Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 13

[atpollard]

The last two years had seen a change in his life. After more than a decade serving dutifully in various scout ship projects, he had become freelance to pursue a desire to Captain his own vessel and sail under his own flag. He has a part share in 'Shrangri-La', a scout sloop that he hoped to one day redeem and buy-out in full from active service. Until then he had traded his boat building and carpentry skills to make ends meet while also rustling up more lucrative but 'under the counter' endeavours.

[OOC: I think we can do better with your Ship … more GAME opportunities. Try this out …]

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 13: [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]
Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith, Nathaniel

You were still in total darkness. The temperature had risen to a ‘balmy’ 41 F (5 C), so at least the risk of ocean spray coating surfaces in ice was past. (Nothing compared to the joy of a great wave breaking over a raised wooden boardwalk to completely soak you to the bone in ice cold water, followed by trying to avoid being washed into the water because the surface you were attempting to stand on and cling to was covered in a sheet of ice … oh the joys of mid-winter on the planet Byddor.)

Fortunately, it was Day 13 and any child over the age of 45 Cycles, old enough to count, knew that the sun would rise in 4 more days … Day 17, Shift 2, 4 Bells to be exact. A Fresh Breeze (18 knots/34 kph) blew West by Southwest to speed you along on your walk in one direction, fight against you traveling in the opposite direction, and offer a random 5 kg shove if you traveled crosswise to it. Yet all the townsfolk had made some excuse to wander by the Dry-dock to see the ship 'Shrangri-La' and get an update on the commotion. Rumors were more common than facts … but the rumors were so very interesting:

• Pirate ships.
• Smugglers.
• Officials of the French Republic.
• Agents of the Crown.

Lord Baldry’s man stood looking so “official” as he guarded the ship. Not that anyone actually COULD steal a ship from a Dry-dock … but he had his orders and even his Government issued Service Rifle. This made it ‘official’.

Nathaniel cursed silently beneath his breath. He knew the truth was not as exciting as the rumors, but unfortunately it was HIS truth to try to deal with and clean up this mess. It had been a calculated risk to bring the 'Shrangri-La' … at least that was her name at the present … among the islands before sunrise. The rocks were a risk, but the tide was high, so it was as safe as it was going to get without light or a local Pilot. Waiting for the light meant arriving when a warship was in port and THAT was an impossible situation for a ship of “delicate pedigree” like yours. As a smuggler, drawing the attention of officials at a Class B Port to request a pilot would have raised too many questions that you preferred not to have asked. Besides, you barely grazed those rocks.

Those rocks are what started this whole chain of events. The rocks opened the seams, which required repairs at the Drydock. The damage barely came to CR 800, so the Ship’s Master was glad to pay it. If this had only been a Class C port … Of course they checked your ship’s Log and Papers. Of course they had gotten notification about the charges lodged against the ship for “Piracy” by that French prat of an Admiral. He was just pissed. So now your beautiful ship was seized by the Government of Britannia until the courts resolved the outstanding charges filed against the ship by the French Republic. Adding insult to injury, the Dry-dock was claiming “salvage rights” for recovering the “abandoned” ship … so ‘someone’ owed them Cr 8000 for recovering the ship and returning it to its legal owner.

The notification that your former partner was suing you for ownership of the ship came as a complete surprise. After the last time he tried to steal the ship, you thought the partnership ended amicably. (You allowed him to live and gave him the lifeboat you abandoned him in.) That left the 3 man partnership, just a 2 man partnership. According to the copy of the legal papers you were just handed, he saw the matter differently.

If you were still with the Society, you would send a message and they would make all of this go away. Unfortunately, that bridge is … well, not burned, but not in the best of shape at the moment. Your Barrister assures you that you will prevail and the matter will be resolved. Unfortunately, that might take 10 to 20 Cycles (400 to 800 days) to work through the Magistrates. He will need a Cr 1000 retainer to begin and Cr 350 at the start of every Cycle to cover expenses as the cases progress. Until the case is resolved, your ship will remain a guest of the Crown.

