Status: Skirt damaged<br/>HP 83 of 83     Spells remaining: 7 of 7 1st, 4 of 4 2nd, 1 of 1 from bonded object<br/>Ammunition remaining: 18 common arrows, 15 silvered, 20 cold iron, 2 Slow Burn, 5 Tangleshot<br/><hr/>"Mmmm.  Sounds like she's in university too, Ashley?  Let's hope for her sake she didn't pop on for a break.  And that this is over before she does... though... "  Rae-lynne considered what she was missing, back in the real world.  She wasn't sure about the time, not having the system's clock to refer to, but while time here was compressed, there'd still be things going on, and there was work she should be doing.  "...I suppose we're all going to be late for an assignment here or there.  Just how long... I wonder.  And I don't have any room-mates or anything to check on me and notice something's up.  But others must... eventually people will notice, and then we'll get free of all this, whatever the admins are up to."  And Rae-lynne was confident - well, somewhat confident - that when the story got out, she'd be forgiven a few late assignments if it came to that.  On the other hand ... did she really want word to get out?  She really, really didn't want everyone to know just where she had been spending time.  It was awkward enough that a few mutual friends with Teagan were aware of her experimentation here.  News getting out would mean everyone knowing, her peers, her profs, the lot.  This had better be over soon!<br/><br/>It was interesting that Grogza had her gear - Rayne had assumed otherwise because of Moonbow, but of course that monk was getting repeatedly defeated, and on purpose... presumably she'd gone out with next to nothing already.  And perhaps she'd had worse luck with the penalty.  Perhaps the master or mistress could fiddle with equipment, but not actually rob the slave blind - that made sense, inasmuch as anything here did.<br/><br/>Rayne cast a professional eye over the bow, a bit doubtful over the thickness of the materials, the string that seemed more rope than cord... and when she tried to give a good pull she accomplished nothing, just let out a somewhat musical groan as she strained with it, the thin cords of her muscles bulging quite inadequately under her skin.  Sheepishly she handed it back.  "Whoof!  Let's never arm-wrestle, Grogza."<br/><hr/>The orb-socket by itself wasn't a terrible shock, though it was certainly inconvenient.  And the rest of Ledude's news now got Rayne thinking through the situation further.  "Killed, I assumed... I never even thought the crew might've been captured.  Huh.  That sort of puts a different spin on things... If even NPCs can be taken... umm... I suppose there'll be no respawning in those cases.  That's... I don't know, but I suppose there'll be all sorts of consequences I can't see, yet.  Tricky.  At least quests still work even if the quest-giver's missing, somehow."<br/><br/>She drummed her fingers on the housing of the engine.  "Faster's better than slower, but I don't know about being in a hurry exactly.  But drifting certainly prevents taking this barge back up-river until it's fixed.  Which means someone going overland to reach that dungeon, unless there's another way to fuel this engine."  She felt a bit guilty "damaging" the world a little bit, but it would probably all be reset anyway.  "But - no offense to anyone - that dungeon sounds a bit beyond where we all are right now.  Does that map of yours show any obstacles we'd need a working paddle-wheel to get past... 'Captain' Ledude?"  She grinned at their party leader.<br/><br/>Rayne looked back at the Outpost, and sighed.  "I'm willing to give the dungeon a very cautious try, but I'd suggest we just float our way down.  There are a couple of poles here for ... for 'fending off' I guess.  They might be all we need to maneuver with 'till we reach the Lannis."<br/>