Ella Watts:

Is that Dell I think I think maybe I should help em. Is it alright if I get

Cai Colin Pritchard:

up? You've wasted your time. Like I find,

Ella Watts:

though what I really don't want it. No,

Cai Colin Pritchard:

no, no, it's fine. I'll help.

Ella Watts:

Okay. All right. We'll do this again. Definitely. I'm sure

Cai Colin Pritchard:

well I mean who knows when this opportunity will present itself again

Ella Watts:

you know I mean you're not wrong because as I said that I realised that we're going down river and we probably don't want to be sort of sitting out in the open like sitting ducks for Imperial police to shoot at as Jeremiah saying this that like climbing down from the top of the whale house like heading over towards that but I you hold that thought and maybe belowdecks next time I suppose that kind of defeats maybe if we got to the highest place and the lowest part of

Cai Colin Pritchard:

the spirits will know what I need to do it's not the same if I'm on if I'm below deck I need to feel the air on my skin and and hear the birds and the trees around me it's it's fine

Ella Watts:

no no that that that that makes sense. And as like Jeremiah saying this job is like reaching down and cut it smiles at you and this is a lot of shopping How much money did you spend exactly? It's kind of

Cat Blackard:

only about half it was got a great deal so we're gonna we're gonna eat like kings queens and other assorted royalty in moderation.

Ella Watts:

And the impair on a key will be jealous if I know you're cooking.

Beth Crane - Oona:

I think as soon as she's heard, come aboard. Una just reappears. has just a small gold purse as like, Oh, hey, una. You get an a keg.

Cat Blackard:

I am getting a keg.

Beth Crane - Oona:

How did you get another one? And I just hand over like 10 Gold.

Cat Blackard:

Any requests? The good stuff? Meat ale.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Oh, the good stuff.

Cat Blackard:

All right. One keg of the good stuff coming right up. I'm having a nice weekend.

Hedley Knights:

Lucy from the backgrounds like I said, Gragas Well, good. They're not just the beer that you had last time. You know, just you know, just just the same as before. Nevermind, thank you.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Grog is not allowed on board.

Cat Blackard:

Sure thing low say

Beth Crane - Oona:

not after last time. All right.

Ella Watts:

I don't think this has ever come up before

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Do you drink interrupts my connection with the spirits? I don't I don't need it. Shouldn't either it's, it's bad.

Cat Blackard:

dealt with any. If you don't want to drink the spirits. I can certainly get you something that can drink that you can drink that will connect you assuredly with the ethereal realm.

Beth Crane - Oona:

That's the good stuff.

Cat Blackard:

I've got cacao. I've got Ayahuasca. I've got all kinds of things. Open that third eye wide open. That is amazing.

Ella Watts:

I mean, I'm fine with the priests doing dream journeys. All I need them to do is talk to the river. But, Kirk, if we stay sober until we finish these parents, that would be an ideal. I have heard that they do some fantastic side down here. So if you don't mind, I'll join you on the trip to shore.

Cat Blackard:

I could use the help. Especially in some getting that extra cake Bruna off the good stuff.

Ella Watts:

Jeremiah just looks at uterus like you continue to surprise me. Yes.

Snyders Return:

You sort of make your way back across and go to the tavern. You are able to purchase we can argue this if you wish or if you want to keep it moving. We will just keep it moving.

Cat Blackard:

But feel like I've been occupying a disproportionate percentage of compensation

Snyders Return:

so you get back to shore. The boat is single handedly literally tied off the big. The big guy sits back down in his chair with his bright yellow outfit just watching the water again. You traipse off, traipse off. It's not that far. Make your way into Meadowbrook you find The one main Tavern and are able to procure spirits and beverages and all the things, all the good things.

Cat Blackard:

We're getting cider, we're getting the good stuff and we're getting some very passable ale of some kind.

Snyders Return:

It's the finest local scrumpy for the cider. It is the the best of what is left of the Dwarvish beer and the best human grog for those that wish it to consume it, and any other spirits in the bottled form that you feel the ship would benefit from,

Cat Blackard:

I think a couple bottles of clear grain alcohol will probably serve us well in the future.

Snyders Return:

That's brought out in mason jars. Quite nice. And on as you get all that back on this surprisingly steady, sturdy boat. The ferryman finally sort of, I won't say plucked up the courage but comes out of his own little wandering shanty and asks. So what, what are your names? Is that about four voices so

Ella Watts:

far? But I'm Jeremiah Captain Jeremiah Thomas.

Cat Blackard:

And this is an hi and pleasure to meet you. Normal human woman. And

Ella Watts:

yeah, she always says that, I always find a kind of funny

Cat Blackard:

can't be too careful around here with those magic users running around hate them. They're terrible.

Ella Watts:

Like Jeremiah is, it's kind of like unable to not because they follow the path of justice, and they cannot lie. Because otherwise they will lose their path and incur the carpet curse of justice. And actually, this brings up another thing, Adam, like, I don't know, I think I might be the only room a folk player. And yeah, so I guess in my head, my Riverford probably has like, kind of like brown and silver. Like they look like freckles from a distance but close up that like fish scales kind of peppering across their skin. And they have these like, what again, from a distance grey, but actually close up like really bright silver eyes. And this kind of like, again, seemingly black hair that is actually a very, very dark green. And they like, because they cannot lie. I'm interpreting that as they cannot travel in disguise, and their existence is very much illegal here. So that just sort of like looking between and the very money going. Well, I certainly think that, uh, people have opinions on magic, magical people in this part of the river. Anyway, um, I love that song. You were singing wedge, which

Snyders Return:

was from from Medallia. sad tale, Mark. My name is Sue. It's a pleasure to meet you. But my daddy, he left home when I was three. It didn't leave much for mommy. Just this old very Borden. bottle of booze? Nah, don't play any keeps rolling keeps taking you across. Ah, don't blame ruin. He is with the meanest thing you ever did was before he left.

Ella Watts:

He took my cat Oh, oh, this is an injustice. Well, I tell you what, my crew and I we are embarking on an impossible journey. We are going across the horizon and we are going to come back from the point power switch the sunsets. And I imagine that we will find all sorts of Well, I mean, I can't guarantee this but there is a strong possibility in my opinion based on probability that we will find all sorts of interesting cats and feel. So if we survive, I will bring you back a kitty cat.

Snyders Return:

Oh, that's spirit Thailand. That's very well, we're here. We're here at your boat. How are you doing? That? Was just rivers stuff. Oh,

Ella Watts:

you seem awful strong. And if the river is giving you that kind of blessing then you should meet my friend out there real religious. Oh, you know he's he's

Snyders Return:

quite shouldn't be working. When I was just a young boy. My mama told my son to always be a good boy. What a shatter man. It's bad. So my fields

Ella Watts:

speak about him a decade of acquaintance and one afternoon

Snyders Return:

I don't get to talk I can see that I

Ella Watts:

kind of Jeremiah like helps like with with BIOS kind of gestures towards the ship to cap off

Cat Blackard:

on other sites like you know, doing what is for at the boat then she's doing what she can to get the the kegs aboard and the bottles aboard but there's just such a weird sadness that's crept in from this river man. And there's a sort of, like, abstract kinship that's developed in some regard at least between between their like, shared loss and the general sort of gloomy demeanour. My path of judgement is really sort of beckoning me to attempt to help this person find peace somehow or, like I I'm struggling within myself, and that's just not gonna that's not gonna come easy, but this person's traumas their, their old wounds, and, and I, I asked them to i Look, can you wait right here? Just Just Just a moment, okay.

Snyders Return:

Sure. You notice, as you two are loaded up, he hasn't tied the ferry boat, to your to the pentacle, he's ripping it with his bare hands into the wood or into the frame of the of the pentacle. Grip alone is keeping the two vessels alongside each other.

Cat Blackard:

Love this Collie.

Ella Watts:

Staring like like it's lifting stuff up onto the ship and staring like without looking just kind of passed off to Lucy Lewis. He said you want to Grog that means you got to lift it up onto the boat. Stop playing solid dad, you know, you always lose.

Hedley Knights:

No, I said. I said, I said not. to sound cool. I just wanted to surveil,

Ella Watts:

we got some l come help.

Hedley Knights:

Guy with you. The one who's always talking about that ring of fire and stuff

Ella Watts:

to comment on that company come here right now, or else you

Hedley Knights:

kind of like scampers on down and like grab some stuff and maybe takes it from Kirk and like there's a bit of a chain of hefting things on the board,

Beth Crane - Oona:

your peers and it's just staring at the guy gripping the boat because she felt that hand grip. And it's like, well, well, but I we being bolted but kind of not. I do not like this

Cat Blackard:

very gentle. I like hearing you like it plenty una and I tap my toe against the keg of the good stuff.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Great. I pick it up with like one hand and it just vanishes inside my co

Cat Blackard:

when I'm free to do so I hit the galley quick and come back before it's taken too long. With a tenten a small tin of of tea which I which I shake and I hand to the river man I say like, this is a healing tea for contemplation and you seem like you have a lot of very old wounds. If you drink this when you're alone, and when it's dark and when you feel like there's room for you to embrace the sad things. This drink this tea steep it for five minutes in very hot water and it will open pathways in you if you're open to it. Oh,

Snyders Return:

thank you. No, I can only give you my own way. You can have it on my empire dirt

Cat Blackard:

I don't want you to hurt so I just Yeah, grateful for your service and please take this

Snyders Return:

close wall John's mouth. Thank you.

