There is a bit of stopping and starting, but Llaars does get the boat moving, and soon it is in theoretical range again.
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There is a bit of stopping and starting, but Llaars does get the boat moving, and soon it is in theoretical range again.
Give it a moment more, if I miss again it'll lose us time.
He swallows nervously, then nods "If you think it's best. If he has difficulties again, I'll take the rope and swim towards him." he declares. He figures that it should be easier for him, since he'd have to swim downstream. However, that would mean that a halfing and a small woman would then have to pull both them and the boat back, against the current. He just bites his lips, praying to Aldaran that Llaars manages to swim just another couple of meters.
Llaars manages to swim well into range, fighting the current the entire time, The boat is hardly cooperative, but you think you should be able to hook it with a good throw.
Now the only question is 'do you want to risk puncturing the boat'?
Antal tosses the rope lightly, trying to get the grapple to land in the boat so that he can hook the side.
Attack roll: [roll0]
So...that's a yes, then.
---
Antal successfully throws the grappling hook into the boat. The hook seems to catch on something attached to the near side of the inside of the boat, and the boat rocks dangerously.
Hey Llaars, Antal calls, get in the boat and help us pull it in.
Llaars
Finally catching a break seems to brighten Llaars' spirits. He struggles into the boat and grips the end of the rope tightly. "Remind me to just bring my own boat next time. Be less of a pain in my ass."
You are able to bring the boat to shore, though it is far from easy.
Now, examining the boat brings up a rather large problem. Whoever sent the boat downriver was smart, and there are no oars in the boat or on the ledge.
The boat itself is about five feet wide, and twice as long. It seems to be made out of hides sewn together on a wood frame, and the bottom is flat rather than curved. Tile-like things of boiled hide line the inside, creating a lumpy surface hard enough to walk on. In places, bits of fur are visible on the inside, and there is half the outside of a head sewn into the boat. It has two rows of seats made of the same hide and stick assembly. There is enough space for two more rows of seating, but that area lacks seats and is instead covered with an awning made of dry vines and sticks. There is a pad made of what resembles giant rat furs, dark and matted, laid on the floor of that half of the boat.
I vote we just ride the river downstream. We'll likely be slower, but at least it's something.
"It couldn't be easy, could it? Not even just once?" Rana says to no one in particular.
Audric hesitates, then puts an hand on Rana's shoulder "It doesn't look like Aldaran is having that kind of mercy on us. On the other hand,we are all still alive" he says, with a slight smile "That is something, at least.".
He considers the boat for a moment "It doesn't seem like we have much choice,does it? Unless we want to look for oars around here". He sighs. Without much enthusiasm, he lifts the fur pad to see if there is something under it.
((Just because :smalltongue: [roll0]))
Rana smiles back. "I know. I can still complain, can't I?"
She also rummages through the boat for anything of note (search [roll0]).
Well, if your idea of 'something' is a rock, a canvas covered section of floor and smeared charcoal writing that looks rather like some version of a kid's guessing game played with the Elven syllabary as opposed to the common alphabet most plains people actually use....
Int check to see if the writing means anything? [roll0]
The presence of this writing seems to indicate that someone who spoke Elven got very bored, and also knew about children's games played in Tavetiir.
Elven-speaking Characters
Spoiler
The writing isn't that hard to read.
The bored person seems to have played four rounds, the words being Slow river, Natural insanity, Herd of deer, and young leaves from an oak tree.
Elven is a complicated language.
Attracted to it by the others, Antal takes a quick look at the writing.
Int check: [roll0]
So can we get going now that we're all entertained by this game?
"I suppose so." He gives one last look around, bends down to pick up his armor, then stops before putting it back on. Now that he thinks about it, if they have to go down a river in a boat without oars, it is perhaps better that he doesn't have other 30 pounds on him. And it's not like being armored did me much good last time.
"Are we all in agreement about going now, then?" he asks.
"I'm not sure just going off without any oars is such a good idea."
Rana looks around for anything that could serve as makeshift oars (Spot [roll0]/Search [roll1]).
Rana
Spoiler
You notice a small irregularity in the bottom of the boat. Investigating it reveals four roughly carved ten-foot poles that seem to match the ones you can see poking out of the inside of the boat on either end, as well as a small pot of pungent glue you can smell even though the lid is on. Perhaps they are backups for the primary side supports.
"Hey, look, I found some poles in the bottom of the boat. They look like they were for the side supports here, but maybe we can use them to punt?"
Rana pulls out the poles and the glue.
He nods, visibly relieved "Good idea. Or...glue something to them and use them as paddles?"
Spoiler((Random thought I had, but hey, worth a spot and a search check, I think [roll0] [roll1] for something light and flat to glue to the poles.))
There are boiled rat hide tiles on the side of the boat. Hard to miss them. Some are probably large enough to make paddles.
Audric gingerly passes an hand over one of the tiles "We could use some of those. But I'm not sure how integral they are to the boat structure. What do you say?"
"I'm not sure I want to risk it. I don't know anything about boats. But we might need to if the poles won't be long enough....Llaars, could you tell how deep the river was when you were swimming?"
Don't want to keep the game waiting...
---
A bit of thinking lets Llaars remember that the river was easily deep enough that there is no way a side pole will be able to touch the bottom. When he jumped out, he went maybe four or five feet underwater, but the bottom was nowhere in sight.
"If the poles aren't long enough to reach....I guess we could either try to connect two of the poles to make them longer, or we could try making paddles as Audric suggested. I just hate to risk damaging the boat if we do..."
Can we at least float downstream while we discuss this? She's getting away with Paral.
Audric nods as Antal points out that they are losing time "A paddle would probably be more useful, but I don't want to risk damaging the boat, either. Let's glue two poles together, see if it's enough."