As I said, Netheril will be the last server that my review character Lauriella will play in. She was a great two-year character that many of the Nwn servers I played her on changed and made her evolve into such a complex character that became hard to play in the end. Here is the last of her story. It is dedicated to all the players and Dm's that encountered her through her life.
Perhaps one day I will combine all the journal entries from servers to make a couple of novels and filter out some minor inconsistencies in names or ages. I may do that after I finish the last children of hell novel. I am not sure. For now, her last story is put here for your enjoyment. A character well played, and a life well lived. Thank all those that participated in her development and story. I hope I have done your characters and npcs well in this story.
Winter.
I forgot the forums are not paragraph friendly. I'll adjust for them over the next few weeks.
Lauriella's Last Dance.
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Winterhawk99
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Winterhawk99
- Posts: 1654
- Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:00 am
- ctp: Yes
- nwnihof: Yes
- Location: Pa.
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
Lauriella is awaken with a start. Her lieutenant is standing over her. Captain! Captain! We need you now.
She gets out of bed quickly putting on her uniform and steps out on Deck of her 400-ton staysail schooner, The Moonflower II. The ship itself is a three-mast super schooner she designed herself in 1360 with the houses of Merdici, the Golden Crest, and Misrim investing in her. Lauriella had paid the debt off a little over a year ago and still cuts good contracts to the houses that supported her but now she owns the ship free and clear. The only ship that can make the channel between the Wyvernwater and Dragonmere and carry 100 tons of cargo making 12 knots at full speed.
As she takes the wheel she yells out, “What we got?”
Cyr Stafford her 1rst and only officer reports, “Two sloops trailing cutting a quick track.”
Lauriella looks at the water clock and then takes the angle of declination of the setting sun with her sextet. Then checks the chart on the navigation table. Marking their position, and writing down their heading, “On the north side of the pirate islands. Bad place to be Cyr. Should ha took the northern heading.”
The Lieutenant stands at attention, “As I started the run north, they cut me off, 20 minutes ago.”
“Alright. I’ve outmaneuvered them before and she’s fast with the Gnome goods from Thesk. Only hauling 75 ton: ¾ capacity.
Get the night crew up and about. Have your day crew stay. We’ll be needin all hands to make this free in clear. I cannot straight outrun 2 pirate sloops, but I can out cut them.”
“Aye, capt.” Cyr runs off to do his part.
Lauriella stands at her wheel now in total contentment as she figures out what to do. She is a tall Sun Elf standing at 5 feet 8 inches. Her ladies black leather officer boots add two inches to her making her look more intimidating. She is older than most starry-eyed adventurers or merchant marines at 350 years old. That would make her about 48 or 50 in human years but to humans she still looks as young as an elven maiden. Other elves know better. Her almond shaped eyes with fine lines denote her age along with the grey streaks starting to show in her tightly weaved hair tied in tight dreadlocks.
Her eyes are copper and her hair black and grey. Her skin is a deep bronze much deeper than most sun elves being that she has been commanding a vessel of trade for near 200 years. Before that she does not remember. An accident in a hurricane crushed her skull into the mainmast of her ship as an ensign. She has no memory past the fateful day she woke up on shore tended to by a mysterious figure she never saw between her delusions at the time.
She wears a waterproof overcoat made of sea otter skins. The outside is a cerulean blue. The inside lining is white. A simple shirt of faux chain underneath banded by a black leather harness. She wears Calvary boots studded with internal deck cleats to keep her at the wheel in storm. On her head is the hat of station. A black cavalier’s hat with a white band and feathers. The feather pin is a golden ships wheel denoting that she is not only a captain but a pilot/navigator.
Beside her is a perch. There is nothing sitting on it. Rather there is a 16-inch Mulhorandi fruit bat by the name of Jax hanging upside down from it. She looks at it and calls out, “Jax! Scout!”
The bat flies off to investigate the other ships. A crewmember comes up to the wheel and holds Lauriella’s shoulders until Cyr can take the wheel from her for a moment. It isn’t long before she goes into a trance. The crewman keeps her standing as she possesses Jax.
When she comes too. The man releases her. Cyr comes back up on deck with men filing out of their quarters. The 18-man crew start to prepare their meager defenses, spears and crossbows. Some of the more marshal with long bows. She turns to Cyr, “Two pirates one has the blood flag up.”
Cyr considers, “We lose them, or we die, then. What circle captain? Have you been adventuring enough that you did na lose your abilities?”
“fourth. I have some spells. By me guess we got ourselves rounds about 6 hours to outmaneuver them. We’re cutting little more than 11 and they look like 11 and an inch. Have to find the right winds Sehanine guild us through the night.”
“We know the drill then. What are your commands Captain?”
Lauriella belts out commands while the crew work around her. She tacks east and west then when she catches wind tacks north again. The pirates hit a stalemate for a while. Trailing at the same distance. Then begin their relentless slow advance matching her moves.
She works the wheel to high moon. Cyr falling asleep several times while standing. When the two pirates get within archery range arrows start spotting the aft of the deck. Lauriella shoves her lieutenant, “Time to give it back in spades Cyr.”
He instantly wakes up, “Aye Capt!” He brings out a whistle and blasts it. Five crewman come up. The 1rst mate takes the wheel. Lauriella, Cyr and two others go to the very stern of the ship. They pick up their long bows. Lauriella before she picks up hers starts and incantation.
The very air around her becomes hot for a moment as a circle of protection from evil surrounds her. She then calls up another spell and an invisible shield surrounds her. She nods to the others. They All pick up curious arrows with patchwork thread wound around the heads. They all dip the heads in a bowl of whale oil and draw.
All except for Lauriella. She speaks another spell a short cantrip while pouring some form of dust out of her hand. The dust never makes it to the ground. It disappears as every arrow ignites in fire. Lauriella draws her bow. She commands, “3…. 2…. 1…. FIRE! Four arrows are released at the sloop with the blood sail: Aimed at their mainsail.
Arrows come back, some bouncing off Lauriella’s invisible shield. Others scouring themselves on the deck. She looks at her companions. None are hit. She commands, “Again!”
Another crewman aware of the situation brings up a lit torch so Lauriella may save her limited magic.
They use the torch this time lighting the whale oil-soaked linen. Lauriella commands, “FIRE!” All shoot together again at the ship’s mainsail that shows the blood flag.
The return fire is tremendous. The man on her right goes down Arrow penetrating his throat and back out the other side. Lauriella winces as she sees his dead form and holds her hand up in a fist, meaning that she wants to stop fire.
She watches the ship they fired upon twice. After a minute she sees a red glow along the mainsail. It has caught fire. The ship flounders and loses speed. Lauriella looks at the others and shouts out, “All hands prepare for a bump!”
She waits as the call is carried down the ship length from her crew. As they hunker down in their positions, she calls up a spell while measuring the distance between her ship and the one pursuing ship that can catch her. She casts a spell off the aft of her ship between hers and theirs. The spell is gust of wind.
As her sails fill up the pursuers ships sails sink and go flat. The moonflower powered now by her magic makes almost 14 knots while the pirate ship flounders. Lauriella breathes a sigh of relief and rushes to the wheel.
At three in the morn the pirate ship comes back into view. Lauriella again wakes up the whole of the crew. Cyr comes by her side, “They back”
“Persistent devils. Means they know who we are. This ship is the only one of its kind, so they be wanting it bad.”
Cyr considers, “What be the last 5 docks?”
“Westgate, Skuld, home port Immersea, Westgate again, and then that small port in Thresk.”
“Then it be Westgate, Ma’am.”
“That’s what I be figuring. Other captain is good. He ride up on us again and even though we be the fastest schooner to freight ratio he’s a sloop that can most likely make 15 knots if’in he has the wind.”
Cry goes to the current chart on the navigator’s table. He studies it, “We be close to the island of Lurath, Ma’am”
“Too many ships have disappeared near that island. You know the lore, Lieutenant!”
“Do we really have a choice captain!”
Lauriella sighs, “FINE! We go through the spoon to Lurath mayhap find a place to hide!”
“Aye, Capt!”
“You be knowing now we be surrounded!”
“We got you, Ma’am!”
“Fuck you, Cyr!”
“Only in my dreams, Capt. Zard your husband and your wife would be disapproving and I nea want to come between those two.”
“Smart man.”
“Aye, Capt!”
Lauriella cuts west into the interior of the pirate islands. Cyr changes charts as they go and triangulates the stars with his sextet, compass, and the water clock. Calling out positions as she steers the ship at her wheel. As they get within ten miles from the island of Lurath; a mist appears in front of them. Lauriella shakes as she senses the magic within the towering cloud bank in front of her, “The mist is magic! Where is the pirate?”
Cyr calls out, “almost in bow shot, Ma’am!”
Lauriella purses her lips and calls out to the crew, “GET THE LONG POLES OUT AND THE PLUMB! WE GO TO UNCHARTED WATERS! TRIM THE SAILS DOWN TO NOTHING ONCE WE HIT THE MIST!”
The ship without her sails starts to slow. The pirate makes a sudden turn to avoid the mist which is called out. Lauriella is pleased that she once again out maneuvered a pirate even though the pirate was faster. The pleasure of victory is cut short as the magic of the mist harries her tuned senses.
Lauriella a general mage but attuned particularly to negative energy and necromancy starts to feel pins and needles as a foreign type of magic starts to assault her. She collapses at the wheel while seeing others of her crew start to, (in her eyes suddenly start to age, drastically.)
Cyr another elf starts to attend to her collapse body is himself consumed by the mist, as the magical nature of the cloud overwhelms him.
She gets out of bed quickly putting on her uniform and steps out on Deck of her 400-ton staysail schooner, The Moonflower II. The ship itself is a three-mast super schooner she designed herself in 1360 with the houses of Merdici, the Golden Crest, and Misrim investing in her. Lauriella had paid the debt off a little over a year ago and still cuts good contracts to the houses that supported her but now she owns the ship free and clear. The only ship that can make the channel between the Wyvernwater and Dragonmere and carry 100 tons of cargo making 12 knots at full speed.
As she takes the wheel she yells out, “What we got?”
Cyr Stafford her 1rst and only officer reports, “Two sloops trailing cutting a quick track.”
Lauriella looks at the water clock and then takes the angle of declination of the setting sun with her sextet. Then checks the chart on the navigation table. Marking their position, and writing down their heading, “On the north side of the pirate islands. Bad place to be Cyr. Should ha took the northern heading.”
The Lieutenant stands at attention, “As I started the run north, they cut me off, 20 minutes ago.”
“Alright. I’ve outmaneuvered them before and she’s fast with the Gnome goods from Thesk. Only hauling 75 ton: ¾ capacity.
Get the night crew up and about. Have your day crew stay. We’ll be needin all hands to make this free in clear. I cannot straight outrun 2 pirate sloops, but I can out cut them.”
“Aye, capt.” Cyr runs off to do his part.
Lauriella stands at her wheel now in total contentment as she figures out what to do. She is a tall Sun Elf standing at 5 feet 8 inches. Her ladies black leather officer boots add two inches to her making her look more intimidating. She is older than most starry-eyed adventurers or merchant marines at 350 years old. That would make her about 48 or 50 in human years but to humans she still looks as young as an elven maiden. Other elves know better. Her almond shaped eyes with fine lines denote her age along with the grey streaks starting to show in her tightly weaved hair tied in tight dreadlocks.
