Selkie's Secret

Selkie's Secret
Class:	Unknown
Rooms:	31
Pilot:	Cerwin
Captain:	Klaeve

Pilot

Cerwin is a lanky human with a shock of bushy black hair and pale blue eyes. An ornate gold earring shaped like a buxom mermaid dangles from one of his rather large ears. He is wearing a deep azure enameled button badge depicting a beautiful woman and a seal poised upon a rock, a pale blue cotton shirt, and some billowing blue canvas trousers.

Ship

[Selkie's Secret, Bowsprit]
Stretching out over the water, the bowsprit bows and leaps with each passing movement of the waves. Wrist-thick ropes secure the jib and jib topsails, straining against the wooden spar as the wind fills the canvas. Below, a gilded figurehead carved in the shape of a mermaid hugs the prow. You also see the foredeck.
Ship paths: none.

[Selkie's Secret, Foredeck]
High above the waist of the ship, the wind catches at clothing and skin of all those who pace the oak planks of the foredeck. Thick coils of rope wind around the bronze capstain's central column, holding the anchor securely in place until the windlass is released. The wooden planking creaks underfoot as the ship rolls with the motion of the waves. You also see the bowsprit.
Ship paths: starboard, port.

[Selkie's Secret, Foredeck, Starboard Battery]
Polished mahogany rails with brass fittings line the edge of the foredeck. Overhead, the jib and jib topsails flap with sharp snaps in response to each gust as the canvas stretches in the wind. Storage lockers hold neatly coiled ropes, canvas for patching sails, thick cotton twine and other supplies necessary for the day to day maintenance of the ship. You also see a mangonel, a chain pile, a heavy crate, some stairs and a dark barrel.
Ship paths: port.

[Selkie's Secret, Foredeck, Port Battery]
Deep blue railings run along either side of the stairs leading down to the maindeck, a vivid contrast to the dark oak wood of the steps. Small piles of ammunition are stored in crates and barrels stacked beside the gunwale, ready for use in the mangonels. You also see a dark barrel, a chain pile, a heavy crate and a mangonel.
Ship paths: starboard.

[Selkie's Secret, Foremast]
Belaying pins rest in the oak fife rail surrounding the smooth pine of the foremast, securing the lines leading to the square canvas sails above. The ratlines, or knotted rope netting, run from deck to the wooden yardarm, providing a dizzying access to the crow's nest far, far above. You also see the forecastle.
Ship paths: starboard, aft to starboard, aft, aft to port, port.

[Selkie's Secret, Foremast, Starboard Battery]
Bone shavings litter the decking near a whalebone drinking horn that lies discarded atop a coil of rope. Evidently one of the crew was working on the delicately carved object in his spare time. Sheets run from the sails overhead to be tied off to belaying pins along the rail, the taut rope straining under the tension as wind fills the canvas above. You also see a chain pile, a dark barrel, a heavy crate, a mangonel and some stairs.
Ship paths: aft to port, port.

[Selkie's Secret, Foremast, Port Battery]
Voices echo from an open porthole as an unseen sailor sings a chanty while he works. The crew bustle about on deck, seeing to the rigging, scrubbing the decking to a pale white gleam and performing other routine maintenance needed to keep the ship in top condition. Coils of rope lie, one atop the other, forming a rude seat for anyone not currently occupied. You also see a heavy crate, a chain pile, a dark barrel, a mangonel and some stairs.
Ship paths: starboard, aft to starboard.

[Selkie's Secret, Forecastle]
Buckets and hoses are stored in a small cabinet just within the forecastle doors, along with mops and brooms and other housekeeping supplies. None of these seem to be in use in the forecastle itself -- the pale white oak of the maindeck gives way to mildew-stained exposed oak beams, while the glass chimney of the lantern is dulled by an accumulation of soot. You also see the foredeck.
Ship paths: forward.

[Selkie's Secret, Crew's Mess]
Planks nailed to wooden barrels form crude tables and benches for the crew. The daily meal of salted meat, hardtack and pickled cabbage is enlivened twice a week by a boiled pudding made of flour and dried raisins or currants, known as "duff". The standard allowance of a gallon of ale per man each makes up for the lack of variety in the menu. You also see a cask of dark ale.
Ship paths: aft, port.

[Selkie's Secret, Galley]
Vats of water boil merrily atop an iron stove, filling the dank galley with steam as salty slabs of beef or pork stew for hours. Wooden platters are stacked on shelves, along with tin forks and spoons. Tin-lined bins below the shelves hold hardtack, a dry, tasteless biscuit frequently home to weevils and other, less readily identifiable denizens of the insect kingdom.
Ship paths: starboard.