What Nathaniel really needed was either a score big enough to just buy another ship, or some contact of value in the French or Britannia Governments that could buy a favor even without the Society backing him. Part of the fuss that led to Nathaniel’s departure from the Society concerned rumors of a “book” which the French and British Governments were doing things they shouldn’t to get their hands on. “Wars and rumors of wars” was the phrase that your friend at the Society had used once to describe it. It was chasing rumors about the book that led you to France and the incident with that Admiral. You can’t exactly say “I am just visiting to talk with rebels about a plot to overthrow the government that the TAS heard a rumor about”. So once the cannons start firing, feelings can get hurt.

That steamship that was sunk near Gwynedd was one of the ships that the book was rumored to be traveling on … so you might have been done with France, but France may not yet be done with you.

[Bluetongue]

Nathaniel

War has certain advantages. Not least bringing an end to the 'phoney diplomacy' of generals and bureaucrats hobnobbing over tea and biscuits or a glass of rose`, all the while planning methods of stabbing each other in the back. At least then a freelance sailor might obtain a 'Letter of Marque' and be able to choose which mast to nail his colours to. Of course peace treaties meant trade and trade meant currency, though conflict could also be as lucrative if you could keep shipping arms to one side and ammunition to the other.

Right now he needed to make sure the harbour caulker was up to the job of repairing the grazed hull and copper plating it again to stave of more infections of sea worms and molluscs which burrow into the clinker planks. Then to address the 'paperwork'. Like using the latrine, the job is not over until the paper work is down and with the French peace came that increase in French bureaucracy. Better a few silver spent to turn a man's blind eye. An 'out of court' settlement was a preferred option as sailing away was distinctly not.

During his quayside tour, Nathaniel has heard regards the shipwreck and potential to refloat the vessel under a new name. Perhaps they need a carpenter? And it might lead to other clues to substantiate other rumours he has heard, putting a bit more meat on the bones of this mysterious book.

He puts his name about in the taverns and hostelries so that those looking for labourers might enquire of his services and other skills.

[atpollard]

[OOC: Just a quick aside. At this point I am reviewing information available to the Characters to help lay out the options for the PLAYERS for their next move. A characteristic of my games is non-linearity. There is no “next thing” for you to do. There are multiple strings leading off in different directions. Whichever string the Characters follow, becomes THE Adventure for the players. So, over the next few posts, I will present for everyone, all the various strings each character holds. ]

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 13: [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]
Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith, Nathaniel

"Black" Jacques Bonnet and Remy Hernandez

THE BROTHERHOOD:
Walking the deck of your new ship, Remy paused to examine the perfectly round hole in the bow. His first thought was it seemed too small for a mast … or more accurately, the boat was too large for a mast that would fit in that hole. Memory drifted back to the fleet of the Brotherhood hiding in plain sight in unclaimed waters and preying on whatever merchant ships came within reach. The brass lined hole was there to mount a gun. Remy imagined that the Brotherhood had several gins that would fit in that very hole. Running his hand over the hilt of his sword, Remy thought that arming the ship might be a good “first stop” on this adventure.

During a chat with Josephine (Jo), Jacques learned that the ‘Hemisphere Dancer’ should cover just over 100 km per shift cruising at about 13 kph in good weather. He and Remy estimated that that it would take about two shifts to reach the Brotherhood.


EMERALD NECKLACE:
Jacques had been safeguarding the Emerald Necklace taken from the woman captured by the slavers. As you were choosing what to pack to bring along and what to leave behind hidden in the house, Jacques stumbled upon the hidden gem and thought of its owner. With the coming of sunrise, the large trade ships would begin to sail again. Whoever she was, within a week she would be sold and shipped off to a new life. Thus it was that the necklace was fresh in Jacques mind as he searched for information on the French Crown and stumbled across a photograph of the emerald necklace now in his possession. It was belonged to the Royal Family and was described as a gift from a Grand Duchess to her young grandniece. The woman to whom the necklace belonged is a member of the Royal Family. Jacques and Remy know the coordinates to which she was being shipped for holding … but you have only days to act on it before she is gone.