Her eyes are copper and her hair black and grey. Her skin is a deep bronze much deeper than most sun elves being that she has been commanding a vessel of trade for near 200 years. Before that she does not remember. An accident in a hurricane crushed her skull into the mainmast of her ship as an ensign. She has no memory past the fateful day she woke up on shore tended to by a mysterious figure she never saw between her delusions at the time.
She wears a waterproof overcoat made of sea otter skins. The outside is a cerulean blue. The inside lining is white. A simple shirt of faux chain underneath banded by a black leather harness. She wears Calvary boots studded with internal deck cleats to keep her at the wheel in storm. On her head is the hat of station. A black cavalier’s hat with a white band and feathers. The feather pin is a golden ships wheel denoting that she is not only a captain but a pilot/navigator.
Beside her is a perch. There is nothing sitting on it. Rather there is a 16-inch Mulhorandi fruit bat by the name of Jax hanging upside down from it. She looks at it and calls out, “Jax! Scout!”
The bat flies off to investigate the other ships. A crewmember comes up to the wheel and holds Lauriella’s shoulders until Cyr can take the wheel from her for a moment. It isn’t long before she goes into a trance. The crewman keeps her standing as she possesses Jax.
When she comes too. The man releases her. Cyr comes back up on deck with men filing out of their quarters. The 18-man crew start to prepare their meager defenses, spears and crossbows. Some of the more marshal with long bows. She turns to Cyr, “Two pirates one has the blood flag up.”
Cyr considers, “We lose them, or we die, then. What circle captain? Have you been adventuring enough that you did na lose your abilities?”
“fourth. I have some spells. By me guess we got ourselves rounds about 6 hours to outmaneuver them. We’re cutting little more than 11 and they look like 11 and an inch. Have to find the right winds Sehanine guild us through the night.”
“We know the drill then. What are your commands Captain?”
Lauriella belts out commands while the crew work around her. She tacks east and west then when she catches wind tacks north again. The pirates hit a stalemate for a while. Trailing at the same distance. Then begin their relentless slow advance matching her moves.
She works the wheel to high moon. Cyr falling asleep several times while standing. When the two pirates get within archery range arrows start spotting the aft of the deck. Lauriella shoves her lieutenant, “Time to give it back in spades Cyr.”
He instantly wakes up, “Aye Capt!” He brings out a whistle and blasts it. Five crewman come up. The 1rst mate takes the wheel. Lauriella, Cyr and two others go to the very stern of the ship. They pick up their long bows. Lauriella before she picks up hers starts and incantation.
The very air around her becomes hot for a moment as a circle of protection from evil surrounds her. She then calls up another spell and an invisible shield surrounds her. She nods to the others. They All pick up curious arrows with patchwork thread wound around the heads. They all dip the heads in a bowl of whale oil and draw.
All except for Lauriella. She speaks another spell a short cantrip while pouring some form of dust out of her hand. The dust never makes it to the ground. It disappears as every arrow ignites in fire. Lauriella draws her bow. She commands, “3…. 2…. 1…. FIRE! Four arrows are released at the sloop with the blood sail: Aimed at their mainsail.
Arrows come back, some bouncing off Lauriella’s invisible shield. Others scouring themselves on the deck. She looks at her companions. None are hit. She commands, “Again!”
Another crewman aware of the situation brings up a lit torch so Lauriella may save her limited magic.
They use the torch this time lighting the whale oil-soaked linen. Lauriella commands, “FIRE!” All shoot together again at the ship’s mainsail that shows the blood flag.
The return fire is tremendous. The man on her right goes down Arrow penetrating his throat and back out the other side. Lauriella winces as she sees his dead form and holds her hand up in a fist, meaning that she wants to stop fire.
She watches the ship they fired upon twice. After a minute she sees a red glow along the mainsail. It has caught fire. The ship flounders and loses speed. Lauriella looks at the others and shouts out, “All hands prepare for a bump!”
She waits as the call is carried down the ship length from her crew. As they hunker down in their positions, she calls up a spell while measuring the distance between her ship and the one pursuing ship that can catch her. She casts a spell off the aft of her ship between hers and theirs. The spell is gust of wind.
As her sails fill up the pursuers ships sails sink and go flat. The moonflower powered now by her magic makes almost 14 knots while the pirate ship flounders. Lauriella breathes a sigh of relief and rushes to the wheel.
At three in the morn the pirate ship comes back into view. Lauriella again wakes up the whole of the crew. Cyr comes by her side, “They back”
“Persistent devils. Means they know who we are. This ship is the only one of its kind, so they be wanting it bad.”
Cyr considers, “What be the last 5 docks?”
“Westgate, Skuld, home port Immersea, Westgate again, and then that small port in Thresk.”
“Then it be Westgate, Ma’am.”
“That’s what I be figuring. Other captain is good. He ride up on us again and even though we be the fastest schooner to freight ratio he’s a sloop that can most likely make 15 knots if’in he has the wind.”
Cry goes to the current chart on the navigator’s table. He studies it, “We be close to the island of Lurath, Ma’am”
“Too many ships have disappeared near that island. You know the lore, Lieutenant!”
“Do we really have a choice captain!”
Lauriella sighs, “FINE! We go through the spoon to Lurath mayhap find a place to hide!”
“Aye, Capt!”
“You be knowing now we be surrounded!”
“We got you, Ma’am!”
“Fuck you, Cyr!”
“Only in my dreams, Capt. Zard your husband and your wife would be disapproving and I nea want to come between those two.”
“Smart man.”
“Aye, Capt!”
Lauriella cuts west into the interior of the pirate islands. Cyr changes charts as they go and triangulates the stars with his sextet, compass, and the water clock. Calling out positions as she steers the ship at her wheel. As they get within ten miles from the island of Lurath; a mist appears in front of them. Lauriella shakes as she senses the magic within the towering cloud bank in front of her, “The mist is magic! Where is the pirate?”
Cyr calls out, “almost in bow shot, Ma’am!”
Lauriella purses her lips and calls out to the crew, “GET THE LONG POLES OUT AND THE PLUMB! WE GO TO UNCHARTED WATERS! TRIM THE SAILS DOWN TO NOTHING ONCE WE HIT THE MIST!”
The ship without her sails starts to slow. The pirate makes a sudden turn to avoid the mist which is called out. Lauriella is pleased that she once again out maneuvered a pirate even though the pirate was faster. The pleasure of victory is cut short as the magic of the mist harries her tuned senses.
Lauriella a general mage but attuned particularly to negative energy and necromancy starts to feel pins and needles as a foreign type of magic starts to assault her. She collapses at the wheel while seeing others of her crew start to, (in her eyes suddenly start to age, drastically.)
Cyr another elf starts to attend to her collapse body is himself consumed by the mist, as the magical nature of the cloud overwhelms him.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
Lauriella wakes up with her head thumping. As she stands, she sees no one in sight. She rings the ship bell. After a moment Cyr runs to the wheel and makes a stiff salute. Lauriella asks, “What’s our situation Lieutenant?”
“Crew is down below, Ma’am. Something strange happening.”
“At ease and speak plainly, Cry. I have no tolerance tonight.”
“I don’t know, Lauri. They seem to have all aged, gotten older somehow. I almost caught you as you fell but missed. You test your magic yet?”
She tries a fourth level spell. It misfires. She tries a third (negative energy burst) and ends up mispronouncing the words ending in a fizzled spell. She tries cat grace a simple 2nd circle spell. Her mind goes blank. Finally, she tries a simple protection from evil spell. She feels the magical energy fill her body protectively. Lauriella sighs, “back to first circle. That head injury back 25 year ago still affecting me magic. My magic has suddenly waned again as Selune wanes the next two weeks. I’m cursed I say.”
“Having your head crushed in by a mainmast in a hurricane. Lucky to be alive, Capt.”
“I know. Now! Get a latitude, position and bearing.”
The two watch the water clock while pulling out gnomish pocket watches. Lauriella counts down 3… 2… 1… Lock! They lock their watches. Cyr calls out “4.6 seconds!”
Lauriella looks mystified, “Aye 4.5 for me. That puts us………… We need a new chart. Go to my cabin and bet the greater Torilian chart.”
Her lieutenant runs and gets a chart of the whole of Toril. Lauriella studies it, we either north at this latitude or we be south at this latitude. We just jumped 300 miles longitude that be if the timings correct.”
“Some mad archmage jumped a whole ship 300 miles?”
Lauri winces, “I do na know yet, Cyr. Take a sextet reading on the Crown and again on the Centaur.”
“I do not see the Centaur.”
“Well now we know we north. Look for the seven stars of Selune.”
“Aye got me a……………… Lauri? Stars are wrong?”
“What the hells you meaning wrong!”
“Well, some are closer together and some are too far apart. Some by over 3minutes getting declinations and parallels now.”
Lauriella now clearly upset grabs her own personal sextet hanging from the navigators stand. She measures the stars in the night sky of the two constellations. Both are off by slight margins in the eyes of someone normal looking up at them. To pilots they are miles and miles off for pilots know that each star is a marker to knowing where you are in the sea. Even a few seconds of angle miscalculation can throw a ship off coarse several kilometers in a night.
Cyr looks around, “What about the crew?”
“We be hav'in to take a look. Mist was magic that I could feel.”
“Elven magic?”
“Most likely being we nae effected. You right the stars are off but there they be in the night sky plain as night. Sehanine save us Cyr. I have no experience.”
“What are your orders Capt?”
“First, we see to the crew then find land. Weigh anchor. Get yer kit. You got more experience in the healing arts. I only got basic Mulhorand herbal schooling.”
“Captain, I say best bring yer books too. If that mist be magic mayhap you could do more and I.”
Lauriella nods, “Go to orders and meet me down below.”
“Aye Capt.”
Cyr lets the first anchor go while lauri cranks the rest of the trim down to nothing. It takes a moment, but the anchor finds purchase and the whole of the ship sags coming to a stop. Cyr then releases the other anchors. If the first loosens the others will find purchase and set before the ship drifts.
The pair go each to their cabins and retrieve medical supplies. Lauriella also retrieves some magical theory books from her small library. They walk across the deck tending to the men mates first.
Henry Calandro is the first they tend to. He is first mate and Lauriella’s right hand man on night shift. Being a follower of Sehanine. she prefers night duty even when captain and owner of the Moonflower. She gives tribute to most the other gods when she thinks the situation is needed like most of Toril, though often enough she calls on Mulhorandi gods for those are the gods she knows best with her limited memory and being that she home ported in Skuld until moving to Immersea.
After looking Henry over she exclaims, “Henry, look like you been away 20 year or so?”
“Aye captain not feeling to well.” He lifts his hand to her; she sees he now looks 60 with advanced arthritis in his finger joints. His fingers are knobby and grotesque. She mixes some willow bark with water in a bowl and casts a cantrip on it. Steam rises from the bowl, “Drink this, Henry. Make you feel better.”
She looks to her lieutenant.
“Ma’am nothing wrong with Henry other than aging so fast.” Cyr replies.
