[X] Escort them southward: Escort your now-captured convoy past Selymbria before setting them to their own devices. This will cause you some delay as you will have to turn and beat upwind again to reach your current position, but it will probably ensure that they are kept safe from most of the dangers they might encounter.
I must go down to the sea again - an Age of Sail quest
- Thread starter Artificial Girl
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
[X] Escort them southward: Escort your now-captured convoy past Selymbria before setting them to their own devices. This will cause you some delay as you will have to turn and beat upwind again to reach your current position, but it will probably ensure that they are kept safe from most of the dangers they might encounter.
[X] Escort them southward: Escort your now-captured convoy past Selymbria before setting them to their own devices. This will cause you some delay as you will have to turn and beat upwind again to reach your current position, but it will probably ensure that they are kept safe from most of the dangers they might encounter.
29. Time and time again
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You decide, after some consideration, to at least escort the little convoy south past Selymbria. It will be safer for your prizes (which are going to be worth some nice coin, if you're any judge) and will give you another chance to peek in on Selymbria's harbor. Plus, sailing in company might give you a bit of cover in that it might be assumed that you're an escort rather than a captor. The journey back to the south takes half the time it took you to beat up the coast to where you found your prizes and you manage to slink past Selymbria at night through rough seas. You can't make out anything worthwhile in the dark except the lights of the forts guardian the entrance and a near brush with a few fishing boats that scurry away as soon as they realize they've stumbled upon a ship of war on their way out to sea. You sail a little further south with your prizes and once you're confident that they'll make it the rest of the way into port, part company to begin your task of beating back northwards.
This time, you pass by Selymbria in the daylight, standing well out to sea to avoid the guns of the forts in the daylight. Squinting through your glass, you're unable to make out much besides the vague shapes of men-of-war at anchor in the harbor. A few gunboats scurry out of the harbor to give chase to you, but your superior sailing and distance from the harbor mean that the it's more of a gesture of defiance from them then anything seriously threatening. It takes you another three days to resume your former position as the weather grows steadily worse. Fog and rain seem to be your constant companions now and seeing anything at any distance seems to elude you. As a result you're stood off from the coast a good ways to make sure you have plenty of sea room. Your little cutter pitches and rolls in the sea as you come out on deck early one morning--it's barely twilight as the season grows later and as usual for the last couple days, there's only damnable mist and fog. You've sailed even further north-northwest past where you made your prizes and it's been two days now, you suspect you're closing in on the harbor of Letopolis but it's hard to tell without being able to actually see much to help make your position.
Mister Angelus has the deck at the moment and you find him at the bow. The young man is peering intently forward, almost as if he's listening for something.
"Something amiss, Mister Angelus?" He startles a little at your approach, then touches his hat in salute.
"Ah, myx... I thought I heard a bell out there in the fog."
"A ship's bell? Maybe a fisherman..." You murmur then fall silent, straining to listen with him. You can hear only the creak of the rigging and the sound of the waves for a long, long moment--then faintly, you think from your starboard sight, you hear something like a bell striking the half-hour. You shade your eyes and peer into the mist but can't seem to make out any sort of identifiable shape. With the fog and wind, they could be in pistol shot--or they could be a half-mile away. You don't like this. Then as you sit there, you can hear more bells around you as other ships mark their time. Your blood runs cold for a moment. Is it possible you've stumbled into the midst of an enemy squadron in the night? You resolve to do your best to keep calm.
"Mister Angelus," you speak barely above a whisper.
"Pass my compliments, have the ship clear for action. As quietly as possible. Understood? It must be quiet." Angelus looks a bit paler than normal, then salutes.
"Aye aye, myx." He turns to make his way after and soon you hear the thumping and scraping as the crew scrambles about as quietly as possible to clear the deck. You are certain that you are surrounded by other vessels. The question now, of course, is what to do about it. You are possibly surrounded by enemy vessels that you cannot see. The wrong move or a shift in the weather may expose you to them. What are you doing to do?
[ ] Hold position: If they are moving and you do your best not to, they'll outpace you one way or the other. That runs the risk of putting a significant enemy force between you and home and you being left trying to decide how you're going to manage that challenge. It would put you out of immediate danger, though.
[ ] Run for it: Turn southwards and put as much sail on as you can. If you're lucky and quick about it, you'll put distance between yourself and this group before they even know you're there.
[ ] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
This time, you pass by Selymbria in the daylight, standing well out to sea to avoid the guns of the forts in the daylight. Squinting through your glass, you're unable to make out much besides the vague shapes of men-of-war at anchor in the harbor. A few gunboats scurry out of the harbor to give chase to you, but your superior sailing and distance from the harbor mean that the it's more of a gesture of defiance from them then anything seriously threatening. It takes you another three days to resume your former position as the weather grows steadily worse. Fog and rain seem to be your constant companions now and seeing anything at any distance seems to elude you. As a result you're stood off from the coast a good ways to make sure you have plenty of sea room. Your little cutter pitches and rolls in the sea as you come out on deck early one morning--it's barely twilight as the season grows later and as usual for the last couple days, there's only damnable mist and fog. You've sailed even further north-northwest past where you made your prizes and it's been two days now, you suspect you're closing in on the harbor of Letopolis but it's hard to tell without being able to actually see much to help make your position.
Mister Angelus has the deck at the moment and you find him at the bow. The young man is peering intently forward, almost as if he's listening for something.
"Something amiss, Mister Angelus?" He startles a little at your approach, then touches his hat in salute.
"Ah, myx... I thought I heard a bell out there in the fog."
"A ship's bell? Maybe a fisherman..." You murmur then fall silent, straining to listen with him. You can hear only the creak of the rigging and the sound of the waves for a long, long moment--then faintly, you think from your starboard sight, you hear something like a bell striking the half-hour. You shade your eyes and peer into the mist but can't seem to make out any sort of identifiable shape. With the fog and wind, they could be in pistol shot--or they could be a half-mile away. You don't like this. Then as you sit there, you can hear more bells around you as other ships mark their time. Your blood runs cold for a moment. Is it possible you've stumbled into the midst of an enemy squadron in the night? You resolve to do your best to keep calm.
"Mister Angelus," you speak barely above a whisper.
"Pass my compliments, have the ship clear for action. As quietly as possible. Understood? It must be quiet." Angelus looks a bit paler than normal, then salutes.
"Aye aye, myx." He turns to make his way after and soon you hear the thumping and scraping as the crew scrambles about as quietly as possible to clear the deck. You are certain that you are surrounded by other vessels. The question now, of course, is what to do about it. You are possibly surrounded by enemy vessels that you cannot see. The wrong move or a shift in the weather may expose you to them. What are you doing to do?
[ ] Hold position: If they are moving and you do your best not to, they'll outpace you one way or the other. That runs the risk of putting a significant enemy force between you and home and you being left trying to decide how you're going to manage that challenge. It would put you out of immediate danger, though.
[ ] Run for it: Turn southwards and put as much sail on as you can. If you're lucky and quick about it, you'll put distance between yourself and this group before they even know you're there.
[ ] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
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- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
[X] Close in. Every minute of sailing and every gust of wind can expose you to this flotilla - however, you don't know much about it. It could be Duke's squadron - or it may be a a flotilla of traders, or maybe even His Majesty's ships.
Once sailors are prepared for action, close in to a vessel and identify it. If they're ours - report. If they're traders - board and inspect.
If they´re Duke´s... They wouldn´t be able to coordinate. Sow chaos in their midst and sail away while they´re reforming.
So, anyone else willing to roll for it? To attack or maybe even board?
Once sailors are prepared for action, close in to a vessel and identify it. If they're ours - report. If they're traders - board and inspect.
If they´re Duke´s... They wouldn´t be able to coordinate. Sow chaos in their midst and sail away while they´re reforming.
So, anyone else willing to roll for it? To attack or maybe even board?
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- Location
- Wörms, the half continent
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
- Location
- United States
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
DocMatoi
Theoretical Lover of Girls
- Location
- within 2 hours of the White House
- Pronouns
- They/Them
We're ridiculously outnumbered. Fortune favors the bold, not the stupid.
DocMatoi
Theoretical Lover of Girls
- Location
- within 2 hours of the White House
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
If they're his Majesty's ships, no problem. If they're the dukes ships, we know what's going on and can maybe get away.
If they're his Majesty's ships, no problem. If they're the dukes ships, we know what's going on and can maybe get away.
We aren't facing them in open battle, but in the thick fog - IF it's the Duke's ships.
And it is quite possible, if it's Duke's ships, that their commanding officers are inexperienced. Combine that with inability to communicate...