[Selkie's Secret, Near Central Hatch]
The sharp tang of saltwater mingles with the fragrance of food cooking in the ship's galley and the harsh scent of tar to form the memorable aroma of a seafaring ship. Overturned wooden jolly boats stand sentinel along the gunwale, on either side of the central hatch leading to the ship's hold.
Ship paths: forward, forward to starboard, starboard, aft to starboard, aft, aft to port, port, forward to port.

[Selkie's Secret, Amidships, Starboard Battery]
A wooden jollyboat lies overturned on the deck, leaning against the railing which surrounds the central hatch. The sturdy boat is tightly caulked and coated with a layer of tar to keep out the water. Sailors are kept busy during lulls in the wind polishing the brass fittings of the rails and scrubbing the deck. You also see The Crossing, a heavy crate, a dark barrel and a chain pile.
Ship paths: aft to port, port, forward to port.

[Selkie's Secret, Amidships, Port Battery]
Thick rope netting dangles over the side of the ship, left there by sailors engaged in their ongoing battle against the growth which forms on the ship's hull. The sharp scent of fresh paint wafts through the air from buckets that hang from hooks on the nets. You also see a heavy crate, a dark barrel, a chain pile and a mangonel.
Ship paths: forward to starboard, starboard, aft to starboard.

[Selkie's Secret, Central Hold]
Net bags hang from the ceiling joists, holding wax-coated wheels of cheese out of reach of the local rodents. Swaying tin disks fastened to the ropes ensure that any attempts to gain access to the food does nothing more than dump the pilferer upon the deck. Below the deck, the dank stench of mildew is accompanied by the sound of water sloshing in the bilges. A brass lantern hangs from a central support beam, providing a flickering circle of illumination in the darkness of the hold.
Ship paths: forward, aft.

[Selkie's Secret, Forward Hold]
Cramped and crowded, the hold is filled from floor to ceiling joists with an assortment of crates, rolls of canvas and rope, barrels of water, salted meat and ale and other less readily identifiable equipment required by a ship on any voyage. A narrow bench off to one side fills what little free space there is, with a sail stretched out over the top as one of the sailmaker's mates works to patch a tear.
Ship paths: aft.

[Selkie's Secret, Aft Hold]
A group of off-duty sailors huddle in a circle around a cleared space in the aft hold, cheering on a pair of rats that battle for a bit of hardtack or cheese. The winner of the cruel sport will grow plump on his prize, while the loser will fatten the belly of some predator of the sea. One sailor stands guard near a short passage, ready to warn his mates to scatter should an officer approach. You also see a short passage.
Ship paths: forward, down.

[Selkie's Secret, Bilge]
Water sloshes in the bowels of the ship as the ocean seeps through the caulking between the wooden planking of the hull. A pair of sailors work a pump, returning the water to the ocean from which it came in an ongoing battle against the sea. A fitful circle of flickering light surrounds a lantern which hangs from the ceiling joists, but the comfort of the candle only serves to emphasize the darkness.
Ship paths: up.

[Selkie's Secret, Aft Deck, Near Mainmast]
Cool white spray splashes the deck, the saltwater bleaching the teak planks to a pale shade of grey. Oakum, made from the tarred fibers of worn-out ropes, has been pounded into the cracks between the boards, providing a weather-tight caulking. High above the surface of the deck, the mainmast with its square sails sways dizzyingly with each gust of breeze. You also see the sterncastle.
Ship paths: forward, forward to starboard, starboard, port, forward to port.

[Selkie's Secret, Aft Deck, Starboard Battery]
The horizon sways back and forth, rising and falling with each movement of the ship upon the ocean in a dizzying dance with the waves. The waist-high gunwale is a fragile barrier at best, defining the boundaries of the ship and serving as an anchor for the many lines, stays and sheets which secure the rigging. You also see a heavy crate, the quarterdeck stairs, a chain pile, a mangonel and a dark barrel.
Ship paths: port, forward to port.

[Selkie's Secret, Aft Deck, Port Battery]
Perched atop a wooden storage locker, a sailor leans back as he plays a lively chanty on his grass reed pipes. Other crew members strain as they pull on the ropes to adjust a sail on the nearby mainmast, each pull done in a rhythmic fashion in time with the music of the pipes. When done, the lines will be secured to belaying pins along the gunwale, easily removed wooden pegs which anchor the maze of ropes around the ship. You also see a mangonel, the quarterdeck stairs, a chain pile, a heavy crate and a dark barrel.
Ship paths: forward to starboard, starboard.

