Silverymoon, Pride of the Silver Marches

Darvin nodded to Talathel as the elf told him where he was going to look for Nym. 

"Let's both head to the Hammer and Helm and get us rooms for the night. After that we can split up and ask around." Darvin said. Talathel agreed to go along with Darvin and the friends approached the inn. After they had checked in Darvin told Talathel and Thjodolf that he would meet them back at the inn in 3 hours. He figured that would give them enough time to gather some information that they could explore more thoroughly tomorrow. 

Darvin walked outside in the cool evening air. It was a warm night and it felt good to be outside with his thoughts. He really had no idea where to start looking for this girl...this girl who had made him absolutely insane. When it came to Nym, Darvin was completely irrational. He thought back on all the crazy things he had done that were a result of him meeting her. He murdered the entire crew of the ship he was currently captain of, he jumped into a river in the middle of battle and most recently, he had gone galavanting off with his hedonistic friend and a half-orc to save a girl who in all honesty, probably didn't need saving. Darvin shook his head and sighed to himself. Love apparently makes people do silly and irrational things... Darvin stopped in his tracks, the rest of the crew probably had known for some time but it had never clicked for the half-elf, "Holy shit...I'm in love. Oh fuckstockings." Said Darvin to no one in particular.

Yellow Must Creepers are Creepy

Nym and Ollin followed the boar's tracks into the forest. After about a half hour, Ollin held up his hand to stop Nym. Silently she moved next to him to see what lay ahead. A large yellow musk creeper grew next to a stagnant pool. A bear and two squirrels moved slowly around the area, all infected by the plant.

Ollin nodded at Nym, signaling she should attack. She readied a set of magic missiles as Ollin raised his bow. They easily killed both squirrels, but their attack alerted the bear to their presence. Nym yelped as it charged and let off another round of magic missiles at it. Ollin let loose an arrow at the bear, narrowly missing as it charged. The bear swiped at Nym, and she dodged his first swipe but was caught by the second. She fell to the ground and the bear pinned her down. Ollin shot again at the bear, but missed as he was trying to avoid hitting his daughter. Nym cast laughing touch on the bear, and it crumpled over, laughing, Nym guessed. For a moment, Nym was distracted by the absolute hilarity of a bear laughing before hitting it again with magic missiles. Ollin shot the bear and finally it fell to the ground dead.

Their attention turned then to the yellow musk creeper. "Don't get too close, child." warned Ollin. Nym nodded. Nym and Ollin took their time sending magic missiles and arrows at the vine to kill it. After a bit, Nym had exausted her magic and picked up a rock to throw at the vine. Ollin chuckled as she threw it, but she managed to hit and kill the damaged plant with the rock. Nym and Ollin laughed heartily at this.

Tired from using so much magic, Nym sat down while Ollin looked for further tracks that could tell them where to search next for more infected animals and vines. "We shall begin the search again in the morning." said Ollin, heading back into the forest. Nym stood and followed him, glad to head home. The day had already been long despite it only being early afternoon.

Map of Silverymoon

Justifications

"It is done." said Nym quietly as she returned to where she'd left her father. Silently the two half-elves and their companions slipped through the forest back toward the cottage. Light filtered through the dense canopy and undergrowth onto Nym's skin. She noted that their passage through the trees was so quiet, not even the forest animals were stirred by their movement. Nym soon became absorbed in her thoughts on the boar's death.

...If I hadn't killed him, the plant would have. But does that make it right? Is that justified? ...The vine needed the boar to live much like a morning glory needs the other flowers to climb to the sun. Should I interfere with life like this? Who am I to become the judge and executioner? What right have I to decide who, or what, lives or dies?

And what of the creatures we killed in Baldur's Gate? Yes, they killed, but what right do I have to decide they should be killed? Do wicked deeds deserve to be returned in kind? Even if they do, who am I, who is anyone, to be the punisher of the wicked? Who is not wicked, at least in part?

And what of the men from the Sea Star? Surely they were not all that evil, and yet we killed them. We killed all of them. I killed the first mate myself. Surely they had family, friends... How am I so much better that I should have killed them? Why should any of us be allowed to decide who should live and who should die? If murder is approved by the many, is is not still murder? Am I any better than those who killed my friends in Thay?

Nym could think of no justifications and no answers that were in any way satisfactory.

Good to see people

As the three adventurers approached Silverymoon, they noticed a bit of increase in the traffic. There were some merchants and other travelers, indicating that the town was near. Talathel was grateful to see them, if only because it meant that, in theory, the journey was half-way done and he could return to the ship and Lailsan. He didn't like the way the two had parted. It seemed rushed. He hoped she would understand.

Talathel hoped that they could find Nym soon. Depending on how the reunion went, he may think about riding back towards Watersdeep by himself. But, they'd have to find Nym.

"Darvin," Talathel began, almost cautiously. "Have you a plan to locate your fair maiden?"

In the badlands camp.

Beranhond set down his stuff inside the tent and lay downed his head on his bedroll and fell asleep with nary a thought.

In the morning he woke up and sat in solitude for an hour. Then he reassembled his items and waited for his escort to arrive.

Strange Things on Foot

As Nym and Ollin continue their quest for herbs after finding the bilberries, Nym catches sight of something that grabs her attention. Between two trees, she spies an animal walking very slowly towards a small thicket. It is walking away from them, but appears to be a boar. Something about it catches Nym's attention, though.

Home at Last (May 27-May 28)

Ollin could tell Nym had been through much more than she was letting on, and after dinner, he pressed her for more information. Although uncomfortable recounting Thay and other unpleasant encounters, Nym soon spilled her heart out to her father about everything that had happened. Ollin gently took the box Nym had carried with her since Thay. He set it gently on the table and hugged Nym as she sobbed about all that had happened to her. The little fox pup licked the tears from her face, which eventually caused her tears to turn to laughter.

Nym slept in her childhood room that night, surrounded by odds and ends she'd collected years earlier. The fox pup snuggled under Nym's chin and the two slept soundly. When she awoke, light shone through her window, and she lay looking at her trinkets for a bit. From the sun, she could tell it was late morning. After about 20 minutes, the fox pup pushed into Nym's room and hopped up on her bed to yip at her. She laughed, and played with the puppy until she heard her father call her name. She ran out of the room barefoot, followed by the fox, to find Ollin. Ollin was exercising Nesme, who seemed particularly pleased not to be on the road. Her father smiled at seeing her. "I see you're finally awake, little one." he said in Elvish. "Yes, I had much sleep to catch up on." He smiled and led Nesme back to the stable. "Come child." he said as he started toward the woods gracefully. Vort followed, as did Nym and her fox pup.

