Setting out from Treborg

Continued from Across Boknafjord

Leaving

The DM: A storm drifted past on to the east on the 27th of May, but Treborg received only a scant rainfall from it. However, through the night, a new storm formed in the mountains a hundred miles to the east, where you can just see the edges of it. At 6 a.m. on the 28th, you are getting spattering rain from gentle squalls brought by a southwestly wind, not more than a light breeze. The sky is full of mixed darkened clouds, with small blue patches. There's no certainty if it will just blow over or will close up and begin to seriously rain. Are you ready to get started or do you want to see? What sort of rain gear do you have?

Pandred: I've got my heavy coat, but I doubt the rest of us, particularly the hirelings, have anything to protect them. I think we have little choice but to wait this out.

Embla Strand : I've a cloak, high hard boots, and a bearskin coat. That said, we'll make poor progress if it does start to rain. Let's wait.

The DM: Being that you're from Norway, or at least have spent time here, you know that you're going to spend some time in the rain, no matter how long you wait. Fjall, Willa and Oddsdrakken will all have waxed cloaks designed to be tolerable if it rains. You may want to take a tent with you (I'll let you retcon the purchase of one, since you know what Norway is like and would have thought of it).

The DM: By 9 a.m., you're still getting spattering rain, but the easterly storm has swung around and moved north, out of sight beyond the mountains. The wind has died away, to a "light air," just barely detectable. The sky is open on the west, overcast on the east; with bits of rain coming from its cloudy edge. The temperature is cool and comfortable.

Vafrandir: I deduct 2 lb per person for food for the 3 days. 2 more days of heavy rations will be 7×6×2 = 84 lb, which is just about how much we have left. We will need to forage to supplement our stock. We have plenty of tents, I've loaded 7 on the cart. I don't have a bearskin cloak (I have wool, but that's no fun in the rain).

Pandred: Since we dodged the storm, let's go for it. I just didn't want a downpour to hit us in the mountains and complicate the terrain.

Vafrandir: I agree.

The DM: Actually, wool is excellent in the rain. Unlike modern wool clothing, 17th century wool was still greasy, almost deliberately so; in wet weather, it did not accumulate water, but dripped water; and kept you warm, as the rain does not affect the air pockets of the garment. We've destroyed the natural value of wool in wet weather by fastidiously cleaning it.

Setting Off

The DM: For the first hour, you merely make your way to the crossroads and then northeastward through oat and hay fields, the former having just been planted and being nothing more than furrowed black earth. The mountains ahead are shrouded in light clouds, and soon you begin to wend your way between them. About noon, the cool temperature and the light airy wind have not changed; the rain has died away and the sky has turned blue, with a few puffy white cumulus clouds. You pass a shed used for stacking wood and there the road ends; but you find a wide animal trail, which you follow, climbing about a hundred feet every twenty minutes. All around you is bare rock, small pools of water and the occasional half-mile across lake. Are you ambling along or moving at a normal pace?

Embla Strand Let's head at a normal pace.

The DM: I'm unhappy with my trail speed, now that I'm beginning to apply it, so let's say you're moving at a mile every two hours. You're climbing a 10° slope, so that by 2 in the afternoon, you've climbed about 600 feet. Here, you find yourself on a ridge, looking east; there is a wide U-shaped valley leading off to the north, and a narrower choked valley that climbs rather sharply, about 30°, that's east by southeast.

Embla Strand I vote we head to the wider, u-shaped valley.

Seconded, assuming that's an option. Are we still on the trail?

The DM: The trail is intermittent, but it is becoming less of a concern because there are hardly any trees to be seen. At this point, you're picking the best route over open, bare rock that is fractured and pitted. Both directions are options.

[OOC-DM: I'd like to add that I've finished the sage ability page for "shield as a weapon". Close drop, gain proficiency and this last are sage abilities available to Pandred and Vafrandir; I hope you're taking note of them, because I'm not hearing an answer as I post them; I'm going to make one more, "strengthened arm," then I'm going to start working on logistics skills for Embla]

Vafrandir: Then I'll second the U-valley. I'm very glad to have these new rules!

Pandred: As am I. Let's hit the U.

The DM: Soon you find yourself starting to descend somewhat, with the valley growing fat and decorous, and flowering plants sprouting up everywhere out of the soil that's collected between every rock. There's a little rivulet stream that appears from some spring somewhere, dribbling water back and forth for a half-mile until it meets another merry rivulet like itself. (sorry for the confusion).

White clouds scud against the sky, as the former light breeze picks up again, having swung around and coming from east by north east. For three hours you walk through the valley, until it is nearly six o'clock and time to set up camp.

