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So the sail billows as the ropes go taut, then the Albatross leaps forwards through the small waves. Everyone feels the ship heel slightly as Taggrik begins the laborious process of tacking to and fro towards the dark clouds, and against the wind.
The crew, especially the likes of the blacksmith begin to relax a little as it becomes apparent that the ship master knows his stuff. Small groups of sailors take the opportunity to get to know one and other. Not many of them even dare approach the charred prow. The coastline thins down to a dark line on the left, small comfort when it is at least a couple of miles away.
Soon the first showers of rain splash onto the sails and deck, but the light rain does nothing to impede the view or speed of the Albatross. However the weather gradually deteriorates, the rain and wind strengthen a little and what was uncomfortable becomes a bit more dispiriting. People begin to go quiet in the face of the rain, shrugging up their furs or cloaks to protect from the chilly temperatures.
Taggrik allows any sailors the opportunity to take over the tiller, although he keeps a watchful eye, until he is sure they are competent enough to handle the conditions.
Fortitude vs. cold:
Ragnar sits quietly, mostly hanging near Stefnir since he's the only person he's known for much longer than an hour or so.
Ari sits quietly, pulling his cloak close to protect him from the cold and rain.
Fortitude V Cold
Kurn casts Endure Elements on himself as he feels the cold bite.
"Hey Drago. Are we going to sail the ship in watches, if we are going to sail on through the night, or is it your practice to beach the ship every night Captain?"
Fort
Helga stays out of the way and watches how the crew handle themselves. Those that seem to know how to sail she marks, and when they have completed their tasks she approaches them to ask them what they were doing and how it is done.
Fortitude:
As the afternoon grows wetter and colder, Ragnar approaches the shivering Helga, peeling off his outer layer of furs.
" 'ou luck cuhl'.", he says, lips and voice once again in disconnect,"whrr dus'; dun' thnk uh bluhd 'n 't tuh muh."
He laughs hoarsely, holding out the furs to Helga.
"Th-thank you Ragnar," Helga wraps herself up in the firs gratefully.
Ragnar shakes his head.
"Nuh. Thnk 'ou. Svuht wuhd 've kllt muh wuth'ut 'uhr huhlff."
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Drago points at Taggrik, "my ship, but he is in charge at sea, Kurn, and he has been ordered to forge to Ackrieg unless there is a very good reason."
Taggrik's beard is bedraggled and lank, lying down his neck and into the thick furs he has.
Meanwhile Drago wears a fine set of Qin cold weather gear, a sign of his obvious status and wealth.
"Put it down to self preservation," Helga smiles through chattering teeth, "you were steering us at the time, after all. Although ... you didn't strike me as a dangerous criminal, and certainly not a warlock. I take it there is another reason he sought your death?"
"Hnn. Muh fuhthr, Uhlguhd. Huh wuhs a null uhn Uhwsm'r, truh'd tuh kuhll Grmmhld w'th muhjkk. Muh fuhthrr wuhs uh whrr-luhck, duhd 'n th' wulf puhts. Grmhld wuhsn't suh'sfied. Uh run wuth muh kuhn, Svuht fuhll'hud. Kuhlled muh bruhthrrs..."
He gestures to his throat.
"Shuht 'n uhrrww 'n muh thruht; whu uh cuhn't tuhlk. Wuhns muh fuh th' wulf puhts, stuhll."
Ragnar rubs his throat, as though speaking so much pains him. Or maybe it's just remembering.
Kurn addresses Taggrik "may I suggest that the crew is divided into watches, so some sleep while others work?
Helga has to concentrate hard to get the meaqning of the words, but understands enough.
"I am sorry to hear that ... we can't be expected to pay for our kin's misdeeds, not that I have any to worry about," she grins a moment. "Well, nothing we can do about that now, but maybe some time we'll be able to fix things."
Stefnir casts Endure Elements on himself, when the chill and weather begins, then stands at the front of the boat enjoying the fury of weather with a big smile on his face, and laughing when a particularly big wave splashes water on him.
Fort:
Although rarely bothered by the cold, the particular combination of wind, rain, and temperature seems to sink into the warrior woman's bones and she tries earnestly to hide her shudders, embarrassed at what she sees as a show of weakness on her part.
She had been glaring at Helga for the better part of the day and finally growls and shakes her head to herself and stands up to go speak to her. She stops to listen though when Ragnar approaches and offers the bard his furs and his estimation rises even further in her mind. Suppressing the quick smile she had though she approaches the pair and says in a gruff voice "I would speak with my sister."