Walking in the wasteland

As Beranhond strapped his gear to his backup he was lost in thought.
Where had the Paladin on watch gone? Who were these people and why had they left them alive?
The two men seemed to be just doing their duty, but the woman from the north with the scythe had an unnerving grim quality about her. As he looked towards the bodies of his fallen companions he couldn't help but worry about Ceilith. Had she been out on a similar patrol and ambushed by people such as these? She had been making patrols through this area for much of the past month and had yet to return to Waterdeep.
She was tough and probably was not so foolish as to camp out in the open with less than trustworthy watchers. He thought. However, in all honesty, who expected a Paladin to up and leave their watch duty? Well. I was a Paladin, or at least was nearly one, and know that they are not always as virtuous or striving to good as they appear. Plus, good and evil are not nearly as easy to spot as they appear from behind the walls of the citadel.
As a result, as they put their packs on and followed the three he kept his eyes moving about the three, waiting, and watching. He did not immediately offer any conversation, but waited instead to see if their new escort offered any.

On the Road Again

Darvin opened the door after Talathel knocked and headed down to the stables. "Good morning you cheeky bastard." He cheerily said to the elf as he walked by. Talathel looked a little stunned to see Darvin up and moving at this hour, but Darvin had an important task at hand. The woman he was smitten with had run off without so much as a goodbye. All she had left was a hastily scribbled note and a promise that she would find him eventually.

Eventually wasn't going to work for Darvin. He had been with his fair share of women in the past, he had been quite the ladies man back in Secomber, in fact that very reason is why he was on this adventure at all. But after all the women that Darvin had been with, he had never felt like this about any of them. There was no time in his past when he would have dropped everything just to make sure she would come back. Darvin had been pondering since they left what he was going to do when he finally found her. He, admittedly, hadn't really thought this adventure through. He would never admit that, of course, but he did know it.

Darvin pounded on Thjodolf's door as he walked by,

"Get up you great oaf! It's time to go." Darvin said good naturedly.

When Darvin got downstairs he saw Thjodolf already standing there waiting for him. 

"Oh. You beat me down here you large beast." Darvin said as he walked by Thjodolf and smacked him on the butt, much like a coach of the Faerun national pastime, futbhel.

Talathel was right about the ride being long, past Yarter there was no town on the map until they reached Everlund. Darvin estimated they would reach Yarter sometime around midday. It looked like they would be camping out in the open that night. He prepared his horse and climbed into the saddle.

"Well friends, let us ride!" Darvin said as he climbed up on the horse and galloped out of town followed by his companions. Silverymoon or Bust...

Let us make haste

After a restless night, Talathel wakes up the next morning to watch the sun rise. Not seeing anyone else awake, he goes out to the stable and prepares his horse for the day.

"You certainly are not as beautiful a creature as Nesme, but you are worthy of a name. How about Arandur?"

He went about his preparations and then headed back into the inn. He knocked on the doors of Darvin and Thjodolf. The half-orc answered the knock.

"We should go soon. Nym is still far ahead of us. Once we get past Yartar, there will be no lodging until Everlund. We must at least get to Yartar this evening, if not further. Ready yourself, as today will be another long day of traveling."

Thjodolf grunted a response. Talathel went back to the stables and waited for his companions to arrive.

Nym Does More Boring Stuff

As Nym rides closer to her home, she notes that everything looks nearly the same as it had when she had last seen it years before. She hops down from Nesme and stands quietly looking around for a moment. Suddenly she feels the hairs along the back of her neck stand on end. She was being watched. Carefully she looks around, and seeing nothing, she looks up to the canopy. Again, she sees nothing. Then something rustles at her feet, and she looks down, and gasps, surprised. A small fox pup is staring up at her from between her legs. "OH!" exclaims Nym, still recovering from this sudden arrival. The little fox lets out a small yap and runs off toward her father's cottage. Nym laughs, relieved she wasn't being watched by something more ferocious and pats Nesme. Nym can smell the smoke from the chimney, indicating her father is home. The grass and flowers in from of the cottage swish around her legs as she approaches. She hears the click of the front door opening, and her father, looking the same as she remembered him, steps out followed by the little white fox pup, which was still yipping. Her father smiled and held out his arms, recognizing Nym almost immediately despite the years that had passed. Nym ran to him, Nesme following, and hugged Ollin. She was crying. "Where have you been, little one?" he asked her. "No where I'd like to return." she said. Her father's wolf walked toward them from the forest, and she turned to him. "Vort!!" she squealed, hugging the wolf's big gray head. Vort woofed quietly, approving of Nym's affection. The old wolf had filmy eyes and a white muzzle. Vort was showing his age, unlike Nym's father. Ollin led Nesme to the small stables in the back of the house while Nym pet Vort. When he returned, he led his long lost daughter inside. Nym told her father all about her travels without reservation, and her father listened, happy to have his child back at last. After a time, the fox pup peeked in the room and hopped onto Nym's lap, where he promptly fell asleep. Nym asked "Who is this little fellow?" Ollin chuckled. "I have not named that little monster yet. He was being sold in Mirabar by some trappers who had killed his mother. I took pity on him and bought him for quite a bit." He raised a stern eyebrow at the sleeping fox and then smiled. "I suppose he's my pet now, although he seems to like you more than me." They laughed and Nym continued telling her father about her adventures in the great wide world.

Almost Home: May 27

Although Nym was anxious to head into the forest, she went with the man to his mill to help him unload his grain. The man assumed she was an elf of the forest from her paints, and Nym was in no rush to correct him. He was a pleasant fellow, and his eight children, all between 12 and 22, helped unload as well. The man joked that Nym would make his eldest son a fine wife with her pleasant nature and helpful attitude. Nym laughed at this, but the man's son blushed, obviously finding Nym attractive. The man offered Nym dinner and a place to stay for the night, but Nym politely declined.

After Nesme had had a rest and a bit to eat and drink, she returned to the road around 5:30. She knew the old paths to her father's cottage well, and she quickly determined it would take about an hour on horseback to reach home. On foot, she could cut straight through the forest, which would only take her around 30 minutes, but with Nesme, she had to stay away from the thickest undergrowth, which for once slowed her down. She was excited to be back in her forest.

Religion and rum

"You see, Thjodolf, it is not solely about the rewards of doing good deeds. More to the point, reward is not the point of doing good deeds. The Old Order believes that it is the duty of each man to lift up those around him."

The lecture which Talathel was currently giving was made after Thjodolf had simply said "why help, short stay." after Darvin had finally decided to get off his horse and slay one of the rats.

"Rewards...no need?"

"Correct, though they do help pay for the essentials." Talathel signaled for a rum from the bartender.

"Don't we have another long day of riding ahead of us?" Darvin asked, not so subtly judging the elf's drinking habits.

