Except for those making the final push, the companions got onto the boat and did their best to prepare for the slide down to the water.  As the boat came down the ramp, it hit the seas with a crash of water over the bow before righting itself.  The companions who had been pushing made their way aboard with the aid of the line tied to the aft of the ship.

As they struggled to get to their oars and start moving away from the island, the wind and waves buffeted their small craft, as the fury of the wind and waves made even Wick and Telemachus wonder if the promise of safety would be kept.

The darkening sky of sunset was completely covered in storm clouds, obscuring any chance for seeing stars or moons.  Nonetheless, those looking back to the island could see a faint glow illuminating the island, a light which did not seem altogeher natural.

From the gathering storm clouds, funnels began to extend, rapidly spinning tornadoes--perhaps even as many as a dozen--descended from the heavy mantle of the clouds cloaking the sky and began tearing along the island and stripping great tracts of its ground into the air.

Hurricane-force winds were scouring the island, and the ruins of the town beyond the stables, the stable, the manor itself, and the barracks began to disintegrate, being thrown plank by plank into the swirling air.

The orc and goblin boats visible on different beaches were now being driven up onto those beaches, tearing apart by the winds and battering seas as the crews of these boats were running, scattering, being tossed like leaves against the cliffside or swept into the sea by waves, the heads not bobbing back above the surface.

Struggling to continue, they made progress away from the island, and now at a distance of perhaps a quarter-mile from that doomed shore, the rocking and pitching of the boat began to subside, no longer threatening to toss them overboard.

Yet, in the distance, the island they had left seemed to have had conditions worsen even more than they before.  The entire area of the island that could be seen was now covered by some gray-brown whirlwind of rocks, scrub brush, sand, and sea which seemed to be scouring the island like a great brush.

Then, as they reached a mile from the doomed shore, the seas around the boat stilled, the clouds cleared allowing the stars and moons to be seen overhead.

Having gotten soaked as one of the last to board the ship, Dak stopped rowing to wipe the hair from his eyes and look back on the destruction of the isle.  If not for the old man, they too would have died in the Goddess' wrath.

Shipping his oar, Dak got up to check on the half elf to see how he'd fared in their escape.

After pushing the ship offshore, Storm aids his comrades up the ship first before heaving himself onboard the ship. He is glad that his waterproof sail cloth kept him relatively dry when he boards the ship.

As he sat in the boat watching the destruction wrought by the blue lady, he reflects on how things have changed for him and his peers. How he has changed from a mere peasant to a novice warrior of truth and justice.

Clasping his new mace, he wonders if the new weapon will keep him from harm and allow him to root evil.

Then gaining a sense of reality, he says,"let's check what the goddess has gifted us!"'

Stormmsearches the hold.

Klei was in the hold, still bound and either unconscious or feigning sleep.  He seemed to be breathing steadily enough and still had a heartbeat.

The other treasures stowed away in hold by Panatix revealed that there was a set of chain mail (sized for one who was perhaps 5'6 or 5'7"), a long sword and a dagger which seemed to have been made to match in the design on the hilt, a dozen golden goblets, a dozen silver plates, and a full dozen sets of knives and forks, all of silver.  In addition, the three chests opened to reveal piles of asil in each.  However, despite the presence of a stove, no food had been found aboard.

Only one set of armour and weapons?" Storm says. "Perhaps our mages can detect presence of magic? I suppose we have to sell these items to get gold to equip us," Storm says, optimism filling his breasts as he thinks of the journey ahead with his friends.

"First we have to survive long enough to sell anything," Dak pointed out to the big man.  They were still far from any other islands and the fisherman hoped someone could figure out where they were and chart a course.  He was more than happy to row if someone pointed him the right direction.

"Does anyone see any fishing gear?" he asked.  "Nets, hooks, and line?"

"Younare right my friend, I can hunt but not fish,"'storm says

 ooc: I am only 6feet tall

Panatix watched, wide eyed, as the island was scoured from one end to the other. After a moment more, he swallowed hard as he realized just how close they came to their own demise.

At the mention of an inventory of the gifts, Panatix turned to pulling stuff back out into the open since he was sitting on the hatch. His eyes go wide as the chests are opened and he realized just how much there really was. Incredulous at Storms comment about gold, he piped up, "Gold is not that common, Storm Giant. My family is fairly wealthy and I have seen 100 gold coins together, in one place, only twice in my 60 summers. Even without selling the other objects, there are enough silver coins in those chests to give each of us a start, however we choose."