Cat Blackard:

My pleasure. And I quickly go away because the sadness is really contagious.

Ella Watts:

When you go to get up onto the boat, Jeremiah's kind of got one hand holding on to the railing and the other hand leading down and they offer their hand to you and kind of give you like a soft smile kind of appreciate that act of kindness.

Cat Blackard:

Yeah, I really returned it we don't know each other particularly well. And and then I anything that needs to go back to the galley that's still up on the deck. I will grab it and I will get it down there and I will start sorting Everything

Snyders Return:

Oona, as the fairy man pushes off you feel the whole just wears hand gripped, sort of flex. And then contour is solid state as captain. The Fairy man slowly rose back with the tea trapped between his knees as he looks, doesn't look behind him to see where he's going. He's looking at the T. Going back to shore.

Beth Crane - Oona:

I watch him leave knowing that they're a danger as passed out of our lives. A danger to the boat. I don't. I feel like the crew is kind of I mean, if you die, you come back as a ghost.

Ella Watts:

I mean, how do we know

Snyders Return:

that we're doing better right now? Oh my gosh. Now, you have stewardship. You have checked over your equipment and steal your faith with the spirits, shall we say. But next captain, an oath must be sworn.

Ella Watts:

Okay. Um, so I think I probably ask Delphine, to and I get like all the crew on the deck once everyone's kind of done their chores and things like I don't want to interrupt anthracite or Lucy and I have I imagined long since learned the lesson of not interrupting you know, when she's doing something. But eventually you know, I guess maybe quite late once everyone's done all their stuff I asked if any, to help us to get everyone into a circle on the deck and look at Delta and say all right, so my understanding is there's the normal way of swearing an oath which is you know, just saying the thing or signing a piece of paper or whatever, what have you but there's the river folk way of swearing an oath the traditional the oldest way to do it, where you where you call on the magic and the many faces of the river guard and you ask them in their greatness to to bless you on your journey and to tie you to your to your ship and to your destination and I think with a journey like this that's that's the kind of stuff that we're going to need so when you know I'm a novice in spiritual things keen novice but you know still I was wondering Dale perhaps could you run such a ceremony I kind of magical band and have this oath to worship and to each other,

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I would be more than happy to bind us together. He gets a little in his like sort of coats brings out a little gift, a flask with the string tied to it and goes over to the edge and like lowers the fluff down into the water, then brings it back up again. And sort of swirls around again. Is it is it nighttime or

Snyders Return:

it's still it's getting into the afternoon. So the sun is slowly starting to head towards the horizon. But you still have time there's still light you can still make make travel with this day.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Okay, cool. So holds the flask of water up to the to the Sun Stone sort of like inspects it and goes

Unknown:

may we sit together?

Cai Colin Pritchard:

He sort of like Neil's sort of kind of this I guess there is a is at the centre goes down into the thing, but like, central point of this of this of this boat,

Ella Watts:

and we will be probably around the main master. Okay, cool.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

So, so just so I so I know, I'm kind of just because we go along, what am I achieving here? So I'm giving people opportunity to swear their oath or we swear in the same oath, or

Ella Watts:

we should all be swearing the same oath to rehearse this, see? Okay, cool, cool.

Hedley Knights:

Is this the first time they will have done this? Or is this quite common practice?

Ella Watts:

So in the Quickstart, it says that swearing an oath when you start a journey is a pretty typical custom on the river for like superstitious sailors like and it's also kind of like a social contract, like you say, I'm going to help you and I'm not going to hurt you. And I'm going to do whatever I can to keep you and our ship alive. So it's kind of like a professional promise. But what Jeremiah said was like, in addition to that, there's an older river folks custom. That's not just a social contract, not just a professional contract, but actually a magical contract, which involves the river God itself. And calls on the river got on the magic of the river and ties us more magically to the ship. Cool. So whether doll has done that before? Oh, no.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I think this might be the first time Dell has done this, I think in this magical sense. Okay, so there's so everybody's here in this circle, just for my own. Yeah, okay. Yeah. Do we all understand what it is? We're on this boat for? We all know where we're going. And may we may not know the end of this journey, but we know in which direction it heads. Yeah. Hi, anthracite. May May I have a verbal confirmation?

Cat Blackard:

Oh, sorry. I've never done this before. Yes.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Then they pour a bit of water onto the deck and sort of let it run. Just in the direction that it goes in the direction that it does and sort of like looks at the water move as I guess I don't know if it's rocking so much that the water would go back and forth but it definitely affects the journey that the water takes yeah we sweat it to go to the sea together and he takes a sip of the water a call out to the many faces of the river God I have picked mine I have I've aligned myself with mine we align ourselves each with one and then passes it to whoever is on there right please sip and be bound

Beth Crane - Oona:

in attacks it knocks it back and not and passes it on

Cat Blackard:

and anthracite takes it and thinks about her star and how she will do anything to meet her again one way or another and drinks

Hedley Knights:

it Lucy is not quite sure what's going on but is happy to be involved. So passes on

Ella Watts:

to the Jeremiah takes it and looks at it for a really long time and thinks about everything that they want from this and tries to be honest with himself then he takes a sip as well as looks at you will meaning your eyes and says as well as your captain but I will do everything within my considerable power to keep you whole inhale and to keep my ship in one piece and to take a safely over the horizon from which no sailor is ever returned. And furthermore to bring us back follow the path of justice that is we face our chosen metros and culture my people the river folk and our hope and I pray that that will be enough

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I think Delphi takes the water and goes mean nothing but the flow of the river break this covenant. Thank you sits back there sits there silence for a bit

Snyders Return:

All right, as this oath has been sworn and ties all together before you can weigh anchor for you can sail before who knew the engineer flashes up that steam engine and gets those paddle shifting? Captain would you like to commune with the river before you leave? This

Unknown:

guy's Yeah, obviously. Of course I do. I'm terrified. But yeah.

Snyders Return:

Alright, so that just comes down to me flipping a card I believe. So it's blank. Just the magicians

Cat Blackard:

Wow.

Snyders Return:

So good way on magician the good way up. Let's find the magician. Okay, as a blessing, the player gains immediate access to a new magical ability. Captain drawing upon your river folk heritage, the river. It's it's not that the water comes up. But more that the spray seems to envelop and energise you almost almost unlocking something deep within whether it be your psyche your gene, what whatever thread of arcane force sits residual or perhaps even dampened for some strange reason. It ignites it, but what does it do? What magical ability, the captain of river folk heritage be imbued with. I'll put this on you, because it's your character.

Ella Watts:

So I think I think that like for Jeremiah, like Like they said, the kind of a novice in in the religion of the river folks. So he, he was raised in a like a fairly secular kind of trade community. And it's trying to like reconnect with the kind of older kind of spiritual ism. So he's got like a little token of the path of justice that he wears around his neck. But he's still I think, gets a bit self conscious about like, outright praying. So I think he just goes to the end of the ship, and as you say, kind of that spray of water, I imagine he's up at the bow, and kind of holds on to that pendant, and just looks at the water and desperately hopes for any kind of answer or feeling that like Delphine was describing earlier. And I think that when he feels the magician, the face of the magician, kind of respond to him. He, I think he's only thinking about how he can walk his path and keep his crew fix safe at the same time without lying. And so I think that the magic he takes is making visible and he hopes that when necessary. He won't lie he won't shape shift them. He'll just hide them whenever he needs to protect them.

Snyders Return:

With this new energy coursing through this ability sinking in and and becoming unlocked within you your crew is ready you are stocked you are prepped you are prepared to probably half cut by now possibly got wheels disease from the river water you've been drinking.

Cat Blackard:

I was concerned but it seemed like the thing to do nothing a little alcohol afterwards.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

The Gems away.

Snyders Return:

You are ready to depart. Who have you? And again this comes down to captain's discretion as much as anything else takes the helm first. And where are you heading? Have a note to the see

Ella Watts:

if anyone particularly wants to helm than I am very happy to negotiate, but if not, I will happily volunteer to helm as the captain. I've got loads.

Hedley Knights:

Yeah, I feel like the captain helming first makes sense.

Beth Crane - Oona:

You know has already vanished.

Ella Watts:

Our closest locations of the Green Mile the smokestacks, the forest, the valleys, the city, where do we want to go? The Green Mile is kind of a safe stable trade route for the human Empire The forest is forbidden to humans, it's said to be the realm of some of the surviving elves. The smokestacks is kind of next to all the factories just outside the city layer of pirates and illusionists the city is the capital of the human empire.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Is one of them getting us there faster or is it sort of same distance

Ella Watts:

so the game works that you have to go to four locations to get to the sea? So it's it's relative like I think probably this city in the forest would be more direct routes and then like, and also the smokestacks whereas the Green Mile and the valleys which sorry, is the halfling Ville like kind of town hidden in the hills. Those are a little bit off our path,

Snyders Return:

but still south, so you may get pushed the we fail. If

Ella Watts:

I fell helming roll we might end up somewhere we don't plan to go

Snyders Return:

overexuberant Captain goes in through the ship's wheel you could end up anywhere so back on Meadowbrook

Hedley Knights:

and so yeah there's it's not a strategic thing as in like we want to get as far as we can. It's more just we need to stop somewhere so we might as well stop somewhere interesting.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

And fort was it Forbidden Forest both sounds quite sick but I'll also I'm fine with wherever people want to go.