"All the more reason to have a bit of a drink. Relax the muscles, let the mind wander, and f course, discuss The Old Order!" Talathel began to sip the rum now placed in front of him when a voice bellowed from across the room.

"The Old Order! I didn't think you were around!" Talathel turned around to see a dwarf staring him down from across the room.

"We are fewer in number, but The Order is strong." Talathel drank some more rum.

"Are you searching for your master?" The dwarf said, mockingly.

"I do not believe that Koldael would want to be found. Besides, I, who is without a brethren, would not be worthy of such an honor."

"Ah...a nomdaic monk. Perhaps you are Koldael?"

"Preposterous." Talathel turned back to the bar, intending to ignore the dwarf for the remainder of the evening. However, the dwarf made his way up to the bar and sat down next to the irritated elf.

"What would you say if I told you that I knew where Koldael is?"

Talathel looked down on the dwarf, a quiet resentment portrayed in his stare. "I have no reason to believe you. Koldael will make his presence felt when he feels it to be right, and until then the likes of you could never find him."

"The likes of me? Am I not worthy of your master? It would seem that you would praise him to keep him to yourself."

The dwarf hopped down off the stool and left giving a bit of a chuckle. Talathel quickly finished him rum and went off to his room for the night. He was upset with himself and at the dwarf for being right.

"My apologies, Koldael. It seems that even in spreading your message, I find ways to divide you from the People of Faerun."

Camping for the night.

May 26th 6:46.

The eight of them traveled down the road at a brisk, but not pushed, pace. Eventually, after several hours of traveling they reached a spot in the road where Isolda road on over next to Beranhond.
"This road continues on up to Red Larch so we will be cutting off and heading east towards Goldenfields across the plains. We will camp for the night to rest the horses - the Abbey hasn't been all that welcome as of late so we will want to approach in the daylight."
Beranhond nodded and spread the message to Kailina and Janusa.

8:00 PM
The group stopped by a small brook. While Hrekdovaskalishavarto (Hrek) made a fire and dinner the rest of them watered and fed the horses, brushed them down and then set up their bedrolls.

After dinner, Beranhond volunteered for the first watch. As the rest fell into slumber he and Tigrisclawu stared out into the darkness.

Perception:
Roll(1d20)+6:
3,+6
Total:9 (well... fitting considering he can't see very well).

Tigrisclawu Perception:
Roll(1d20)+5:
17,+5
Total:22

On the Road where?

Beranhond, here is a map of the area. Goldenfields itself is a large walled abbey to Chauntea, where you will find clerics to Chauntea, but not the druids circle you are looking for. The druids are not generally to be found in the abbey itself, instead making regular appearances to the abbey to help the gardeners and peasants therein. The clerics also will make appearances in the badlands that the druids call home, to create a community of faith that spreads across their two homes. Goldenfields is the obvious place to begin a search for the druids' circle, as they should have contact with the druids, but recent forays to the Goldenfields from Waterdeep have not been allowed inside the gates.

Beranhond, are you going to be cutting across from the Waterdeep-Red Larch road to Goldenfields, or are you going to Red Larch and then following the path southeast to Goldenfields?

Olostin's Hold! May 27, 4pm-ish

Nym was tired of riding. She shifted yet again in the saddle, trying to get more comfortable. She'd passed a man riding east and seen a dire porcupine to the North and a few normal woodland creatures in the High Forest, but generally the ride had been boring. It didn't help that Nym knew she was coming up on the road to Olostin's Hold into the forest very soon. Nym shifted again, impatiently. Nym sighed.

After a few minutes (that seemed like days to Nym), they rounded a corner and the road was in sight. "FINALLY!" exclaimed Nym. Nesme snorted. As they came closer to the road, Nym noticed a man on his way toward Olostin's Hold with a cart full of grain. She rode along side the man. "Hello, sir, how are you this day?" she said smiling. After looking her over for a moment, he decided she was friendly and replied, "I'm quite well, young lady. Are you on your way to Olostin's Hold?" She nodded, and they chatted as they made their way to Olostin's Hold. Nym was happy for the company.

Red Larch

Here is a picture of the wooden palisades at Red Larch from the inside. Note that the door is open in the picture, but in reality there is a crude door closing the doorway in the picture.

Goldenfields

A picture of the Goldenfields badlands.

On the Road

May 26th 3:12 PM

After a quick set of introductions Beranhond and his companions set off for the stables. Several handlers had prepared horses for them and were finishing up mounting the saddles. The stable hand directed Beranhond towards a large mare.
"Her name is Aefenleoht. We usually just call her Aefen."
"Pretty name."
"She is a good horse m'lord. We weren't sure how much experience you had with horses, so we wanted to avoid stallions - even the best trained stallion can be an awful idiot."
"That goes with the territory I guess." Beranhond replied. "Men and idiocy have a long relationship." The stablehand chuckled, handed the reins to Beranhond and stepped back. Beranhond put his food supplies into the saddlebags, and carefully swung onto the horse. Tigrisclawu rolled his eyes and jumped up and perched in front of him. Aefen turned her head around and stared at the two of them.
"What are you looking at?" Tigrisclawu said back.

The Paladin of Torm unfurled a banner of Waterdeep for their passage outside of the city. The crowds parted, sometimes with annoyed expressions, many with curiosity, and some with worry. However, when they had passed through the gates and into the badlands he rolled it up and put it away.
"No need to attract any attention to ourselves out here." He said pulling up to ride next to Janusa, "you however, need no banner to attract attention to yourself."
Beranhond looked at Kailina who was riding next to him and saw her rolling her eyes.

The followed the river at a brisk pace. After several hours Beldon, the eldest of the Lathander warriors, called for a stop to water their horses. As Beranhond was dismounting Tigrisclawu jumped down quickly and hurriedly bounded after a small mouse he had spotted. Chuckling, Beranhond grabbed a seat and took a bite of hardtack. After a moment he felt something rubbing up against his back and a small badlands duck stepped around him and stared up expectantly.
"Hello you."
"Quack!"
Beranhond stared quizzically back at it, when suddenly a badlands rabbit ran up and stared at him as well.
"Ok..."
The rabbit was quickly followed by a fox, a hummingbird, a dog, and an opossum.
"Um... hi."
They sat and looked at him.
"What in the world..." he heard Kailina say behind him. With that, the animals scattered away in separate directions. Though Tigrisclawu attempted to pursue the Hummingbird as far as possible.
Beranhond turned to her and gave a confused expression.
The rest of the group looked just as confused, but shrugged their shoulders.
"There are many mysterious people in this world." Isolda said in an awed tone. "However, there are just as many oddballs too." She said laughing.

