Chapter Three - The Voyage South

[Chanur]

Returning Lavinia's squeeze he smiles at his benefactor and returns to his ship. He places his hand on Areil's shoulder and congratulates her on attaining her familiar, in a way a Captain would encourage his young officers.

As they get out to open sea and the danger of mooring and departing is over Chanur falls into his usual routine of training Tavey and ships business. That night he gives Amella the necklace he got her. "I just wanted you to have something since you stayed with the ships. It was...appreciated. Though you out there going native might have been interesting." He grins jesting a little and giving her a wink.

OOC

Don't kill us Daerith! =)

[mackaber]

Berek doesn't like the sea and that hasn't changed all that much with his time on a ship. Having to leave navigating through dangerous waters to an Elf is even less to the Grumpy Dwarfs liking but luckily he loaded up on some particularly strong liquor a their last stop which keeps him intoxicated enough to care less than he should.

[Vardaen]

For the first new days Daerith locks himself away at his task. He spends little time doing anything else and makes liberal use of his Unseen Servant to fetch him food, water, and to handle other things to free people up to help him with the more important task of Navigation. "The Pearl Current, our ticket to Far Shore and our possible demise. I need a few good heads to help double check my math and take horizon readings for me, along with speed and depth readings every quarter glass." He assigns tasks, steels Urol from his duties to help him, and thanks Anya and Ariel several times over.

He sets with his charts, compass, sextant, quadrant, the sea charts from Wavedancer's people, and more. Now at work he plots the course of the Sea Wyvern and the Nixie, the fate of both ships, and all these people rest in his hand. He prays to Procan for guidance and thanks his ancestors for his natural talents. As the ships reach the deep sea the elven Magus begins his work, and his greastest test of piloting so far....

OOC

Use the charts, and every aid another from the PCs and NPCs I can each time. Perhaps Fin would care to cast a Guidance on me for another +1 (I am praying to Procan for guidance after all! New convert and all that!)

Finger's crossed.

[Trogdor]

Now the convoy enters what could be dangerous seas. None of the landsfolk know this, as the ocean looks the same as it has every other day. But the sailors on board know. If they fail to chart exactly where the Pearl Current starts and ends, it could potentially take them thousands of miles off course, possibly stranding them at sea as their food and water run out.

Daerith spends the time as the ships approach the Pearl Current hard at work. Every glass he has readings brought to him, and every other glass, during daytime hours at least, Vanya carries messages to and from the Nixie. But these are no love notes. The masters of the two ships are comparing calculations to get the best possible read on where the current begins. However, since Daerith has the better charts, the Nixie will ultimately defer to the Wyvern in matters of navigation.

On the fifth day out of Renkrue, at about five bells in the morning watch, Daerith notes a minor change in the temperature of the water, combined with a slight griping of the ship when trying to keep on course. After much discussion with Urol and many readings from the sextant, the two settle on a point on the map where they believe the current started. Urol may be talkative, annoying, and even occasionally argumentative. But there's no denying that the old gnome knows his navigation. In fact, though he may not wish to admit it, Daerith even learns a few things from Urol. A short missive to the Nixie sets forth their conclusion, and a return message confirms that Daerith's counterpart agrees.

Then comes the ever difficult process of trying to estimate the speed of the current that the ships are sailing in. Measurement is impossible, of course. But a good navigator can do his best to estimate based on the wind, the air temperature, the water temperature, the horizon, and any small islands that might appear. Daerith, Urol, and Chanur spend many hours on deck taking measurements, making sightings, and generally gathering all the data they can. Urol is a help here, but he keeps getting distracted by birds, and his help is not all it could be. The real saving grace comes from the Nixie this time. Daerith's math was correct. But he'd been using a poor estimate of the wind. The master of the Nixie, an elf with over four decades at sea, has a much better feel for such things. He rather strenuously recommends using his wind estimates, and Daerith complies. With the formulae complete, the two ships use them to determine how to alter course to account for the current. In the end, it seems odd to be pointed so far south and west when Farshore is to the southeast. But according to Daerith's reckoning, the current is carrying you north and east at a relatively fast pace.

Finally, Daerith needs to determine when the ships leave the Pearl Current, and so when they can return to their normal bearing. Again it's a time for measurements every glass, and frequent notes shared with the Nixie. Daerith gets little sleep, and it's all the others can do to help him out by cross-checking his trigonometry. Once more, Urol proves his worth. Having been this way before, the gnome has a good feel for the current. With his observations, Daerith is easily able to put the pieces together and come up with a shockingly accurate determination of when the two ships return to normal seas, and so when they can return to their original south-by-southeast bearing.

At long last, the Wyvern and the Nixie are through the Pearl Current, safely on the other side, and with little, if any, deviation from course. Better yet, the readings they've taken will help any return trip in the next six months or so find the current more easily. Up-to-date readings are required to navigate the Pearl Current easily. Such readings were not available to the present expedition since it had been so long since the original settlement set out. But hopefully with greater commerce between Farshore and Sasserine, this won't be a problem again.

