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No sooner have you passed the Silted Shrouds than you come upon the Raker Shoals. The low-lying coral reefs known as Raker Shoals are a well-known hazard to ships in this region. You must quickly chart a course through the shoals with a successful DC 20 Knowledge (geography) check. Using the charts of the fair winds grants a +2 circumstance bonus on the check.
After the check is made, I also need to know what your ship's speed is while traveling through the Shoals. It is possible to sail around the Shoals, eliminating the need for any checks, but this will deduct from your race score. Finally, if you are sailing through the Shoals, I need Perception checks from everyone, please.
Carmelia is particularly pleased to have navigated through the Silted Shrouds without running aground of a sandbar. But a coral reef? Now that could be deadly.
"Our quartermaster is good with charts and all that, aye? Master Goldforge, I don't suppose you can chart us a course through this nonsense, can ye? If I can call on the spirits of the winds to guide my vision, we may be able to maintain a near-reckless speed and still avoid the worst of the reefs. But sailing around would be even more catastrophic, I think. I'm happy to risk a path through, but I'm still new to the ship. What'll it be, Captain? I'm feeling lucky."
Knowledge (geography)
Perception
Dantes barely glances at the charts. "There!" he calls out, pointing. "That's your bearing. I'll talk you through the corrections to stay clear of the shoals."
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Breathing with the wind and the waves, Carmelia holds the wheel and tastes the salt on the air. She begins singing a shanty.
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With the crew's assistance, Carmelia easily guides the vessel through the dangerous reefs, spotting the threats well ahead of time. The next obstacle will require a bit more thought, however.
Sometimes called Gozreh’s Piss by the less reverent, the swirling wash of powerful ocean currents called Gozreh’s Flow sweeps out of the Sodden Lands along the southern fringes of the Eye. Competitors must tack into the strong wind while navigating the treacherous currents. You will need to make either three Knowledge (Nature) checks [u]or[/u] three Survival checks to avoid the strong easterly currents dragging you back.
Anyone may attempt these checks, but only one person can make each check, so declare if you are aiding or attempting the check, please. In addition, Carmelia can attempt three Sailing checks to increase your lead.
The sting of salt wafts up into Carmelia's lungs, and she launches into another shanty about Gozreh's Piss when informed about where they're going next, full of crass and deeply dualistic references.
"Oh, Quartermaster Dantes, pray tell you know the way to get us through the musty spray! If you don't mind, have a glass of mead to sharpen that mind of yours even more. And then let's get this crew into shape! I can only steer if we have the sails in right order with She Who Guides the Wind and the Waves."
Anyone watching sees that Carmelia is grinning from ear to ear, two rows of teeth glinting any any flashes of lightning that crackle across the horizon. She seems to be having an absolute blast.
Knowledge (nature)
Knowledge (nature)
Knowledge (nature)
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Under Dante's guidance, Carmelia tacks into the strong wind, and in no time at all, the Kiss is through the Flow. Carmelia even manages to gain a little speed coming through, putting you at the forefront of the regatta.
Next up is the Iris’s Splinters, rising out of the ocean here, forming a narrow 100-foot gap between them. Competitors must “thread the Iris” and sail between these splinters. As you approach the rocks, a gigantic turtle-like behemoth surfaces ahead of you. As you watch, the beast smashes into the Sullied Strumpet with a bellow, capsizing the light sloop.
You can attempt to take advantage of the creature's slow speed and try to outmaneuver it and dart through the Iris with three successful DC 25 sailing checks. If you wait for another ship to draw its attention, only one sailing check is required, but this subtracts 1d3 from your Race score.
You can also make two DC 25 sailing checks to increase your score.
"What in the nine bloody, burning circles of hell is that?" Carmelia says as they come upon the turtle splintering the Sullied Strumpet in the Splinters. She looks to the others for guidance, guessing that it's most likely not a planar being with which she'd have greater familiarity.
"I don't fancy becoming turtle food," Carmelia screams through the blowing wind, "But I'm also not keen on losing this race. What say you, Captain?"
"Full ahead," Chumtooth replies. "If it moves to attack, the rest of us will drive it away."
He calls over his shoulder to Faengrim. "Ready the catapults and ballistas, in case the great turtle turns toward us!"
"Yo ho, Captain!" Faengrim turns to the crew and begins to bellow commands and insults.
"Aye aye, captain! No guts, no glory. Hold fast, salty sea dogs all: we thread the Iris and the beasts of the sea!"
All seems to be going well at first--remarkably well!--but the confluence of hazards seems to be pressing on Carmelia's luck and skill the further she sails. She begins cursing as she sees disaster approaching. "Hoist the sails, get the oars out, and for Besmara's sake keep that damn turtle away from the hull!"
Knowledge (arcana)
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Chumtooth lays his hands over Carmelia's smaller hand and aids her in turning the wheel, jinking starboard, then port, then starboard again, and narrowly avoiding the beast's massive claws as the Kiss threads the needle!