Lauriella opens a scroll tube full of spells in case she needs them when she is commanding the ship at 1rst circle. Pulling up several divinations scrolls she reads them off in succession coming up with nothing. Frustrated, she pulls out her most powerful divination spell and casts it on the ship. The spell is Legend lore. She goes into a trance for near an hour. When she comes too, she looks at Cyr, the ship and the crew are magicked. There’s a nimbus around everyone but us two. Our crew is aging twice as fast as everything else. The mist aged them greatly but the effects though muted are still with us.”
“What about the two of us?”
“That be the strange part Cyr. We unaffected. Spell might be set not to harm those of elven blood or more likely the way we see time made us unaffected. Am not sure. Just educated guess.”
“Can you fix it captain?”
“This no simple spell, Cyr. I would have to have the books to figure things out then be able to cast an 8th or 9th circle spell. Mayhap of me own creation. I know necromancy not chronomancy.”
“How long you say before we be getting into trouble?
Lauri sighs and thinks, “Most our crew young only got 5 years on a 10-year contract. You included. Our Mates Henry here and Jonny are middle aged they be having the most problems. I say most time we have two years to figure this out. Lessen we find us a port with a mage enclave close. Preferably run by an archimage.”
Cyr nods, “Sound like a plan.”
“After we tend to the rest, we go back on deck. Get the moonflower back up and running. Any men not too effected work the shift.”
Cyr salutes, “Aye, capt.” The pair get to work.
“Crew is down below, Ma’am. Something strange happening.”
“At ease and speak plainly, Cry. I have no tolerance tonight.”
“I don’t know, Lauri. They seem to have all aged, gotten older somehow. I almost caught you as you fell but missed. You test your magic yet?”
She tries a fourth level spell. It misfires. She tries a third (negative energy burst) and ends up mispronouncing the words ending in a fizzled spell. She tries cat grace a simple 2nd circle spell. Her mind goes blank. Finally, she tries a simple protection from evil spell. She feels the magical energy fill her body protectively. Lauriella sighs, “back to first circle. That head injury back 25 year ago still affecting me magic. My magic has suddenly waned again as Selune wanes the next two weeks. I’m cursed I say.”
“Having your head crushed in by a mainmast in a hurricane. Lucky to be alive, Capt.”
“I know. Now! Get a latitude, position and bearing.”
The two watch the water clock while pulling out gnomish pocket watches. Lauriella counts down 3… 2… 1… Lock! They lock their watches. Cyr calls out “4.6 seconds!”
Lauriella looks mystified, “Aye 4.5 for me. That puts us………… We need a new chart. Go to my cabin and bet the greater Torilian chart.”
Her lieutenant runs and gets a chart of the whole of Toril. Lauriella studies it, we either north at this latitude or we be south at this latitude. We just jumped 300 miles longitude that be if the timings correct.”
“Some mad archmage jumped a whole ship 300 miles?”
Lauri winces, “I do na know yet, Cyr. Take a sextet reading on the Crown and again on the Centaur.”
“I do not see the Centaur.”
“Well now we know we north. Look for the seven stars of Selune.”
“Aye got me a……………… Lauri? Stars are wrong?”
“What the hells you meaning wrong!”
“Well, some are closer together and some are too far apart. Some by over 3minutes getting declinations and parallels now.”
Lauriella now clearly upset grabs her own personal sextet hanging from the navigators stand. She measures the stars in the night sky of the two constellations. Both are off by slight margins in the eyes of someone normal looking up at them. To pilots they are miles and miles off for pilots know that each star is a marker to knowing where you are in the sea. Even a few seconds of angle miscalculation can throw a ship off coarse several kilometers in a night.
Cyr looks around, “What about the crew?”
“We be hav'in to take a look. Mist was magic that I could feel.”
“Elven magic?”
“Most likely being we nae effected. You right the stars are off but there they be in the night sky plain as night. Sehanine save us Cyr. I have no experience.”
“What are your orders Capt?”
“First, we see to the crew then find land. Weigh anchor. Get yer kit. You got more experience in the healing arts. I only got basic Mulhorand herbal schooling.”
“Captain, I say best bring yer books too. If that mist be magic mayhap you could do more and I.”
Lauriella nods, “Go to orders and meet me down below.”
“Aye Capt.”
Cyr lets the first anchor go while lauri cranks the rest of the trim down to nothing. It takes a moment, but the anchor finds purchase and the whole of the ship sags coming to a stop. Cyr then releases the other anchors. If the first loosens the others will find purchase and set before the ship drifts.
The pair go each to their cabins and retrieve medical supplies. Lauriella also retrieves some magical theory books from her small library. They walk across the deck tending to the men mates first.
Henry Calandro is the first they tend to. He is first mate and Lauriella’s right hand man on night shift. Being a follower of Sehanine. she prefers night duty even when captain and owner of the Moonflower. She gives tribute to most the other gods when she thinks the situation is needed like most of Toril, though often enough she calls on Mulhorandi gods for those are the gods she knows best with her limited memory and being that she home ported in Skuld until moving to Immersea.
After looking Henry over she exclaims, “Henry, look like you been away 20 year or so?”
“Aye captain not feeling to well.” He lifts his hand to her; she sees he now looks 60 with advanced arthritis in his finger joints. His fingers are knobby and grotesque. She mixes some willow bark with water in a bowl and casts a cantrip on it. Steam rises from the bowl, “Drink this, Henry. Make you feel better.”
She looks to her lieutenant.
“Ma’am nothing wrong with Henry other than aging so fast.” Cyr replies.
Lauriella opens a scroll tube full of spells in case she needs them when she is commanding the ship at 1rst circle. Pulling up several divinations scrolls she reads them off in succession coming up with nothing. Frustrated, she pulls out her most powerful divination spell and casts it on the ship. The spell is Legend lore. She goes into a trance for near an hour. When she comes too, she looks at Cyr, the ship and the crew are magicked. There’s a nimbus around everyone but us two. Our crew is aging twice as fast as everything else. The mist aged them greatly but the effects though muted are still with us.”
“What about the two of us?”
“That be the strange part Cyr. We unaffected. Spell might be set not to harm those of elven blood or more likely the way we see time made us unaffected. Am not sure. Just educated guess.”
“Can you fix it captain?”
“This no simple spell, Cyr. I would have to have the books to figure things out then be able to cast an 8th or 9th circle spell. Mayhap of me own creation. I know necromancy not chronomancy.”
“How long you say before we be getting into trouble?
Lauri sighs and thinks, “Most our crew young only got 5 years on a 10-year contract. You included. Our Mates Henry here and Jonny are middle aged they be having the most problems. I say most time we have two years to figure this out. Lessen we find us a port with a mage enclave close. Preferably run by an archimage.”
Cyr nods, “Sound like a plan.”
“After we tend to the rest, we go back on deck. Get the moonflower back up and running. Any men not too effected work the shift.”
Cyr salutes, “Aye, capt.” The pair get to work.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
After several hours of tending to the crew and looking at the symptoms the pair of officers go to the main deck. Both are tired but both know they need to find land.
Lauri commands, “I send Jax out to circling. You take a long pole and be guiding me over the bow. Use lantern signal. Touch bottom be me eyes.”
Cyr runs to the bow pulling a long pole that has a mark on it showing where the bottom of where the ship drafts, he starts plumbing for a bottom. Lauriella meanwhile slowly cranks the sails on the three masts a quarter open to catch small amounts of wind. Her familiar flies off into the night.
As Jax finds land to the east Lauriella turns the wheel to the north on a slight slant. She guides her familiar to go further until she sees lights at the shore. From there and far enough out that bottom should be no problem she coaxes the bat to head to the coast.
Jax flies to a small port. Lauriella possesses the creature and hears for herself what the city looks like. As she is doing it, she gets a sense in the air. She goes up to find a giant of an earth mote over the city. She snaps back to herself and commands her familiar to come back to the ship, “Know any cities in the Sea of fallen stars capture an earth mote as late?”
Cyr just stares uncomprehendingly.
“A piece of earth that floats around in the air, Cyr!”
“Err, No Ma’am.”
“There be a town up ahead say we park this girl somewhere and hide her till we know where we be into.”
Cyr scratches his head, “Let me get this straight captain. You want us to find a place to hide a 400-ton schooner? 400 TON! 3 MASTS! 150 FEET!”
“Did na say it would be easy I’ll turn the ship round and course along the shore until we be finding a place.” She sends Jax out again. Cyr goes back to plumbing looking back from time to time.
Luckily, they find a large cliff cave some 15 miles from the city. Lauriella sends Cyr out on the tender to both plumb and check the ceiling. When he comes back, he looks incredulous, “She’s a foot to low in the back and ceiling too low in the front for the masts.”
Lauriella drums her fingers on the navigators table thinking then comes up with an idea, “We pick up any that gnomish black powder in Thresk?”
“Aye, Captain, ½ ton.”
“You stay here I’ll take 50 pounds see if I can open the cave up enough to park her in.”
“You’re insane and gonna kill yerself, Lauri.”
“I’m a part time adventurer. Need you say more?”
Lauri takes the tender and powder out along with a lit torch and a spell tube case. She has to work fast. She doesn’t want anyone to see the Moonflower if they are somehow still in the middle of the pirate isles and are under some form of illusion spell. She knows now she is once again first circle but has prepared for just such an occasion.
Getting to the cave she plumbs it out herself. She throws up a firefly and casts a cantrip of light. There she instantly designs a way to use the power to blast the cave in just the right places to fit her most valuable possession her ship in the cave. She hopes. After she’s done with the charges in the back of the cave, she opens her scroll case and retrieves fly, strength and nimbleness scrolls. She casts cat’s grace and bull’s strength upon herself then fly. Flying up to the ceiling she sets the charges up along the ceiling keeping her watch open to know when the fly spell will dispel. From there she takes the kerosene-soaked line and runs it out to the cave. She lights it and swims north as fast as she can.
There is a tremendous explosion. Rocks, dust, and sand shoot out of the cave. She swims back and checks the cave again. Watching for predators she may have attracted. Going to the back of the cave again she takes out another scroll and uses it. An earth elemental appears before her. They have a minor battle of the minds, but the creature cannot get past Lauri’s iron will and dulled emotions. It does as she commands and cleans out all the debris. Lauri carefully guides the ship into the cave. They lock the ship up and anchor her then take the tender to the nearest shore a mile to the north where they may then walk to the city.
Lauriella and Cyr make it to the city at daybreak. They go to the docks and walk along. Both in their otter skin overcoats and officer’s hats. No one seems to pay them much mind. Not even a curious look. The two look at one another. Lauri is the first to speak, “Seems our uniforms are not too far out of place.”
Cyr nods and looks to the ships, “Lauri these ships belong in a museum. Most are not even made with oak and chestnut. Standard for ships now days.” Wood looks strange where the paint wears you see that?”
“Almost greenish and the grain be a bit loose, yes. Might be olive or oleander. Bet its poplar.”
“Think you might be right, captain.”
“I see some officer uniforms were pretty close but let's get them up to speed. And go to a clothier.”
“Aye capt.”
The pair go to the nearest clothier and have their uniforms altered to fit the customs of the city. They come out again. Lauri finds a small girl and questions her, “Hello there.”
The little girl smiles up at them, “I lost my unicorn.”
“I’m Lauriella, my friends call me Lauri. What’s yours?”
“Agnes.”
Lauri smiles, “Good morning, Agnes if we find your pet unicorn would you be willing to answer a few questions. You see we are lost far from our home.”