OOC

It requires three successful DC 25 piloting checks to get through the Pearl Current. Each failed check means you go off course.

First Check
Daerith's Base: +9
Aid Another: Berek 9, Blue Nixie 20, Chanur 13, Fin 5, Urol 22, Wavedancer 6
Total from AA: +6
Bonus for Charts: +4
Total Bonus: +19
Roll: 37

Second Check
Daerith's Base: +9
Aid Another: Berek 10, Blue Nixie 28, Chanur 22, Fin 18, Urol 16, Wavedancer 9
Total from AA: +10
Bonus for Charts: +4
Total Bonus: +23
Roll: 26

Third Check
Daerith's Base: +9
Aid Another: Berek 20, Blue Nixie 19, Chanur 18, Fin 7, Urol 29, Wavedancer 11
Total from AA: +10
Bonus for Charts: +4
Total Bonus: +23
Roll: 42

Success on the first three. You sail through the Pearl Current with nary a problem.

[Vardaen]

Standing with his hair loose around his head Daerith looks backwards past the rudder of the ship and into the fading Pearl Current behind the ships. He hasn't slept in days, and his eyes are red, he hasn't bathed in as much time, and he's been sweating with strain and stress, but none of that matters to him now. He's never felt so alive. "I did it. Damn it, we did it." He holds the railing looking at the ocean waves roll out behind the Wyvern having given up on his sash and armor and everything but his blade over the course of the last three days (during the trip through the Current). The elf pats his blade, "Father never would have thought I could do this. We showed him didn't we Torothalion?" He rubs his face and realizes that he's hungry, he has missed the last few meals. "Tavey!" He calls out to the ships cabin boy, "I need a drink and something to eat, please." Turning back around he looks at the First Mate ate the wheel, "I think I understand why you spend your life at sea. Very few things give you the same feeling, the same rush of excitement. I've never felt so alive as when I was so close to death." He rubs the Wyvern's rail with care, "This is a good ship, she's got a good spirit and a nice soul. I don't think I could have done that on any other ship but her." He strides to the edge of the deck and shouts over to the crew, "We've done it!" He knows the crew is aware of that already but he wants to be clear about it. "We have pass the Pearl Current and are on course! Next stop Farshore! Huzzah!" He pumps his arm into the air expecting an echo from the crew and passengers.

[Trogdor]

The crew gives out a cheer, which is echoed by the passengers. Most have figured out that something was up, and few took the time to find out what it was. But all are bored. And cheering brightens up the day. So cheer they do.

Over the next day things settle back into their normal pattern. Daerith is fed and cleaned - by magic or by seawater, since fresh water is far too precious to waste on cleaning - and the running of the ship proceeds as it has in the months prior. The only difference is that now you sail through the night, with no real danger of land for miles around you.

The following days grow into a week until one afternoon, land is sighted on the horizon. "The Isle of Dread at last!" Avner cries upon seeing it. "We've crossed the ocean safely. We'll be in Farshore within the week!" This general cry is taken up by some of the passengers who seem relieved that their long journey will at long last be over.

Of course, those on the crew, especially its officers, know that this is not the case. The land in front of you is merely the Isle of Ruja, an uninhabited island surrounded by thousand foot cliffs and crowned with a tangle of thick jungle. Rumors have long held that Ruja is the lair of some terrible monster. But the difficulty in even reaching the jungle peaks above has left the interior of the island entirely unexplored. Ruja is not even a scheduled stop for the convoy, much less its destination. But now someone has to break it to the happy passengers that they have several more weeks of travel before they reach their destination.

Progress so far

[mysticknight232]

"Huzzah!" shouts Wavedancer as he joins in with the rest of the crew.

"Avner you dolt" says Wavedancer. "We're still leagues away from Farshore. Stop getting these people's hopes up."

[mackaber]

"Aye!" Berek shouts over the rest of the hooting." Calm down folks. Calm down. We still quite a ways away from farshore!" Seeing spirits drop already Berek has another piece of good ol Dwarven Diplomacy ready for the crew and travelers. "But to celebrate our triumphant run through the Pearl current and the fact that due to Daerith's fine maneuverin we will be arrivin in Farshore far earlier than intended will have a little festivity. And to this happy occasion I'd like to invite everyone to drink me nicest keg o cocnut liquor wit me!"

OOC

Diplomacy have a party get drunk and forget about it!

[mysticknight232]

Wavedancer quickly chimes up in support of Berek's idea. "Three cheers to Daerith! A party we shall have!"

[veritas]

Knowing that very little in this world solves the problems of seafarers like alcohol does, Fin shouts a hearty cheer in support of Berek's plan while making a mental note to pray for a silence spell every day from here on out just in case Avner decides to speak again.