Hedley Knights:

I feel like city and smokestack make a lot of sense in terms of that and again Green Mile because they seem like normal places and people would stop and frisk it sounds like a place where you

Ella Watts:

know people kept

Hedley Knights:

cool so that's one vote for each

Cat Blackard:

although city

Hedley Knights:

we go to city so I think

Cai Colin Pritchard:

we get arrested for

Snyders Return:

navigating for the purposes of those wanting to play along. Unless Captain you want to describe the mechanic you're about to use. I'm more than happy to

Ella Watts:

very, very happy to do whichever you prefer. I'm aware that I have excitedly been just doing a lot of narration so whatever

Snyders Return:

you like that is cool. Well building we're doing it together. So Okay. Since you are taking charge, captain, Captain, Jeremiah Thomas, you stand proudly behind the wheel of your ship. I would like you to navigate towards your current chosen destination in the city. How is it you achieving this game?

Ella Watts:

So I need to roll a number of D fours equal to the Cruz river fence. So I've got two represents what does everyone else have? 11111 also

Cat Blackard:

231

Ella Watts:

All right, so that is 60 fourths and I'm looking I need to get at least one four to succeed otherwise we will get slipped

Snyders Return:

ship that's why storage for C is important people storage. Alright, there we go. I gotta fall. I

Ella Watts:

was tilted. I got one,

Snyders Return:

two D four. Interesting. We're not going into the spatial awareness mechanics.

Ella Watts:

I am balancing everything on a suitcase.

Snyders Return:

Gotcha. Captain, with your navigation to the city being true. Should we say on the river your anchor is wait. A note that puts it down the anchor is is lifted, and the pentacle moves and sweeps in the currents. You have come to understand as you begin your down river journey as it Bob's through you notice leaving the ship called dignity in the ocean princess and all the other small ships in Meadowbrook behind. further up river you can see trade a few trade ships coming down this way to this sort of safe harbour that you're leaving. setting on the journey the crew in your sort of working places, shall we say? was set to their tasks? Be it preparing the meals for the cook? Or prepping the weapons for the gunner or sleeping? Maybe una cuddling into the furnace? I'm not sure.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Probably stoking.

Snyders Return:

You are the stoker? So that makes sense.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Yeah, stoking in oily

Snyders Return:

not gonna argue that description. Della funny. Do you stay up on deck close to the captain? Providing them I counsel? Yeah,

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I think so. I think I think up on deck and just getting as much I think Delphine isn't expecting to come back from this journey. And it's fully expecting to like ascend. So like this is the last time the elephant is ever going to see this land and these these waters. It's really just like, they're getting as much of it as they can just like, you know, Bernie into the into their memory can

Ella Watts:

in? Yes. Okay. If you want to, like, Delta be left alone, that's fine. But I kind of enjoy the mental image of Jeremiah coming over and interrupting that without realising that he's interrupting. Is that okay with you? Yes. Okay, yeah, my probably like cold over to you from where they're helming. And he looks just so excited. Like, like, like a kid on their birthday. And it's like, don't don't listen, you will not believe what just happened. I think I think I felt it, you know, the thing that you said to feel, I think I felt it helped the piece. It was more of an energising kind of you know, feeling but I thought but I but I felt a connection with with with the river with with a river garden. And I feel like I've changed somehow and I truly like I think I'm starting to see

Cai Colin Pritchard:

it. So you see that you see the the journey would say yes. You ready to ascend?

Ella Watts:

I mean, I don't I don't know. Really what that

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I've been waiting for someone to join this this this crusade of mine. I it's been it's been lonely. Dude. I thought you you still intend to return?

Ella Watts:

Well, I mean, yes. I would describe

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Are you sure it was the river that spoke to you? Yes. Yes.

Ella Watts:

No, no, quite quite, quite sure. It was it was the face of the magician. I know that somewhere in my heart. I know. Crusade Yeah, dangerous, frowns a bit and goes, Look looks you in the eye quite hard and goes down with any I don't intend to be picking any battles? Not Not if I could avoid them.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

You're of the river folk. You respect and worship these great waters that have have fed the life of these lands for longer than you or I have been around? I surely do. And there are people that threaten the livelihoods and the life of this this river. Yes, I do not see that. It is it is threatening the life of this land. And why would one not stand and fight for the for what they believe it I have been fighting all of my life. And I am finally ready to be done. But if if if trouble finds us on the way I will not step down.

Ella Watts:

Well all right. I you know, my people have a lot. I've been reading a lot of old river there not a lot of river fog law makes it up into the glass but my people have a lot and it's the you never struck first. You know, you don't you don't make wool, whether it was peace, if you can avoid it, and I don't know. But I would say that their decision to involve themselves in a wall may well be the source of their current miss watching. So I will not ask you to turn yourself in all that easy under in the face of injustice. But I will ask that we do not create a conflict when there is no need for him. Do we have an accord

Cai Colin Pritchard:

we have an accord i I've seen enough fight in my time. This is if trouble does find us. I will lay down my life for this river

Ella Watts:

there. All right, well, let's just hope it don't come to that. And I'm real sorry for all the hardship that must have brought you here into that belief because it don't sound easy.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I think I think that he just looks back out into the waters again just starts appreciating

Snyders Return:

as the pair of you sort of return your gaze to the river Captain you're you maintain control of the of the helm the ship's wheel looking out and through and ahead of you coming up river some sail ships you can see what could be the puff of sort of smoke and steam from another sort of steamer type craft further down don't have any what what catches your eye more is a series of goals sort of come and start landing on the bow and sort of singer chorus and there's there's almost like a larger one that sort of sits almost like like at the ship's head sort of forming almost like a fresh bust this oversized gold just reminds you of a passage from from time have gone before some sort of rhyme of some MARINER or some shape, form or description, it doesn't really trigger. But the goal is chair you see sort of everything sort of go past. Meadowbrook disappears into the first just into the background and then becomes smaller and smaller and disappearing onto the horizon. As you continue to come down the river ships come past occasionally there's a wave as sort of traders and fellow Captains and those river river dwelling folk sort of pass pleasantries and, and sort of move on about their day. And they'll lights really so as as we continue in this sort of, potentially fellow steam powered vessel is is progressing up the river towards you. What are the rest of the what are the other three doing in this time as the boat continues to Bob and we even just move steadily, but slightly rocking sort of port to starboard, as it sort of bows and dips through the water in the currents. The Eddie's

Hedley Knights:

leases above above deck now now things are moving eagerly looking at what's what's occurring in the distance mounted a mounted the a few small, small guns at the back of the ship has been testing making sure that there's cannonballs by every cannon. There's clearly far more on this ship than really needs to be and certainly far more than one person can operate. But you know, they like to have options. And also, she was getting very bored playing tiddlywinks against this and yes, I think she's probably eyeing up to the upcoming ship just kind of like we can are they going to attack? Are we going to attack?

Snyders Return:

Attack? Interesting train of thought they're gonna. What about and, and una? How are you preoccupying yourselves at this point in time? What are you preparing in the galley?

Cat Blackard:

Well, I've taken one of the jars of grain alcohol and I have added some fresh herbs and dried fruits to give it an infusion. Which will, via the sort of kitchen work that I do, hopefully have a desired effect of being more of a calming kind of liquor than a fun party liquor. I'm also I've been chopping and prepping for what in my family was always the best way to start anything new was with a very rich stew with the ingredients, quickest despoil, put into a broth sort of representing all the different parties that are coming together to make this venture possible and and sort of improvising a little bit even taking a little bit of river water as per ritual and including that though it has been boiled beforehand. Because I'm not a sap but But I understand the importance of immediacy and ritual and taking risks. But in this not my kitchen though. So that that is well underway. Some several varieties of mushrooms and a sort of like I had some cream on hand so that's going to spoil soon. So it's a creamy it's a creamier soup. Very rich, hearty

Snyders Return:

sounds delicious. I'm actually quite hungry now. Yeah,

Cat Blackard:

then I've done my job.

Beth Crane - Oona:

And una una has taken a barrel of the Good stuff, tapped it poured some of it into a glass along with other sort of tinctures and concoctions and that she has tipped into the furnace where it is creating a semi toxic semi hallucinogenic on a smoke with which she has completely filled her cabin. She is reading through her manuals again, which are kind of almost a religious term for her at this point. And the fumes are making all of the blueprints and all the words kind of stand out and Polson look 3d And she's just she's Community

Cat Blackard:

Room is the bomb amazing. It works.

Snyders Return:

I cannot argue with any of that. I really want to buy really calm. So that's all good.

Cat Blackard:

Are those papers being distributed anywhere else in the into the pipes

Cai Colin Pritchard:

to say there were vents to every room?

Beth Crane - Oona:

Yeah, I mean, if you if you like stick your mouse over one of the vents in inhale really hard. But it's mostly localised to the boiler room. Truly a

Hedley Knights:

professional and presumably what's fueling our ships, in part at least,

Snyders Return:

yeah, sure, your ship seems to have that extra burst of perhaps more than usual,

Cat Blackard:

anyone who's downwind of us is going to get a defence

Snyders Return:

Chase. So, yes, with that, hanging in the one specific area and potentially available to all crew members at the behest the pentacle carries on down the river, and perception as such. Looking. Lucy, you said you were looking at the ship ahead, Captain, you're obviously looking ahead looking to steer and telephony, your concentration when not on other things. Is is able to see this approaching. At first, you can just see sort of the outline and the the funnel, kicking off the steam the exhaust. But as it comes closer it it has Well I'd say to you catenate potentially familiar shape as it begins to to loom large, coming up following the rules of the road as it is that exists for for maritime travel along waterways.