You will need access to some navigational maps to locate the coordinates. The ones from the ship were ruined and you do not navigate enough to bother keeping a set of your own. The TAS will have maps that you can look at and some to sell at one of their larger stations.

[atpollard]

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 13: [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]
Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith, Nathaniel

Remy Hernandez

ANCIENT WITCH AND THE ELIXIR OF LIFE:
One day, your wanderings took you down to the Landings. You enjoyed a dark, heavy brew surrounded by fisher folk that worked hard to earn an “honest day’s wages” and enjoyed the time when you didn’t have to be on your best behavior and worry about saying something the wrong way. As you glanced out at some gnarled old woman repairing fishing nets and trying to ignore a cough that should probably be seen by a doctor she can’t afford, your mind wandered back to another ancient hag t\you met once as a boy and later as a young man. The stories said that she hadn’t aged a day in 50 years and had the knowledge to cure incurable diseases. Of course, they say that she always charges eccentric prices for her cures. Remy can still remember the island cove where the boat beached and the men wandered into the Spine to find her. He could still find that spot again … let’s see. That would be 300 km south, so the winds should be blowing in that direction when the sun is high in the sky. Another seven days and the winds will be best for a fast trip to the south.

Remy wondered if the old woman was still alive.

[atpollard]

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 13: [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]
Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith, Nathaniel

Samuel Linkletter

ANCIENT GOLD COIN
Doctor Linkletter made time for his unusual and probably ancient coin. Studying the details on the coin with some of Mr Studley (the former owner of your house) and Dr Routledge’s magnification lenses under very bright lighting convinced you more than ever that the coin was struck to commemorate the burial of an ancient Vinland Chieftain or Jarl and was an important link to the pre-literate history of Britannia and Vinland.

A visit to the TAS Lighthouse at Gwynedd allowed the confirmation that burial coins were struck and this was likely such a coin. The few experts that you could communicate with as a non TAS member were all highly skeptical of any Danish-Orkey runic script being authentic … but could say nothing definitive without seeing the coin.

The Lighthouse Keeper was friendly enough and suggested that the Antley Knob Light (45.1N, 24.7W), located less than 8 kilometers away from Gwynedd, was an important TAS facility and would have a research library there. Getting them to allow you to use it was another matter.

He said that, ultimately, you would need to get to Derry Light (50N, 20W) almost 500 km to the north in the German Federation. The Light Keeper at Derry was probably one of the top people in the world on Vinlandic antiquities and Derry had the finest library in existence for that sort of research. Once again, gaining access would be the hardest part.

Doc Linkletter made the acquaintance of a former scout with whom the two of you might had mutually entangled needs. Nathaniel was looking for some “magic powder” to acquire for purchase and resale (although his priorities may have abruptly shifted when Lord Baldry seized his ship rather than repairing it.)

On the other hand, Nathaniel happened to be quite familiar and on good terms with a certain Light Keeper stationed at Antley Knob Light. The two of you had just started to get to know one another and talk about a small “barter of introductions” when Nathaniel found himself seeking a ship to place under himself and his cargo. Nathaniel inquired if Doc knew of any berths that were leaving soon. While his skills would make finding A BERTH a simple matter … Nathaniel preferred not to be in Gwynedd when the Navy arrived. The “polished Brass” types always make life more difficult for everyone.

[Monsieur Rose]

Jacques

Jacques speaks up over a communal meal at the house. He welcomes the newcomer Nathaniel if he is also present. "Good to see everyone together, it's been a while. And we seem to have picked up another stray! Welcome, Sir." He raises a glass in salute.

"In my preparations for sail, I have found a remembrance of wrong that must be righted." He places down the necklace and the photograph. "We obtained this necklace on an earlier voyage, and have recently confirmed that the owner is Royal. She was kidnapped and is set to be sold in..." He consults the calendar "...a few days time. I need not explain the possible benefit of saving a kidnapped royal, so I propose we head there first to save her."