“Agnes smiles and nods to them.”
The pair find Agnes’s stuffed unicorn. They bring it back and Lauri bends down to her level handing it to the young girl, “This it?”
Agnes overjoyed takes it from her and beams an innocent smile. Lauri asks, “Agnes do you know what town we are in?”
“Of course. That is silly. This is Haidran.”
“And what is the kingdom’s name?”
“Netheril of course.”
Lauri looks at the girl dumbfounded. A piece of grass that she was chewing on falls out of her mouth, “Netheril are you sure?”
The little girl nods. Lauri turns to Cyr, “We need to go now. Quietly back from where we came.”
Cyr also stupefied just nods, “Aye, Capt.”
The pair get back to the ship and go to Lauriella’s cabin. Unlike her first ship the sloop Moonflower this cabin is graciously large. One wall is full of charts. There's a full desk instead of just a writing stand. And a bed made for three people being the matriarch of house Sithiir has both a husband and wife. She has many curios from her adventuring life on her desk. Along with badges of the many orders she has been a member of such as the cerulean stars of the northeastern sea of fallen stars and the obsidian order of the city of Arabel. Most of which she doesn’t remember being her memories only start some 200 years ago after crushing her head into a main mast during a hurricane.
She paces while her first officer Cyr sits down in a chair across from her desk, “Well Cyr, we know now why the stars are off.”
“How long Captain?
“I be sayin maybe 3,000 years.”
“What’s the plan.”
“Don’t know at the moment. Everything just theory about what next. Biggest thing we make sure not to upset the balance. Take nothin with us when we find us a way out of here back to our proper place. And try not to be making footprints. Some theory say we may kill our own parents down the line by what does here.”
“What if we is suppose to be here. We been here before and will again.”
“I heard that theory too. But fact of the matter. We need to get back where we come. Not good coming here especially with modern ship and equipment.”
“You told me bout that Chronomancer in Arabel you met once when first got there. He give you anything to work with for dying.”
Lauriella shakes her head, “Nae but may be a way to follow. Best I study this while here make a spell to get us back if find a way. Ivo he didna last long in Arabel. Fell in the white horde wars.”
Cyr looks at her depressingly, “Lauri you never made more than 5th circle since yer accident. You expecting to make a spell to send a whole ship back where it came from in time?”
She purses her lips, “I know. Situation looks bleak but I needs must be trying to do it or be finding a mage that can and willing.
Without lettin him know the full story. We cannot tell anyone bout where we really from. We cannot be using our things. Except maybe our navigator’s watches.”
“What about the men?”
Lauri sighs, “I don’t know Cyr. I can’t keep them hidin and most would crack up for such an extended period. We also nae know how they may effect everything, and everyone round them.”
Sound like we be having to dock, ma’am?”
She frowns, “What about our equipment and the ship herself. She could change history of future past.”
“What happened to Netheril?”
“According to the books the gods got angry with them for trying to be like the gods. Destroyed the whole of the empire.”
“And you do na find Netherilesse technology like them motes in the sky where we be, right? So we can take a chance and dock at the city up the channel Hadrian.”
“Don’t like the fact there gonna be a lot of questions and we needs must keep people off the ship. They canna be seeing the equipment or the merchandise. All that gnomish stuff probably a treasure trove to these people.”
“Maybe maybe not remember Netheril is destroyed.”
“Reminds me Cyr we must be needin burning the history books. Still the men?”
“We keep them on the ship till we solve our first problem. The effect of the spell or whatever it was.”
“Aye, agreed And they still be able to protect the ship from intrusion. We lock the rudder and lock all the holds. Nothin goes out or come in. I use the cargo chest we keep for the slip fee. We purchase for a year. Means we’ll be broke cause that gnomish haul be expensive in itself.”
Cyr rubs his chin, “We sell the goods once this foul magic gone. If Netheril gets destroyed in the end we have no problem getting some coin if we be having to stay longer. We get back go home port and tap the company coffers for a chest to buy more cargo.”
“We taking huge chances Cyr. I nae like the gamble.”
“What other choices, capt?”
“Lauriella nods in resignation.”
They go up on deck. Cyr brings his whistle out and blows on it. Lauriella waits. The men move slowly and line up in two rows facing each other. Lauri’s night crew on one side. Cyr's day crew on the other. She comes down and helps Henry to his place in front of her crew line. She then walks the between them pacing. “Men, I have some bad news and news about how we gonna fix all this. This be the hardest situation we been in……ever. But I want you to know we got us a plan. I am to get us back home……” She explains the rest to them.
The crew get to work while Lauriella takes the wheel. She tells Henry to stay with her and navigate best he can with the stars being wrong. Cyr takes over as first mate. The Moonflower makes the channel with several crew plumbing for depth. They run up the river to the port of Hadrian. Lauriella parks her on the other side. She relaxes as they have a good 18 foot of depth. The Moonflower cuts 14 and some fully loaded. She got plenty of room.
The crew gets some rest. Lauriella and Cry take the tender and a small chest to port.
Lauri commands, “I send Jax out to circling. You take a long pole and be guiding me over the bow. Use lantern signal. Touch bottom be me eyes.”
Cyr runs to the bow pulling a long pole that has a mark on it showing where the bottom of where the ship drafts, he starts plumbing for a bottom. Lauriella meanwhile slowly cranks the sails on the three masts a quarter open to catch small amounts of wind. Her familiar flies off into the night.
As Jax finds land to the east Lauriella turns the wheel to the north on a slight slant. She guides her familiar to go further until she sees lights at the shore. From there and far enough out that bottom should be no problem she coaxes the bat to head to the coast.
Jax flies to a small port. Lauriella possesses the creature and hears for herself what the city looks like. As she is doing it, she gets a sense in the air. She goes up to find a giant of an earth mote over the city. She snaps back to herself and commands her familiar to come back to the ship, “Know any cities in the Sea of fallen stars capture an earth mote as late?”
Cyr just stares uncomprehendingly.
“A piece of earth that floats around in the air, Cyr!”
“Err, No Ma’am.”
“There be a town up ahead say we park this girl somewhere and hide her till we know where we be into.”
Cyr scratches his head, “Let me get this straight captain. You want us to find a place to hide a 400-ton schooner? 400 TON! 3 MASTS! 150 FEET!”
“Did na say it would be easy I’ll turn the ship round and course along the shore until we be finding a place.” She sends Jax out again. Cyr goes back to plumbing looking back from time to time.
Luckily, they find a large cliff cave some 15 miles from the city. Lauriella sends Cyr out on the tender to both plumb and check the ceiling. When he comes back, he looks incredulous, “She’s a foot to low in the back and ceiling too low in the front for the masts.”
Lauriella drums her fingers on the navigators table thinking then comes up with an idea, “We pick up any that gnomish black powder in Thresk?”
“Aye, Captain, ½ ton.”
“You stay here I’ll take 50 pounds see if I can open the cave up enough to park her in.”
“You’re insane and gonna kill yerself, Lauri.”
“I’m a part time adventurer. Need you say more?”
Lauri takes the tender and powder out along with a lit torch and a spell tube case. She has to work fast. She doesn’t want anyone to see the Moonflower if they are somehow still in the middle of the pirate isles and are under some form of illusion spell. She knows now she is once again first circle but has prepared for just such an occasion.
Getting to the cave she plumbs it out herself. She throws up a firefly and casts a cantrip of light. There she instantly designs a way to use the power to blast the cave in just the right places to fit her most valuable possession her ship in the cave. She hopes. After she’s done with the charges in the back of the cave, she opens her scroll case and retrieves fly, strength and nimbleness scrolls. She casts cat’s grace and bull’s strength upon herself then fly. Flying up to the ceiling she sets the charges up along the ceiling keeping her watch open to know when the fly spell will dispel. From there she takes the kerosene-soaked line and runs it out to the cave. She lights it and swims north as fast as she can.
There is a tremendous explosion. Rocks, dust, and sand shoot out of the cave. She swims back and checks the cave again. Watching for predators she may have attracted. Going to the back of the cave again she takes out another scroll and uses it. An earth elemental appears before her. They have a minor battle of the minds, but the creature cannot get past Lauri’s iron will and dulled emotions. It does as she commands and cleans out all the debris. Lauri carefully guides the ship into the cave. They lock the ship up and anchor her then take the tender to the nearest shore a mile to the north where they may then walk to the city.
Lauriella and Cyr make it to the city at daybreak. They go to the docks and walk along. Both in their otter skin overcoats and officer’s hats. No one seems to pay them much mind. Not even a curious look. The two look at one another. Lauri is the first to speak, “Seems our uniforms are not too far out of place.”
Cyr nods and looks to the ships, “Lauri these ships belong in a museum. Most are not even made with oak and chestnut. Standard for ships now days.” Wood looks strange where the paint wears you see that?”
“Almost greenish and the grain be a bit loose, yes. Might be olive or oleander. Bet its poplar.”
“Think you might be right, captain.”
“I see some officer uniforms were pretty close but let's get them up to speed. And go to a clothier.”
“Aye capt.”
The pair go to the nearest clothier and have their uniforms altered to fit the customs of the city. They come out again. Lauri finds a small girl and questions her, “Hello there.”
The little girl smiles up at them, “I lost my unicorn.”
“I’m Lauriella, my friends call me Lauri. What’s yours?”
“Agnes.”
Lauri smiles, “Good morning, Agnes if we find your pet unicorn would you be willing to answer a few questions. You see we are lost far from our home.”
“Agnes smiles and nods to them.”
The pair find Agnes’s stuffed unicorn. They bring it back and Lauri bends down to her level handing it to the young girl, “This it?”
Agnes overjoyed takes it from her and beams an innocent smile. Lauri asks, “Agnes do you know what town we are in?”
“Of course. That is silly. This is Haidran.”
“And what is the kingdom’s name?”
“Netheril of course.”
Lauri looks at the girl dumbfounded. A piece of grass that she was chewing on falls out of her mouth, “Netheril are you sure?”
The little girl nods. Lauri turns to Cyr, “We need to go now. Quietly back from where we came.”
Cyr also stupefied just nods, “Aye, Capt.”
The pair get back to the ship and go to Lauriella’s cabin. Unlike her first ship the sloop Moonflower this cabin is graciously large. One wall is full of charts. There's a full desk instead of just a writing stand. And a bed made for three people being the matriarch of house Sithiir has both a husband and wife. She has many curios from her adventuring life on her desk. Along with badges of the many orders she has been a member of such as the cerulean stars of the northeastern sea of fallen stars and the obsidian order of the city of Arabel. Most of which she doesn’t remember being her memories only start some 200 years ago after crushing her head into a main mast during a hurricane.
She paces while her first officer Cyr sits down in a chair across from her desk, “Well Cyr, we know now why the stars are off.”
“How long Captain?
“I be sayin maybe 3,000 years.”
“What’s the plan.”
“Don’t know at the moment. Everything just theory about what next. Biggest thing we make sure not to upset the balance. Take nothin with us when we find us a way out of here back to our proper place. And try not to be making footprints. Some theory say we may kill our own parents down the line by what does here.”
“What if we is suppose to be here. We been here before and will again.”
“I heard that theory too. But fact of the matter. We need to get back where we come. Not good coming here especially with modern ship and equipment.”