Ella Watts:

Do we need to get out of her way or don't need to get out? Like oh, do they need your off similar

Snyders Return:

size?

Ella Watts:

Can I do a tongues roll to just figure out what the deal is with this ship?

Snyders Return:

You may that was what I was trying to check. Yes, please do a tongues roll. Tongues quickly describe it and what you're using it for, and how you're

Ella Watts:

sorry, sorry, um, tongues is for social skills, art, community culture, but also people persuasion. And rules was written you can use tongues and spirits for kind of observation, stuff like this. But the interpretation is that with spirits that's intelligence book learning memory, knowledge tells us more social so rather than kind of relying on like, my analytical historical knowledge of the political factions on the river, I'm more going with my social knowledge of like communities and cultures and kind of like trying to tie them up is is is what I'm going for. All right. Oh, and I rolled a two. So I mean, I got a seven because I got five times. But that's, that's still below and easy.

Snyders Return:

You're concentrating on sort of following the rules of the road, allowing sort of the sail ships to move across and making sure you're not to have the wrong side of the wrong the wrong side of the marker boys here in this part of the river. So although you're aware of a vessel approaching it is just a vessel at this point. And it's not until it becomes a lot larger and your distance travelled from Meadowbrook down towards the Green Mile and the city sort of begins to loom large as similarly in style but definitely looks more fortified. Shall we say? loosey goosey spot? Weapons on deck you spot uniform? And

Hedley Knights:

a Are they nice weapons Am I Am I like jealous?

Snyders Return:

Yes, is short. In short, they are beautifully crafted, well maintained. Clearly they've been polished someone does like to polish their weapon while they are on the river. So they are presented in such a way that while they're not sort of born round and aiming at you, you can see that they are beautifully crafted and maintained. So you see huge weapons and as they move further and further up, and now, Captain della Thani that the ship is is not unavoidable, but it is clearly big enough to take up half of your field of vision. Moving through the river, the sky above you is still pretty clear there's some clouds the lights start to dim slightly as it was earlier, we are getting towards the sort of The Twilight part of the day a Imperial river police cruiser comes up. And you can see again, a small crew in in their sort of their wheelhouse the command sort of command house and one of the sailors comes out and starts sort of waving across to you clearly looking directly at the pentacle sort of making sort of waiting.

Ella Watts:

Jeremiah's gonna go into kind of panic stations. So they're gonna look at Dell and Dell you're human right? Hmm, yeah, great. Okay, I need you to take the helm and deal I cannot

Cai Colin Pritchard:

ah, the I swim in the river I observe I Navigating on a vehicle such as this there's not much I

Ella Watts:

understand that but they are authorised to shoot on site if they see me and I cannot lie to them because I walk the path of justice. So I really need you to just hold on to this wheel and just keep it kind of steady for just a couple minutes.

Hedley Knights:

I can hope that I can I can hold this the way I will except

Cai Colin Pritchard:

this button and this task with great honour. All right,

Ella Watts:

well, let's modify one of you I do appreciate it. And we need you up on deck

Cat Blackard:

stop shopping and sort of I take the soup off the flame I'll get back to it and head upstairs

Ella Watts:

or wanna coke copper and I know that we're puffing out certain kind of fog right now but I need you to sober up.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Cool is upon deck eyes wide swaying a little bit but otherwise compasses

Ella Watts:

so I'm gonna look at

Hedley Knights:

catching can ask them about those cannons. They're like flared at the end. I want to know whether that's like, is that? Surely that that hurts accuracy, but like let's be there for a reason. Like,

Beth Crane - Oona:

they're gonna give us a physical demonstration buddy.

Ella Watts:

Lucy Lucy. darlin, my darlin, darlin, sweetheart, you're hurtling, right? Yeah, right, okay, we cannot be on deck. What I need you to do is be as close to the guns as you can. So go a little below deck. See, see Do what you can to add. Try not to be seen and del una una ko Copic human river police. So I'm going to go high. And del, we just need you to just just deal with them as you normally would with humans. I mean, I don't really know how whatever. Just just, you know, be nice McMaster agree to any of their requests, if they want to see papers, Dell that just here and kind of Jeremiah like, opens a cupboard near the helm with a little silver key. So they're all kind of in order according to the human empire. Obviously they do not list myself or Lucy as crew members. But we've got you Oona and n as human crew mates but just just comply just be nice Platt we don't need to pick any fights I know Lucy you can work wonders with the guns but let's not risk it

Hedley Knights:

next to the cat next to the main cannon is a is a rolled up top give you the thumbs up

Cai Colin Pritchard:

you're still on deck.

Hedley Knights:

Yeah, just still out there just heated perfectly apart from a very obvious small

Beth Crane - Oona:

very awkwardly just sort of stand at the closest point to the ship just like I'm very large. Which also makes telephony and anthracite looks a little small.

Ella Watts:

They could be they could be short people I think I think like

Beth Crane - Oona:

well, they're just short people that just short people.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

How far away is this boat from us? Like? Yeah, Can Can I see the facial expressions of the people on the boat and can they see my eyes or is it

Snyders Return:

you can you can make out faces. You can see they have you know, hats on my sort of brimmed with a peek. Why not?

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Look in

Snyders Return:

a sort of a, bluish with the sort of red trim uniform that they all appear to be wearing. The individual that was sort of waving to you, you can sort of see faces his or their face. And now as the sort of the command hub of the vessel that sort of Yeah, control room as it were sort of comes past you can see their faces and every individual bar one on their ship their craft, is looking across at you guys, as the two ships sort of cross in opposite directions.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

What's so I've got one of my abilities is create comfort can is that like, can that be kind of twisted slowly to mean like, don't like so they're comfortable with us being here? Or is that kind of not the intention with it?

Snyders Return:

How would how, how would you make them? In what way? Would you would you imply this comfort? I'm happy for you use it, I just want to know how Yeah.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Um, I think della Fanny does their best to look like a normal captain. And to sort of, like, not look suspicious in any way, shape, or form. I think that they kind of have this idea of what a captain is supposed to do at all times. But like, has never, like never, you know, has seen boats but like, you know, not spend this much time around a captain and on a boat. So I think acting natural, I've just like hands on the on the wheel, just like sort of, kind of looking across with this mask to realise doesn't help my odds, but just sort of like, I'm sorry, that's audio looking and sort of like doing a big nod and then looking back and just sort of hands consistently on the wheel because that's, that's what they were told to do.

Hedley Knights:

Create comfort is a magic ability as well, isn't it? So I think it's a magic row.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Okay. And then I think I think just having the, I think the woods, the energy of like the river and the sort of this kind of natural feeling of the ramps of waffling this this like feeling that having this like natural feeling of being on the water, just kind of makes them makes makes Delphine feel very comfortable. And so this kind of like I'm not nervous, why would I be nervous? I'm on the I'm on the water, don't borders kind of thing don't search is that right?

Snyders Return:

Alright. So, what I will say after all of that, so, no mouth mask included. You are you have chosen to use magic in in the land where magic is. However fine. However, as you give the sort of the, the upward not the right kind of gesture. You get a salute back from their control, sort of command centre. And the individual who was sort of waving to you Nereus, their, their armaments sort of drops their arms and goes back to a more placid sort of ready to position or like a standby sort of position close to their weapons. And the two craft pass each other. And there's a strange moment of, of almost silence, even though these two craft esteem driven vessels. There's that moment of engagement between both crews where there's just nothing like the world drops away as you're sort of stuck in that moment of tension. And they continue on past. As you continue in, and you relax, you feel that comfort. You're on the wheel, you've got halflings hidden under a tarp and you know, your crew is here, there and everywhere. Behind you to your stern, aft their craft begins to make their turn begins to come back down the river. They're not chasing you down as such. They haven't heard an increase of speed, but they're definitely just able to catch you their craft may be a little bit more streamlined than the pentacle. As they come alongside, one of the officers comes out and says, Hey, good day,

Cai Colin Pritchard:

a find a day is any

Snyders Return:

Yes, yes. Yes. As pirates on the rim. Ah, Pyrex.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

We're well equipped we can deal with pirates.

Snyders Return:

I'm sure. But you need to pay. Pay. Pirates ha pay

Cai Colin Pritchard:

pay the pirate

Snyders Return:

coming alongside come alongside Prepare to be boarded well have very

Cat Blackard:

stupid play they don't like as you call them pirates for the extortion game they're running

Ella Watts:

tight you're writing you should say it

Hedley Knights:

Lucy's Lucy let pokes an eye out and looks up at the captain that the acting captain like should I

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I would advise you to go below decks I don't think the top holdings are gonna follow them

Hedley Knights:

that face disappears the top was the opening Wednesday as

Snyders Return:

you wind down anyone else doing anything Jeremiah has had

Ella Watts:

and belowdecks in a company Yeah, like literally like they've gone into like whatever room is like immediately below the wheelhouse right they're kind of in a cupboard like boots sort of up near the top of the room like just below the deck so that they can kind of hear everything going on and they've got their swords out and it kind of like laid in front of them so that if they need to burst out of this cupboard fighting they can but otherwise they're just like waiting cool.