"We do need to determine the proper navigation, we only have coordinates, but the TAS should be able to provide."

[ffilz]

Doc Linkletter will certainly invite Nathaniel to the house it does seem that their path crossing is most fortunate.

To Nathaniel:
It seems our path crossing has mutual benefit. I know a source of some of that magic powder you seek, and you seem to be in need of some help regarding berthing on a ship, and if you could give us introduction to certain people within the TAS, I think we might well be able to come to a mutual agreement. Please join our company for dinner tonight {gives directions to the house} so we can further discuss how we might all be of help to each other.

To the group at the house:
I also have this interesting coin that seems to point to a possibly historic burial. To find out more about where it's path may lead us, we would need further information from the TAS. Nathaniel here may be able to give us introduction to a lighthouse keeper who may be able to help us in our endeavors.

[Urson]

Jo
Jo glances up when Jacques mentions the 'royal'. I hope we can reach her in time. I'll head for the Dancer and raise steam.

[atpollard]

[OOC: Looks like we have selected a string to follow. Just for the sake of completeness, I thought to mention the last remaining string in the room ...]

CROWN OF CHARLEMAGNE
…an old French Diary that nations and political leaders are willing to kill to obtain.

Cycle 1062 (Autumn): Day 33: Shift 2 [Sea near Gwynedd: 45N,25W] …
Ignatz recovered a floating corpse of a German passenger from the shipwreck. The last third of a diary, written in French, was found placed inside a small weatherproof canvas bag in the man’s pocket. The last page with writing on it was stained with blood and the back cover had the stain from a bloody palm print across it.

Cycle 1062 (Autumn): Day 37: Shift 3 … Becky had been traveling alone to purchase a leather bound French Diary for a book collector at the University [TAS] ... well educated for someone from an obvious blue collar background ... tended towards the practical rather than the purely theoretical.

Cycle 1062 (Autumn): Day 40: Shift 2 (Becky) "My employer was rather disappointed by the failure of my mission. Is anyone looking to hire a courier? I know that you and your friends are repairing some abandoned wreck. Well while you are out there, I would ask you to keep an eye open for a book that might have survived the wreck. It is an old diary. Bound in leather and written in French. There may be a stain on the cover. It was reported to once have been stained with a bloody palm print. I was sent to purchase it and my employers will pay well if it can be recovered from the wreckage."

Cycle 1063 (Winter) Josephine is given the "French Diary with a bloody hand print" for safekeeping.

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 3: Shift 2 … handed the rough leather waterproof travel bag to Jacques. You unbuckled the straps that held it closed and carefully removed an old leather-bound diary with a blood-stained palm print on the cover. The course pages were covered in French writing and small drawings and diagrams. The first part of the diary is rather mundane … just the daily thoughts of some loyal courtier with notes about this lady flirting or some nobleman rumored to be involved in a scandal or some visitor demonstrating a new discovery at court. About halfway through, the diary becomes significantly more interesting as it offers daily reports on the noblemen and courtiers fleeing ahead of the Army of the Republic. About two thirds through the book, it chronicles … THE DEATH OF THE KING! The Courtier then flees with the queen, the young prince and the uncle of the boy. The remainder of the diary describes how the Duke handed the Crown of Charles the Great to the courtier with instructions to hide it. It chronicles his journey to a secret tower where he hid the crown as instructed and his attempt to make his way back to France. The last passage involves their merchant ship spotting a French Warship on the horizon at sunset. The last quarter of the pages are blank.
… the Crown of Charlemagne is the symbol of the French Monarchy and has been missing since the First Revolution (one of the reasons the Royalists have failed to regain power). No man can legitimately attempt to claim the throne without that crown and whichever Nobleman possesses that crown IS the King of France … even in exile.
… blood-stained Diary is a map to the Tower where that Crown is hidden. How do you set a price on the right to rule a nation? What would governments and organizations do to obtain it?