Flowers: May 27 Around 2pm

Nym had slowed her pace knowing she would arrive in Olostin's hold by 5pm if she did so, which was well before dark. Nym sang to herself absentmindedly as Nesme walked the foothills of the Lost Peaks. They'd left the main road to Silverymoon some time before and were now making their way toward the High Forest. The trees seemed to breathe life, and Nym could hear the life rustling in its shadows and smell the richness of the woods.

There's a cold fire
There's a crossfire
And there's something
Inside, inside

And we'll never, never make it
And we'll never, never break it

Until... Until

There's a long game
That's a wrong chain
And it's something
We all hide it
Inside

And we'll never, never make it
And we'll never, never break it
Until we learn to see
Until we set free

If we could see that this was all that we need
Inside our minds
Bodies and souls
We wouldn't run and we would let go
Because we'd realize
That we had -
That we had no control

While Nym sang her song quietly, Nesme summitted a particularly large hill. The horse stopped at the top. Nym was surprised to see a field of white stretched out in front of her as far as she could see. "I've dreamed this..." she thought, and laughed. The tiny star-liked flowers swayed gently in a light breeze, their little faces turned to the sun. As they swayed, the sun glinted off their soft petals, making the flowers seem almost magical as they shimmered. Nym nudged Nesme to continue, and they walked through the glistening flowers as they swayed. Nym wondered for a moment what her friends might be doing in Waterdeep. She smiled thinking of them. Nym continued to hum her song as Nesme waded through the field of flowers.

http://katiegray.bandcamp.com/track/set-free

The Constant Gardener

The three of them made their way back to the temple district and to the gardener where the priest was weeding away.
"I was hoping to ask you for a favor. As you know I am always looking for new information, and I suspect that there is some to be had with the Druids at Goldenfields. Alas, as there have been some disturbances in the region, and that I have not been there before, I was hoping to find some Paladins or Temple warriors to accompany and show me the way. However, as I have little pull in this city I was hoping you would be willing to assist me in finding some volunteers. I also do not have any mounts, so perhaps as a joint expedition we could borrow some mounts from the temple."

Diplomacy:
Roll(1d20)+8:
8,+8
Total:16

"Of course Beranhond, I would be glad to help. We have been very concerned about learning about the situation over there so I am sure that the temple could loan some mounts and that one or two Paladins would be willing to accompany you. Of course... I have to finish the weeding first."
Beranhond internally grimmaced. He hated weeding.
"Why don't you let us take over the weeding while you talk to the temple staff. It is the least we can do."
The priest smiled, handed the trowel to him, and left the garden. Tigrisclawu found some nice dirt to sit on and took a nap.

The start of a grand solo adventure.

May 26th, 1:35 PM.

When Darvin and Talathel stepped off the ship Beranhond finally took a deep breath and relaxed. He had been concerned that Darvin would be much less thoughtful and more gung-ho, but they had taken adequate preparations and should be alright. Stepping up to the watch bell he rung it three times. The crew assembled immediately as most had been nearby spying on the sudden activity among the officers and owners.
"We will be here longer than originally intended. Admiral Nym is heading home for a brief period of time, Captain Darvin and Talathel are following. As such we will be anchoring here in Waterdeep for most likely a week. As a result, there will be an extended rest time. Watches will be more minimal and you will have some time onshore." They all brightened up at the thought. "However, the Admiral and Captain are expecting you to spend some time working on your sailing skills as well. Do make use of this time." He didn't expect them to do too much, but hopefully some would work on their knots.
"I will be traveling off the Druids at Goldenfields. I am asking for one or two volunteers to accompany me; but no one is forced to. I am not sure what awaits us there, but at least you will be in the company of an excellent healer." Scriptus and Codex raised their hands immediately, as did Kailina and Janusa.
"You four can decide amongst yourself just be ready to go in fifteen minutes. Make sure to bring a weapon of your choice. I need to make some preparations and will be back up presently.

Beranhond stepped on down the ladder and headed to his cabin. Tigrisclawu rolled over in his hammock.
"Something happened."
"Yes, Nym decided to head on back to Silverymoon. Darvin, in a sudden fit of romantic heroism decided to follow her."
"Well that is nice and romantic."
"Oddly so." Beranhond grabbed his backpack and started filling it with items. He also rolled up his rug carefully and strapped it in.
"I see that you decided you had other things in mind."
"Of course, we are going to go talk to the druids."
"Druids? Like Grumblyplanks?"
"Yes - and you are going to be coming along, and you will be polite!" Beranhond said pointing at the cat. Tigrisclawu yawned, jumped out of the bed and stretched.
"Whatever you say Holy Prophet of Narath."
Beranhond decided not to respond, but picked him up.

When he returned to the main deck Janusa and Kailina had their packs ready to go and had swords at their side. Scriptus and Codex also waited.
"We decided that it was time for someone else to have an adventure. Plus, we wanted some more time with each other." Scriptus said sticking out his hand.
"Of course my friends." Beranhond shook their hands and wished them well, then he Kailina and Janusa set off into Waterdeep in search of directions, and mounts.

May 26th 1:50

A Horse of Course

Darvin didn't think it was that odd that they got to Waterdeep without a map. He knew it was north of Baldur's Gate and on the coast, that's why they had hugged the coastline. Well, at any rate it didn't matter now. Thjodolf emerged from below deck, "Me already to go, Cap'n Darvin." 

"Good to hear Thjodolf. Talathel, I take it things went well with your lady friend?" Before Talathel could answer that question Darvin said, "Good, good. Alright, lets go." And the three friends briskly departed the ship. The group made their way to the main gates of the city and headed to the town's stables. 

"Talathel, will you head over to that cartographer and procure us a map while Thjodolf and I take care of getting us some mounts?"

Maps show you where to go...

Beranhond went into the conference room to grab the navigation charts to point out the location of Silverymoon from Nym. However, after a few minutes of searching he found nothing. He then walked into Darvin's cabin and searched for navigation charts, finding none again he returned to Darvin.
"Where are the ship's maps? I wanted to point out where exactly Silverymoon is."
When Darvin shrugged, Beranhond became quite shocked.
"Wait... you didn't have any navigation charts? How the hell did we arrive here? Well, I suggest you get one of them on the way out, I think I need to as well."

The Breaking of Kilink

I just wanted to fight fire with fire and post this video... :D Hope you enjoy it.

Getting Back to Your Roots: May 27 12:00pm-ish

Nym passed through Yartar late morning with no incidence. She was making good time, having left so early in the morning. By around noon, Nym had made it to where the road between Yartar and Everlund stopped following a river and began following the edge of the High Forest. She would make it to Olostin's Hold and her father's cottage in the forest before dark. She smiled at this and after inspecting the landscape for any threatening creatures, she led Nesme off the road to a nearby stream for a drink. Several paces down the stream, three deer from the High Forest were also drinking the clear stream water. They looked up at Nym and Nesme, but continued drinking when they saw the girl and horse were of no threat.