Should cannons start firing, they could self-immolate in the fog as a fighting force.
Also, avoid double-posting. By editing what you want to add into your previous post.
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The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
Who dares, wins.
Who dares, wins.
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
- Location
- Brisbane
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
engage stalk the enemy more closely.
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
- Location
- Panama City
[X] Keep company: This is risky, but might give you the most information about this group of ships. They don't know you're here yet, presumably, and if you manage to slide into their formation before they know you're there, they might assume you're part of their squadron or convoy or whatever you've found. This would allow you to gather more information, but it risks the most.
Question: was this event planned, or did we just get ridiculously unlucky?
Question: was this event planned, or did we just get ridiculously unlucky?
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Map!
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
So, I was going to hold off on posting this until I had the chance to clean it up in digital. But due to various factors, I won't be able to do that for a while yet, so I decided to go ahead and post this version for now. A map!
Photo version
Scan version
Photo version
Scan version
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Keep in mind the kingdom is basically broke/massively in debt and has to maintain its garrisons on the borders with Myrovova and the Arcosian League in order to deter those enemies, so the practical amount of force it can actually bring to bear on Tyrabea is limited. Also it maintains a large squadron in the northern sea since it just fought a war to "liberate" Arcand from Myrovova so that they could ensure access to the Oletian Sea.
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30. A chance encounter
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You don't know the exact location or course of these vessels. Trying to slip away might mean a collision or worse in the mist and fog. That scant protection might vanish in an instant if the wind changes or you get away from the foggy patch. You exhale, turning your options over in your mind, then murmur an order.
"Keep company with them. We need time to figure out where we are." By now Miss Eusoneus has come on board and her face is dark and concerned, but she nods and passes the order along as quietly as she's able given the situation. You alter your course slightly and you stand at the bow, straining to hear any more of the ships that surround you. You don't want to risk running into them in the fog. You can hear your own rigging creaking, then shouts and whistles somewhere ahead of you as someone is ordering... something. You can't make out distinct orders, only the sound of voices drifting over the water. The whole world seems eerily quiet. Auxentius appears at your elbow with coffee and you gratefully take it. Just what you need right now.
"I don't like this," you mutter, more to yourself than to anyone else and then you break suddenly from the fog into a patch of clear, pale morning twilight that reflects off the grey sea. Ahead of you, perhaps 500 yards, you can see the huge form of a third-rate man-of-war on a southerly course almost directly across your bow. As you watch, it begins to vanish back into the thick fog and mist that surrounds you. You steady your glass and can see Tyrabean colors floating limply at her stern. Behind her in stately procession comes another ship of the line, just emerging into the clear patch of ocean from the fog another 400 yards or so behind. The clear patch you've entered is perhaps a mile square. A little less than that actually you'd guess. You wonder if you have time to duck back into the fog, but you realize that you must act as deliberately as possible.
"Mister Angelus, break out the Ducal colors and run them up. Stand by to run up our own if we need them, though," you murmur and he hurriesto obey the orders as you pace back to your tiny quarterdeck, swathed in your boat cloak. Hopefully your ruse will be enough to dissuade a sleepy look out this early in the morning. Slowly, you alter your course to parallel theirs, sailing along as if nothing at all were wrong in the world.
Myx Marinos rolls Subterfuge
6 + 4 + 4 + 9 Subterfuge = 23
The baddies roll Subterfuge
5 + 4 + 4 + 10 Subterfuge = 23
You think that you may have done it. You are slowly easing towards the safety of the fog. Another man-of-war is materializing as you sail, following the second. There are at least three in this company, possibly more--you do your best to get an accurate gauge of their guns when young Mister Angelus pipes up.
"MYx, they're signaling!" He points across the water towards the second man-of-war you'd spotted. The signals are a jumble to you. A pre-arranged recognition signal no doubt that has a response that you should know if you're part of their company, but you don't. They must be suspicious--your ruse hasn't been quite enough. You need to get out of here--the sun is starting to get higher and properly daylight. It's only a matter of time before the fog burns away. The important thing is to get south as quickly as possible--If this squadron of three or more ships reinforces the Duke, then he will have enough ships to risk facing the Admiral on something like even footing.
[ ] Play dumb: Raise a jumbled signal and haul it up and down a few times as if you're having some kind of trouble with the ropes. That might give you enough time to slip away into the fog before they can react. Dangerous, since you are within the range of their guns at the moment, even if it is rather long even for the big 24 and 32 pounders ships of the line carry.
