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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jsb420" data-source="post: 5541341" data-attributes="member: 6672544">A gloomy daybreak sees the crew and companions of the Salty Dog, searching the dead pirates and scuttling their cutter, everyone can noticeably see that the storm is beginning to intensify.      By midmorning, shrieking winds force Rogar to shore up the sails for fear of the sails snapping a mast. Great greybeards loom across the ocean, starting to increase in size and begin to toss the Salty Dog around as if it were a toy boat in a tub of water. At midday, Rogar orders all crew below deck, while only Jack and Whiggans remain on deck, safety lines securing them to the ship. By early evening, the storm sweeps in full force. No one escapes the wrath of mother nature and soon even the strongest stomach rebels with retching. The storm begins to abate early the following morning, brave Jack still lashed to the wheel, kept the ship on course.     By mid morning, the seas calmed. After the storm passes, life on deck begins to returns to normal. Settling back into a normal watch, the Salty Dog continues on its search for the mysterious island. A few days pass, and during the second shift that night, the mysterious glowing light appears in the eastern night sky. Ixen and Jesse alert Jack and a new course is set.      The following morning, Rogar is informed that there is some type of anomaly to the north. Whiggans says some type of land mass lies ahead (although no one on board has ever heard Whiggans talk except Rogar and Jack). The surrounding ocean, once deep blue, is now starting to take on a sickly seafoam green color. The navigator Azzim orders a plumb line and it reports sufficient depth, but the weeds are beginning to thicken, threatening to snag the Salty Dog.     [sblock=Nature Check: (DC 12) - Trained only]This seaweed is of a type you are unfamiliar with, almost caustic to the touch. Little berries are attached under the fronds.  [sblock=Nature Result: 15+]You can discern that this particular strain of seaweed is indigenous only to this area.[/sblock][/sblock]     [sblock=Arcana Check: (DC 12) - Trained only]You can sense magical energies. With your magesight, waves of sickly slow magic energies ebb and flow, swirling counter-clockwise as if it were a giant whirlpool of mystic force.  [sblock=Arcana Result: 15+]You are able to identify the magical source as aberrant[/sblock][/sblock]     At the rail, Rogar mutters, ” ‘Tis an evil quag. Seems the further we sail, the thicker the weed. ‘Afore long, I reckon the Salty Dog’d be mired.”.       That afternoon, Rogar approaches and bids everyone follow him towards the cargo hold, the booby hatch raised. ”We’ve got a problem. Not sure if ya’ve seen the weeds growin’ in the water, but there growin’ so thick, I’m afraid they’ll snag me ship. We canna go no further. The Salty Dog’d be a sittin’ duck.” He points down in the hold at a bizarre-looking dinghy stowed there. ”By now, I’m sure ye have noticed the Loose Lady. She’s of me own design. She’s made o’ silver-plated mahogany, scales not boards so as ta be more flexible. She distributes her weight better ‘n most boats here size. She rides atop the water, not displacin’ it. I made her when I was a lad, fer skating underground rivers for a lark. I’m thinkin’ she’d be able ta continue where the Salty Dog couldn’t.”    [sblock=Loose Lady]Description:   [FONT=&quot]Well caulked, shingle patterned outer hull, silver-plated mahogany scales, flat keelboard. She has a stowed mast, with silken sails. One set of row-locks rest midship on the gunwales. Able to seat up to 6 people, two abreast, with an area for supplies.[/FONT][/sblock][FONT=&quot][/FONT]  He turns back to the group. ”Now lads, ye did right-fine against them pirates, impressin’ an ol’ seadog like meself. I’m needin’ ya to take the Loose Lady here and continue on fer the island. Them mages in Duanton be payin’ and I always honor me contracts. But with a skeleton crew, I canna spare a soul. Now take it as faith, that I’ll be awaitin’ fer ya to return. We have stores enough fer some to head with y’all, and ta keep us fer 2 weeks afore we’d need to restock. You have me word as a dwarf, I won’t be strandin’ ya here. What say you?</blockquote>

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