The Long Dividend

The Long Dividend

Captain Sella Varn's Timber Barge

The Long Dividend is a familiar sight along Profit's Flow, where it serves as a working timber barge under the command of Captain Sella Varn. Its principal business is guiding large collections of floating logs from the lumber operations of the Palakar Forest toward the mills, lumberyards, and commercial docks farther downriver.

Although the vessel can carry finished lumber, supplies, and smaller shipments of general freight, most of the timber it transports never comes aboard. Instead, logs are floated directly in the river, gathered into long rafts and controlled by the barge and its crew.

A Working Timber Barge

The Long Dividend was built specifically for the demands of the Druman timber trade. Its broad, shallow hull allows it to navigate relatively shallow stretches of Profit's Flow, while its heavy construction and numerous attachment points make it well suited for controlling large rafts of floating timber.

Rather than loading every log onto the vessel, the crew gathers cut timber into floating groups secured with ropes, chains, and wooden crosspieces. The barge helps guide these collections through bends, narrow channels, and busy stretches of river, preventing the logs from scattering or becoming stranded along the banks.

Smaller boats and experienced river workers assist with positioning the rafts, particularly when navigating difficult stretches. During busy shipments, the timber trailing the Long Dividend can extend for a considerable distance downriver.

The barge also carries tools, spare ropes, replacement fittings, food, and other supplies needed during long river journeys. Finished planks and beams are occasionally transported directly on deck when circumstances require it.

Captain Sella Varn

Captain Sella Varn is an experienced river captain who has spent much of her working life navigating Profit's Flow. She is familiar with its changing currents, shifting sandbars, seasonal water levels, and the many docks and landings serving the timber industry.

Varn is practical, direct, and attentive to the safety of her vessel and crew. She maintains a disciplined operation, particularly when handling large timber rafts that require careful coordination.

When in Old Macridi, she is frequently found at the Gilded Ledger Tavern, where she meets with lumber merchants, mill operators, and other river captains to arrange shipments and discuss conditions along the waterway.

The Crew

The Long Dividend carries a small but experienced crew of boatmen, timber handlers, and river workers. Their responsibilities include managing the vessel, maintaining its equipment, securing timber rafts, and guiding floating logs through difficult sections of the river.

Timber handling requires strength, balance, and considerable experience. Crew members frequently work with long poles, boat hooks, ropes, and winches to keep the timber moving safely and prevent dangerous logjams.

During major shipments, additional workers may accompany the barge in smaller boats to help control the floating timber.

Life Aboard

Life aboard the Long Dividend follows the routines of a working river vessel. The crew rises early, checks the timber rafts and securing lines, and prepares for the day's travel before the river becomes crowded with other commercial traffic.

The deckhouse provides modest accommodations and a sheltered place for meals and rest. Most of the open deck is reserved for working equipment, provisions, and whatever cargo the barge happens to be carrying.

Meals are simple, workdays can be long, and the crew is accustomed to spending several days at a time on the river between established landings.

Freight and Passenger Passage

Although timber transport is its primary purpose, the Long Dividend occasionally carries smaller commercial shipments between settlements along Profit's Flow. Tools, foodstuffs, building supplies, and personal goods may be accepted when sufficient deck space is available.

Captain Varn also accepts a limited number of passengers when her schedule and working conditions permit. Accommodations are basic, and travelers must remain clear of the crew and timber-handling equipment.

Because the barge travels at the pace required to manage its floating timber, journeys are generally slower than those made by dedicated passenger vessels. Nevertheless, passage aboard a working barge can be an economical and dependable way to travel between river settlements.

The Macridi Timber Trade

Timber has long been one of the important commercial products moving through Macridi. The forests of the Palakar region provide lumber used in construction, furniture making, shipbuilding, and numerous other trades.

Profit's Flow offers a practical means of transporting large quantities of cut logs without the expense of moving them overland. Barges like the Long Dividend help keep timber shipments organized and moving safely toward downstream markets.

With the gradual recovery of the region's lumber operations, river traffic continues to provide work for boatmen, timber handlers, dockworkers, merchants, and the many businesses dependent upon the trade.

Visiting the Long Dividend

When docked at Old Macridi, the Long Dividend is usually occupied with unloading supplies, preparing timber shipments, inspecting equipment, or taking on provisions for its next journey.

Visitors seeking Captain Varn can inquire aboard the vessel or leave word at the Gilded Ledger Tavern. Freight arrangements and passenger passage are generally negotiated directly with the captain.

A small traveling merchant, Perrin "Odds" Tallow, also maintains a stall aboard the barge when it is docked. His selection of general supplies, tools, and everyday merchandise is popular with river workers and travelers preparing for journeys beyond Macridi.