While Nesme drank and rested for a bit, Nym looked about the stream bed and found a bright red clay used by the High Forest elves to paint their faces. She used the calm waters of the stream as a mirror to paint a red line from ear to ear over her eyes and three thin red lines from her bottom lip to chin. She then took a bit of charcoal, mixed it with the clay to form a black, and followed the wide line across her eyes with a thinner black line above and below. She continued doing this for a bit and then admired her work. While looking at her own reflection, she was surprised at how much her hair had grown recently. She tied it back and then collected Nesme and returned to the road.

And We're Off...

"Sounds good!" Darvin said to Talathel and with that the half-elf dashed out of the cabin and headed below decks. He grabbed a couple of packs and headed below decks. He raided the galley for various breads and hard cheeses to ration them for their journey. Beranhond had a good idea about them splitting up. Darvin hastily loaded up the packs with supplies and headed up on to the deck to wait for Talathel. While he was there Thjodolf walked by. 

"Thjodolf! Pack a bag my friend, you, me and Talathel are chasing after Nym. The girl has gone off to Silverymoon by her lonesome and we need to go offer her protection and any other assistance she may need." Darvin explained to the half-orc. Thjodolf nodded and quickly went off to pack his things. Darvin impatiently waited on deck for his two companions to ready their things...

To speed things up.

As soon as Beranhond had finished that statement he stopped and started another thought.
"You know what, leave that to me. I will handle that. You need to go pack up some supplies in the hold, grab some trusted travel companions and get on the road. Nevermind, I will go pack the supplies for you. You should go assemble some traveling companions." Beranhond grabbed Darvin by his arm and pulled him out of his chair, out the door and thrust him towards the crew. Beranhond then headed down the ladder and into the hold. He grabbed a pack and started throwing food, several flasks of water, and other travel supplies into it. When he returned he through the pack to Darvin.
"Best go and hire some horses as well. I would say we could take the ship up the river to Goldenfields, but that is off the main road and probably not the route she took in either case."

Leaving Triboar (May 27 AM)

Nym awoke with a start and sat up in bed, woken by the slamming of her shutters in the wind. I can go home today. Olostin's Hold lay between Yartar and Everlund in the High Forest. She had been away from home so long and was so focused on getting to Silverymoon, she'd nearly forgotten.

It was early still, maybe 4am. The sun had not begun to creep up quite yet. Nym walked over to the window and closed the shutters. She dressed in the dark and collected her things before slipping downstairs in the inn. Aside for the normal creaks and groans of a building, the inn was silent. Nym was the only person awake. She slipped out the side door to the stables. Nesme snorted when she saw Nym, and pranced excitedly in her pen. Nym brushed Nesme slowly and then readied the saddle and saddle bags before climbing onto the horse.

The sun had just began to peak over the horizon, and Nym smiled, enjoying the early morning warmth, as she made her way toward the eastern gate. The gate was just being opened as Nym arrived, and she waved at the gatekeepers as she went through. Nym nudged Nesme with her ankles and Nesme began to trot down the road.

Meeting of the Minds, so to speak...

"There you are!" exclaimed Darvin as he heard Beranhond come on board. Talthel and Gurkirat had not been much help in the initial panic that surrounded Nym's departure (Ok, Darvin's initial panic). Talathel was busy dealing with something to do with Lailsan and Gurkirat just seemed rather uninterested. 

"We are in the midst of a crisis! Nym has run off to Silverymoon. Alone. We can't let her do that, dangerous things are afoot. We need to go find her! Darvin was panting slightly when finished and looked expectantly at Beranhond.

Scouting the Market place.

May 26th, 12:20 PM.
Day 1 in Waterdeep.

After thanking Abraham for his information Beranhond made his way to the market and sought more information about the mood of the city. It seemed more subdued than the last time he was here with the trading stalls emptier than before and even more charlatans selling totems against lycanthropy, curses, and Driffon's bites.
"Driffon's bite? What is that?"
"Driffons are tiny invisible monsters whose bites can leave red swells all across your body at night while you sleep."
"Uh huh..."
Beranhond shook his head at the fools who would buy cures for driffon's bite. He suspected that Driffons could be taken care of more readily by simply changing your sheets more often. After another half an hour in the market he decided to check in on Darvin.

1:25 PM
As he boarded the ship he saw Darvin pacing about.
"Well, I am glad to see you didn't run off after immediately."

Choosing my confessions

"There you are!"

Talathel was startled to hear Lailsan. He excused himself from the "heated" discussion and walked with her.

"I've hardly seen you since we boarded the ship. You spend all your time up in the crow's nest."

Talathel looked back at her, not knowing what to say or do. "I'm sorry..." he said, sheepishly.

"Nym's gone!"

"We know...we're working on a plan to find her," Talathel replied. "At least I think we're working on a plan."

"What are you going to do from the crow's nest?" Lailsan turned away and rushed back into the galley, leaving Talathel feeling quite alone on the deck. He could feel Darvin and Gukirat staring at him.

"Excuse me, gentlemen." He climbed back into the crow's nest, and pulled out his journal and began to write...

Dearest Lailsan,

I understand your frustrations and I apologize for being at the root of them. I have been lost in my thoughts in the crow's nest. The main purpose of my journey is to try and spread the message of The Old Order and my focus on how I might achieve that has led me to stray from one of Order's main tenants, as I have neglected my personal relationships.

The Old Order used to be guided by a lesser deity named Kolodael. He was a wise man. His teachings have changed many a person, myself among them. Though he possessed power greater than most humans could imagine, he chose to live a simple life, finding value in friendships and experiences, not in wealth and gluttony. Those that followed him did not worship him, they did not praise his name. Kolodael did not seek such recognition. He would often tell those that followed him "if you put your energy into glorifying me, you will not find your true meaning. Your meaning lies within the people of Faerun. Seek an understanding with your fellow beings and world and you will please me more than any sacrifice ever could."

One winter, Koldael was traveling with a band of his followers near The Spine of the World. They came upon Baffenburg and found the town's fires to be out and its people losing their battle against the cold. Using what little supplies he and his men had left, Koldael worked to help restore some heat in the larger halls to help the people of Baffenburg. However, this displeased Auril. In her eyes, the people of Baffenburg had not reveled in her power enough and so she wanted them to suffer more. A blizzard came upon Baffenburg that lasted for several weeks until Koldael, cursed with immortality, was the only one alive.

