An Eternal Barge

Details and Schematics on Our Eternal Barge

The base barge itself as we found it was long, flat, and very thin (just six inches thick!).

The controls consist of two levers. One determines elevation (Down, Up Stage One, and Up Stage Two). The other toggles Anchored or Moving. On land, Up Stage One is one foot up and Up Stage Two is two feet up. Over water, Up Stage One is one foot above the water bed and Up Stage Two is one foot above water level.

Then we wanted to use the flying carpet (right) as an engine of sorts. So we added a layer of stone at covering one half of the barge, to accomodate a sleeve in which the Flying Carpet sits. The idea is that the carpet flies forward and propels the barge, offering some measure of control. The carpet measures 12 feet by 18 feet, here shown on the same scale as the barge above.

With the sleeve mounted in place (with the use of a few Stone Shape spells), the barge looks like this.

The open circle and groove in the middle of the sleeve is where a driver sits on the carpet. You can see where the carpet is designed to slide into the sleeve.

The holes around the edge, we deduced, supported a nonmagical structure on the barge. We adapted then for the same purpose. At the front of the barge iron poles support a tent-like roof, with open sides. Around the entire barge is a rope "railing," supported by short iron poles outside the tent. Here's a side view.

Here's a three dimensional view of the barge.

Note that this view does not show the removable wooden skirt that can be added to suggest that normal flotation rather than magic is the barge's operative force. The skirt is removable, relatively easy to install and detach (two men, five rounds) and easy (though bulky) to store.

Site Map | 8 February 99