Much of the advice learned on the availability of Maps from TAS and Antley Knob Light (45.1N, 24.7W) just a few kilometers away would apply to researching where to start looking following the diary to locate the hiding spot.

[atpollard]

[atpollard]

[OOC: Just a quick recap on the past information on the Emerald Necklace and its owner.]

Cycle 1062 (Autumn): Day 38: … crewmen from the Regal Star were being led aboard the black-hulled ships with sacks over their heads and their hands bound together; the faint clank of chains could be heard coming from the cargo hold of the Black ship.
Torquil MacCrain was leading this operation … you found cold, hard, heartless professionalism … the women, disrobed to their undergarments and searched, were entered in a log of names and skills, then led bagged and bound (like the crewmen) to one of several waiting ships.

Concern that your Piracy had turned into the Slave Trade visible on your face, Torquil waved you both over. "See it's yer first time, ain't it." he smiled "Perhaps your conscience is bothering you a little. No worry. Tisn't the life for everyone." He placed his arms around both of you and led you forward "Still, you did a good job and earned a fair share when we return to the Brotherhood to divide the profits. Because I value men that do a good job ..." Torquil snatches an emerald necklace off the throat of a very well dressed woman and hands it to Jacques "... here is a little gift. A bonus." He smiled "A bandage for your conscience. Just something for you and your friend to enjoy until you can hold your share of the profit in your hands."

Standing on the aft deck, watching terrified passengers being placed aboard ships like cargo, you overhear an officer giving instructions to deliver the "special prisoners" to specific coordinates ... 46.10N, 26.68W.

NECKLACE: worth over Cr 200,000; Remy verified that the emeralds were real. The clasp was broken from when it was torn from her neck.

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 3: Jacques has an Emerald Necklace (hidden on his person).

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 13: Jacques had been safeguarding the Emerald Necklace taken from the woman captured by the slavers. As you were choosing what to pack to bring along and what to leave behind hidden in the house, Jacques stumbled upon the hidden gem and thought of its owner. With the coming of sunrise, the large trade ships would begin to sail again. Whoever she was, within a week she would be sold and shipped off to a new life. Thus it was that the necklace was fresh in Jacques mind as he searched for information on the French Crown and stumbled across a photograph of the emerald necklace now in his possession. It was belonged to the Royal Family and was described as a gift from a Grand Duchess to her young grandniece. The woman to whom the necklace belonged is a member of the Royal Family. Jacques and Remy know the coordinates to which she was being shipped for holding … but you have only days to act on it before she is gone.

[Bluetongue]

Nathaniel

Will receive the letter from Linkletter and respond to the invitation by arriving for dinner. In his best hide shirt and canvas trousers, neckerchief bandana. But at least clean shaven and showered.

sorry much work. Will edit post with some rp flavour when free from work.

[atpollard]

An OOC discussion on Dates, Tides, Astronomy, Navigation and Travel on the world of Byddor:

The sun moves across the sky incredible slow (from the horizon, approximately two fingers per 24 hours) making a PLANETARY DAY on Byddor very long (960 hours or 40 x 24 hour periods). The YEAR (the time required for the planet to orbit its star) is a curiosity only important to Scholars interested in Astronomy, and to people using the NAVIGATION Skill since rotation:revolution is a ratio and Star Charts used by Navigators change according to a multi-Cycle rotation. The 960 hour PLANETARY DAY drives everything people experience.

Life on Byddor is measured in 40 day (24 hour) growing cycles called CYCLES. There are 9 Cycles to the Earth Year (multiply your age or a time in earth years by 9 to get your age in Cycles; ie. A 4 year term = 4x9 = 36 Cycles).

Here this discussion moved from abstract to practical application. The TIDE and the TEMPERATURE move with the sun in the Spring. As the sun rises, it gets hotter and the water levels rise. Sunrise will occur on Day 16 (Mid-Spring) with the LOWEST tides.

