Chapter 3c: Swimming Around

"That man will get freaked if he sees something spectacular" Japik says in Latin. "I had hoped to get a boat without an owner. Maybe it's better to go back for now and then try again in a few days. What do you think?"

Agreed.

Japik turns to Dibbelt and Hjalmar again and addresses them in a language they understand. "Take a tour around both pillars and then we go back to the town. Dibbelt, have you heard any strange stories about this place? Something that you would consider legends and myth, even supernatural humbug."

Dibblet shrugs at the strange instructions, but raises the sail again so that he can catch the wind and maneuver around the red pillar. Once under way, he yells over the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and slapping on the boat's sides. "Well, some of the young 'um, som'times they try to do wha' ye wantid th' do. Com' close like. They dare each 'ther ta climb up." He shakes his head, "Too many just crash their fath'rs boat an' damage it on th' rocks. Ther'd been a few drownings too, or a bashin' of their head on th' rocks. Heard there was one from th' north villages who mad' it to the top onc'like, years back."

By the time he conpletes his telling, the boat is leaving the red pillar behind and making its way towards the white one, a couple of miles to the east.

"Shall we set on of the grogs with decent social skills to finding out about the one boy who made it to the top? He might have seen something that would at least help us prepare."

Bit of a bother, isn't it, given that I could just fly up there and take a peek.

"A pain, but if he saw something you need to be prepared for, or something you take advantage of with a bit of preparation, wouldn't we want to know? And after all, it is more of a pain for our grogs than for us."

Prochorus chuckles.

If you dare tell Dietlinde that, then go right on ahead.

"If it takes a long time to find that boy and then get him to speak I would say it's not worth it. Let's focus on the means we have at disposal between us. I think we really need to buy a smaller boat like this to be able to do simple trips when we want to without mundane interruption. Hjalmar can sail it for us." Japik looks ahead as they are sailing towards the white pillar.

The white pillar proves to be similar to the red one. Perhaps a bit shorter and fatter. Shaped a bit differently, with a rounder top. Its white rock is a greeninsh grey where the waves beat on it. Dibbelt turns his boat to a trajectory that brings you full circle around it. On the farther side, revealing a much smaller needle of white rock rising close to the main pillar.

As Prochorus looks at the sides of the pillar, he notices an irregular line of indentations moving up from it. He is unsure whether these are natural or if, perhaps, they were carved out many years ago. But they might serve to help someone climb up the pillar. They seem to start somewhere between the main pillar and the needle.

"Heck, maybe Wolfram can ask around. He's not doing much right now. And I agree, we should not waste much time on it. Once we get a small boat for our own use, we go even if we have not found the boy (who knows how old he is now)."

Looks like someone carved steps on it. That must be how the kids get to the top.

As soon as Prochorus points at the steps Japik turns to Dibbelt. "Can you get us closer to that formation, it looks like steps or a stairway." he shouts and points, now eager to get something out of this trip again.

The fisherman grimaces at this, but tries to comply. He is able to bring his boat closer to the spire, perhaps 5 paces or so of the rock.

That allows the magi to inspect the identations from a closer perpective. They are not close enough, nor large enough, to have been stairs. More like foot- and hand-holds to make climbing the rock face easier. A series of worn off holes and extrusions in the rock. Apparently made many decades or even centuries ago, from the looks of them. Looking up, it looks like some now serve as the support for seabird nests.

Inspecting the gap between the main pillar and the smaller needle, it seems like one might be able to secure a small boat there while climbing up. Smaller than the fishing boat you are currently on. And that boat would certainly suffer from the experience, as the waves would beat it repeatedly on the rocks to either side.

If we find vis up there, at least we can have grogs harvest it in the future. Could use a little work, though.

"Ahhh!" Japik cries in frustration and then pulls off his tunic. "Keep the boat as close as you can." he shouts to Dibbelt and Hjalmar.
Then before anyone is able to stop him he jumps into the water and swims to the rock where it looks possible to climb up on it using the handholds.

The fisherman cries out in surprise and fear as Japik jumps overboard, but the Bjkornaer doesn't hear any of this as he swims to the pillar.

The rock at the base of the pillar is quite slippery, wet with sea water and covered in algae. He is still able to find hand holds, but suffer many scartches and bruises in the first few yards. Still, he manages to climb up six or seven paces above the water, but as he was reaching for the first visible indentation his right foot slips and he falls back clumsily into the sea. Narrowly avoiding injury from the rocks.

Again the fisherman cries out when Japik falls, and all of the group waits anxiously for the few moments it takes him to surface again.

(OOC: I was unable to find a physical description of Japik on his character sheet. What does he look like?)

Japik takes a deep breath when he re-emerges at the surface. Then he laughs and looks up at the pillar. "Bloody cliff!" he screams at it. "You want a fight? Then this is the wrong opponent."

He swims back to the boat and starts to haul himself aboard reaching out for someone to help drag him up. When in the boat he sits down all wet and starts laughing hysterically again.
"This isn't over but let's head back." he says when he has calmed down a bit. He puts on his tunic again and sits in the front.

[OOC: I have added a description of his appearance in the character thread. I thought I had included it somewhere but obviuosly I didn't.]

Prochorus seems midly amused.

Not-thinking outside the box, I see. I suppose we are done here.

Dibbelt sails them back to Medden town.