[ ] Cheese it!: Ignore the signal, pile on more sail, and vanish into the fog before they have time to react. You're close enough that you think you can make it before they have time to do more than shout angry words after you. If not, though, someone might get a shot off.
[ ] Taunt them: Raise your colors, pile on more sail, and run for the safety of the fog. Once you're they're, they'll likely not be able to catch you. Plus it never hurts to tweak the enemy's nose when you have a chance.
"Keep company with them. We need time to figure out where we are." By now Miss Eusoneus has come on board and her face is dark and concerned, but she nods and passes the order along as quietly as she's able given the situation. You alter your course slightly and you stand at the bow, straining to hear any more of the ships that surround you. You don't want to risk running into them in the fog. You can hear your own rigging creaking, then shouts and whistles somewhere ahead of you as someone is ordering... something. You can't make out distinct orders, only the sound of voices drifting over the water. The whole world seems eerily quiet. Auxentius appears at your elbow with coffee and you gratefully take it. Just what you need right now.
"I don't like this," you mutter, more to yourself than to anyone else and then you break suddenly from the fog into a patch of clear, pale morning twilight that reflects off the grey sea. Ahead of you, perhaps 500 yards, you can see the huge form of a third-rate man-of-war on a southerly course almost directly across your bow. As you watch, it begins to vanish back into the thick fog and mist that surrounds you. You steady your glass and can see Tyrabean colors floating limply at her stern. Behind her in stately procession comes another ship of the line, just emerging into the clear patch of ocean from the fog another 400 yards or so behind. The clear patch you've entered is perhaps a mile square. A little less than that actually you'd guess. You wonder if you have time to duck back into the fog, but you realize that you must act as deliberately as possible.
"Mister Angelus, break out the Ducal colors and run them up. Stand by to run up our own if we need them, though," you murmur and he hurriesto obey the orders as you pace back to your tiny quarterdeck, swathed in your boat cloak. Hopefully your ruse will be enough to dissuade a sleepy look out this early in the morning. Slowly, you alter your course to parallel theirs, sailing along as if nothing at all were wrong in the world.
Myx Marinos rolls Subterfuge
6 + 4 + 4 + 9 Subterfuge = 23
The baddies roll Subterfuge
5 + 4 + 4 + 10 Subterfuge = 23
You think that you may have done it. You are slowly easing towards the safety of the fog. Another man-of-war is materializing as you sail, following the second. There are at least three in this company, possibly more--you do your best to get an accurate gauge of their guns when young Mister Angelus pipes up.
"MYx, they're signaling!" He points across the water towards the second man-of-war you'd spotted. The signals are a jumble to you. A pre-arranged recognition signal no doubt that has a response that you should know if you're part of their company, but you don't. They must be suspicious--your ruse hasn't been quite enough. You need to get out of here--the sun is starting to get higher and properly daylight. It's only a matter of time before the fog burns away. The important thing is to get south as quickly as possible--If this squadron of three or more ships reinforces the Duke, then he will have enough ships to risk facing the Admiral on something like even footing.
[ ] Play dumb: Raise a jumbled signal and haul it up and down a few times as if you're having some kind of trouble with the ropes. That might give you enough time to slip away into the fog before they can react. Dangerous, since you are within the range of their guns at the moment, even if it is rather long even for the big 24 and 32 pounders ships of the line carry.
[ ] Cheese it!: Ignore the signal, pile on more sail, and vanish into the fog before they have time to react. You're close enough that you think you can make it before they have time to do more than shout angry words after you. If not, though, someone might get a shot off.
[ ] Taunt them: Raise your colors, pile on more sail, and run for the safety of the fog. Once you're they're, they'll likely not be able to catch you. Plus it never hurts to tweak the enemy's nose when you have a chance.
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Taunt them: Raise your colors, pile on more sail, and run for the safety of the fog. Once you're they're, they'll likely not be able to catch you. Plus it never hurts to tweak the enemy's nose when you have a chance.
DocMatoi
Theoretical Lover of Girls
- Location
- within 2 hours of the White House
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Taunt them: Raise your colors, pile on more sail, and run for the safety of the fog. Once you're they're, they'll likely not be able to catch you. Plus it never hurts to tweak the enemy's nose when you have a chance.
FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD
FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD