one is insanely well defended with fortifications, specifically a sea wall and a huge engineered loch system powerful enough to lift boats out of the water if need be.

There was also a second exterior dock for vessels that didn't need to directly go into the aim part of the city: which your vessle certainly fell under. As you approached, your vessle was scouted by numerous guards on coastal forts and small craft, though no Seige weapons pointed their arsenal at you.

As you approached the dock you were signalled to stop at one of the large commercial ones.

As the ship pulled into port, a vague sense of.. solidity entered the air. It was difficult to describe. The feeling semeed to pour out of the city (Mundus Ward 2).

Linesmen quickly helped secure the ship, and a rather martial looking customs official came to the vessel. "That's an interesting ship! Tell me your business here and your origin and we'll get right to docking it.

My name is Vincento Caligari. I am the customs agent." His clothes were official enough, but he wore some kind of worked metal beneath it, and the men on his boat and on the docks seemed to be armed.

Not surprising. Pirates were endemic, and Vissio hardly wanted to let infiltraitors behind its powerful walls and defences.

Increase commanded the ship through divine exertion and the occasional assistance of the mundane crew under the leadership of his second, Argent. Throughout the journey had came to understand the temperament of his passengers more and was relieved when they decided not to strike out at new settlement with such people.

When they arrived at the docks Increase stepped forward, leaving his staff aside for the moment in case the heretical markings agitated the customs agent.

"Greetings, Vincento Caligari. My name is Increase Scholar and I am the captain of this vessel. My crew and our occupants have come to settle into this region until the foreseeable future. Your men are free to examine our holds."

He gestured to Argent.

"This is my second, Argent, and he will provide you with our manifest."

It was Increase's prudent nature that ensured he kept intimate documentation of what they were carrying. More to ensure that rationing was occuring properly but also to generate a list of obvious deficiencies that would need to be accounted for in the coming weeks and months.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:17, Mon 29 Oct 2018.