“You told me bout that Chronomancer in Arabel you met once when first got there. He give you anything to work with for dying.”
Lauriella shakes her head, “Nae but may be a way to follow. Best I study this while here make a spell to get us back if find a way. Ivo he didna last long in Arabel. Fell in the white horde wars.”
Cyr looks at her depressingly, “Lauri you never made more than 5th circle since yer accident. You expecting to make a spell to send a whole ship back where it came from in time?”
She purses her lips, “I know. Situation looks bleak but I needs must be trying to do it or be finding a mage that can and willing.
Without lettin him know the full story. We cannot tell anyone bout where we really from. We cannot be using our things. Except maybe our navigator’s watches.”
“What about the men?”
Lauri sighs, “I don’t know Cyr. I can’t keep them hidin and most would crack up for such an extended period. We also nae know how they may effect everything, and everyone round them.”
Sound like we be having to dock, ma’am?”
She frowns, “What about our equipment and the ship herself. She could change history of future past.”
“What happened to Netheril?”
“According to the books the gods got angry with them for trying to be like the gods. Destroyed the whole of the empire.”
“And you do na find Netherilesse technology like them motes in the sky where we be, right? So we can take a chance and dock at the city up the channel Hadrian.”
“Don’t like the fact there gonna be a lot of questions and we needs must keep people off the ship. They canna be seeing the equipment or the merchandise. All that gnomish stuff probably a treasure trove to these people.”
“Maybe maybe not remember Netheril is destroyed.”
“Reminds me Cyr we must be needin burning the history books. Still the men?”
“We keep them on the ship till we solve our first problem. The effect of the spell or whatever it was.”
“Aye, agreed And they still be able to protect the ship from intrusion. We lock the rudder and lock all the holds. Nothin goes out or come in. I use the cargo chest we keep for the slip fee. We purchase for a year. Means we’ll be broke cause that gnomish haul be expensive in itself.”
Cyr rubs his chin, “We sell the goods once this foul magic gone. If Netheril gets destroyed in the end we have no problem getting some coin if we be having to stay longer. We get back go home port and tap the company coffers for a chest to buy more cargo.”
“We taking huge chances Cyr. I nae like the gamble.”
“What other choices, capt?”
“Lauriella nods in resignation.”
They go up on deck. Cyr brings his whistle out and blows on it. Lauriella waits. The men move slowly and line up in two rows facing each other. Lauri’s night crew on one side. Cyr's day crew on the other. She comes down and helps Henry to his place in front of her crew line. She then walks the between them pacing. “Men, I have some bad news and news about how we gonna fix all this. This be the hardest situation we been in……ever. But I want you to know we got us a plan. I am to get us back home……” She explains the rest to them.
The crew get to work while Lauriella takes the wheel. She tells Henry to stay with her and navigate best he can with the stars being wrong. Cyr takes over as first mate. The Moonflower makes the channel with several crew plumbing for depth. They run up the river to the port of Hadrian. Lauriella parks her on the other side. She relaxes as they have a good 18 foot of depth. The Moonflower cuts 14 and some fully loaded. She got plenty of room.
The crew gets some rest. Lauriella and Cry take the tender and a small chest to port.
-
Winterhawk99
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
Lauriella knocks on the table, “Aye, Harbormaster.”
Without even looking he shouts at her, “You adventurers go slay a dragon or something. I only deal with sailors!”
She knocks again, “Best be lookin straight at me then ye bilge rat!”
He looks, “She’s taping her gold ship wheel feather pin on her cavalier’s hat.”
The harbormaster clears his throat, “What may I be doing for you, captain.”
“I be needing a slip if you got one big enough.”
The harbor master smiles, “How long you be staying for?”
“Year at least”
He smiles brighter and brings out a form, “Length.”
“156 foot”
His pipe drops out of his mouth, “Ain’t no cog 156 ft that can make the channel.”
“Ain’t a cog. Ship of me own design.”
He writes it down looking at her strangely, “Beam?”
“36 feet.”
He looks at her funny but continues, “Draft”
“14 and a half”
He puts his pipe back in his mouth and says, “You funning me beauty there aint no ship with these dimensions anywhere I know.”
Lauriella points to her schooner, “You mean that ship!”
The harbormaster’s pipe falls out of his mouth again, “What in all the hells is that!”
“That my good harbormaster is my ship. The Moonflower II. I call the design a schooner. Now you got yerself a slip big enough for me to store her a year!”
The harbormaster scratches his head still gawking at the three-mast staysail schooner, “Aye but she’ll be taking two long slips in parallel. I’ll be charging you for that.”
She opens the chest she uses to buy cargo with, “Good now let's dicker.”
The Harbormaster looks at her, “What your name first last so I can make the proper documents.”
Captain Lauriella Sithiir, Matriarch of the Sithiir family and owner of the Silver Coin trading company.”
He writes it all down, “Never heard of it or you family.”
Lauriella smiles, “It’s a very long way away good harbormaster.”
Without even looking he shouts at her, “You adventurers go slay a dragon or something. I only deal with sailors!”
She knocks again, “Best be lookin straight at me then ye bilge rat!”
He looks, “She’s taping her gold ship wheel feather pin on her cavalier’s hat.”
The harbormaster clears his throat, “What may I be doing for you, captain.”
“I be needing a slip if you got one big enough.”
The harbor master smiles, “How long you be staying for?”
“Year at least”
He smiles brighter and brings out a form, “Length.”
“156 foot”
His pipe drops out of his mouth, “Ain’t no cog 156 ft that can make the channel.”
“Ain’t a cog. Ship of me own design.”
He writes it down looking at her strangely, “Beam?”
“36 feet.”
He looks at her funny but continues, “Draft”
“14 and a half”
He puts his pipe back in his mouth and says, “You funning me beauty there aint no ship with these dimensions anywhere I know.”
Lauriella points to her schooner, “You mean that ship!”
The harbormaster’s pipe falls out of his mouth again, “What in all the hells is that!”
“That my good harbormaster is my ship. The Moonflower II. I call the design a schooner. Now you got yerself a slip big enough for me to store her a year!”
The harbormaster scratches his head still gawking at the three-mast staysail schooner, “Aye but she’ll be taking two long slips in parallel. I’ll be charging you for that.”
She opens the chest she uses to buy cargo with, “Good now let's dicker.”
The Harbormaster looks at her, “What your name first last so I can make the proper documents.”
Captain Lauriella Sithiir, Matriarch of the Sithiir family and owner of the Silver Coin trading company.”
He writes it all down, “Never heard of it or you family.”
Lauriella smiles, “It’s a very long way away good harbormaster.”
-
Winterhawk99
- Posts: 1654
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
Lauriella sits at a table at the university. she takes ink to paper and writes a letter to her lieutenant Cyr.
Dear Lieutenant Stafford,
It has been several weeks now since I disembarked to solve our problems. I am currently living In Conch and have been inducted into the city's university of magic. Thus far I have kept a low profile (except for the group I have adventured with) They are reckless Cyr. One the first part of saving three children from a demon like entity one Juno the magnificent lead the party. It was a disaster with everyone separating into groups of one or two and many suffering grievous wounds including myself.
Later I made a point to travel with this Juno. He is undisciplined and more fighter than sorcerer. He knows but the simplest of spells and makes a better part of a shield wall than actually doing sorcery. In fact, I questioned even if he was a sorcerer until he showed me. He had a friend like Jax. He has a pseudo dragon familiar. I became familiar with this Juno while we quested for a bit of coin to gain his trust.
On the second part of our quest, I started to take over the group. You know my ways. Not forcibly but by using my experience as a ship commander for some two hundred years. I nudged them to be better prepared when opening doors, attempted to make them form up with some logic. It worked better until we found the last child in a den of hags. Things got chaotic again. The group ceased to act as a unit partially my fault. You see I have reached 4th circle and have gained access to one of my go to spells (black tentacles). Juno rushed off to meet them and got caught in the tentacles. The group as a whole fractured. Many including I received heavy wounds, but we survived by some miracle. We saved both girls and killed all the hags along with the demon like entity that had stolen the children.
Be that as it may afterward with much coin in my pocket, I took the caravan to Sullivan then a ship to Hadrian. I wanted to connect with you and debrief you on how it is going. Before I could make the connection something very strange happened to me personally. I was heading for the ship and going through an ally in Hadrian when I suddenly found myself again in Conch. I felt no magic. Somehow, I teleported the entire way without my magical senses even noticing. This is high magic, Mythallar magic.
Be extremely cautious Cyr. Someone had to purposely impose magic upon my person to keep me away from you and the ship for this to happen. And even though I am now only 4th circle I should have sensed it but did not. Do you remember the mist? We thought is…. was some wild accident. What if it was purposeful? I can think of several spells that would transport us to this place, wish, limited wish, alter reality, a very high summoning spell and several more. If someone wanted us here for some purpose, then eventually they will contact us. If that someone contacts the ship first and tries to board do not under any circumstances let them. Tell them they must speak with me first. Do not try to do anything alone since we do not know who or what we are dealing with
Also, keep the men occupied with light duties. Have them go over every stich of silk for the next few weeks along with the sea anchor and back up silk. That's 8,000 square feet of silk they can spend their time on. Have our qualified divers start shucking the barnacles off of the bottom of the haul. By the time I come back I want the bottom completely clean. I want to keep them busy and happy until we can solve the ageing problem. I will include a 500-gold coin note with this letter for supplies and upkeep of the ship.
One last thing I want you to do. check that 4 1/2 ton of gnomish black powder at least once every week. if you see a barrel sweeting, throw it overboard. I am not sure how the gnomes make it, but I do know if it starts too sweet it becomes extremely dangerous and likely to explode. I do not want to lose a ship I spent 10 years to design and build with a hole in its hull. Especially when the people of this era probably will use substandard materials to fix her up in dry dock.
We are in a tough situation, and I have not voiced my goals to the university yet until I can find a professor or arcanist I can trust. In time (hopefully) I will acquire the necessary power that someone will notice. At that time, I will express my interest in Chronomancy. If my plan works and if our journey is not happenstance someone will here and see me.
Do not be dismayed lieutenant. Chin up! Do your duty! And in the end, I will see you and the crew home.
Thank you. Your Captain,
Captain Lauriella Sithiir of the Free Merchant Marines.
Lauriella places the letter in an envelope then melts wax on to it and places her seal upon it. The seal reads in hieroglyphs: Mulhorandi House of life. When that is done, she burns her own arcane mark in the center of the seal. from there she goes to the courier’s office in upper Conch. She has the letter sent to the Southbank to the ship Moonflower II with specific instructions to approach the large cargo vessel carefully and to call for LT. Stafford to receive the letter.
Dear Lieutenant Stafford,
It has been several weeks now since I disembarked to solve our problems. I am currently living In Conch and have been inducted into the city's university of magic. Thus far I have kept a low profile (except for the group I have adventured with) They are reckless Cyr. One the first part of saving three children from a demon like entity one Juno the magnificent lead the party. It was a disaster with everyone separating into groups of one or two and many suffering grievous wounds including myself.
Later I made a point to travel with this Juno. He is undisciplined and more fighter than sorcerer. He knows but the simplest of spells and makes a better part of a shield wall than actually doing sorcery. In fact, I questioned even if he was a sorcerer until he showed me. He had a friend like Jax. He has a pseudo dragon familiar. I became familiar with this Juno while we quested for a bit of coin to gain his trust.