Waiting until the scarred man leaves, the silence lengthens as Anya looks out to sea, obviously struggling with something from the look on her face. Finally turning back to Helga, although the scowl remains, her quiet tone betrays her look as she says
"So...I, ah, I had not known that you could...play like that now. It seems you have grown and learned much in the years since I...left, Hela." using the child-hood name for her sister she had not used for many years. Without waiting for a reply, she looks back out to sea, the scowl still on her face.
Ragnar nods at Anya's request/command. He smiles to Helga and walks to the other side of the ship.
Saorise smiles at Jorgen, a humourous twinkle in her eye.
"Come, let's examine that figurehead a little more and then we can maybe do that sail next." She grabs Jorgen's arm and leads him forward to stand before the broken and burn scarred figurehead, running her fingers over the blackened wood, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
Perception Check:
"So...I, ah, I had not known that you could...play like that now. It seems you have grown and learned much in the years since I...left, Hela."
Helga smiles genuinely at her sister.
"The druids said my voice was a gift from the gods," she says with some pride, "although I confess I've seldom sung so well as today. You've grown too, Annie," she says using Anya's child-name. "You always made me feel safe when you were around, and you do now. I don't doubt that if your temper has grown with your size, you'll be a fearful warrior in a fight. You look stronger than most of the men here!"
She reaches out and squeezes her sister's shoulder.
"I've missed you too. No matter what else may be said, you're the only kin I truly have."
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The light rain becomes a problem as darkness falls, Taggrik and Drago organise the handing out of moth eaten fur cloak from the storage hold, almost the preserved deer meat proves cold comfort. Several of the crew begin to shiver, especially Ingjald who grabs one of the furs. Also in the crate are six pairs of mitts of poor quality and they are quickly handed out by Ingjald to himself and his friends. The young blacksmith gives up his to Olaf of Urgen, when he sees the boy so cold.
Kanud brings the youngest brother Thorsten to Kurn and Stefnir to show him his bluish hands and limp fingers. He looks worried. "Thorsten has no mitts. There are none left. Can you magic him better like you too?"
As darkness falls and the temperature slides down further, Taggrik agrees with Kurn and sets up three watches. He will lead one, Drago another and Befroi a third. The older fisherman seems to be made of stone, or has dwarf blood flowing in his veins, the way he ignores the weather. The man's skills at sea and knowledge are apparent in the way he helped with the sails.
Drago grabs Kurn straight away, "you are on my watch, you get the tiller, you up to that priest?"
Although cold, her Winterborn trait makes Helga a little more resistant to the cold than others. She'll offer to take a watch at night in order to put her alfar eyes to good use as a lookout. While not on her watch, however, she'll warp up in her bedroll, winter blanket and the furs Ragnar loaned her (as long as he doesn't need them) in an attempt to keep warm.
Edit: Another task she will undertake is casting a few mending cantrips on the threadbare furs.
"No problem Drago, I'll gladly mind the tiller" Kurn answers promptly. "Is there anything on board that we can build a lean to from? You must have provisioned the ship before we left?"
"I'll take the same watch if you'll have me," Jorgen mutters to Drago, glancing sidelong at Kurn.
Stefnir prefers either first or last watch. He enjoys watching the storm, and would like to be awake when it's at it's fullest.
Survival
Although Helga is sure she almost catches some hint of returned affection in Anya's eye, to any observers it seems the tall warrior woman only presents a cold shoulder. While she doesn't actually recoil from her sisters gentle touch she does not in any way return it. Obviously uncomfortable with this open show of emotion, Anya closes down and the scowl returns in full force. Turning, she grunts and says brusquely as she moves away "Well, just don't @$#& things up and embarrass me." and with that gentle admonition, she returns to her bench.
Ragnar doesn't really have a shift preference, but he won't object to holding watch in the dead of night when it's coldest since it seems like he's fairing better than some other crew members.
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Drago points out to Kurn and Stefnir, "what about Kanud and his young brother, you going to stop him dying of the cold or what? I promised his mother, remember. Or that Ice Missy, can she help him?" Kanud looks back and forth between the two spellcasters.
Helga helps the mitts with her spells so that soon all six pairs are thicker and stronger, keeping the crew much warmer.
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The darkness falls like the rain, Taggrik sets a course of north-west away from the coastline, again its a case of tacking back and forth against the wind. Whenever the sail needs adjusting then he calls upon the strength of Ari or the blacksmith apprentice, Freki to help.
Worse is to follow, Drago takes over with Kurn and Jorgen to help. Taggrik orders Kurn to keep the same course, and points out one or two others of the crew who can help with the sail at the end of each tack.
