by Uncle Pervy » Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:25 pm
And thus, mealtime passes without a problem.
For some, sleeping on the ship might well be a problem. Certainly, it's not moving and swaying like a boat would. But, there is precious little privacy to be had within the group's quarters, and sleeping in hammocks does take some getting used to. If nothing else, the night is peaceful, allowing for a quiet rest if not a perfect one.
The next day is much as before, as the Shuman mountains and then the Barren desert pass underneathe. A sort of routine begins to emerge. It is not a very interesting one, as it mostly involves the crew doing their work, having a two-shift lunch, doing more work, then landing and having supper before bed, then breakfast before taking off again the next day. For those not directly involved in the work, things are rather boring. For those that are, it's more tedious and exhausting.
But midway through day three, the monotony is broken by the appearance of a larged, walled city on the edge of what seems to be the ocean. Captain Hawkings, or Ole Hawkin's as he prefers to be called, declares it to be Port Rosalia with some satisfaction, and advises everyone to get their last taste of land for awhile, and lets them know under no uncertain terms that he intends to just that.
For the next day and a half, as the ship gets its final supplies for the push to Savtra, the group is free to pursue their own ends. For some, this involves exploring about and seeing what sights there are to see. thankfully, getting money changed at the harbor is fairly easy in that regard.
Port Rosalia does feature a rather robust marketplace, with imports from all around Igala and other known continents. Some items are fairly cheap, others are rather dear. Magic in particular seems to be pricey to the Doman point of view, likely due to Baron not having nearly the magical resources that Doma does. Much, if not all, of the group will be of the mindset that getting something to help pass the time will be of immense benefit to them all.
Paige oversees the loading of the coal and finds it good, making certain the shipper didn't do anything funny like pad the bins with granite. Eventually, however, she is satisified with the condition of the fuel, extra parts, and the engines themselves.
Jak finds that even though an inn advertises real home cooking, they don't always live up to it.
Dia finds this same lesson much later, in way of an unpleasant case of heartburn.
Fluffy learns that Jak and Dia are awfully damned picky or possess weak and undragonly consistutions.
Jeridan finds a rather friendly basset hound Inujin running a stand that deals in fresh fruit, and gets a couple free oranges for being a "warm familiar sort of face."
Kelne's search for a better chart goes mostly without success. He finds a few that are reasonable more accurate to Igala, but not really what he is looking for. They also have the drawback of being fairly expensive.
Valentia's time spent in the familiar, and some not-so-familiar, turn up a little. Apparently, the Conquistadore was seen off of Port Rosalia some months ago, but she finds a sailor who can confirm that Captain Alvarres was there, and was personally overseeing the taking of supplies.
****
Eventally, though, all good things come to an end. after a day and a half of mucking about Port Rosalia, the ship is ready to set off again.
Thus does the routine set back into force.
Only this time, without Port Rosalia to brighten things up.
Nor the bright and varied countryside of Igala to stare at.
However, things aren't quite so bad. Those who had the foresight to pick up something to entertain themselves at Port Rosalia are well served by it, at least for a little while. During off time, the crew is happy to deal anyone who wants in into their card games, which happily turn out to far more standard than Hoomply.
After a while, Hawkin's orders the ship to level off at about a hundred feet, given there are few mountains and the like to avoid at sea. This does periodically allow those loitering about the rails to see various ocean creatures. Some of the sailors, after the ship has set down for the day, take to fishing.
Ushyu is seldom seen anymore, spending most of her time asleep in the hold with the coal. Those that know her note she is a bit listless when awake.
The days pass slowly and perhaps torturously, but they do pass. One becomes two, then three...then before they know it, a week has gone by without incident. Then half a week.
It is day ten, not long after the ship has set down upon the ocean and anchored itself that Ole Hawkin's calmly orders. "Weigh anchor. Someone tell Paige, get th' engines ready. There's somethin' out in them waters."
(OOC: Be wherever you think you'll be. The word wll travel fast enough. Also, assume that your character was able to pick up any normal goodie that s/he liked from Port Rosalia. non-normal goodies, ask me.)