He wandered Faerun for several years, distraught over the actions of another deity. He questioned himself and all he stood for. Some say he circled the continent until he arrived in Calimport. He gave an order of monks there his final testament. It was deemed The Old Order. Over the course of many months, he detailed his journey and his reflections, all written into the book. After the many years of searching and looking within himself, his message remained true. Koldael wanted his monks to spend their time building up the world around them and to put their faith into their fellow man, not the Deities of Faerun. "It is imperative to lend a hand to those who require its assistance. It is absurd to give praise to those who would not lend their hand otherwise."

One night after the book was finished, Koldael left the monastery in Calimport. He gave no word where he was going. Some say he has taken up residence in The Calm Desert. Others believe he is trying to find away to access Pandemonium, so that he may confront Auril and avenge his fallen men.

I write this because I know Koldael would not approve of my actions as of late. Instead of being there for you and for this crew, I have focused on myself. I will do what I can to make this right.

Yours,

Talathel Braegen.

Talathel climbed back down the crow's nest and snuck into the galley. Lailsan had her back to the door. He slid the letter on the counter next to her.

"Just read it, I must go for now."

Dreams

Nym slept well in Triboar that night. It was windy and cool, as was common in the North and the smell of the Krypt Garden Forest blew in from the east. As Nym breathed in the cool forest air, her mind raced home.

She dreamt she was small again and looked up into the branches of one of the great oaks of the forest. The only sound she heard was the rustle of the great tree's leaves and the groaning of its branches as it swayed slowly, gently in the wind. Light filtered gently through its huge branches creating curtains of light running to the shadows of the forest floor. Nym slowly looked down and examined the dark bark of the tree and the soft moist moss growing in every crevice of the tree's trunk. An animal called from somewhere in the forest, and Nym turned slowly to look...

Nym was smaller yet, asleep in her father's arms while he read her a story. She had be frightened by a storm and snuck into her father's room for comfort. Ever patient, Ollin plucked his little girl into his arms and read her a story while the rain poured, the wind howled, and the lightning flashed. Nym could smell the wood and stone of the house, the melting wax from the candle, the forest outside...

Nym was older and sat in a sunny glen that looked to be painted with tiny white flowers. The flowers swayed slowly, lazily in a light breeze. They seemed almost to glitter in the sun. Nym laughed...

Through the night, Nym continued to dream of her home which was finally within reach after seven years of travels.

Tracking down Abraham

May 26th, 11:41 AM.
Day 1 in Waterdeep,
Beranhond, I believe, is 12 hours or so behind Nym. Maybe, at most, a half-hour ahead of Darvin.


As Beranhond entered the temple he was struck with a stray thought about what the rest of the crew would be doing. Darvin hadn't seemed all that pleased about traveling to Waterdeep so he would be surprised if he had left the boat. Nym well, she... He paused in thought. Nym was leaving them. Perhaps only for a short while, but the closeness of Silverymoon would draw her onward down the road.
"Good luck." He said to the air.
Scriptus and Codex looked at him oddly, but just shrugged his shoulder. He searched out the administrative office, and having tracked down Abraham greeted him openly and explained his interest in the conflict in the region.

On the Road Again

After making her inquiries about the road to Silverymoon, Nym rode to the main gates to the north or the city. She hesitated for a moment, not eager to be alone once again in the wild. She took a deep breath and urged Nesme to begin at a fast pace.

As she headed northeast along the road, she noticed the landscape becoming more familiar to her and was pleased. It had been years since she'd been in her home province, and she was excited to be back. She kept an eye out for animals or undead roaming the area, but she saw only animals in the badlands to her right every so often, and none reacted violently on seeing her. She assumed this was because it was daylight still so the more violent beasts were not yet roaming the land. Around 4pm Nym approached Red Larch. As the village came into view, Nym ran Nesme the rest of the way to avoid being stopped by bandits.

Though hungry and tired, she stopped only to allow Nesme a drink and then passed through Red Larch intending to spend the evening in Triboar or even Yartar if she could manage it. The sun began to set while Nym was still outside Triboar, so she urged Nesme to a faster pace. The sun had just dipped below the horizon when she arrived at Triboar's gates. The gates were closed for the evening, but Nym was able to persuade the gatekeeper to let her in.

Diplomacy
(1d20)+4
17+4
21

"The gates close at nightfall, young lady. Those be the rules here." said the gatekeeper sternly upon her arrival. "I understand." said Nym, sighing loudly. "It is only that I am just a girl and I doubt I will last the night out with the beasts that have been roaming the region... Perhaps you will send a letter to my father in the morning, since I surely will be dead." She gave the man a most pitiful look, and having daughters of his own, he was moved to let her pass. "Well, as you are only a little late, I suppose I can let you through." he said. She thanked him as she passed into the walls of the city.

Nym made her way into the city, and after some hunting, she found an inn, The Northshield House, that she found acceptable. She stabled Nesme and paid for a meal and the room for the night. After eating quickly, she went to her room, exhausted. She doubted Nesme could ride as fast the next two days, which would mean she would have to camp on the road the next evening unless she stopped at Yartar for the next night and started very early to Everlund the following day. She could likely make the journey between those two cities in a day...

As sh thought of her options, she drifted off to sleep, clutching the wooden box containing her friends' remains against her chest.

Ah hell...

Darvin watched Beranhond leave and then headed for quarters. Upon opening the door he saw that there was a piece of paper on the floor. He picked it up and walked over to one of the windows. It was from Nym, telling him that she was off to Silverymoon. He didn't know why. Darvin knew very little about Nym's background. He did know that she wouldn't have left him this note if she didn't want him to know where she was. She obviously cared whether or not he knew she was leaving. Well shit... Darvin thought to himself. His captain duties just got a lot more complicated, but it didn't really take him very long to decide what his next move was.

He had to go after her. She was barely 18 and Silverymoon was far away along the road that was crawling with undead. Darvin only had one thought about the things that were lurking outside the city gates and on the road to Silverymoon, Heinous fuckery most foul... He quickly headed back out to the deck and told Scriptus, or was it Codex? Either way, he told one of them to go find Beranhond and get him back to the ship post haste. Darvin then sought out Gurkirat and told him the situation. Talathel soon joined them. The three of them were about to get into a heated discussion about the next move when a man came to the ship looking for the half-elf and elf.

"Yes. We're right bloody here!" Darvin said coarsely. He was a bit on edge. "Whatever this is about make it quick. We're dealing with a bit of a crisis!" 

Letter

The Quest Continues...

Nym ran onto the deck when she heard someone yell they were approaching Waterdeep. She watched excitedly from the forecastle for a bit and then went below and began packing her belongings to continue her journey. She brushed Nesme as her ship docked and then went to her room to write a letter which she carefully folded and slipped under Darvin's door. She finished readying Nesme with her saddlebags and quietly led the horse off the ship.

