Growing A New Pair of Legs! (Basic Sailing)

[Kevin Girth]

The Middle of the Month of Optia in the Season of Summer,
of Era II of the Celestine Mandate Era XI,
Post Fractum in the Age of the Darkening.

It was a crisp, early morning when Kevin awoke to the sharp pungent smell of grizzly raw fish and the salty air that flooded his nostrils from the Sea. Indeed, it seemed every few minutes another gust of wind would roll forth over the docks and sprawl throughout the town, snaking its way through alleyways and streets as it passed over Demios and headed towards the Forested regions of the island. Yet that was to be expected, after all...today Kevin would be learning the first steps to becomming a decent sailor, and in order for one to do so they would need to learn to put up with the salty air and forever-rocking boat. Or so Kevin thought. In all reality, there was a ton more to it, more depth than a simple brief summary. The tiller, the sails, all of it was disastrously important if one was to come out of the experience alive. Turn too sharp in the middle of a storm with crosswinds firing about and you'd wreck the sails right off of your ship and be left in the cruel grasp of the merciless sea, awaiting your doom as all other men who drowned at sea did in their final moments before that huge unexplainable moment in time and space enveloped you and all in it. Regardless...Kevin was aware of the consequences at sea, and was none-too-happy about putting himself at risk admist still learning. However, this was the only way how to learn, and so long as he was in the hands of a professional sailor, he felt safe.

Ten minutes later.

"You want me to do what?!?!" Kevin nearly yelled, shocked and alarmed at what this man was telling him. Bright hazel eyes had widened to the size of golfballs and the smooth crescent smile that usually flattered his scarlet lips had dropped and revealed a full set of white sparkling teeth - gaping in startlement. A hand quickly brushed the dark-brown hair, releasing the tension that was growing along the nape of his neck as it fell back down to adjust the cloak that hung limply around his body. "What in Aerternia do you mind you want me to steer this blooody little blob of wood to that schooner?! Are you insane?!" Kevin nearly yelled again, his hands falling to his sides. His chest was breathing heavily, falling and rising in a way that made his abs look larger than what they were. He rolled up the sleeves of his linen shirt and dusted off his hands upon the black trousers, his leather brown boots tapping impatiently along the wooden deck as he stared at the disgruntled man. That man, being an associate of Mr. Smith - Smith obviously some sort of guise until the Teacher felt it right to tell his pupil his name - was larger than six feet in height and nearly as wide with huge muscles and an eyepatch for decoration.

"Now look 'ere ye ruffian. Mist'r Smith said he a'wanted ye to take this 'ere rowboat up to 'is schooner. Now it ain't much of a ways, and it'll waken' ye' up a bit 'afore you start a sailin'. Now git alon' with it or ye'll make 'im unhappy!" the large burly man spoke before planting himself towards the exit of the docks, arms crossed. With one large eye he watched Kevin regretfully lower himself into the rowboat and take up the oars. "Now if ye get stuck, that tiller is how ye steer. Ye'll figure it out, even'ually," the man spoke again before turning his back on Kevin and walking back down the wooden pier, intent on finishing his supply of fish.

Kevin sighed and wistfully took up both oars, balancing them along their nooks that kept them in place. With a deep breath he pulled them forwards, rising the oars out of the water before lifting and pushing outwards - breathing out as he did so. In no time at all he had the means of the rowboat all figured out, realizing that he did not need the tiller at all if he simply chanelled his rowing correctly. It was a small vessel, and it made slow progress with only one man aboard, yet Kevin would reach his destination eventually. Tired of rowing, he placed each oar securely in the boat before sitting back at the tiller. Swinging it to the left, he gasped drastically as the boat turned sharply to the right. Straightening it out again, he finally let the waves carry him towards the floating schooner that was appearing ever-so closer by the minute. Eventually Kevin did discover this was getting him nowhere, and he went back to rowing until he finally felt the stern of the rowboat nudge up against the side of a wooden surface.

"Eh, oh! Ye must be Kevin! I'm John, go ahead and tie these two ropes to either side of your lil' boat there. Wayne must have sent ye right along yer way...ye'r earlier than what I had expected," a large, husky voice rang out to Kevin's ears as two piles of rope were thrown overboard at the smaller Humanoid. Kevin nodded, but stopped what he was doing, waiting for further instructions as he stared blankly upwards. A solitary figure eventually appeared at the railing, then smacked himself on the forehead a bit too comically. "That'll be my bad youngin'. The front of any vessel is called the bow, the very back is the stern. Now ye'r left is termed Port, and yer right is called Starboard. So, tie this rope up to the bow and the stern, and I'll be right along with ye. Be quick about it now," the husky voice spoke again before the figure dissapeared. It was still too dark before dawn to tell just how burly and large the man was, but by the deep baritone sound that Kevin had heard seconds before, the smaller Human of the two was quite sure the man had been a sailor for some time.

