Inside the Ship

The DM: The cross-section shown isn't dead accurate in contents or scale, but is there to give a general idea of what the space you're in looks like. You're looking at two forward holds, with contents jumbled about on the bottom, which you're standing on, and which you climbed up into from outside. The door on the right is the one that Vafrandir entered; Embla is depicted standing in front of the hatch that Pandred opened.

[OOC-DM: Embla, I've rewritten the climb walls ability. Please note]

Vafrandir: Very nice! What is the orientation of the rope ladder?

The DM: right now, straight down into the hold.

Embla Strand Lovely. I clamber across to the next deck.

The DM: To C Deck, I'm guessing.

Pandred: Well, while we orient ourselves in 3d space, I'll lean into the hatch with my light. What's goin' on in here? I'll stick in half-way if need be, like an armored Pooh-bear.

The DM: There appears to be about a foot of water on the "bottom" of the hold as depicted, which must be from rainwater, as this ship never sailed in water. Apart from that, the hold appears to be empty; your torch light only carries about twenty feet or so, meaning you can't see very well beyond that distance.

Pandred: Alrighty. I'm sure old rainwater smells delightful. Em, does your infravision help at all? Can you see into the water, or to the parts my light doesn't reach? I really don't want to climb in there for nothing.

The DM: [OOC-DM: something you haven't seen before, Embla, that I've added to sure-footedness and that you're able to do: beam walking]

Embla Strand Oooh, that's handy. Climbing walls will probably be helpful as well here.

Embla Strand Aye, to deck C. Are the doors indicated on the map leading laterally into the ship?

The DM: I'd rather not draw out the whole interior of the ship, but ... here's a mock up of the hall that Vafrandir entered. The door he opened is hanging down and blocking your view, as shown.

Embla Strand Understood. Thank you.

Embla Strand Having reached deck C, is the situation the same as deck D with regard to water? What can I see out the far side?

The DM: I'm afraid that I don't understand that question at all. There is no water in deck D. There is water in the hold, which I did not label but has a curved bottom. What can you see out the far side of what?

Embla Strand My apologies. I misunderstood. I move to the door in deck C and open it.

The DM: This is very confusing. The door that is showing in the picture IS open. Vafrandir opened it, was surprised by a non-undead skeleton, and the door remains open. There are five other doors that are closed; you can't see the other two in the ceiling because they are hidden behind the door.

Embla Strand I understand your confusion. I think I'm properly oriented now. I move back to deck D and open the the first door I can access.

The DM: I wish you'd be more specific. But I'll rule that you move up to the doorway shown on the image on D Deck, tear the door from the hinges and look up a hallway that has no doors, but has a stairwell to the left. The passage is on its side, so it is 3 ft high and 4'10" wide.

Embla Strand I clamber inside the passage and look up the stairs.

Deeper In

The DM: From here on out I'm going to describe the inner parts of the ship as though they are upright. It will be up to the players to remember that when I say "right", I mean "down"; and when I say "left" I mean "up." This ship on its side thing is very disorienting to put into text; I'm regretting starting this idea. Likewise, "above" means oriented towards the top of the ship, NOT "above the player"; and "below" means oriented towards the bottom of the ship. Okay? Good luck, everyone.

Embla, you see a hatch above you, that you presume will lead onto Deck C, past the six doors you've already viewed.

Pandred: I will remain on Deck D, and open the door to the "right" closest to my Hatch, and move systematically through the room this way. I will start with all doors to the "right".

The DM: Pandred, Embla just went through the door on Deck D. That's how she got where she is.

Embla Strand I scramble up the steps to the hatch and open it.

The DM: Embla, the hatch appears to be open; the latch is broken; but when you pull against it, it feels as though someone is pulling back. If you let go, it moves tightly back in place.

Pandred: I'll move down to help lift it then.

Embla Strand Before I tug with Pandred, I knock several times on the hatch.

The DM: Let's try this image and see if it helps orient people.

Embla and Pandred are side by side; nothing answers Pandred's knock, and when you pull together, Pandred is able see about two inches through the gap; this reveals nothing in the room, but it does show that the door is being held by some sort of sticky ropelike substance, like gripcolle (see this page).

This doesn't let you get the door open; it would have to be cut or something, and there's no room to get a dagger into the gap between the hatch and the wall.

Vafrandir: "I'll see if there's another way in!" Am I right in reading the image that the hallway from Deck C ends in approximately the same location?

Yes, apparently, they appear to match up.