You must now skim through the outer edge of the titanic maelstrom that is the Eye of Abendego, tacking against the powerful northwesterly storm winds created by the cyclone’s counter-clockwise rotation. Navigating through the hurricane requires a Profession (sailor) or Survival check. Characters with at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (local) gain a +2 bonus on the checks (but they must be the one to make the check).
Carmelia practically cackles with glee as the Captain helps her with the final maneuver. "All the gods be damned, Captain, that was brilliant!" She almost looks like she wants to hug him, but seems to remind herself of decorum, and returns her attention to the horizon where the Eyes of Abendego threats.
This time, as the Captain goes about to see to other things on the ship, it is Faengrim who comes to Carmelia's aid. It strikes Carmelia that at least three of them--her, Chumtooth, and Faengrim, all had rows of jagged teeth. It made her feel in better company than the last crew.
"What do you see out in the swirl, 'Grim?"
She's still a bit shaken after threading the Iris, but tries to keep her wits about her during what seems like the hardest leg of the race so far.
"Haul in that sheet!" Chumtooth calls to the riggers, as the ship strikes the wall of wind generated by the never-ending storm.
"Yes, Captain. That was a dragon turtle! It could have capsized us without a thought, or scoured the lot of us from the deck with his burning hot steam that it breaths. Well done indeed!"
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As the Kiss cuts through the storm, waves as big as buildings attack the vessel and the winds threaten to blow anything not nailed to the deck overboard. Suddenly, a sheet of lightning strikes the foremast of the ship, dealing 50 points of electrical damage to the sails! The damage is not enough to earn the sails the broken condition, but they are weakened by the strike.
As a great wave washes over the ship, everyone on deck scrambles for something to hold onto, but poor Navasi goes over the side!
"Hold course! We cannot go back for her, the Kiss will not survive turning into the winds!" Chumtooth shouts over the gale. His expression is one of angry resignation, though. Those who have sailed with him know that, despite his bloodthirsty nature, he is known for his loyalty to his crew.
Carmelia holds on to the wheel for dear life as she watches a wave take Navasi overboard. She screams and her blood runs cold, searching for any magic that she has prepared that could save the gnome. She has ample spells that would enable her to swim like a dolphin, or breathe water as well as air, but they require close proximity. And Carmelia's spirit animal, Hap, does not have the capacity to deliver any such spells on her behalf.
"Captain!" she shouts back in response. "I could jump in to save her!" But she sees the look on his face and trusts his judgment, holding fast to the wheel.
Carmelia starts at the top of the list of gods that she knows and begins cursing them under her breath. She also looks up at the scorched sails that she and the crew had just spent some time in dock upgrading. Would they hold?
"Besmara take her. We have a race to win." Calls Faengrim. "Keep your wits or you will be next!"
Dantes clamps his hands down tighter on the rail. "If she's the only one we lose in the race, we'll have done well!"
Carmelia knows that they're right. Besides, in the short time that they had been traveling together, Carmelia had learned that Navasi was quite capable of taking care of herself. Surely she had some way of surviving. And if she chose to return to their side, she would be able to do so.
"Right. She can manage." Carmelia still continues cursing the gods, Gozreh in particular. Gozreh's piss indeed.
"All right. Any of the rest of you want any insurance? Bolstered swimming talents? Gills? Buoyancy? The spirit of the waves gifted me with several tricks this day."
Carmelia grimly takes the wheel and continues sailing, looking nervously up at the charred sails. She looks over at Chumtooth. Any order to jury-rig the sails or begin any repairs ought to come from the Captain.
"What are you talking? We got a race to win. Focus on that." He turns to a crewman looking back at Navasi. "Quit your lollygaggin' or you'll be on me plate come supper time."
"Do what you can with the rigging and sails we have left! Cut loose what cannot be saved!" Chumtooth calls out over the gale force winds.
"You heard the Captain, you sea-logged louts!" Carmelia shouts, spinning the wheel and feeling the reduced mobility even as she helps to press the Kiss of Vengeance against the winds. "Dantes and I showed some of you what for with those sails when we sewed them! Do any of you have the stomach to do what must be done?"
Willing herself to be calm, Carmelia urges Hap down from where he has been clinging tight to her neck. The little octopus reaches to the bottom of the wheel and helps to spin or steady as Carmelia directs.
"Captain, if you're concerned I can climb, but I'd like to maintain the wheel if I can and see this through."
"Hold steady! I will do it myself!" Chumtooth calls back, moving to the rope ladders and climbing.
Once he gets up into the rigging he draws his kukri and begins cutting away the tangled and useless lines and sails, and begins securing the rest as to maintain their best possible speed.
The wave sends Hap skittering and clinging to Carmelia's coattails.
But Carmelia does her best with reduced rigging. "Come on, then!"
Faengrim strikes a sailor looing at the Captain in the rigging. "What you gawking at? Get to work you useless chum! Grab those lines! We have a race to win and glory to claim!"