On the second part of our quest, I started to take over the group. You know my ways. Not forcibly but by using my experience as a ship commander for some two hundred years. I nudged them to be better prepared when opening doors, attempted to make them form up with some logic. It worked better until we found the last child in a den of hags. Things got chaotic again. The group ceased to act as a unit partially my fault. You see I have reached 4th circle and have gained access to one of my go to spells (black tentacles). Juno rushed off to meet them and got caught in the tentacles. The group as a whole fractured. Many including I received heavy wounds, but we survived by some miracle. We saved both girls and killed all the hags along with the demon like entity that had stolen the children.
Be that as it may afterward with much coin in my pocket, I took the caravan to Sullivan then a ship to Hadrian. I wanted to connect with you and debrief you on how it is going. Before I could make the connection something very strange happened to me personally. I was heading for the ship and going through an ally in Hadrian when I suddenly found myself again in Conch. I felt no magic. Somehow, I teleported the entire way without my magical senses even noticing. This is high magic, Mythallar magic.
Be extremely cautious Cyr. Someone had to purposely impose magic upon my person to keep me away from you and the ship for this to happen. And even though I am now only 4th circle I should have sensed it but did not. Do you remember the mist? We thought is…. was some wild accident. What if it was purposeful? I can think of several spells that would transport us to this place, wish, limited wish, alter reality, a very high summoning spell and several more. If someone wanted us here for some purpose, then eventually they will contact us. If that someone contacts the ship first and tries to board do not under any circumstances let them. Tell them they must speak with me first. Do not try to do anything alone since we do not know who or what we are dealing with
Also, keep the men occupied with light duties. Have them go over every stich of silk for the next few weeks along with the sea anchor and back up silk. That's 8,000 square feet of silk they can spend their time on. Have our qualified divers start shucking the barnacles off of the bottom of the haul. By the time I come back I want the bottom completely clean. I want to keep them busy and happy until we can solve the ageing problem. I will include a 500-gold coin note with this letter for supplies and upkeep of the ship.
One last thing I want you to do. check that 4 1/2 ton of gnomish black powder at least once every week. if you see a barrel sweeting, throw it overboard. I am not sure how the gnomes make it, but I do know if it starts too sweet it becomes extremely dangerous and likely to explode. I do not want to lose a ship I spent 10 years to design and build with a hole in its hull. Especially when the people of this era probably will use substandard materials to fix her up in dry dock.
We are in a tough situation, and I have not voiced my goals to the university yet until I can find a professor or arcanist I can trust. In time (hopefully) I will acquire the necessary power that someone will notice. At that time, I will express my interest in Chronomancy. If my plan works and if our journey is not happenstance someone will here and see me.
Do not be dismayed lieutenant. Chin up! Do your duty! And in the end, I will see you and the crew home.
Thank you. Your Captain,
Captain Lauriella Sithiir of the Free Merchant Marines.
Lauriella places the letter in an envelope then melts wax on to it and places her seal upon it. The seal reads in hieroglyphs: Mulhorandi House of life. When that is done, she burns her own arcane mark in the center of the seal. from there she goes to the courier’s office in upper Conch. She has the letter sent to the Southbank to the ship Moonflower II with specific instructions to approach the large cargo vessel carefully and to call for LT. Stafford to receive the letter.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
Lauriella sits once again in the university penning a letter to her ship. She sighs several times about her recent misfortunes but continues on.
Dear Lieutenant Stafford,
I am remiss Cyr. I have felt my power growing to almost becoming a wizardess and having the ability to approach one of these Arcanists to help solve our problems. That is if I can find one specializing in Chronomancy. That is when it happened. I delved too far into a hill giant nest near Hadrian. When I woke up, I was back to first circle yet again. all my coin and items had disappeared. I must start over.
We are however lucky that I sent you enough coin for supply ship and crew for several years. I know we do not have that much time. Keep your accounts up to standards, so that when I come back, I can judge the accounts and pay the men.
We must find an alternate plan for the men if we cannot get them back home. What I do not know. I feel their pain with every step I take in these lands. Heavy is my burden and more pointed now that I have lost everything. It is the way of adventurers. I will build continue on our quest.
A warning. Several people know about the ship and our plight as I have had to ask questions to find the mage, I need to make contact with. If they try to come aboard shoe them off and warn them of the quarantine flag. Especially humans. I do not know the extent of the time field surrounding the ship or the effects of anyone coming aboard.
I have changed my name to my maiden name now. People will know me as Sithmore and not Sithirr. As I have researched what little there is at the university of time magic, I find more and more that this will most likely be a ritual spell. A spell I must be involved in thus I will be denied going home with you and the crew. I am slowly coming to terms with the situation. If I cannot come home with you, I will send letters to both my wife Ava and husband Zard. I will also send several letters to Alluin my love in the elven kingdom. Ava and Zard will inherit the Silver Coin Trading company. Tell them that I have died if I cannot come with you. They can accept that. If they know that I am stuck far in the past history, they will try to find a way to retrieve me. Both can be reckless so just say that I have died. That will put an end to further missteps.
I have met several honorable people along the way. If they try to come aboard be more gentle with them but firm in getting them off my ship. Their names are Dionysia a woman that shares my faith in Selune/ Sehanine. Roo a local mercenary from Southbank, Caravale someone like you Cyr that has a persuasive tongue and a knack for opening things. Locke a sorcerer of good humor and finally Sybelle a good-hearted woman and adventurer.
I leave you to the task at hand. Make sure to give the men work and keep the Moonflower in top shape.
Thank you.
Captain Lauriella Sithmore
Free Merchant Marines.
Lauriella places the letter in an envelope then melts wax on to it and places her seal upon it. The seal reads in hieroglyphs: Mulhorandi House of life. When that is done, she burns her own arcane mark in the center of the seal. from there she goes to the courier’s office in upper Conch. She has the letter sent to the Southbank to the ship Moonflower II with specific instructions to approach the large cargo vessel carefully and to call for LT. Stafford to receive the letter.
Dear Lieutenant Stafford,
I am remiss Cyr. I have felt my power growing to almost becoming a wizardess and having the ability to approach one of these Arcanists to help solve our problems. That is if I can find one specializing in Chronomancy. That is when it happened. I delved too far into a hill giant nest near Hadrian. When I woke up, I was back to first circle yet again. all my coin and items had disappeared. I must start over.
We are however lucky that I sent you enough coin for supply ship and crew for several years. I know we do not have that much time. Keep your accounts up to standards, so that when I come back, I can judge the accounts and pay the men.
We must find an alternate plan for the men if we cannot get them back home. What I do not know. I feel their pain with every step I take in these lands. Heavy is my burden and more pointed now that I have lost everything. It is the way of adventurers. I will build continue on our quest.
A warning. Several people know about the ship and our plight as I have had to ask questions to find the mage, I need to make contact with. If they try to come aboard shoe them off and warn them of the quarantine flag. Especially humans. I do not know the extent of the time field surrounding the ship or the effects of anyone coming aboard.
I have changed my name to my maiden name now. People will know me as Sithmore and not Sithirr. As I have researched what little there is at the university of time magic, I find more and more that this will most likely be a ritual spell. A spell I must be involved in thus I will be denied going home with you and the crew. I am slowly coming to terms with the situation. If I cannot come home with you, I will send letters to both my wife Ava and husband Zard. I will also send several letters to Alluin my love in the elven kingdom. Ava and Zard will inherit the Silver Coin Trading company. Tell them that I have died if I cannot come with you. They can accept that. If they know that I am stuck far in the past history, they will try to find a way to retrieve me. Both can be reckless so just say that I have died. That will put an end to further missteps.
I have met several honorable people along the way. If they try to come aboard be more gentle with them but firm in getting them off my ship. Their names are Dionysia a woman that shares my faith in Selune/ Sehanine. Roo a local mercenary from Southbank, Caravale someone like you Cyr that has a persuasive tongue and a knack for opening things. Locke a sorcerer of good humor and finally Sybelle a good-hearted woman and adventurer.
I leave you to the task at hand. Make sure to give the men work and keep the Moonflower in top shape.
Thank you.
Captain Lauriella Sithmore
Free Merchant Marines.
Lauriella places the letter in an envelope then melts wax on to it and places her seal upon it. The seal reads in hieroglyphs: Mulhorandi House of life. When that is done, she burns her own arcane mark in the center of the seal. from there she goes to the courier’s office in upper Conch. She has the letter sent to the Southbank to the ship Moonflower II with specific instructions to approach the large cargo vessel carefully and to call for LT. Stafford to receive the letter.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
Lauriella goes to Southbank in the evening. From there she takes the ships Tender anchored at shore to the Moonflower II. When she comes aboard, she sees two figures with her infravision. As she approaches, she knows that it is her Lieutenant Cyr and a crewman by the name of Pat Owens. The two are sitting on deck chairs with lines in their hands. The night is clear. Selune is just a slither of a moon. Her consorts (the asteroids that follow her) are invisible at this time of month.
"How is the catch?"
Cyr smiles, "A few cod in this cold water, Ma'am."
Pat has a different reaction, "Mother Sithiir! You come back to us you did?"
Lauriella chuckles, "I have not been called that name for more than a few years. The crew must be getting a bit on the stir-crazy side. It better than the old witch of the inner sea. That I'll say. I see there a third chair?"
Cyr snickers, "Aye, Capt. The moon she be waning. Figured you might be back with all the letters you be sending."
Lauriella goes to the quarter deck and draws out a fishing pole to Join them. She fishes in the bucket of shrimp they have. Places one on the line and throws it out not to get tangled with the others. Cyr pours her a whiskey, her favorite drink and hands it to her. She takes a sip and relaxes. When she is done, she sets the whiskey glass on the chair, "Have to write a report to the university on an experiment. It's meant to get everyone back home to their families, eventually after enough testing to make sure I make it as safe as possible for everyone.
She pauses and takes another sip, "I got me a partner in this endeavor. a baatezu blooded triefling by the name of Xayatoth. I made progress."
"What other news, Capt?" Cyr intones.
"I helped a couple of gang members in the slums. Looking for future business if I can. The moonflower stays with me so I can have income once this all be over and after all. I designed her. Besiden that, I'm working on everyone getting home but not geographically. too many variables on such a huge task. You will need cold weather gear, weapons. You'll be going back to the same place we at now. I'll make a rough map showing the safest way. I will write a recommendation of captain for you Cyr. The Moonflowers plans are in the vault at the company. Tell me husband and wife that I died and in that case, you will rebuild the moonflower and name her whatever you wish. You can then captain her for the silver Coin. My mates will need a captain and you are ready. That is if you wish to pursue.
That reminds me. Cyr. When you go back you be needing instructions for them. Again, tell them I died, and you found letters in the safe. It’s the best I can do for you."
Cyr smiles mischievously and asks, "You know that line you always say. Our motto so to speak?"
"Aye, Lieutenant. It's to remind both me and the crew that we mortal and should be humble. We who are no import to the greater scheme. Always remember this life it ends be it elven or human. Where we go depends upon our life and faith."
"Well Ma'am welcome to the Greater Scheme."
Pat meekly asks, "You ever going to let us off ship, Ma'am? We starving for some company and commerce."