Beth Crane - Oona:

I I have opened event then that is very very close to where they will board the ship checkup so one of my skills or one of my skills ah

Snyders Return:

so as these preps are taking place I don't know if annual you're doing anything

Cat Blackard:

I'm I've after I got the another word like hey, you know play human I've been playing human for a little bit. So I'm interested examining my face to make sure it's not like abundantly hairy. I shaved early in the morning should be fine and otherwise getting back to business because what's more normal than a cook making dinner

Cai Colin Pritchard:

the apron in the hat like I apron

Cat Blackard:

for sure a Harris Harris tied up and abrade

Cai Colin Pritchard:

you on deck with the eight front legs, legs, you know greasy, like

Cat Blackard:

holding the carrot. provocatively, this is what

Snyders Return:

what does he mean as good for your eyes. As the river cruiser, managed sort of comes alongside yours comes alongside the pentacle. So they they're starboard to your port, so that your left to the right. They are quick to sort of quickly lashed the two frames together the two ships together just as a temporary measure of one four to one off just to keep the two and then a board is sort of or a set of stairs almost is placed between the two craft that allows a little bit of give as the river moves underneath to still moving vessels. Yeah. And to individuals in very pristine, the blue with a red trim uniform, very clean hats very sort of shiny leather medals which possibly are, are legitimately owned or otherwise we're yet to know their terms of service. Don't even ask permission to come aboard. They just sort of gone

Cai Colin Pritchard:

as I think as a sort of trying to like get on the good side as a sign of goodwill. I think Dell if any, like whatever I mean, I'm sure they don't need it but like tries to secure the stair boarding thing like sort of maybe puts puts a foot down to stop it from like shifting too much as they come down. Trying to like you know, guess the rice is a bit

Snyders Return:

alright, as you sort of secure the step and these two one slightly portly one rakishly thin it's not like these stereotypes of bad people. Step down the port the individual steps down first. That's sort of a gasp of air. Sort of the centre one sort of weaselled their way on behind and they turn to you with any with a

Cai Colin Pritchard:

good ad use.

Snyders Return:

There are pirates here on on the river no pirates pirates. So we we village only rises the river, the Imperial river police force to escort you and The Senate was Yeah, yeah, we got it you Scott you down the river now? Like no. Do you have your papers

Cai Colin Pritchard:

if you would allow me a moment to retrieve them?

Beth Crane - Oona:

Oh, I passed on to him. I've already I'm well versed in this drill cool.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

These are looking for you looking to go sorry looking to you for guidance. Like I don't know what the fuck I'm doing so it's like a they are thank you and sort of hands the moment

Snyders Return:

notice that as soon as the papers are handed over to the portly one. They're immediately handed to the skinny one. He doesn't they're not even looked at passes and straight back and the skinny ones and the pointy ones like I said, papers please.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Papers how many papers

Snyders Return:

the papers were looking for. Are the round gold papers you may be familiar how many on the crew

Beth Crane - Oona:

we've had a slim few months we've only got well I mean we have the inferior silver

Snyders Return:

NO NO NO NO NO the other one sort of sticks his head back out with your papers in here no no. Go Imperial good for the river. The river police Imperial river

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I'm afraid most of what we make these days is spent on on food and fuel to keep us going. We are we're barely breaking even it's times are tough.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Times are tough. You won't be tied up with a schedule. Anyway right right right. Wow. I suppose if you're going to be protecting us from the pirates I could go into our emergency stash.

Snyders Return:

Oh Jimmy well that is

Beth Crane - Oona:

company policy

Cai Colin Pritchard:

fuck the gold is yes lead the way first meet

Beth Crane - Oona:

I lead them into the boiler room which is again it's thick with smoke and I would like to I would like to give them five gold in a way that implies we do not have any more like I dig a heavily locked box out from under my bed that has five very pathetic looking goals in it. It's a large chest and that's all there is

Snyders Return:

and you said you've got bewilderment correct yes yeah. So they follow flew in both of them Captain air quotes Delphine you are handed back the papers by the skinny one is as they follow the the portal the one below deck with the cap the first meet question mark

Beth Crane - Oona:

first yeah I think I'm acting first

Snyders Return:

fun go No no no

Beth Crane - Oona:

this is this is quite honestly all the gold we have slim pickings yeah it's been really I mean there's been this famine up river there is dry stuff it's been we've had to really go through it even get this

Cai Colin Pritchard:

stuff for five nice meals in some parts.

Snyders Return:

Yes. Yes sir.

Beth Crane - Oona:

But we use it for approximately 1000 Very

Snyders Return:

good digits I just hand puppet might as well be on the floor. Alright, that was fun. Huh? Not that smell tears you up okay. And Jenkins is like on the verge of passing out just by the doorway. Get a

Beth Crane - Oona:

you must look like you could do with a drink. I pour him a couple of shots of the good stuff. Oh water

Snyders Return:

knock it back. Not even smelling not even thinking just knock it back. Ah take water Dude just got a grip of yourself.

Beth Crane - Oona:

You guys just yeah. Just probably having a great time on you. This is a this is a lovely ship but we've given you all we have a

Snyders Return:

Jedi mind trick 555 years. US huh? Yeah, it is you yeah yeah he, you know he messages me and he's yeah back to the tub dish. Yes God,

Cai Colin Pritchard:

would you like me to guide you back to your ship?

Beth Crane - Oona:

Most guide jackets I hand them the trunk, which has the five gold coins in it, which is also

Snyders Return:

at this point you could probably have taken the five gold out of it to be fair, but

Beth Crane - Oona:

yeah, maybe yeah, no, it's got the five gold coins in it. It's also got a lead. Very, very heavy. So

Hedley Knights:

I was about to say as they passed the top one. What would I be have to do a stealth check to pick their pockets? Give it a go.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Is this a callback?

Hedley Knights:

So that's saw Yes. So and that means I have to roll at 12 know what how do I how do I do?

Ella Watts:

You roll a d 12 For regular skill checks and then add the relevant stat in this case, yes, it would be sought. And got a relevant ability.

Hedley Knights:

Sure. D 12. Plus,

Ella Watts:

you are back to you. But I don't think that you do.

Hedley Knights:

I don't cool. That is nine plus 514.

Snyders Return:

Nice. Good job. All right. You are you trying both their pockets. Same role, I'm not gonna make a role for you. Just as they are being guided he I won't say absent mindedly but he's like, Jake is gonna case I need to use both hands. And as his hands are raised are holding himself up against the bulkheads as he moves through the this relatively small ship, but now it feels like an in you know, like an oil tank and for him or for them. You are able from beneath the top just to like dip the fingers in and lift stuff out and you get a thin sort of folded wallet lower level stole the wallet from one pocket and from the other pocket just just drops out a chain with a possibly a timepiece or something that just requires a little extra dexterity from again, you don't have to roll it it would sort of just twist that off the belt. There's this folded lever, sort of wallet style object and this timepiece with chain comes into your possession as this sort of portly form is sort of muscling their way through the through the deck and back up to the up onto the main deck. Jack is oh, oh, I think I need to lay down see sort of struggles to bring this heavy lead lined chest up to the main deck.

Beth Crane - Oona:

I'll give him a hand with the chest

Snyders Return:

to kind of Hecate I just think out into clean air you can see the crewmen that was arming or sort of step by the armaments by the cannons has sort of drifted back to the brow effectively so they can get back across and it's like they're not all in sort of reaching out to sort of guide them across as I believe Dennis any we're guiding and Buddha. Yeah, so as these two shake in the move across this sort of brown back onto their side. They're passing words, or the party ones parting words. Save trim whatever pirates didn't lay down didn't take us to harbour and as the the Weasley one sort of finishes getting off, the brow is lifted away the boat separates and peels off and always does a full U turn and heads starts heading up river to the the newest port of Schutze.

Ella Watts:

As soon as I hear the boat moving away Jeremiah gets out of the cupboard sticks their swords back on their back, runs up the stairs looks at and you're right. anthracite. You're right.

Cat Blackard:

Sorry. I've been focused on the stew. It smells amazing. I've been kind of stirring it in a counterclockwise motion. And did they leave?

Ella Watts:

Yes, I think they did. I believe that uma may have shared some of her special firework with them. Oh,

Cat Blackard:

oh, well, that's, that's very good. That's very, very good. Would you like to try the soup? I would love to. Well, I I very delicately extend a spoon to the captain. And I don't know if you want me to roll for the quality the soup. It's a bit dangerous, but I'm willing to

Snyders Return:

give it a go. But will which which skills? Yes. masculine? Skill.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Those are the cooking

Cat Blackard:

is there. There's I mean, there's not on my sheet. There's no cooking. Oh,

Ella Watts:

maybe I took it off actually, I suppose. Yeah, it would be under art. Because we consider all okay to be an art and cooking.

Cat Blackard:

Delightful. So what what do I roll for the for ability like that?

Hedley Knights:

community. So

Ella Watts:

community. Magic is spirits. So it depends. Whether you think this is a regular shoe or a magical shoe.

Cat Blackard:

I'd say it's uh huh. Well, I did put a lot of intention in it, didn't I? I guess it put a lot of I guess this will be a magical stew then.