Byddor has two ‘ecosystems’: ISLANDS and OPEN WATER. Travel across the Open Water Ecosystem is done throughout the Cycle. High Tide or Low Tide, Light or Dark, one only need a Navigator and to avoid the Island Ecosystems. The Island Ecosystems have rocks and sandbars that appear and disappear depending on the water levels (Tide). Only local knowledge, detailed maps, or slow travel with a good lookout can allow one to travel safely through the Island Ecosystems. Low Tide makes travel near the Islands more dangerous. Darkness makes travel near the Islands more dangerous. Darkness at Low Tide makes travel near the Islands VERY DANGEROUS (there are the greatest number of hazards and no light to see them with). The Island Ecosystem formed by the SPINE OF THE WORLD (a chain of mountain tops) divides the EAST from the WEST and is a major barrier to trade from Sunset (day 37) to Sunrise (day 17).

Let’s talk about the next few days on Byddor:

Day 13: The sun is 8 fingers below the horizon, making this the last day of Total Darkness before the sky begins to lighten. The temperature is 41F (5C) and the tide is falling and very near its lowest level.

Day 14: The sun is 6 fingers below the horizon and the sky has lightened to Astronomical Twilight (light appears on the eastern horizon and all but the faintest stars are still visible). The temperature is 50F (10C) and warming rapidly.

Day 15: The sun is 4 fingers below the horizon and the sky has lightened to Nautical Twilight (light enough that only the brightest stars can be seen for navigation and dark enough that artificial light is still needed to see clearly outdoors). The temperature is 59F (15C).

Day 16: Mid-Spring. The sun is 2 fingers below the horizon and the sky has lightened to Civil Twilight (only a few of the brightest stars can be seen in the west and able to see clearly outdoors). The temperature is 68F (20C) and the tide is at its lowest level.

Day 17: SUNRISE. The sun is at the horizon and the temperature is 77F (25C). From this point forward, the water levels will begin to rise. The wind is blowing from the WEST as the convection drives the trade winds from planetary midnight (coldest point) to planetary noon (hottest point).

Day 26: NOON. The sun is at its highest point and the temperature is 93F (34C). The tide is at its highest level. The wind is blowing from the NORTH as the convection drives the trade winds from planetary midnight (coldest point) to planetary noon (hottest point).

[Monsieur Rose]

Nice new color map!

Jacques

Jacques relays the information about the necklace and its owner. "We had no idea they were slavers, I even suspect that not all of the brotherhood does so. Unfortunately, we were in no position to do anything about it at the time, surrounded as we were. Remy and I took the first opportunity to leave, taking a longboat and casting off."

He hangs his head. "Events here allowed it to be pushed aside to my shame. Only in the packing did I remember and dig further."

"It seems the TAS and Antley Knob Light should be our next stop. We may also find information about our book. Nathaniel, did someone say you have contacts there?"

[Urson]

Jo
I can get us to the TAS easily enough, but we'll need their maps. I hopethey'renottoo dear.

[atpollard]

Cycle 1063 (Winter): Day 13: Shift 3 [Hamlet of Gwynedd: 45N,25W]
Jacques Bonnet, Remy Hernandez, Mercutio Routledge, Samuel Linkletter, Josephine Baxter-Smith, Nathaniel

A Scotch Boiler required 4 hours from a cold start to reach operating pressure. There was no magic that could increase the amount of heat that a fire created or the speed that water absorbed that heat. Attempts to cheat thermodynamics typically resulted in an explosion. A bad engineer or a bad ship might need longer, but Jo had had the Hemisphere Dancer from cold to ready in exactly 4 hours. “Full head of steam and all gauges reading normal” she reported when the ship was ready for her maiden voyage.

The warm up time allowed the others to decide who would fill which positions and shifts. Jacques (Pilot, Steam-2) took the wheel of the ‘Dancer’ for her first official voyage of adventure. It felt good to be at the helm again and natural to be in command. Many things are egalitarian, however survival requires a ship to have but one captain. TODAY, the captain was on the bridge and at the helm.

