Twylt looks over the seat and the belt and buckle built into it. She has never seen a buckle like this before though it is not hard to elucidate how the mechanism works. It's a very cleverly designed piece of gnomish ingenuity.
There is a male section that slides into the female section and locks in when a hammer on either side slips into locking holes. By depressing the hammers on both sides  at once the pieces come apart. However with this buckle one of the hammers are quite loose and the buckle doesn't hold under strain.
Twylyt appeals to the God of Metal and Stone to grant a divine favor by stiffening the spring loaded device. The lock seems repaired. How much strain it will hold, only time will tell.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:46, Sun 14 Apr.

The lake has gradually narrowed from the east and west. The waters of the red stone are collecting into a narrow corridor between rocky walls. The chutes are just ahead.

"We are approaching the chutes sister.
The first one is not too bad, you could probably stand through it, with a good hold. That buckle has been iffy for some time. Feels pretty solid right now. Hold on either way. It will get a little spicey in about 5 mins."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:56, Sun 14 Apr.

Twylyt just nods in response and gets ready to hold on. She sits in the chair and buckles herself in. The anticipation has made her unsure of speech, which, if her father were here, would have caused him some pleasure at the respite from her chattering. She holds on for dear life, anticipating the worst.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:45, Tue 16 Apr.

Bango guides the craft, Now with the sail curled and keel raised, steering is a coordinated effort by all four gnomes. Only Bango is vocal. The rest react to his commands. As they slide into the first chute, the glorified raft tips forward and gathers speed. It is bumpy and Twylyt is tossed from side to side, but the combination of her strength and the seat belt keeps her safely in the chair. After twenty seconds or so, the excitement is over.

"You okay? You have two minutes till the next one. Its much more challenging.  So be prepared."

“Bring it on!” exclaims Twylyt. Her natural enthusiasm reappears after the first chute - She now knows what they are facing - as does her desire not to look weak to little gnomes.

The raft soon starts accelerating as the current sucks it into the next chute. This one is steeper and longer than the first. The spray of the rushing water reaches twylyts face. The raft lunches hard to the left then leans hard foward.

"Hold on!"

Twylyt suddenly feels like they are falling. The chute is a series of short waterfalls that descend through the gorge. Each one sends Twylyt hanging in the seat against the straining belt and buckle. The apparatus is holding so far. Twylyt tries her best to hold herself in the chair as well. She can tell that without the belt, she would be having a difficult time staying on board.

Bango is constantly yelping out commands. His crew responding instantly. If one were watching them, the chaos might seem almost under control. They are all strapped in and working their oars with precision.

The boat lunches hard to the left then hits hard against a rock.  Twylyt lurches foward and the buckle comes apart. Twylyt clutches at the arms of the seat but her momentum rips her from the chair and plants her on the floor. Her left cheek slams the timber floor pretty hard, but she manages to grab onto the frame of the shelter before sliding completely off the craft. Before she has time to consider her next move the chaos calms ad they reach a pool at the bottom of the chute. Bango is quick to leave his post to help Twylyt.


Twylyt Strength DC 10
1d20 + 1
Rolled: 3 + 1 = 4

Twylyt Dex DC 10
1d20 - 1
Rolled: 11 - 1 = 10

Damage from fall
1d2 non leathal
Rolled: 2

This message was last edited by the player at 11:31, Tue 16 Apr.

“Well, that was fun,” mutters Twylyt, wiping the blood from her check. “Thank you, Bango for getting us through so far.”  She doesn’t want to know how many more chutes there are. Having learned the importance of the buckle, she appeals to the gods to again repair it by casting the Mending orison.

Twylyt examines the buckle. The problem is the same as before. The metal is weakened over years of use in hard conditions. She touches the loose hammer gently. A warmth radiates momentarily then just as before the hammer stiffens and the buckle seems to hold solid again. Twylyt takes a seat and buckles in.

"This next one is called the Serpent! Its not cryptic! Hold on, we will keep it upside up!"