Quickly, Kevin complied and within moments felt himself being lifted out of the water. Glancing upwards, it would be only a matter of minutes before he reached the edge of the ship, and with it, his instructor.

[Kevin Girth]

Moments later Kevin was greeted with a hearty clap on the back and a rough handshake by a large burly man who went by the nickname 'John'. Few people truly knew what his real name was, but a large number of residents suspected he concealed it because he was a Barbari, or descendant of one at least. For himself, John stood an inch over six feet in height and weighed slightly over two-hundred pounds. He had a stocky frame and burly arms, his biceps the size of barrels and his chest having long dropped into his belly years ago. The sea-faring Human was aging, but still felt in his prime...and let no one else think otherwise about him. Famed throughout Demios' taverns as one of the greatest bingers to walk amongst the likes of men, John had built himself quite the reputation for himself ever since he had started sailing the High Seas around Demios. Having previously engaged in teaching students how to sail in the Eunesian Seas, John relocated to Demios after his father died sixteen patterns ago. Now, he was well-known and depended upon to bring a large net of bait and fish to the docks each cycle. Which happened to be just what he was doing now.

Kevin glanced about the deck of the small schooner and saw it littered with nets of wobbling fish. One sniff made him regret the smell of the chicken of the sea, and much to his distaste John happily put him to work unloading the fish into barrels. Albeit being as fresh as it possibly could have been, Kevin found the smell of the raw and wriggling little beasts to be much more delightful fully cooked. Unloading the fish from the nets to the barrels took about a candlemark, and the horrid smell that stuck to Kevin's clothes and hung around his skin limply lasted all day. While the two were unloading the fish, Kevin was able to gauge just how much John knew about the sea by the way he talked - he had a heavy accent and commonly termed the sides and fronts of the ships: starboard, port, bow, and stern. For Kevin it was just a safe reminder as to what he had already learned. For John it was his life and all he had attained over countless years.

"Right then Mista Girth, time for ye to be learnin' yer lessons! Sailin' ain't no easy task, not simplistic in nature. Make a wron' move in the middle of a ragin' storm and yer life ain't no longer in yer hands. So...the first thing ye should learn about sailin' is the different parts of this here ship. Now as ye learned about that there rowboat, sailin' that lil' thing is as easy as pie! Ye have yer rows that you can use to direct her, and also yer tiller, or rudder I s'pose. Now if ye swing the tiller to the left, the rudder underneath the boat on the stern moves to the left...thus makin' yer ship veer to the right. Now aside from the rudder is the hull, which is the lower compartments of the ship, the deck which ye be standin' on, the mast which holds up yer sails and riggin's, and the sails themselves. Those are the crude basics, and ye'll be learnin' a lot more as well.

Now...steering. There are three basic ways as to how to steer a ship. They are: Rudders, Wind, and Current. Ye can always use yer rudder to steer yer ship...so long as it's still intact and workin' o' course! Always remember to be gentle and gradual with yer rudder, no higher angles than 30 degrees eh'. If ye turn too sharp the consequences are rough, and always make sure ye treat the rudder gingerly. It might try and waver when yer out on the ocean but hold it firm and keep her steady! The latter occurs naturally, and I ain't a fan of dependin' on Carmelya to guide me ship on course. To figure out where ye currents be at, ye'll need a map. Most maps around these parts have all the local currents, a few in Prime might map out the most recent ones. But currents change laddy, and ye can't always depend on 'em to get ye from point A to point B, ye hear? Now for Basic Sailin' Trainin'...I don't expect ye to be sailin' a full sailboat or anythin' like that by yerself. A rowboat sure, and perhaps a schooner later on this cycle. Ye still have to understand the concept of sails, and that ain't no easy matter y'know. So...make sure ye take down some notes and review them at night. Ye understand?" John spoke with his heavy accent, grinning broadly and showing a set of teeth that were a mixture of disgusting and quite yellow.

Kevin quickly nodded and began to formulate notes in his mind. He took down:

Parts of a Ship:
-Sails, Mast, Hull, Deck, Rudder.