Stealth
(1d20)+8
14+8
22

For a moment she hesitated and looked back toward the ship, but as she gazed back, she set her jaw and made her way into Waterdeep. It was around noon, so once she was in the thick of the city, she stopped at an inn for lunch and to ask for any news a traveler on her way to Silverymoon may want to know.

Diplomacy with server and other patrons
(1d20)+4
12+4
16

Her sweet smile and easy laugh won over most of the people she talked with.

What does she learn about the road to Silverymoon?

Map of Waterdeep

The city of Waterdeep, and its wards. On reflection, 6 ships in the harbor was way low. Revise that to 16.

A Journey Ended/A Journey Begun

The rest of the voyage to Waterdeep was as uneventful as the first section of the voyage. Other ships sighted: 3 merchant vessels, 1 diplomatic convoy with 3 ships, and 2 military vessels.

The ship arrives in the Port of Waterdeep in the late morning, after 2 full days of travel. The city seems relatively peaceful, but the port has 6 ships docked when you arrive.

Beranhond heard the scamper of feet and saw Nym hurrying on down away the ladder to the hold. The ill feelings that had overtaken him in the ship had yet to fully pass, and as a result he was being fairly careful around her. Shaking his head he went to the rear of the ship and stood next to Darvin.
"How are you enjoying your first day as Captain of the Lady Narath?"

Running Away

Nym watched the little gnomes go about their work on their regular sized ship as it passed. She was impressed that they were able to man such a ship and imagined what it must be like to work on a ship twice the size of the Lady Narath in every way. After occupying her thoughts with the daydream for a bit, she simply watched the gnome ship until it was out of sight. Darvin was busy captaining, so she climbed up to the forecastle to take in the view of the sea. As she came to the top of the steps, she saw that Beranhond was already there. She looked at him for a moment before turning around and dashing back down to Nesme to hide from him.

Down, down, down.

Beranhond noticed that the ship was mostly Gnomes and smiled, glad that Tigrisclawu was below decks. For an animals Tigrisclawu was quite tolerant, but he had a strong dislike of what he called 'the shorties.' It was an odd sentiment for an animal that was none to tall itself.
He turned away from the Gnome's ship for a moment and stared out into the ocean water. The sun was high above and had he not been at sea it would have been a lovely day.

The Gnomes Shall Pass

Darvin let a smile creep across his face as he watched Nym jump and dance excitedly in front of him. It reminded him of a toddler that had to go to the bathroom. 

"Nym, my dear, gorgeous, Admiral," Darvin winked. "We can't stop every ship we see while we're out on the open ocean. And no doubt these gnomes have very important business to attend too. However, we can still exchange pleasantries as we pass them." 

Darvin walked over to the port side of the aft castle and waved at the passing ship.

"Ahoy there! Where are you headed!?" Darvin shouted to the other ship. He did this for two reasons, 1) to appease Nym, he did still have feelings for her after all, even though they hadn't much time for that sort of thing lately and 2) if these gnomes were headed to Baldur's Gate it was best that they knew about the tsunami and earthquake.

Everyone on the Lady Narath waited for a response.

GNOMES?!

Nym squinted at the ship to sea the boat load of gnomes, which sounded rather hilarious to her. She skipped over to Darvin and began chattering, excited. "Are gnome ships smaller than regular ships? That ship doesn't look smaller. How do they sail it then?! We should go see them. I want to see how they sail a regular sized ship..." Nym continued, very excited about a ship filled with sea gnomes.

Gnomes can sail ships?

Talathel squinted at the ship drew near them. Adorned with blue and silver flags, it may be somewhat difficult to spot the ship in the open ocean. Talathel gave a quick glance at the red flag that flew atop The Lady Nareth, but did little more than reassure himself that the flag was still red.

As the other ship came closer, Talathel could see the crew. They were gnomes. "Gnomes can sail? How well do gnomes do out on the open ocean when a storm hits? Hell, how will I do on the open ocean when a storm hits?" Talathel felt his stomach churn at the thought, despite the calm waters. He then remembered that he had told Lailsan how brave he had been on his previous trip. "Well, that'll come back and get me, now won't it?"

The elf looked down on the deck and spotted Darvin.

"OY! Darvin! There's a ship full of gnomes. What shall we do?"

sitting on the forecastle

As the crew moved about, Beranhond, Having little useful to offer the situation moved to the forecastle, out of the way of Darvin, the crew, and Greg who was the helmsmen on watch.
As the ship drew closer he heard the crew calling out that it was from the nation of Latan, a nation of which he knew very little.

Ooo! A Ship!

While Nym sat on the deck, Talathel called out to announce he had spotted a ship from the crow's next. Excited, Nym ran to the railing and peered out to sea looking for the ship. Darvin commanded the crew hoist the sails, and as the Lady Narath began picking up pace, a merchant ship became more visible. Nym waved to the ship, even though it was unlikely they could see her from that distance.

FLAG

Waiting for my ship to come in.

As the sounds of orders being shouted and sails being unfurled reached the lower levels, Beranhond rolled over and decided that he had had a long enough nap.

Acrobatics:

Roll(1d20)+-3: (as he had yet to put on his acrobatic boots)
9,+-3
Total:6

Rolling awkwardly in the hammock he somehow managed to get out without damaging himself too much, but he was glad no one saw. Putting on his boots and cape he opened the cabin door and headed up the ladders. When he reached the quarterdeck he saw what looked like a merchants ship in the distance.

Fine, I'll Post...

Darvin heard the call from the Crow's Nest, "Ship ho!" It was extremely unlikely that any ship would have been aware they were leaving Baldur's Gate or what their intentions were. With the ship still so far from them, Darvin thought it would be best to continue on their current course, albeit at a slightly faster pace.

"All hands unfurl the mainsail and hoist the jib!" Darvin shouted out his orders and watched as the crew went about their jobs.

"It's time to stretch her legs..." He said to no one in particular.  

Too Bad No One Ever Posts

Just before noon Nym wakes up to the sound of more people moving about the Lower Deck with the changing of the watch. She sat up and watched people move about for a bit and then she realized she was hungry, so she hopped out of Nesme's pen and walked toward the kitchen. Lailsan was hard at work in the kitchen preparing midday meals, and seeing how busy the elf was, Nym slipped in, collected something to eat, and slipped out unnoticed. She returned to Nesme's pen where the horse was now taking a nap to eat. When she was finished, she returned her dishes to the kitchen, and headed to the deck to take a look at her ship at sea.