[Selkie's Secret, Sterncastle]
A short ebony-railed flight of steps sweeps down from the double doors that lead to the maindeck, ending at the hallway of the sterncastle. The faint smell of mildew wafts up from the lower deck through a dark hatch in the floor, apparently unnoticed by the officers as they brush past on their way to the ship's wardroom. You also see the maindeck, a dark hatch, a blue door and the wardroom.
Ship paths: none.

[Selkie's Secret, Passenger Cabin]
The most luxurious of the passenger cabins on the ship, this stateroom features lacy netting shrouding the wide bunk suspended from the wall, as well as a small table with a pair of graceful lyre-backed chairs. Round portholes framed with polished brass give the oak-paneled walls a light, airy feeling, while the glass lantern hanging over the table provides illumination during the hours of darkness.
Ship paths: out.

[Selkie's Secret, Wardroom]
A wooden table stained with white water-rings nearly fills the cramped confines of the wardroom. Battered chairs, in various stages of disrepair, cluster closely around it, leaving just enough room to pull each chair back and squeeze in. No space is wasted here or in any part of the ship -- wooden lockers between the ceiling joists contain an assortment of delicacies unavailable to the common crewman, purchased by members of the wardroom to enliven their meals on the voyage. You also see a door.
Ship paths: out.

[Selkie's Secret, Officer's Berth]
Wooden bunks line the walls, deep shelves to cushion the sleep of the ship's officers. In the center of the room, a table holds manuals of seamanship and other tools of the sailor's trade -- a divider, a chart of the local waters and an hourglass. The low ceiling makes it impossible for any crew member taller than a Dwarf to stand upright without danger of injury to his head. You also see a door.
Ship paths: none.

[Selkie's Secret, Lower Deck]
Damp, stinking air flows into the lower deck through a short passage that leads to the hold, condensing on the walls and fittings to rust metal and rot wood. The darkness below decks is undiminished by what little light filters through the hatch in the ceiling, however a single tallow candle flickers fitfully in a soot-stained glass lantern that hangs from the exposed joists of the ceiling. You also see a brown door and a grey door.
Ship paths: none.

[Selkie's Secret, Passenger Cabin]
Little larger than a pair of coffins stacked one atop the other, the smallest cabin on board is sized to house Dwarves, Gnomes and Halflings with efficiency if not comfort. Located in a small corner near the bulkhead, the room is equipped with several bunks, none more than four feet long, and an overpowering stench of dank, mildewed wood from the ship's bilge.
Ship paths: out.

[Selkie's Secret, Passenger Cabin]
Rats chitter from the shadows beneath the four bunks built into the walls of the cramped cabin. Far too low for most races to stand up with any safety, the exposed beams of the ceiling are splintered with rusty nails, from one of which hangs a tin lantern. The confines are further crowded by the presence of several trunks stacked one atop the other along the far wall, leaving little room to maneuver.
Ship paths: out.

[Selkie's Secret, Quarterdeck]
The scrubbed white oak planks of the quarterdeck pitch and roll with the motion of the waves. A wooden structure along the forward edge of the deck houses the captain's cabin, while the ship's wheel, made of dark mahogany with polished brass fittings, stands near the stern rail. Broad-winged seabirds wheel and keen overhead, battling each other for scraps of food tossed overboard after a meal. You also see pilot Cerwin and the Captain's cabin.
Ship paths: starboard, port.

[Selkie's Secret, Quarterdeck, Starboard Battery]
Officers pace the quarterdeck, spyglasses in hand as they survey the ocean that surrounds the vessel, ever alert for the sight of sail in the distance. The quarterdeck is less cluttered than the rest of the ship, offering more room to walk about and stretch the legs without running into the profusion of storage lockers and rope coils which abound on the main deck. You also see a chain pile, the maindeck stairs, a heavy crate and a mangonel.
Ship paths: port.

[Selkie's Secret, Quarterdeck, Port Battery]
The raised surface of the quarterdeck provides an excellent vantage point for those interested in observation of the local marine life. Seagulls wheel about the masts, their hoarse cries ringing out through the air, and an occasional fish leaps above the surface of the water. Despite the bustle of the crew and passengers on the ship, it's easy to feel a sense of isolation from the rest of the world. You also see a chain pile, a heavy crate, the maindeck stairs, a dark barrel and a mangonel.
Ship paths: starboard.

[Selkie's Secret, Captain's Cabin]
The door leading to this room is locked.
Obvious Exits: none

History

• At one time Caibre served as the captain and Tarrebuck was among the crew, both are currently no longer in service.

Notes

• Currently commanded by Captain Klaeve Haraldson, in service to the Zoluren throne.