Three Ways to Steer:
-Rudder, Sails/Wind, Current.
-To steer the rudder....turn it slowly no more than thirty degrees. Swinging the rudder to the left causes it to turn right...likewise if you go right the ship will steer left. Very simple concept. More depth later.

More Notes:
-Get maps! Don't depend on the currents unless you know them. Don't use the wind unless you're confident in the sails/ if you have sails.

Kevin nodded briskly and smiled at John. Perhaps he could get this sailing gig down after all.

[Dragon]

"This is also your basic saling too boy, so you need to know at least a short piece of information about the history of this here thing. I know, I know that ain't too interesting but a self respecting sailsman has to know at least the basic grasp of it." John explained shifting his accent to a more Imperial one. He had to remind himself to do that quite often, for his family always nagged when he spoke like a pirate. So through the last era the human decided that it would be best to try and speak as formally as possible, maybe then the people would simply bug off.

"Ever since any race encountered a river too wide to bridge there have been boats. First small canoes and coracles, then larger barges. And any primitive man having to row or pole their craft to their destination would dream of an easier method for doing so. And despite the fact that the various races each evolved water travel in their own ways, the answer has always been the same. Using the power of the elements, sails free man from the need to power his craft himself, allowing him to turn his attention to his destination." John began and was quite willing to mention arcana and the ways it gave for travelling but figured that it would simply extend the lesson far beyond.

"Since time immemorial people living on islands and along the coast have used small sailing vessels for transport, and to earn a living by fishing and moving small amounts of goods. And as with horses for transport, there have been those who enjoy sailing simply for the pleasure of the time spent on the water and the feeling of mastery over the elements. I hope you'll enjoy this a lot as well."John stopped there and sat down on the railing of the ship before continuing "Although it is likely impossible to deduce where in Telath sailing was first practice, Lake Melody and the Great centripax Basin had been home to forms of flat-water sailing, which has been practiced in light catamarans by the elves for millennia. But to this day the Libertasians are by far the greatest of sea-faring peoples, and every child along the Libertas coast has stepped foot in a boat at some point in their life. And guess who are so close to the bay with the constant ferry going to the city which connects the Bay with us?"

That said he left enough time for Kevin to take a guess, which was of course not so hard. While Demios did not have a lot of warchips and the like, it was sure famous for the fishermen. "Sailing in style was taken to with a passion by many nobiles, and to this day some of the most profitable shipwright's business is with the nobility, who desire elegant pleasure craft for their use. But whether sailing for transport, pleasure or profit, small craft sailing is a skill that has been practiced since the lost depths of history, and will no doubt be practiced for aeons to come. Which brings be to the question, why do you want to learn sailing?"

[Kevin Girth]

Kevin chuckled as John began his tale and leaned back against the rail opposite of his new master. The Human leaned forward attentively, round eyes studying the rough features of the Captain's face, and ears perked as the low tone of the man hummed about him. Enjoying the pleasant breeze against his own face, hazel eyes flicked upwards to take in the breathtaking view. Dawn was slowly coming about, and as it began its long trek through the sky, it seemed to take with it a pastel of colors, painting the world as it went. Not too far away was Demios, and Kevin could already begin to pick out the bustling forms of sailors loading cargo and supplies off and aboard various vessels. Letting out a low, pleasant sigh Kevin turned his attention back to John having never missed a beat of what the man was explaining. So it was the elves who had first perfected the use of flat-vessels. Of course, they wouldn't be able to travel far out into sea...even oars couldn't break the choppiness of rough waters. And then it spread as the people did, starting from the elves and their centuries of expertise to the Human tribes of the north. No doubt sailing was already in practice when the Empire took ahold of the people; no doubt it had become a great source of food and income for the various people who populated the coastline. With a grin, Kevin plowed onward by listening, taking into account all of what John said. Although the Human seemed a bit apprehensive in believing that it was the Libertasians who had now become the best sea-faring of all people, he took into account that with Archadoon located within the province, and the known smugglers and pirates that vacationed in the Northern Seas, it seemed only logical in all reality.

"I see..." said Kevin after a few moments. "Well then, I guess it's by luck's good fortune that I've stumbled across one of the best seafaring people in all the Empire," Kevin replied with a joyful wink as he straightened his posture from the rail, taking a few steps forward. All of a sudden his demeanour was serious, stern, as if he stood a little taller than he had before. "I've come to learn sailing because I plan to stay along the Empire's coastlines for a very long time. Mostly for my own pleasure, I find the beauty of the ocean one hard to pass up. However, what brought me to a serious consideration of sailing was my thrist for knowledge. As a child I had read many books that were about or included sailing - from the adventures of heroes to the explanations of the Imperial Navy, although it is disbanded now," Kevin spoke the last statement with a sigh, pausing for thought before continuing. "I think...it is common sense that brought me here today. Sailing seems to be a logical thing to learn if I am to familiarize myself with my surroundings. And besides, it could probably come in handy someday," Kevin spoke the last part with a wolfish grin. Behind the masqeraude of confidence however, was a subtle, quiet voice that was wondering how John would take to this explanation.