Ella Watts:

And that would be spirits and plus one because you have the ability.

Cat Blackard:

Cool. Well, then in terms of actual like, dice, what am I what am I throwing out for that? Is that is that is that the four D fours or? That is a D? 12. D 12. Okay, just a detail a single D 12. Okay, brilliant. Not so hot. I rolled a three so plus five plus one. What's the nine?

Snyders Return:

How does this stew? How does it taste to you, Captain? I

Ella Watts:

think the Jeremiah's not a very good cook. So I think that

Cat Blackard:

like, that's my kind of, you know,

Ella Watts:

I think I think that anything to them that is more than kind of, like, sort of just the simplest possible recipe is is very exciting for them. And I also think that they really like and are worried about, um, so I think that he genuinely enjoys it. And I think it's probably I guess, quite simple. But like, I think he really really enjoys it and kind of like swallows smiles and it's, you know, I made the right decision in hiring you.

Cat Blackard:

Ah, interesting. And, and has a hard time putting together that like, that seems like maybe maybe deflection but she's not 100% Sure. Tries herself and she's like, I've had some that paprika and gets back to it. Not one to be able to really handle compliments too. Well, so

Ella Watts:

I think Jeremiah, like nonverbally kind of asked permission but goes to like, put a hand on your shoulder just to squeeze it.

Cat Blackard:

Is that okay? Oh, yeah. Hi. Yes. Hi.

Ella Watts:

He just squeezes your shoulder and says, You're doing a good job. And thank you.

Cat Blackard:

Oh, thank you, Captain. So we're okay.

Ella Watts:

I believe so I'm about to go just check up on Dell. I'll let you know if we need anything. But otherwise I'll leave it to it.

Cat Blackard:

Amazing. Dinner will be ready whenever I guess whenever anybody wants it. It'll keep fantastic susto

Ella Watts:

that's perfect. And Jeremiah kind of smiles you again runs upstairs and immediately goes to Dell who I assume is still holding on to helm comes up it like comes up carefully as if to like a frightened cat and it's like okay, Dell you did an amazing job but we are heading a little bit towards the reserve bank now so I'm just gonna take that from

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I think in reaction he's spins in a total correction.

Ella Watts:

Imagine like we kind of heal over Lucy I suppose you don't need to actually just watch is that like baby like fly over your head? Oh, right. Okay. Jeremiah takes the wheel and then like one On the helm kinda like steady for looks at you down because you're at

Cai Colin Pritchard:

it was it took a lot not to lash out but I I think I think we're okay.

Ella Watts:

Well I cannot thank you enough especially for not I can I can understand or relate to the desire for violence when dealing with the Imperial river police in particular. I mean, I suppose we all know someone who's lost someone or we've lost someone ourselves to their sense of justice. But uh, thank you for not making it any more dangerous than it had to be.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

It's no, it's no problem. It's it's fine.

Ella Watts:

Oh, see? You're right. Yeah.

Hedley Knights:

And so this is just now like clambering up from downstairs and counting her counting away through the through the wallet. How much is how much does in the wallet?

Snyders Return:

There's no money in the wallet. What you have is their official documentation. Oh

Unknown:

shenanigans.

Hedley Knights:

Yeah, not a fan of them. Not a fan of them one bit. And I was hoping to give I was hoping to give smokier error gold coins back but it's only just bits of paper on in air. It can read what does this say?

Ella Watts:

Is official documentation of the river police that will be very useful indeed. I had no idea you had such flat fingers.

Hedley Knights:

Well, you know, I'm not wanting to pick fights but you know if they're picking our pocket, so pick this back, you know.

Ella Watts:

Now that's the sense of justice that I can agree with. Speaking of which, oh no. Where I

Beth Crane - Oona:

enter comes up from the boiler room where she has been loading another lead chest with five goals.

Ella Watts:

I mean, I think the Jeremiah probably is quite a tactile person. But I imagine that una is not a big fan. But I think probably if it's okay with you, Beth. He will probably like kiss her on the cheek real quick.

Beth Crane - Oona:

In a tolerate set like a Great Dane with a kitten.

Ella Watts:

Exactly. Exactly. Perfect. Okay, so yeah, like Jeremiah kind of gets up on tiptoes because he said the owner is real bad, right like so it gets up and tiptoes kisses her on the cheek and says you are a miracle worker and I might not understand you but I do appreciate you thank you very much I particularly enjoyed the touch with the lead by interest that that that was chefs get

Beth Crane - Oona:

such a cheaper to build a chest with lead than it is.

Ella Watts:

I did not know that fascinating stuff. I tell you what, did you learn that on the river or at your engineering school? I think that Jeremiah has this like ongoing quest to learn anything about his backstory. He never has successfully done so he's just kind of like fishing. Do you learn that in school

Beth Crane - Oona:

or picked it up on the river?

Ella Watts:

I as a trader I suppose of timber.

Beth Crane - Oona:

It just walk away

Ella Watts:

a bit but kind of looks at everyone and says Well, we're alive and no humans have shot us yet. So sorry, no offence del o una. But I am says that the dinner will be ready whenever we need it. So if anyone's hungry, loose, I heard your stomach rumbling. So I'm assuming

Snyders Return:

Oh yeah, it tastes real good.

Unknown:

I'm always up for grabs.

Snyders Return:

So as you cycle through the galley for your SCRAN your stew, I'm guessing at least one of you takes it in turns to be on on the the helm on the wheel. It's not just left abandoned by the community.

Cat Blackard:

I'll have their eating the food. So I'll give them the space. They've been through a situation I kind of dodged the bullet there. So I'll take the helm, right,

Snyders Return:

while you're up on the helm and the others are eating as the sun finally goes behind the valley hills, the valley hills, the hills of the valley. Light civilization starts to sort of flood the river from further down the recognisable landmark shall we say of the smokestacks you can see out in the river. There appear to be individuals on stilts using like gas burners to light the navigation buoys to guide to form the road. So these individuals with these handheld torches are wading through the river obviously This is potentially a family trade or something that the Nimble this they're able and the stability used. Rather than using a boat that they could set on fire on stilts, why not. So they use this stilts to go from boy to boy, and like the gas burner, therefore illuminating the river. And it's not until you look further down the river the reason becomes more apparent as the smokestacks pump all of their exhaust for want of a better description, byproduct and it drops down onto the river and forms like this thick blanket and if it wasn't for these gas lights, and the lights from ships coming the other way, you could end up almost anywhere mainly in bad places to be fair. above you, the clouds have moved off with the breeze that was there early on the stars have started to come out the twin between cool politely it's it's serene up until the point where they start to disappear in the smoke that starts to sort of fill over the bow and then up in the long the craft.

Cat Blackard:

I know if we reach our destination, we'll find ourselves in a place where the stars burn brightest unimpeded by any lights, any cities, any fires, any smoke, all of it falls away, or at least so I imagine or so I've been told out where the land dithers and the sea opens up like a flower. So I keep all that in mind or you say nice things. Oh sorry was a monologue it just gets a

Hedley Knights:

leash he said I didn't hands just like

Snyders Return:

oh well with the two of you now on deck the others below, sheltered as they are by the ship's hull and the decks and the other furnishings. Your both of you or your throats begin to tickle it it becomes slightly tighter in your chest to breathe that the deeper you sink into this fog The further you sail into and pass the smokestacks that a tightness begins to buffer your chest

Cat Blackard:

and they say are you having trouble breathing like like

Hedley Knights:

you're alright it's just a smoke

Cat Blackard:

gods do we have a mass hasn't been expected to breathe in this

Hedley Knights:

maybe we should we should get maybe we should get Oona she's she's useless breathing through all this smoke

Cat Blackard:

Oh yeah. Oh cut Oh nah

Snyders Return:

as you to continue to suffer a more you wait for Boone has more adapted respiratory system you both take five points of poison oh my god is the thick toxic air from the industrial smokestacks floods into your lungs and begins to burn.

Ella Watts:

Okay, I've got nothing in spirits, but can I please it's it's living on a prayer. Can I do a spirits roll please using my history ability to see if I kind of anticipate this in any way or have any idea?

Snyders Return:

I mean yes, we're we're halfway there. So yeah, well hey, pick up living on a prayer. Yeah, sorry.

Cat Blackard:

I did you just didn't acknowledge it because

Snyders Return:

it was terrible. Yes,

Cat Blackard:

I I assumed somebody else would.

Ella Watts:

Oh, I wrote a one so i Yeah, no, I've got I'm just fucking I mean, Chu

Snyders Return:

joined the good flight.

Cat Blackard:

That's that's what I want. Ultimately, we can well

Snyders Return:

you guys well, you know, and and Lucia are struggling in Smoketown. The captain's happy and flavortown is elsewhere entirely.

Cat Blackard:

My shirt pulled over my my mouth trying to like Lucy, did you go down decks? Get outta please.

Unknown:

Yeah, okay.

Hedley Knights:

I kind of not quite my usual scamper but kind of Trundle Trundle down the down the steps. Una

Beth Crane - Oona:

Is this the furthest down the river we've been or have we been to the city

Ella Watts:

at least or definitely be the furthest down? Mito.

Snyders Return:

Okay. You can you can move before if you want. You're all human.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Yeah, I mean, I may have learned my skills there. I'm just trying to figure out what the owner would have anticipated this and use to improvisational building skills to rig Some gas masks

Cai Colin Pritchard:

a big fan.