Bango has to yell over the roar of the river all afroth with white water. The boat is steady but the rude bumpy.

Twylyt buckles in, holds on, and mouths a prayer to Moradin.

Bango and his crew hit the Serpent at a precisely maneuvered angle. Bongo is yipping commands as the raft accelerates down through a twisting maze of rock and water.  The roar is deafening. Everything is wet. Twylt is tossed from side to side as the boat snakes its way through the gauntlet. The ordeal last for over a minute but once they reach the bottom, Twylyt can breathe a sigh of relief as the buckle holds this time.

"Three down, two to go sister! Next one in less than a minute."

A shiver runs through her, as much from the clothes that are now soaked as the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Her eyes widen slightly at learning there are two more - I hope I don’t have to repeat this ride, she thinks to herself. The chutes are impressive in a terrifying manner and will make for a good story, but only once she is safely through them. But in the meantime, she readjusts her shirt and pants - both got out of kilter during the last chute and were distinctly uncomfortable at the moment - and double checks the well-worn buckle that is her first line of defense. Everything girded as correctly as they could be, she tightens her grip, which is her second line of defense, and again says, “Bring it on!”
This message was last edited by the player at 17:40, Wed 17 Apr.

As Twyjyt looks over the buckle, she is dismayed to see that it is extremely loose. The buckle holds but its not reassuring.

Twylyt hopes the buckle will hold but decides to risk a quick question to Bango, “Could you put an extra coil of rope around me? Not quite tie me to the boat but something similar. I have rope in my backpack.” She hates the idea of being tied up but figures this might be better than trying to rely on a summoned porpoise if she feel in.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:30, Wed 17 Apr.

Bango yells over the roar of whitewater.

"No time! I can't leave my post! You have half a minute!"

Bango pulls his oar like a rudder, yipping out commands to his crew. They seem so cool in a wild, almost frantic situation.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 12:24, Thu 18 Apr.

A very reasonable reply, albeit unfortunate, thinks Twylyt. So she quickly pulls out the rope and loops it around her and the chair as many times as possible before the first splash of the next chute hits her.

DM: Twylyt will get a Rope Use check. The result will be halved rounded down. That result will be a synergy bonus to upcoming Strength check.

Use Rope
1d20 - 1 dex
Rolled: 9 - 1 = 8
Syn Bonus: 4

This message was last edited by the GM at 12:06, Fri 19 Apr.

Bango and the crew are up to something different. They are spinning the craft around to enter the next chute backward. The spray and roar of water are intense. Twylyt can't see what is coming.

"Hold on Sister! We call this one the twister!"

He yells over the din.

This time, Twylyt keeps her eyes open during the chute. The waves disappear as quickly as they appear in forms of v, x, o, and other non-linear patterns. And the white foam is impressive! In different places, it sacks in stories or exists only a bubble deep. She watches as one particularly stubborn foam pattern takes flight and temporarily lands on the head of one of the gnomes, giving it for a brief but amusing time a significant amount of “hair”.

She takes her eyes off the threat that is the water and places them on her protectors who are the gnomes. Bango is constantly in motion, shouting orders and moving the till. The other gnomes - she now regrets not even attempting to learn their names - are at the four corners to man their oars and sails. Of course, everyone is wet so it is easy to see the muscles on their arms as they struggle against the water to steer safely. None of the gnomes looks to the others, only to the tools and water. As impressive as is the river, she is more impressed with the teamwork. Being tiny must motivate them to work together, she thinks as old biases rear their head.

"Okay guys! Just as we discussed! Go!"

The sherpas start working in unison to spin the boat so that it rolls around the boulders that dot this chute. The boat accelerates and deaccelerates very quickly as it spins first in one direction and then the other. Twylyt holds on to the loose end of the rope tightly. She had wrapped herself snuggly and she feels quite secure. Though the chute is very lively and wet, she stays securely in her seat.


Strength Check DC 15
1d20 + 2 str + 4 synergy
Rolled: 12 + 6 = 18

This message was last edited by the player at 13:01, Sun 21 Apr.