"I understand Mr. Owens. I would love to let the whole of the crew off in shifts, but I cannot allow a bunch of drunk Merchant marines blabbing about they past and futures to the common folk here. As you know word gets around. Convince me that the crew can keep to themselves when off ship and I will let everyone come out on shift for shore leave. That be a hard task to tell truth. I know me men and I know our ways better than you."
Pat Owens sighs and makes a sign of acceptance. Lauriella gives her fishing rod to Cyr, "I have to study. I'll be in my cabin this night. For the next few days, I'll help tend any sick and start up ship routine. I want everyone in the kitchen for breakfast so I may be hearing any grips or concerns. You two have a good night fishing." She gets up.
Both Cyr and Pat get up and salute her. Lauriella goes down into the depths of the ship to her cabin.
Once there she looks about making sure everything is in place. Along her bookshelves there are two main sections filled with books. One section is filled with general magic and necromancy books. The necromancy books, most from Mulhorandi) fill more of the shelf than the general magic books. The other section of the bookshelves is on engineering something Lauriella excels at. She would never be an exceptional blacksmith or woodworker. In fact, the trades are beyond her with her training in necromancy, magic and engineering. She took to engineering because of its logical balance of forces. Thus, she designed and built the Moonflower after 50 years at sea. Now she must strain every fiber of her mind to create something never done before. design a device that can harmonize time itself in a continuous vibration so that the spell that Xayathoth and she creates may direct its energy to their will. The major problem facing her now is the collapse of the harmonic field the device will create and what effects if it collapses before the spell triggers the energy it produces.
"How is the catch?"
Cyr smiles, "A few cod in this cold water, Ma'am."
Pat has a different reaction, "Mother Sithiir! You come back to us you did?"
Lauriella chuckles, "I have not been called that name for more than a few years. The crew must be getting a bit on the stir-crazy side. It better than the old witch of the inner sea. That I'll say. I see there a third chair?"
Cyr snickers, "Aye, Capt. The moon she be waning. Figured you might be back with all the letters you be sending."
Lauriella goes to the quarter deck and draws out a fishing pole to Join them. She fishes in the bucket of shrimp they have. Places one on the line and throws it out not to get tangled with the others. Cyr pours her a whiskey, her favorite drink and hands it to her. She takes a sip and relaxes. When she is done, she sets the whiskey glass on the chair, "Have to write a report to the university on an experiment. It's meant to get everyone back home to their families, eventually after enough testing to make sure I make it as safe as possible for everyone.
She pauses and takes another sip, "I got me a partner in this endeavor. a baatezu blooded triefling by the name of Xayatoth. I made progress."
"What other news, Capt?" Cyr intones.
"I helped a couple of gang members in the slums. Looking for future business if I can. The moonflower stays with me so I can have income once this all be over and after all. I designed her. Besiden that, I'm working on everyone getting home but not geographically. too many variables on such a huge task. You will need cold weather gear, weapons. You'll be going back to the same place we at now. I'll make a rough map showing the safest way. I will write a recommendation of captain for you Cyr. The Moonflowers plans are in the vault at the company. Tell me husband and wife that I died and in that case, you will rebuild the moonflower and name her whatever you wish. You can then captain her for the silver Coin. My mates will need a captain and you are ready. That is if you wish to pursue.
That reminds me. Cyr. When you go back you be needing instructions for them. Again, tell them I died, and you found letters in the safe. It’s the best I can do for you."
Cyr smiles mischievously and asks, "You know that line you always say. Our motto so to speak?"
"Aye, Lieutenant. It's to remind both me and the crew that we mortal and should be humble. We who are no import to the greater scheme. Always remember this life it ends be it elven or human. Where we go depends upon our life and faith."
"Well Ma'am welcome to the Greater Scheme."
Pat meekly asks, "You ever going to let us off ship, Ma'am? We starving for some company and commerce."
"I understand Mr. Owens. I would love to let the whole of the crew off in shifts, but I cannot allow a bunch of drunk Merchant marines blabbing about they past and futures to the common folk here. As you know word gets around. Convince me that the crew can keep to themselves when off ship and I will let everyone come out on shift for shore leave. That be a hard task to tell truth. I know me men and I know our ways better than you."
Pat Owens sighs and makes a sign of acceptance. Lauriella gives her fishing rod to Cyr, "I have to study. I'll be in my cabin this night. For the next few days, I'll help tend any sick and start up ship routine. I want everyone in the kitchen for breakfast so I may be hearing any grips or concerns. You two have a good night fishing." She gets up.
Both Cyr and Pat get up and salute her. Lauriella goes down into the depths of the ship to her cabin.
Once there she looks about making sure everything is in place. Along her bookshelves there are two main sections filled with books. One section is filled with general magic and necromancy books. The necromancy books, most from Mulhorandi) fill more of the shelf than the general magic books. The other section of the bookshelves is on engineering something Lauriella excels at. She would never be an exceptional blacksmith or woodworker. In fact, the trades are beyond her with her training in necromancy, magic and engineering. She took to engineering because of its logical balance of forces. Thus, she designed and built the Moonflower after 50 years at sea. Now she must strain every fiber of her mind to create something never done before. design a device that can harmonize time itself in a continuous vibration so that the spell that Xayathoth and she creates may direct its energy to their will. The major problem facing her now is the collapse of the harmonic field the device will create and what effects if it collapses before the spell triggers the energy it produces.
-
Winterhawk99
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
Two figures come out on the deck of the Moonflower II round about midnight. They both look to the city of Southbank noting how many lights are visible and the canopy of luminescence that extends like a shell round it. They then look to the sky and the stars that turn round the heavens.
"Town is light quiet, ma'am the stars are clear. Selune shades a few but not many being quarter full"
"Aye Cyr. Perfect opportunity. Position or time?"
"Position, Lauri."
One of the figures. The female pulls the cover off all the ships instruments near the wheel and the map table beside it. The other a male picks up several sextets and lays them out on the table. The female watches a large instrument where water runs slowly through the mechanisms. keeping a steady measure of time to the 1/10 second.
"What will be our first, Ma'am?"
"We'll do the double daggers, the eyes of the watching woman. that will tell us true west."
"Aye, captain."
The woman lays out a chart on the table then watches the clock again. The man lifts up a sextet to the sky. It takes a moment then the man speaks, "High star, left dagger 1832 elevation, 0.0 west 23.5 north."
"Time: 00 hundred, 13 minutes. 27.3 seconds." The woman makes a note on the charts.
"I have not been debriefed on the landward mission, ma'am. What news?"
"Aye, I did it, Cyr!"
"Did what, ma'am?"
"Broke me curse I did. I can use undeath to death and true seeing."
The elven man considers the information a moment, "How long Lauri?"
"Little more than two centuries I have struggled to make 6th circle. Always a hit on the head or some other tragedy bringing me back to 1rst. Always felt the gods punish me for some indiscretion of the past I know not of. Mayhap the different gods here. Mayhap just me superstition. I know not but now I have hope everyone but me-self can go home."
"You could always relegate your magics to another and come home with us. I be wondering about that?"
"These spells and devices I envision is to technical for someone else. Mayhap I could. Mayhap I couldn't but no one cares about me crew more than I. You all good men Cyr. I will not leave ye fate to another. Therefore, I must stand outside the effect to cast properly."
"What about your wife and husband, ma'am?"
A tear comes to the woman's eye before she replies. "I'm sacrificing me own wants for me crew. I love me husband and wife but I cannot trust another to do what I must do. Therefore, I will stay behind and give you and the men the best chance to seeing their families again. We have a job. Right star middle, left dagger?"
" 1753 elevation, 1.23 west 22.5 north."
"Time: 00 hundred, 18 minutes. 43.5 seconds.
"What other news, Capt?"
"Got lots of news. I am friends with the children of Thoth, The Kenku. They be of no bother for us. The leaders seem to be two individuals Crows and Squeaky. Both highly intelligent but play the violin to make others think they not."
"The male takes a minute to translate his captains use of regional slang from a dozen countries his captain mixes into her language. When he figures it out he says, that a good thing?"
"Aye Cyr, it is. It means we have Thoth on our side we do. I lost and won fortunes in the meantime, landside. My stupidity most likely meaning I mistakenly sold the wrong quarterstaff to a merchant and he held it hostage and I could not lug a bag a loot out of a giants’ home but be that as it may. we have our fees paid another month and enough to add supplies for the upkeep of ship and men. Lessen you got frisky with the books while I away. I check on that tomorrow."
"All is in order, captain. to the copper like you taught"
"Aye. I have no reason to check, Cyr but I have me duties too to ship and crew."
"Aye"
"Next star. Left mid."
The two rattle off numbers while the woman makes notes on the chart. they systematically check each star within the constellation they are measuring. After a time, the man asks, "What other news?"
"I found some of the supplies I be needing to make the gyros to create the harmonic field. Me partner seems to have abandoned the project and I got me a sorcerer that always need help. There be a gang boss and a triefling headed for disaster less I can find a way to help them both. The gang boss a gnoll by the name of Vyc. The triefling a woman by the name of Talia. I give the best advice I may not to hurt either. Talia is confused and not sure her choices in the right. I told both they need a place to go they welcome to sleep in the moonflower a few day."
The elven man frowns, "You sure that wise captain?"
"No am never sure bout these things. remind me to weld all the doors in the cargo bays except ‘in the hold that carries the black powder. It still stable?"
"I check every afternoon, captain. It's stable."
"We got the measurements to the daggers and that will be all tonight, Cyr. Thank you for helping and extending you shift for me."
"Just get us home, Capt."
"I will do everything in me power to get everyone home. You know me 7 years. You know me proclivities. I would die for me ship and crew willingly if that what it take."
"We all know, Lauri."
"Look like we have the full of the daggers charted. You are relieved, Lieutenant. I'll keep watch and pray to Sehanine. Always remember..........."
"The man laughs, "We of the marines prefer a peaceful life and a good end as age comes to us. We are of no import to the greater scheme."
"Aye. a good and humble life."
"Like it or not captain Sithmore, you will be important to the greater scheme by what you doing. You may not admit it, but your choices will change the future."
"That just theory, Cyr and I hope I do not for all our future sakes. Now you are relieved."
The man salutes. The woman recognizes him. He goes down into the depths of the ship. The woman sets a deck chair behind the wheel but instead of sitting she stands in front of the ships wheel. She caresses it with her hand while looking up to the moon.
"Lady Selune, Mistress Sehanine. Guide me hand to make all right and good for me people. They good men as you know. Save them so that when me time comes, I may have peace."
"Town is light quiet, ma'am the stars are clear. Selune shades a few but not many being quarter full"
"Aye Cyr. Perfect opportunity. Position or time?"
"Position, Lauri."
One of the figures. The female pulls the cover off all the ships instruments near the wheel and the map table beside it. The other a male picks up several sextets and lays them out on the table. The female watches a large instrument where water runs slowly through the mechanisms. keeping a steady measure of time to the 1/10 second.
"What will be our first, Ma'am?"
"We'll do the double daggers, the eyes of the watching woman. that will tell us true west."
"Aye, captain."
The woman lays out a chart on the table then watches the clock again. The man lifts up a sextet to the sky. It takes a moment then the man speaks, "High star, left dagger 1832 elevation, 0.0 west 23.5 north."