Snyders Return:

I'm going to say yes. Yeah. If you have learned your skills, which we've just now made as cannon, than you may have anticipated this, between fashioning lead lined case, chests and whatever you're doing with that boiler.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Yeah. Cool. Yeah, I've got one that I can have. I just have smoke inside to wear around. So this is a kind of reverse version of that. So yeah, I hear the coughing and I come back come up on deck with my jury rigged gas mask, and just like, like a kind of bird just grab them both by the back of the neck and bring them below deck. And just like slam the slam the doors, batten down the hatches

Cat Blackard:

what's wrong with the air out there?

Beth Crane - Oona:

That's not there for breathing.

Unknown:

Oh my god. What's the bloody point? Like it'd be like

Hedley Knights:

I didn't expect it to be like this. I thought the quote we would get more open and more more natural near the sea, but I guess the city's on the way.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Not near the city. There's a reason I don't like people.

Ella Watts:

Um, I think probably if you're all below deck, Jeremiah looks up because is anyone Helman the ship? I'm gonna go down the ship and run some

Unknown:

dough. No, no.

Beth Crane - Oona:

I chuck uh, yeah. I grab you by the back of the neck Yankee back off the gas mask onto your face and push you back up again.

Ella Watts:

Well, I suppose this is this is the way we're doing things now. All right, well, oh, no, I trust you I suppose. Because I'm Tech grabs the Helm charts tries to make sure that we don't crash into anything.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Una do I forget the ships need to be steered.

Snyders Return:

Indeed. Una Do you stay on the top or do you return to your engine room?

Beth Crane - Oona:

I think as someone who's a little more used to the smog I still have a mask but I go up and accompany the captain. Also I'm the most human person

Snyders Return:

so

Beth Crane - Oona:

being the human

Hedley Knights:

way I thought the other two

Unknown:

yeah

Beth Crane - Oona:

that's not that's not a Canon comment that I've just made

Ella Watts:

Oh no What is this? What is this Adela Nan okay. And Lucy

Snyders Return:

Yeah, no, that'll be they

Beth Crane - Oona:

those drugs you can buy I'll be fine. Oh right. I

Ella Watts:

suppose what is this fog it doesn't seem I mean the sky is clear. So I'm assuming it's not whether it's doesn't feel like magic not that I would really know

Beth Crane - Oona:

this is what you get when you put a lot of humans together. They do this

Ella Watts:

kind of surprise of the two of us it was used at that but I appreciate it wow this is this is this is obscene. Yeah. Do you know this place? Yeah, I grew up around here never would have been easy what would the air trying to kill you? Yeah, the reason that

Beth Crane - Oona:

either one of them

Ella Watts:

well, I suppose I probably shouldn't. They just are they're like kind of silver scaled freckles. Like I want to go make sure the others are all right. Can I trust you with the helm? may give you a little bit of a smile. kind of squeeze your shoulder you know I suppose one of the things I'm most excited about now for those journeys actually get into know you. Go belowdecks Lucy darlin, can I see your tonsils, please because I'm very worried that something that's got stuck to them.

Cat Blackard:

But by the time we're already down there, like I have first aid skill and I will have started my due diligence for myself and and Lucy I've got different kinds of like healing herbs and teas and stuff that I think are going to like unclog our lungs and help provide some kind of like soothing vapours, that'll like help us respirate better and and maybe even recover points. I don't know how that works. But maybe

Snyders Return:

question how does that work? You will go into that. Yeah,

Cat Blackard:

would that would that minus Ivan poisoned damage that was that the physical defence that it attacked or like where did that number go actually good health.

Snyders Return:

If Yeah, so if players do not take sufficient preparations, which you have now, for travelling through the smog every time you go on deck, which is how you started this you will take one D eight, so you've got five damage from the poisoned ear, regardless of their armour.

Ella Watts:

Yeah, and they would have been taken off your health and in terms of healing it It's a Spirit's role at you'll see medicine. And I can't remember if in the Quickstart we put the short rules or the long rules, I'm pretty sure we did. And just the short rules, but it's kind of up to Adam gems discretion, you do a Spirit's role and depending on how successful your spirits role is, the GM makes a sense check of how many health points you recover with a kind of guidelines being two for an eight for like, you know, easy success or difficult success and a very difficult success.

Cat Blackard:

Okay, cool. Well in let me give it a spin, this is the d 12, right?

Ella Watts:

Plus your spirits and your first eight plus one.

Cat Blackard:

All right, four plus two plus one ain't great. So it's a seven.

Snyders Return:

What you're able to cobble together your should we should we say and it may sound harsh, but you're inexperienced, but this sort of attack on on your physicality, and your colleagues own physiology slightly delay the healing process, you're able to soothe the neck but gain only reminder health benefits from it. So you regain to each.

Hedley Knights:

Okay, take that Hoonah

Snyders Return:

alone on the deck in familiar, but not necessarily pleasant surroundings, you helm the pentacle as it becomes invalid by the fog, there is now no stars, there is no bank bar, the twinkle of Industrial Light somewhere from the factory or a smokestack, you can barely make out the guide buoys that separate the size of the river to allow traffic. And yet somehow, having been through this, it hasn't dulled all of your senses, you are aware of shadows slipping through the smog on the other side of the river. You are well aware that all the goals that are on the bow now did you are can't brief talk it out to anyone you are aware of when just to adjust the navigation of the helm of the wheel just to keep you off the bank and not too close to the centre. You notice a ship sort of slips through and you begin to see the outline, you begin to see the side of the hole as it just breached through the smog. And almost as though they have sent to you as well, it begins to slip silently, quietly. Where you can hear around you is the mechanical sounds of engineering which you've you've almost been able to suppress use to that engine room environment, you can tune out the sounds that aren't right, you can always pick up a lapping of the water, you can pick up the way that the air currents are shifting round and the pull of the current under the pentacle is just your position and you become aware of something just creaking would be adjusting its shape in the water that seems to be slipping from behind the Pentagon. Closing in quietly on your position.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Have I got any idea as to size or is it just general you get

Snyders Return:

because of the way your peripheral vision is sort of clouded and shrouded you just get a sense of of something is there that that shift of wood that knock of of rigging every so often as something mood changes position in the body of water behind you. The lights from the central navigation buoys give you just enough to see a flatter buttoned a hole rather than yours which is more crafted for eventual ocean going. But every time you You sense it getting close it seems to slip back into the smog once more.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Can I pull the wheel? Hard left and then hard right to create a wave behind you?

Snyders Return:

Is that a ship move? Do we need to do a ship

Ella Watts:

move? I mean, I am I would say that this is up to your judgement. Technically we only need to do ship moves in battle but from my own experience of running the game I've enjoyed kind of you know asking people to run ship moves, especially if it's like a situation that could be a battle. It's your choice.

Snyders Return:

I'll say from the ship orders. Take evasive manoeuvres so? PAGE 25

Ella Watts:

Yes, I don't. Sorry. I'm just excited.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Okay, yeah. And why the hell am I now?

Snyders Return:

You are it. Okay. Everyone else is enjoying it bringing up one or both lungs depending on.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Cool. I have a sense of one. So this is going to be an interesting role. It's a one in four. Okay.

Ella Watts:

Well, I am there is there is a thing that I want to that I want to but I don't want to backseat drive. Oh my god, this is the last

Snyders Return:

Oh, no, you wonder you wonder you understand the game. So if there's something we missing, it does say on the end to end for for each success for the crew, I just the total, just the total to the ship's defences until the end of the next week.

Ella Watts:

So ships orders are different from ship moves, where ship moves are things that individuals do ship orders are things that a group of sailors need to work together to do. So if you ask for help from us, and we pass an average towards track, then you get to add a default for every success that we get, which will increase your likelihood of succeeding.

Snyders Return:

Okay, cool. Um, because you were all the pipe work is you know how to communicate through dependence.

Beth Crane - Oona:

Yeah. Cool. I open the pipe and say sort of loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to be heard by whoever's behind us. We're going left them right guys. Also start port to starboard, starboard to port. And what I want them to do is everyone run to one side of the ship, and then a foreign run to the other. coordinated with me turning the wheels

Ella Watts:

I'll happily aid this role I'll do a sword struck to help.

Hedley Knights:

Yes Is that I really do hope the crew

Ella Watts:

so I think it's a D Shift tactic, turning away from the winter create a harder target. Each ating crew member makes an average swords check the helm rolls the force equal to their river cents plus one D for each success by the crew. And that's the total to the ship's defences until the end of the next round. So you're a D 12. You add your swords stat. And for an average check, you

Hedley Knights:

need to watch yesterday for that as well. You

Ella Watts:

are gonna then roll a number of defaults determined by how many successes we get. So we'll go first and then we'll tell you

Unknown:

Okay, cool. Oh,

Cai Colin Pritchard:

so no.

Hedley Knights:

Details 12 Plus swords. That's an 810

Ella Watts:

and I got a 13

Beth Crane - Oona:

three. So I'm rolling 40 fours. Yes, please. Cool. Okay, I'm rolling two at a time we've got a three and a one so there's both fails Come on guys. Come on guys. And two more ones.