Bango unstraps himself from the port bow corner of the skiff. He checks on his crew then Twylyt.

"One more sister. Its a doozey. We have a couple minutes to preoare. Its a long fast descent with a tough finish. We have to guide the boat between to large rocks. There is very little room for error. If we fail, we could smash on those rocks. So prepare for a rough landing. That rope worked well it looks. But that buckle is shot."

He points to the broken hammer pin which is no longer there as it is completely gone.

" If you find yourself swimming, stay calm, let the chute take you to the bottom. There is a big oxbow with a pebble beach at the bottom. An easy landing once you get there."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 15:08, Sun 21 Apr.

“You’ve steered us well so far. May Moradin continue to guide us,” she says with conviction on the first statement and hope for the second. “Ride the chute to the beach if I’m in the water. Got it. I’m ready when you are.”

This particular technical obstacle always makes Bango nervous. Over the decades he has flipped his boat here three times and smashed a boat to pieces once. It is no joke. As they approach the crest the steepness cause Bango to hitch his breathing. It happens every time. The craft tilts foward as it slides into position. The acceleration feels like falling. Bango barks out minor adjustments, but the heading is perfect. Suddenly Bango's countenance falls as he sees something unexpected. The rocks have shifted! There is a protrusion right in the slot they are shooting for. He frantically attempts to turn, but the momentum is too great. He realizes that they are going to plow into and possibly over that rock. He yells a warning.

"ohhhh Fuuuuuckkkkk!!! Hold on! We are going to...."

The crash of Selunida into the rock is like an explosion. The craft splinters into pieces as the timbers separate and continue through the chute. All the gnomes jump free of the craft, preferring their chances in the water.

The cabin and Twylyt are located upon a central section of the craft that remains somewhat intact. Twylyt, however is unable to hold onto the rope during the violent collision. The tossing abd twisting, wrecks the chair and Twylyt slips out and onto the broken deck. The entire structure tips, almost throwing here over, but she manages to grab hold of a cabin support beam then she holds on tightly. As the broken up boat descends into the calmer, wider oxbow below. Pieces of boat and gnomes are all about in the water.

Strength +6 DC 20
Rolled: 6 + 6 = 12

Dexterity -1 DC 15
Rolled: 18 - 1 = 17

This message was last edited by the player at 12:30, Mon 22 Apr.

Twylyt spits water out and wipes her hair out of her eyes.  She is a dizzy and beat up from the descent through the chute.  Getting her bearings and ignoring the roaring in her ears - is that the echo from the chutes or transit through them - she quickly determines that she is alive, the boat is in pieces, and their are gnomes to save.  "Moradin, hear me now oh great one. Please bless these gnomes who have been so brave and talented to get us this far on our journey." Having taken that immediate step, which she hopes is helpful at reinforcing their courage, she gathers any lengths of rope to cast at any gnomes near enough for her to provide actual physical assistance.

The scene is chaotic. Twylyt finds herself adrift, being pushed into a large sweeping oxbow. Three of the gnomes are swimming to shore, but Bango is nowhere to be seen. The sound of the canyon is pounding and the air is wet with spray. Its cold and confusing.

She remembers her father saying the first rule for a rescue is to make sure you are safe otherwise you will double the number of people to rescue.  Twylyt also remembers Bango's words and heads for shore while going with the current.  Once ashore, she rushes to the gnomes to check on their health and to ask about Bango.

Schep, Poppin and Bexter have each pulled themselves out of the water. When the realization that Bango is not among them sets in, they all start to frantically call his name and scan the water for him. All three wade back out into river to search for him. Calling desperately. They obviously care for him deeply.
After about 2 minutes the sound of a meek voice is barely heard above the roar of water. Twylyt with a better vantage point sees Bango clinging to a rock at the end of the chute. His head is bloody and he seems to be only partially conscious. The water is rushing by him with a dangerous current. If he slips in he will likely drown.