The cold rain is now like needles in the face, making sailing and steering hard and any work difficult.
Takkgrik's last words to Drago and the other two are, "watch out for growlers, floating ice that will rip a hole in the Albatross. Watch out for them and keep an eye on the weather, it looks like its going to get worse before it gets better. Keep an eye on the crew so they don't die of the cold in the night, I've seen that happen before. And if the wind gets a bit tasty watch out that the sail does not rip, then we will be in trouble. And wake me if you need me." Tired and drawn, the ship master leaves for a sleep.
In the distance there is a howl like Krakis singing a funeral song for the Albatross.
Profession (Sailor):
Knowledge (nature):
As the watches are switching over, Ragnar points to the skies and the wind-blown sail.
"Snuh-strrm. Cruh's gnnuh nud hulf 'fer dey fruhz."
Not sure if he got the point across, he points to the sleeping crew and makes a shivering motion.
Knowlegde Nature:
Ari helps with the sails, between bouts of the cold penetrating his clothing and the sudden jolt of hitting a larger than average wave, he gets whatever sleep he can.
"I think the off watch crew should huddle together for body warmth Drago as some of them are struggling with the cold. The sail cover will shelter them in the middle of the ship so we are not unbalanced. Also, do we have any torches that we can set up at prow to light the way ahead for a few feet. It may make the difference between hitting a growler or not?". Kurn will take his turn at the tiller when his watch comes on duty.
Helga will take a place in the prow on her watch, using her low-light vision to search ahead of the ship. She can cast dancing lights ahead of the chip if need be to illuminate anything suspicious more clearly.
"After I awaken from my rest, I should be able to help others stay warm as well". But for now I must rest".
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Jorgen can see about thirty feet into the sea ahead, same for Drago who stands the other side of the prow for long periods of time. Occasionally he goes back to keep an eye on the huddled, shivering crew.
It quickly becomes apparent to Kurn and Jorgen that they cannot see very far ahead in this weather. The snowstorm isn't that bad but it does hurt visibility some, the wind and waves makes the view much more choppy and difficult to focus, especially with the cold.
Drago can break out a pack of winter blankets from the cargo, all in pristine condition, Qin made, soft and velvety or at least they are for a while. There are enough for everyone to use, "cargo or not, our need is greater!" the captain mutters as he passes them out.
Drago points out to Kurn and Stefnir, "what about Kanud and his young brother, you going to stop him dying of the cold or what? I promised his mother, remember. Or that Ice Missy, can she help him?" Kanud looks back and forth between the two spellcasters.
Saorise sighs and walks to the two men Drago pointed out. Mumbling under her breath about hoping they don't encounter a fight before morning, she touches each man in turn while intoning arcane words. Both men appear visibly hardier as the magic takes effect, their shivering abating and their movements becoming less stiff.
When it comes time to sleep, she at first sleeps with her back to Jorgen, slightly seperate from the others. She barely stirs when he gets up to begin his watch and when he lays back down, she lets out a soft purr in her sleep but otherwise doesn't awaken until morning.
Fortitude save vs. cold:
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Saorise casts on Kanud's two younger brothers who both look very cold indeed.
"Thank you very much," adds Kanud, ruffling Olaf's head as the boy smiles again. The younger brother Thorsten even gives her a shy grin.
Drago looks at the Maiden's work with wide open eyes, he turns to some of the others changing watch and shakes his head, "never can tell, can you?"
Wrapped up snug, Helga warms up as she sleeps well, huddled up close to Anya. On her watch she folds up her blanket and stows it carefully.
Fort Save Sleeping:
Edit: so she should recover any damage lost?
Fort Save on Watch:
Edit: She feels the cold, but her Winterborn stops her suffering from it if she has recovered while sleeping.
Ari huddles with the others pulling the blanket close to warm himself
Fortitude Save +3 Fort,+4 Endurance, +1 Jute Woollens, +2 Blanket, +1 Huddling.
"We need to post at least one lookout in the prow during each watch" Kurn says to Drago and/or Taggrik.
Kurn will take his turn at the tiller and sleep during his off watch.
Fort:
Survival:
Now that the new blankets are being passed out, Anya retrieves her old one and allows the others to use the new ones. As she goes to sleep she purposefully places herself away from the others, yet by the time she wakes she ashamedly finds herself cuddled up next to her sister. She quickly rises and glares at everyone who was looking at her (even though most likely no one is)
Jorgen smiles to himself as Saorise's little noises as he goes to sleep.