There are reasons that navigators are important, good navigators are expensive and great navigators are worth their weight in gold … days like today rank high on that list. Someone would need to take up the task of guiding the ship by the stars, spotting hidden sand bars in the water and avoiding invisible rocks below the surface of the black water surrounding the ship on every side. Calum Goff charged Cr 150 to guide a ship through the hidden sand and rocks from port to open water and had quoted the same price to guide you to the Light. The newest addition Nathaniel (Nav-1) to the group would provide an experienced Navigator and guide the ship himself.

Josephine (Eng-0, Mech-1) lived the role of ship’s engineer. After having rebuilt most of the systems herself, there was little on ‘her ship’ that she had not worked on personally. Mercutio (Mech-3) had little experience with ship engineering and systems, but a tremendous personal experience in complex mechanical systems that naturally drew him to the ship’s boilers, engines and drive-train linkages.

So the doors to the house were locked, the ropes were untied from the dock, and Steamship ‘Hemisphere Dancer’ cast off from port unnoticed and with no fanfare. Nathan took up a position at the bow with a lantern to watch for the channel and Jacques steered the helm according to hand signals from the navigator.

“Ahead, quarter speed” and the ‘Dancer’ started its journey at 3 kph that felt slow, but definitely not leisurely. It was easy to spot Antley Knob, the 400 foot peak silhouetted against the glow of the eastern horizon. Less than 8 kilometers away as the ‘crow flies’, you wandered the maze of channels through the sandbars for 3 hours before a shout of “Full speed astern!” brought the ship screeching to a halt just shy of a submerged sand bar. The Dancer was undamaged. The low tide would require taking the long way around this particular local reef. Another 5 hours of threading the maze-like channels brought the ship to a small beach at the foot of Antley Knob. It had taken a full 8 hour Shift to steam just 8 km through the channels at low tide. No wonder ships preferred the deep water.

The group must decide what to do about the boiler. Holding it at “stand-by” will continue to burn fuel and require someone to watch it (just a warm body, no skill needed). Shutting the boiler down will save fuel but require another 4 hours to restart it.

A short walk of 1200 feet forward and 300 feet up brought you to the door to a three story stone building with a communication lantern occupying the third floor. A bronze plaque beside the door says “TAS” in large letters and “Members Welcome” in smaller letters. Nathan made introductions and a man named Nicholas welcomed you into a parlor to sit and have some tea. He started preparing it when he saw you all climbing the stairs.

[Urson]

Josephine

I would dearly love to see the inside of the Society building.... But I heard an unpleasant sound coming from somewhere in the drive linkages. I will stay with the Dancer and keep her boilers hot.

[Bluetongue]

Nathaniel

sorry lots to read.

On the ship he helps out and gets to know the other crew and characters. Happy to be back on the water and comfortable in the high waves.

Nathaniel uses Navigation skill (+ Edu) [2d6+2]=6+2=8

More used to sailing than steam, the cumbersome ship needs a broader draft and takes longer, much longer to tack.

He hollers directions and flags with his arms, a figurative semaphore for tack right and left, compass points, speed, halt, deep water, reefs.

He grimaces as the ship grinds over coral reefs and sand or gets pushed too far over by the current, generally satisfied that he (just about) gets it correct in unfamiliar waters.

[Monsieur Rose]

Jacques

"Excellent work everyone!" Jacques shares his good mood with everyone after the Dancer makes it safe to the destination. "Some of those sand bars were tricky, but she seems light enough on her feet. 'Dancer' seems appropriate."

Thanking Jo for the hard work on the boiler and engine, he leaves the ship in her capable hands until they return.

"Good to meet you, Nicholas. Nice place you've got here. A bit more accessible during high tide, but I guess this way we get you all to ourselves." Jacques is jovial after the successful voyage. "But let's get down to it. We need some information."

Jacques details the coordinates of the kidnapped royal, declining to detail who what, and when.

[atpollard]

Just a heads-up that DAY 14 has begun.