He looked around at the others, "But this brings up a problem. If we show up in a port with all this new found wealth, looking the way we do and dressed the way we are, we are likely to be arrested on suspicion of criminal behavior, or worse, as escaped slaves. I have not seen that happen but I have heard stories from my father and grandfather. We have none of us been branded as slaves yet, have we?"

He looked around the group to see if anybody made an affirmative answer. "Perhaps a little judicious consideration before we sail into a port with full purses is necessary."

"We flash too much wealth we'd also have to fight to keep it. A judicious use to equip ourselves will be sufficient I think."

Odelia was rather hopeful, considering what they had all went through in the recent days. "We are free, and that's what matters most. I'm sure we'll figure something out. Hiding the treasure and only taking with us what we need to spend seems smart, but our first priority should be to reach shore. Any shore would do for me, really, I don't have a place to return to... I'll go search for that fishing gear."


Doing as she said, Odelia tries to find any sort of fishing gear or something that may be improvised as such.

While Dak and Odelia searched for fishing gear, there were no nets or hooks to be found.  The only lines were the heavy ones salvaged from the ship.

"Is there fresh water? We can live weeks without food, only days without water." He was glad they had SOME water, but would it be enough?

Storm rigs his canvas cloth to form a simple contraption to collect condensation and to serve as a sort of shade for his pals. He agrees that they should bring the gold in slowly. He reminds them that they should not crash the economy

Angus helps rig the sail to catch rain water and condensation.

After the question about water, Odelia inspects the sky for signs of coming rain.

As nature destroyed the island Telemachus gave a small prayer of thanks.  He may not worship the elvish goddess but the natural world she could influence was important.  He then nodded at the commentary, "It will really only be a problem if we run into more slavers or go flashing coin.  Anything less and we should be fine."

He looked up at the stars now that they finally were out and clear to look at his hand moved of its own accord as he began half ticking off stars he recognized.  His head nodded a few times before he smiled, "That way is north.  While I don't know where we are I can chart a straight course from here in any direction that we can use to gauge for the travel."

"As you are much more practiced at navigating, be my guest, I haven't done it in years. So, should we head north then master navigator, or a few points in another direction?"

"To save us some initial effort lets try and catch the prevailing wind in the sail and head in that direction.  We can tack as needed and if absolutely necessary row." he replied as he looked more closely at the boat and how she could be handled.  He knew how to navigate and issue commands but spent next to no time actually doing the grunt-work of the seaman as it was found out very early he wasn't coordinated enough to do it with any skill.

"Come morning I should be able to make some seawater drinkable but we'll have to figure out some way to get food if we don't find a port within the next day or two at most."

"Well Storm, captain says drinking water be damned, set the sail to catch the wind for now." Angus goes to set the sail, having some experience as a navigator and sailor from his youth. He hauled on the line to raise the sail and then tied it off once it was set. "Take the rudder Telemachus, you're navigator and captain."

As the skies were clear, it seemed unlikely that there would be more rain than that which had been in the storm consuming the island which they had escaped.

When the sail was wrangled into its place, the sail remained fairly slack.  Telemachus' best guess was that their path needed to be to the southeast, if there were to be any chance of seeing those who had been left behind when they were kidnapped.

Finally, though, the exhaustion from the exertions of the day, the effects of too little food, and the overwhelming impact of all they had undergone overcame the survivors, who drifted to the sleep of the exhausted as the boat gently followed the path of a current.

As dawn came, they could see that they were nearing another island, larger than the ones most of them knew, but as they neared, they could see boats arrayed in the manner common to fishing.

((See new game map--arrow indicates path of travel.))

Angus stood and put his hand up to shield from the sun trying to see into the distance. "Ahoy all, we're approaching land and more boats, can anyone make out details?"

"Let's hide the treasures and I suggest we sail the boat to a secluded spot far away from the prying boats and then slowly send a couple of us to town to buy supplies before we are fully equipped,"'Storm says.

"By the way, any of you mages can see if the items are magical?"

Angus casts Detect Magic on the items in the bottom of the boat to see if anything was other than what it appeared. He knew the armor and sword were magic but just assumed the mace and the chain were, he concentrates on everything to see if it has an aura.

"The sword and dagger are not magical, they are just high quality, the scale mail, and the chain mail and mace are magical."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:01, Wed 19 June 2019.

"Do any of those maps or papers we found on the slave ship tell us what port this might be?" Dak asked.

He picked up the chaimmail suit to see if it might fit him. If there were trouble in port, it might be a good idea to look competent.  Not like a bunch of street people wearing their grandparents' hand-me downs.