"Time: 00 hundred, 13 minutes. 27.3 seconds." The woman makes a note on the charts.
"I have not been debriefed on the landward mission, ma'am. What news?"
"Aye, I did it, Cyr!"
"Did what, ma'am?"
"Broke me curse I did. I can use undeath to death and true seeing."
The elven man considers the information a moment, "How long Lauri?"
"Little more than two centuries I have struggled to make 6th circle. Always a hit on the head or some other tragedy bringing me back to 1rst. Always felt the gods punish me for some indiscretion of the past I know not of. Mayhap the different gods here. Mayhap just me superstition. I know not but now I have hope everyone but me-self can go home."
"You could always relegate your magics to another and come home with us. I be wondering about that?"
"These spells and devices I envision is to technical for someone else. Mayhap I could. Mayhap I couldn't but no one cares about me crew more than I. You all good men Cyr. I will not leave ye fate to another. Therefore, I must stand outside the effect to cast properly."
"What about your wife and husband, ma'am?"
A tear comes to the woman's eye before she replies. "I'm sacrificing me own wants for me crew. I love me husband and wife but I cannot trust another to do what I must do. Therefore, I will stay behind and give you and the men the best chance to seeing their families again. We have a job. Right star middle, left dagger?"
" 1753 elevation, 1.23 west 22.5 north."
"Time: 00 hundred, 18 minutes. 43.5 seconds.
"What other news, Capt?"
"Got lots of news. I am friends with the children of Thoth, The Kenku. They be of no bother for us. The leaders seem to be two individuals Crows and Squeaky. Both highly intelligent but play the violin to make others think they not."
"The male takes a minute to translate his captains use of regional slang from a dozen countries his captain mixes into her language. When he figures it out he says, that a good thing?"
"Aye Cyr, it is. It means we have Thoth on our side we do. I lost and won fortunes in the meantime, landside. My stupidity most likely meaning I mistakenly sold the wrong quarterstaff to a merchant and he held it hostage and I could not lug a bag a loot out of a giants’ home but be that as it may. we have our fees paid another month and enough to add supplies for the upkeep of ship and men. Lessen you got frisky with the books while I away. I check on that tomorrow."
"All is in order, captain. to the copper like you taught"
"Aye. I have no reason to check, Cyr but I have me duties too to ship and crew."
"Aye"
"Next star. Left mid."
The two rattle off numbers while the woman makes notes on the chart. they systematically check each star within the constellation they are measuring. After a time, the man asks, "What other news?"
"I found some of the supplies I be needing to make the gyros to create the harmonic field. Me partner seems to have abandoned the project and I got me a sorcerer that always need help. There be a gang boss and a triefling headed for disaster less I can find a way to help them both. The gang boss a gnoll by the name of Vyc. The triefling a woman by the name of Talia. I give the best advice I may not to hurt either. Talia is confused and not sure her choices in the right. I told both they need a place to go they welcome to sleep in the moonflower a few day."
The elven man frowns, "You sure that wise captain?"
"No am never sure bout these things. remind me to weld all the doors in the cargo bays except ‘in the hold that carries the black powder. It still stable?"
"I check every afternoon, captain. It's stable."
"We got the measurements to the daggers and that will be all tonight, Cyr. Thank you for helping and extending you shift for me."
"Just get us home, Capt."
"I will do everything in me power to get everyone home. You know me 7 years. You know me proclivities. I would die for me ship and crew willingly if that what it take."
"We all know, Lauri."
"Look like we have the full of the daggers charted. You are relieved, Lieutenant. I'll keep watch and pray to Sehanine. Always remember..........."
"The man laughs, "We of the marines prefer a peaceful life and a good end as age comes to us. We are of no import to the greater scheme."
"Aye. a good and humble life."
"Like it or not captain Sithmore, you will be important to the greater scheme by what you doing. You may not admit it, but your choices will change the future."
"That just theory, Cyr and I hope I do not for all our future sakes. Now you are relieved."
The man salutes. The woman recognizes him. He goes down into the depths of the ship. The woman sets a deck chair behind the wheel but instead of sitting she stands in front of the ships wheel. She caresses it with her hand while looking up to the moon.
"Lady Selune, Mistress Sehanine. Guide me hand to make all right and good for me people. They good men as you know. Save them so that when me time comes, I may have peace."
-
Winterhawk99
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Re: Lauriella's Last Dance.
It is a hot night with almost no breeze. The men of the Moonflower still do their duties with the captain and lieutenant working with the men. The difference is that the officers wear silk white work shirts instead of cotton. The crew is well disciplined and generally happy with jokes flying across the ship heckling one another over some small error in their motions.
As the night lengthens to the 10:00 hour; the captain rings the ship bell three times. The men cease their work and file down into the midship along with her. The lieutenant is left alone on deck. He brings out some ten lanterns. Lights them then stands upon the back upper deck waiting.
To say Elven culture is quite different from human culture would be a grave understatement. There are certain things, that although not kept secret, are not mentioned, and often take place in the shadows of their respective society. Thus, it is with the ritual of Sehanine. The dance held every full moon for elves that revere their moon goddess. The women dance from midnight to the first hour. Their lovers, wives and husbands watching. Sometimes if a woman has a female lover they dance together falling at the end in an embrace. The dance has two purposes. The first and most important is the praise of the moon goddess as she rises full in her glory. The other purpose? Well!
The dancer as she moves, spins and ungulates within the ring of moonflowers gets aroused in the praise of the moon. The lover watching becomes mesmerized by the dance and aroused in watching their mates figure spin and turn with the ring of moonflowers. When the dance is over, they make love within the ring to cement their commitment and their commitment to Sehanine. Tonight, the harbor will see a spectacle rarely seen by humans. The dance of Sehanine.
Lauriella comes up on deck. She is in a gown and barefoot. The gown was specially made for her. Not by her husband nor her wife but by a noblewoman of the Dalelands who saved her life centuries ago and tended to her. They fell madly in love; however, the noblewoman was promised to another so Lauriella, when she knew she could have no chance to consummate their love, took her adventuring money and bought a 42ft sloop and began to ply her trade waiting the day the love of her life would be free again.
Lauriella’s dress has a white bodice. Stitched within the fabric are small incandescent pearls and opals. There is a double skirt below. The inner skirt is white and covers round her body. The outer opens in front to a reverse V shape. It is dyed in soft blues, violets and slightly with soft greens making it look as she has clothed herself in the aroura borealis. The dreadnoughts that make up her usual crown are gone replaced by the natural waves of her salt and pepper hair. She smells of jasmine and myrrh.
Yet something more meaningful has changed in Lauriella as she looks almost frightened at the ship deck looking for strangers. A dark secret almost no one knows but her lieutenant, her wife, and her husband. Lauriella the practical, no-nonsense captain is gone, Lauriella the brilliant engineer is gone. Lauriella the necromancer is gone. In their place stands a timid, demure elven maiden. Her usually sharp eyes seem to have gotten larger and softer with a hint of naivetés. The lines of her face seem to have soften making her look a century younger to an elf.
She carries in her hand a basket of thirty white lilies. When the moonlight hits the moon lilies the flowers give off a soft inviting glow.
As she sees Cyr, she silently takes a step back in fear. Cyr answers her as he always does, “At Ease Captain. I here to protect you and when done will go off ship to one of the local brothels. Be at peace Lauriella. No harm will come to you while I guard.”
Lauriella simply nods. Going down to middeck she places the flowers in a large ring between the main mast and the rear mast. She then stands in the center of the ring. Lauriella calls up a cantrip called Prestidigitation. When the spell goes off bluish-green glowing ectoplasmic smoke drifts up from her fingertips and toes. She puts her arms up and out toward Toril's Moon, Selune, almost in a pleading fashion. She prays a moment and at the stroke of midnight she begins her dance with practiced steps.
On the stroke of the first hour Lauriella stops in a position of humbleness. She is on one knee, bowing to Selune. A whispered name comes to her lips as she throws it to the wind. The name she whispers Is Alluin.
As the night lengthens to the 10:00 hour; the captain rings the ship bell three times. The men cease their work and file down into the midship along with her. The lieutenant is left alone on deck. He brings out some ten lanterns. Lights them then stands upon the back upper deck waiting.
To say Elven culture is quite different from human culture would be a grave understatement. There are certain things, that although not kept secret, are not mentioned, and often take place in the shadows of their respective society. Thus, it is with the ritual of Sehanine. The dance held every full moon for elves that revere their moon goddess. The women dance from midnight to the first hour. Their lovers, wives and husbands watching. Sometimes if a woman has a female lover they dance together falling at the end in an embrace. The dance has two purposes. The first and most important is the praise of the moon goddess as she rises full in her glory. The other purpose? Well!
The dancer as she moves, spins and ungulates within the ring of moonflowers gets aroused in the praise of the moon. The lover watching becomes mesmerized by the dance and aroused in watching their mates figure spin and turn with the ring of moonflowers. When the dance is over, they make love within the ring to cement their commitment and their commitment to Sehanine. Tonight, the harbor will see a spectacle rarely seen by humans. The dance of Sehanine.
Lauriella comes up on deck. She is in a gown and barefoot. The gown was specially made for her. Not by her husband nor her wife but by a noblewoman of the Dalelands who saved her life centuries ago and tended to her. They fell madly in love; however, the noblewoman was promised to another so Lauriella, when she knew she could have no chance to consummate their love, took her adventuring money and bought a 42ft sloop and began to ply her trade waiting the day the love of her life would be free again.
Lauriella’s dress has a white bodice. Stitched within the fabric are small incandescent pearls and opals. There is a double skirt below. The inner skirt is white and covers round her body. The outer opens in front to a reverse V shape. It is dyed in soft blues, violets and slightly with soft greens making it look as she has clothed herself in the aroura borealis. The dreadnoughts that make up her usual crown are gone replaced by the natural waves of her salt and pepper hair. She smells of jasmine and myrrh.
Yet something more meaningful has changed in Lauriella as she looks almost frightened at the ship deck looking for strangers. A dark secret almost no one knows but her lieutenant, her wife, and her husband. Lauriella the practical, no-nonsense captain is gone, Lauriella the brilliant engineer is gone. Lauriella the necromancer is gone. In their place stands a timid, demure elven maiden. Her usually sharp eyes seem to have gotten larger and softer with a hint of naivetés. The lines of her face seem to have soften making her look a century younger to an elf.
She carries in her hand a basket of thirty white lilies. When the moonlight hits the moon lilies the flowers give off a soft inviting glow.
As she sees Cyr, she silently takes a step back in fear. Cyr answers her as he always does, “At Ease Captain. I here to protect you and when done will go off ship to one of the local brothels. Be at peace Lauriella. No harm will come to you while I guard.”
Lauriella simply nods. Going down to middeck she places the flowers in a large ring between the main mast and the rear mast. She then stands in the center of the ring. Lauriella calls up a cantrip called Prestidigitation. When the spell goes off bluish-green glowing ectoplasmic smoke drifts up from her fingertips and toes. She puts her arms up and out toward Toril's Moon, Selune, almost in a pleading fashion. She prays a moment and at the stroke of midnight she begins her dance with practiced steps.
On the stroke of the first hour Lauriella stops in a position of humbleness. She is on one knee, bowing to Selune. A whispered name comes to her lips as she throws it to the wind. The name she whispers Is Alluin.