Snyders Return:

Oh no. Has nothing sawed off as you conduct this manoeuvre, and through the pentacle, hard to port, everyone races over one side shoe goes everywhere there's a mess in the galley. Everything that's not nailed down is just thrown. Then you whip the wheel so fast round to bring the boat preventible round to head to starboard. It's almost like a like a snap like a handbrake turn. And you overcorrect you don't come back across a microwave. You come almost to the 90 degree. And now instead of middle of the river, smokestacks, something behind you, you have to navigation buoys directly behind you. And a looming, sort of it looks like stars because the way the light break just breaks through the fog and the shadow of a stack immediately in front of the pentacle as you are racing racing towards the shore or the bank of the western bank of the river.

Beth Crane - Oona:

I thought tech guys I need some help.

Ella Watts:

Oh now what exactly are you doing? Jeremiah comes like running up um,

Beth Crane - Oona:

I feel like the fungus probably sick enough that you're not gonna be that apparent as a non humanoid well as a non human. Yeah, no.

Snyders Return:

You are literally just outlined in the smoke at this point. Panicking ones but

Ella Watts:

yeah, so yeah, Jeremiah is gonna take take the helm and kind of do what I can to fix this. Um, I mean try and navigate away from the roof back away from the factory, the smoke the chimney that we're about to crash into.

Snyders Return:

I'd like you to gain an advantageous position.

Ella Watts:

Oh, okay. Oh, this is great. Okay, oh man, I'm so stressed. Oh, this is wonderful. I'm so happy. Okay, so again advantageous position. Ship makes a risky but aggressive term that puts viewers off balance each aiding crew member makes an average swords check the outcome then rolls equals equal to their river cents plus one D for each success by the crew. For each hole roll the ship gains plasti eight attack until the end of the next round of every second crew member fails they roll the ship capsizes could anyone who wants to roll with you 12 And I do swords? Um, please go

Cai Colin Pritchard:

1409

Beth Crane - Oona:

Oh, teens. Oh. Coming through. Yeah, I just I'm like, what I've done is I've put my hands I've like jumped over the side of the boat and I'm hanging on to like, wait to try and tip it. Ah, what you would in aside for you. Bill

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Ebell get nine.

Ella Watts:

Oh, god, okay. Okay. 1234 D four. Four, my river sense because I've got to have a sense because I'm a river folk. Yeah, like that's that's the I got one for

Snyders Return:

nice. Oh my god. Yeah. Hey, so this,

Hedley Knights:

I think or maybe, Lucille said like, loose is a loose is one of the cannons so that that rolls all the way over to the from one side to the other to help push it away.

Snyders Return:

Okay, all right. So as Jeremiah and Jeremiah sorry, and Lucy, you get up on deck? telephony and and I imagine you're sort of a helping shift. Act as ballast.

Cat Blackard:

Yes. Absolutely worn frames.

Snyders Return:

So we is everyone Spudger detail so as to have your actors ballast belowdecks one of you acts as a physical counterweight to one side. The cannon fires off up river just blankly to push the bow around. Good choice by the way. And Catan you turn the wheel not only is this huge week, sort of generated from your sweeping turn as what did you load into into your weapon?

Hedley Knights:

Probably just lots of gunpowder and wadding No, no wait, I don't.

Snyders Return:

Okay. As it goes, yeah. Feathers as Oona drags, it almost inexplicably superhuman drags the portside down. Jeremiah's Catan you turn the wheel belowdecks the balance shifts and the gun fires and the recoil helps it shift the craft behind with the smooth bottom sort of more river style hole you see that illuminating the flash given out by the cannon as it lifts high upon this week that you've created and there's that absence that gap and you just hear an almighty slap as the Croft hits the hits back to back down onto the salty water and after the slap you hear a crack and then you hear a series of male female you hear voices screaming and shouting as a shift of air seems to sort of create bubbles that just catch up with you and the Crafter does not

Ella Watts:

amazing you

Beth Crane - Oona:

got I hope that wasn't a tourist craft

Ella Watts:

Jeremiah re imagined like as as we kind of made that massive turn essentially was like almost like had their feet like braced against the deck it was like straining as hard as they could they have this like kind of green very very dark green kind of Kelly habit seems perpetually wet for some reason. But like I think that they just kind of like narrow their eyes a bit and kind of like probably a pretty happy go lucky kind of person but like he does not like people ship his crew and so he just kind of like scowls a bit. Not not a mice

Snyders Return:

with adrenaline running high. The pentacle slips quietly now through what's left of the smoke of the smokestacks emerging to the other side. As you sort of reach the smoke curtain star's light up the sky there are constellations you have navigated by Catan since you first learned to sail there are things there are there's the odd shooting star that just cuts across the sky. The stacks behind now you're past the smog and look back you can see there they're just billowing this smoke the smoke down onto the rivers it sort of floods and almost almost creeps behind you as it crosses the surface of the water. As you guys get clear, there is there is peace. Everybody else seems to have tied up for the night but you continue on you press on. It's nearing midnight, and they're just on the horizon a new set of lights emerges. No, no smoke towels as such. Some light industry noises can be heard over the gentle sound of the steam engine pushing the puddles around. You will get a chance to tidy up. Is there anything you'd like to do in this moment of calm?

Beth Crane - Oona:

I'm checking up on the boat and seeing that she's alright. That nothing has been too badly broken.

Cat Blackard:

I've got a tremendous mess to clean up. Oh tremendous. The ceiling the walls the floor especially it's a little it's a little thick when I step in there so uh yeah, I'll be I'll be busy for a while there's hatches to re batten down

Hedley Knights:

but I'm Lucy I think quickly reloads the cannon and checks it and then goes and helps with a cloth and

Cat Blackard:

stray kind of Lucy Thank you no worries

Cai Colin Pritchard:

I think also did a funny sort of the is slightly mourning the loss of the soup and kind of the is it like it? Do we say so it tipped over and it's just like a mess on the floor now and that's that's part of what it's getting cleared on. I think I think sort of as you're doing that part, he just sort of looks down and goes it was a good soup and sort of kneels down and stuff

Cat Blackard:

Oh, thank you thanks for paying your respects potrai cool well this is this is very this is gonna take no time at all we'll be in bed before it's too late. Thank you everyone

Snyders Return:

has the the usual sort of turn to scrub out and clean up and get everything re stowed and secured gas masks removed and re stowed wherever only you keep them for the next time you hopefully will come up through past the smokestacks. Civilization now softer glow looms large and gaining larger as the city comes into view as we pass the midnight hour and you are met by pilot vessel to guide you into safe harbour that is where we will end

Unknown:

Oh, I love that so

Ella Watts:

NPC Oh my gosh.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

Yeah, I wanted to bring every single except for the Yeah, those

Ella Watts:

Yeah, yeah. No, honestly. Like, um, oh my god, they were so hate. Yeah. And the moments like Adam when like when they when they were behind it, and you were like, there's this moment of silence as you pass each other like my heart was in my like, Oh my god.

Snyders Return:

Ah, can you Well, thank you Allah for creating this wonderful game up river down river. Available now because this could be played at any point in time. So go and pick it up. But I would like to say thank you to each and every one of you. So, start at the top. Birth. Thanks for playing Who were you playing and where can we find you?

Beth Crane - Oona:

I was playing una the engineer. And you can find me on Twitter at not combustable on Instagram at Beth crane art, or also Beth Kay crane art. You can find me on Instagram at Beth Kay Corinne art. And you can find me wherever you find we fix space junk. You can listen to me on we fix space junk and find me on any of their socials.

Snyders Return:

Thank you very much.

Beth Crane - Oona:

70 retail it's

Snyders Return:

all good. It's all good. Chi, who you are, who you played and where we can find you please.

Cai Colin Pritchard:

My name is Chi good and Pritchard I played telephony Mantinea cough and Neom didn't say the last two games ever I think in that campaign or in that session, you can find me by listening to my audio drama Chain of Being you could follow my me account at my name is not Chi Chi with a C and I also produce sound arts pieces on Bandcamp under the moniker DNS, which is d i n a s. Yeah, thank you.

Cat Blackard:

I'm Kat blacker than I played anthracite marble heart. You can find me at cat Blackard on all socials, just just search for my name and things get a bit ambiguous and I make the Call of Cthulhu mystery programme which you can find on all your favourite podcast players or at Cthulhu mystery.com.

Hedley Knights:

Thank you Headley, please. Yeah, I was. I am Headley knights and I was playing Lucy, the gunner. And you can find my best podcast we fix space junk on any good pod catcher and social media app. We fix space junk or me personally at Headley underscore K on Twitter.

Ella Watts:

And I'm Ella watts. I made this game with my partner Max Breyer developed with MacGuffin and company I don't know when this is going to come out but it will be in development probably at that time. I hope that you enjoyed this taster of it. I played Captain Jeremiah Thomas who was a riverboat captain following the path of justice. And you can find me on social media at GE J watts on Instagram and Twitter and search hashtag upriver or downriver. If you want to get more information about the game. Occasionally I ramble. Sometimes the draw tarot cards, talk about inspirations and playlists and linked to all sorts of fun things and art as we make it and I really hope that you enjoyed this. Thank you.

Snyders Return:

Sorry, thank you very much. Links to all of your social medias will be in the description below this podcast. So please scroll down support the shows and the productive outputs of each of these wonderful individuals. I was Adam on the DMDM and interviewed for the size return TTRPG podcast. So since you found this episode, feel free to check out our other interviews and one shots and actual plays. And I think from each bus, we hope you enjoyed this little trip down the river, up river down river