Day 4/4 and Departure Day

Beranhond spend most of the 4th day in the office finishing up paperwork and catching up on his writing. In the evening he went into Balder's gate one final time and sought out his uncle's house. After another long arduous meal filled with the usual bickering of distant relatives, he made his exit.
The streets were quiet and peaceful as Beranhond made his way back to the ship. He passed a few hooded figures moving through the street, but he reached the docks without any encounters. As he stepped onto the ship a sense of excitement was palpable in the air.
"So long Balder's gate." And hello the unknown....

The ship's departure went smoothly. Though Beranhond couldn't help chuckling at the fanfare their departure was generating considering the scribe and the Justicar's emphasis on the need for them to be 'punished.' As Beranhond had signed himself up for the evening watch he decided to take a short nap and headed onto down to his cabin.

Note:
The crew is being split up into three different watches based upon the standard merchant watch system. Each watch rotation is 4 hours, and every person will be on watch for 8 hours and off watch for 16. Of course, there will be plenty of times when everyone is called. Just make sure to do that when you are on watch other wise you will be missing a large section of your crew.

Watch schedule (via wikipedia just like Dr. Bodley):

Standard merchant watch system

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
0400-0800	Team 1	Team 1	Team 1
0800-1200	Team 2	Team 2	Team 2
1200-1600	Team 3	Team 3	Team 3
1600-2000	Team 1	Team 1	Team 1
2000-0000	Team 2	Team 2	Team 2
0000-0400	Team 3	Team 3	Team 3

On merchant ships, watchstanders typically stand 4 hours of watch at a time in three sections. This system has a couple of advantages: it's easy to remember and it's consistent. For example, a member of watch team #1 will only have to remember that he is on the "4-8" watch, and knows that he goes on watch at 4am and 4pm. This scheme also allows inexperienced watchstanders to only stand watch from 8-12am and 8-12pm, when senior watchstanders are likely to be awake and ready to assist in case of trouble.

Watch 1: Nym, Nym's friends + 4 others

Watch 2:Beranhond, Scriptus and Codex, +2 others

Watch 3: Darvin, Thjodolf, Greg, and 2 others.

I think that accounts for everyone. Talathel as you are sleeping in the crow's nest I am kinda assuming you are mostly on. Your elf friend being a cook does not have a watch schedule. Gurkirat, you can take whichever one you like.

Departure!

Nym hadn't been able to sleep the night before the Lady Narath left Baldur's Gate out of sheer excitement. When the sun rose in the early morning, Nym ran Nesme once more before they left for the open sea and then readied the horse for departure before joining in the general work on the ship.

As they departed, Nym waved eagerly at the crowd gathered to see them off and continued waving until they were out of sight. Then Nym joined in the work on deck for several hours until the ship was out to sea and everyone on board had settled down a bit. Exhausted, Nym went below to brush Nesme and ended up falling asleep in Nesme's pen on a pile of hay. Nesme was unconcerned by this and continued to munch her food while Nym slept.

Haul Away, Me Laddy-o!

It was well known throughout Baldur's Gate that Kilink was leaving on May 24th. For days there had been talk about how the repairs were going and speculation on where the crew would head and what brave deeds lay ahead of them. Some whispered that they would head to Candlekeep, to beseech the scholars there for wisdom. Others scoffed, insisting that the earthquake was obviously the work of the Red Wizards of Thay, and the heroes would make short work of the enclave when they arrived. And these rumors were again shot down. “How will they get to a landlocked sea?” they asked. The answer came quick, and with a grin, “I'm sure they'll find a way...” The banter and guessing didn't stop from the time the adventurers left the justiciar's courtroom until the morning of the 24th.

A somewhat large crowd gathered to see the crew off on their voyage. More than 200 showed up, mostly from the lower classes of the city, but every walk of life was represented. Jugglers and other performers saw the event as an opportunity to gain a greater audience, and there were small pockets of children and jubilant commoners who let themselves be distracted by the acts. The more wealthy of the city came in carriages and could barely be seen through the shades drawn up in the windows. Some of them had their own musicians, but most simply stayed in their carriages and conversed.

The justiciar himself sent the crew off with a few prepared words he shrill-ly piped over the crowd. “These brave adventurers go forth to find those that have attacked our fair city. May they find success in their venture, and return bearing news of the retribution they have seen fit to bestow upon our enemies!” (He wasn't a great public speaker.) Once Darvin realized that was all the man meant to say, he called out, “Cast off the lines, and take her out!” The crowd cheered, and the ship sailed away, carrying the hopes of the entire city as her cargo.

7:15 AM:
Under the direction of Captain Amblecrown, the Lady Narath made its way down the River Chionthar, until at last her prow broke free of its banks and into the Sea of Swords, where she felt a moderate West/Northwest wind. The salty air felt refreshing and there was a wild, free spirit in the air that caused Carlinya to break into song.

“Up jumps a crab with his crooked legs
Saying 'You play the cribbage and I'll stick the pegs'
Chorus:Singing blow the wind westerly, let the wind blow
By a gentle nor'wester how steady she goes

Up jumps a dolphin with his chuckle-head
He jumps on the deck saying 'pull out the lead!'
Chorus:

Up jumps a flounder so flat on the ground
Saying 'damn your old chocolate, mind how you sound'
Chorus:

Up jumps a salmon so bright as the sun
He jumped down between the decks and fired off a gun
Chorus:

Up jumps a whale, the biggest of all
He jumped up aloft and he's pawl after pawl
Chorus:

Up jumps a herring, the king of the sea
He jumps up on deck saying 'helms a-lee!'
Chorus:

Up jumps a shark with his big row of teeth
He jumped up between the decks and shook out the reefs.
Chorus:”

As she sings, the crew takes to clapping, and Hvrako, Kailina, and Janusa even begin singing the chorus as the song goes on. The voyage is off to a wonderful start.

_________________________

1:21 PM:
Talathel, up in the crow's nest, spots another ship at 10 o'clock, off the port bow. She's on the edge of vision, about 12 nautical miles away, and farther out to sea than the Lady Narath. She's square rigged, but there isn't much else you can tell from this distance. What do you choose to do about it?

Table 1-1 on page 7 of Broadsides! has visibility distances.

Summary of what's happened (Yes, I know it's slow):
May 5th – Tsunami
May 6th – Everyone meets
May 7th – Everyone enters the sewers
May 8th-17th – 10 Days off
May 18th – Party, Abduction Attempt
May 19th – Arrest, Trial
May 20th-23rd – Training

To Sea?

Is everyone ready to travel, then? Sorry it's taken me so long to post today. It's been crazy. I am preparing a post for the beginning of your journey. As soon as everyone lets me know they are ready to go, I will post it. Also, am I correct that you are heading to Waterdeep?