[Dragon]

"A very good answer, my friend. A very good answer indeed. There is much one can learn from the sea, I tell ya. It is impossible to learn those things just by listening though. You need to actually do it yourself. To go into the sea not for a brightening, but for a month. Then and only then you'll realize what sailing actually is." The sailor explained and took out a pipe from his pocket. He lit it from a fire which was blazing silently in one lantern nearby and took a deep smoke. "There is more to history. Well... there's tons, but I'm gonna tell you just a bit more. Because what I told you now was mostly the history of small ships or boats. But we all know that we have big ships as well."

Taking another smoke, the sailor continued. "Using the power of the elements, sails free man from the need to power his craft himself, allowing him to turn his attention to his destination. And with greater ease of travel came larger craft, ships capable of crossing vast oceans with valuable cargos and requiring large crews. But these great journeys required the skill to safely navigate across these vast bodies of water, and to safely manage the intricacies of running a large sailing vessel. Thus the success of their voyages and the profits made from the same set the true experienced sailors apart from the dabblers. So far we know that you have to learn more than you imagine, my friend, to be considered a sailor."

"The Elves originally came to what would be the Allerian Empire from their homeland to the south, a large ocean crossing, and it was they who brought the practice of ocean sailing north with them. However, once the elves had settled and the Kingdom of Medonia began to take shape, the practice fell into disuse, and the lore was largely lost. It was kept up more as a curiosity than a useful skill, the lake-sailors a holdover from their ocean-going days. But life's life." Pausing and giving time for Kevin to mull over what was already said, the sailor took one more smoke before continuing. "The birthplace of the revival of true ocean-going vessels was in fact Libertas Bay. The concept of sailing had spread north by word of mouth, and small skiffs had been used for centuries prior to the revival, for transport between the Eunesian Isles, but it was an Islish traveller's visit to Arkdun that caused the idea to spread east, and spurred the development from small skiffs to large vessels capable of long voyages across the bay and down the coastline."

"The practice rapidly spread to the Fire Isles for the same reasons it had been popular in Eunesia, and from there up and down the whole of what would be the Allerian coastline. When the first of these coastal traders entered the Sea of Diana, the Elves of the Kingdom of Medonia at first rejected these ships as ugly and cumbersome, but this brought about a renewal of their own sailing heritage, though their own interpretations were again often light, fast and multi-hulled. The only race to not show much interest in sailing is the Dwarves, and it is commonly held opinion that this is because they find it difficult to swim, and prefer to be on, or under, dry land. Luckily you and me can swim. I mean... you can right? I would not suggest to learn sailing if you can't swim. Falling over the board is far too often in this... job."

The sailor waited a bit, looking curious at his student and after everything was clear continued on the story. "However, the concept of true ocean-going vessels was not revived until the landing of Emperor Juan Constantine I, who would unite the different racial kingdoms into the Allerian Empire and bring about a new age in which such ideas and technologies could flourish. The Libertasians took to ship sailing with a gusto that surpassed any other region, and to this day a great many of the Empire's best ships and sailors come from the great bay, as do her most notorious pirates. Wonderful ain't it?" There the sailor stopped again, smoked some more, breathed some more and generally swam in pride that the Carmelyn province was best known for sailing. A minute later he continued again.

"For piracy is a serious problem and risk to trading, especially in the north, where 'Privateers' serve the interests of whoever hires them, and outright pirates serve only their own. The confrontation between Admiral Esten Kaiter and Captain Gold Fang is legendary, and cost both men their lives and their ships. In more recent times, the ship The Black Dragon under Captain Brand out of Jaedexia was known for raiding only Imperial ships, as privateers of the short-lived Republic of Libertas. But the ship changed hands in a mutinee and under the command of the imfamous Captain Black Blood the Dragon became far more equal and more daring in it's targets. The Black Dragon was finally traced to it's secret cove and sunk by the Imperial Navy. I won't even start on the rumours that go about this so called 'sinking' of the ship though. For I'd ramble till morning. However now I need you to tell me what you have understood and gathered from my story."