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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dark_Jackalope" data-source="post: 2999288" data-attributes="member: 41706">The second day at sea passed with little excitement, until those on deck first caught sight of Port Verge nestled between hills and waves on forward horizon.  By early evening, the Thresher had pulled its way out of the choppy open waters and into the sheltered harbor of the city.The Thresher slipped carefully among the fishing ships and sailboats scattered throughout the harbor.  Those unaccustomed to sailing had grown used to the quiet of the empty sea, and their arrival in the city assailed them noise and bustle.  Everywhere was the ring of voices calling back and forth to one another, and the massive low creaking of thousands of wooden planks in the frigid water.   Seagulls chattered overhead, eternally excited by the water traffic.The ship’s slow cruising across the harbor towards the Prince’s docks gave everyone on deck a full panorama of Port Verge drifting by.  The whole city was wrapped around the harbor in a cresent shape, its inland edge splashing up the bordering hills.  Despite the cold wind, Port Verge itself looked warm, a gathering of wooden buildings and worn reddish brick streets.Immediately before them was the thin strip of wharves and storehouses and shipyards that serviced the local and traveling vessels.  With these naturally came the cheap inns and taverns that served the sailors aboard those vessels.  There may have seemed to be an inordinate amount of grimy pubs, but they stood as a testament to the city’s history with piracy.Just inland of these establishments was the southern side of town in which the majority of the citizens of Port Verge resided.  It was not the most scenic of places, but looked well lived-in.  The tightly-packed clutter of houses and shops were dotted with the occasional small herb garden or laundry line, and barking dogs could be heard throughout the dusty packed-dirt streets.As the Thresher sailed closer to the northern end of the crescent, the streets became steadily more orderly, and the buildings were composed of more and more brick.  The commoners’ housing faded into middle class residences, and eventually gave way to a bustling commercial center with broad streets and rows of shops with large glass windows.  Up on the hill above the commercial district sat Prince Kolberkon’s estate, his old-fashioned grey stone manor house and other personal and official buildings encircled by the somewhat lesser mansions of wealthy neighbors.The ships too were getting nicer; now they were passing more anchored trade ships than local fishing boats.  Their cruise past the city led them even beyond these, to the far northern end of the harbor to a private sectioned-off marina for the Prince’s royal fleet.  It was in fine neighborhood, with well-maintained wooden shops and inns right at the waterfront, and many flowerboxes lighting the dark brick streets.The elemental galleon swung boastfully into the royal marina, and maneuvered easily into position alongside a tall dock.  The crew began to hastily tie her to the pier, and at the stern the captain soothed the elemental into a peaceful sleep until it was time to sail again.  As soon as they had successfully docked in Port Verge, the gangplank was lowered and the dwarves’ luggage began to be carried off.  The dwarves themselves gathered on deck, observing the city and thanking the captain for his services.[sblock="Exerience Points for All"]Now that the first step of the journey has been completed, it seems an appropriate time to award to XP.  We’ll give you XP not only for killing foes and completing quests, but also award you with bonus XP for exceptional roleplaying and other acts.First, everyone deserves some for their cooperative roleplaying and character development.  You guys all did great job with this voyage, especially with the banter between yourselves.Dragen is also to be recognized for his intriguing monologue, and Doral and Vhir both for their leadership and negotiations, which really helped in pulling the group together.We'll keep track of your actual point tallies, and tell you when you're ready to level. Until then, keep it up, everyone, and welcome to Port Verge.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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