Pandred: Then we do so. It seems like a nice place. Vafrandir, I know you took up the noble task of cart-duty, what's the situation with fire-lighting materials? What, as they say, is cookin'?

The DM: With the evening, the sky turns completely clear. The temperature falls until it is a little brisk.

The DM: Catching up on food. The 25th to 27th count as generally relaxed, so 1 lb. of food per party member per day. Today, the 28th, is 2 lbs. per person, unless you've left some of your men back at the camp/housesite. Is everyone with you?

Vafrandir: I have a tinderbox in my pack, so a fire is possible if we can find some dry wood. Our rations are all dry goods at the moment. Everyone is here: I will account for the relaxed days. Can we do a little foraging tomorrow morning?

The DM: Yes on foraging. The landscape isn't heavy on wood, but since this is the end of May, there are about 20 hours from dawn until dusk, so you can find enough wood to start a small flame, and plenty of tufted peat around to keep it going all night.

Vafrandir: Very good. I'll get the wood/peat collected and start a small fire.

Embla Strand I assist setting up camp.

Pandred: As do I.

May 29th

The DM: You wake up the next day to find the weather is actually pleasant (60s°F). The sky is blue, there's no rain, there's the barest light breeze blowing from the north. It is a very unusual day in Norway.

Vafrandir: If Embla can forage for us, we'll pack up the tents and supplies.

The DM: It takes the full day to forage 2d8 lbs. of food. In an hour, she might find 0.2 to 1.6 lbs., and that would cut into your day's travel.

[OOC-DM: I'm here for just two hours today; I have an appt. at 1 pm]

Pandred: If it cuts into travel time let's just pack and move. This is the best weather we'll get.

The DM: You do pack, setting off down the valley, following along the brook that is forming from rivulet after rivulet. There's a great humped ridge of mountains on the right side of you and rocky hills on the left, with the space between them being almost a mile wide. You reach a place where the land falls away before you, some four hundred feet over the next two miles, causing you to pause a moment and take in the view. Then, Vafrandir spies something in the distance. Does anyone have a telescope?

Pandred: Ninety nine percent certain no-one does, unless Marcule bought one at chargen. What do your elf eyes see, Vafrandir?

The DM: *brief facepalm*

The DM: Can't tell from here. It's on the edge of a copse of trees, far in the distance; it might be some kind of construction.

Vafrandir: No telescopes, I believe. "Something over there," I point out. Is it on the other side of this valley?

The DM: This valley probably goes on for ten miles or more. It's about 2 miles away, towards the left, just at the point where the air begins to turn hazy from the distance.

Pandred: Alrighty. Let's give it a closer look. I'd wager we've already been spotted, but if there's any obscuring foliage on these slopes staying close would be ideal.

Vafrandir: Yes. We'll make our way closer.

The DM: As you come down the slope, it becomes plain that it is a crashed airship. Coming closer, there seems to be a large splitting hole in the keel of the boat. It is laying on its side, with the deck towards you, as you approach.

Vafrandir: Would I (or any of us) have seen such a thing before?

Pandred: Hey man, it's a boat. Boats have cargo, and cargo is treasure. That's all I need to see. Are there any obvious entrances to its lower decks?

Vafrandir: Spoken like a true adventurer. While we're looking this thing over, I'll take the time to strap on my shield - don't want any nasty surprises.

The DM: No, this would be unique to you. The usual entrances you might expect to find on a ship are there, but of course the ship is on its side, so the deck is a vertical obstacle. The gaping hole is in the fore of the keel, under the forecastle, and you can see right up into the smashed cargo hold and lower decks.

Pandred So its fully vertical? How wide/tall is the deck? Could it be climbed easily, or is the surface somewhat sheer?

The DM: Just about 90°. But climbing over the gunnel on the ground to the deck, onto the side of the stairwell, pulling yourself into the hatchway above, wouldn't be a die roll. Likewise, climbing up into the open hold, where there are boxes and barrels strewn about, to reach a side wall and pull yourself up by hammock cords, that's not a roll either. The beam is 30 feet, the length about 190.

Pandred: So, long and a bit thin? You described the hold: is there a forecastle or quarter deck on this vessel? Either way, I'll start climbing up towards the cargo hold, passing my shield to Oddsdrakken first. "Hold this, if you please."

The DM: We'll pick up from there on Monday; there is both a forecastle and quarterdeck, though the underside of the former is pretty much gone. You haven't explained which side of the ship you climb. Into the gaping hole, or through the top deck?

Pandred: Oh, you're right. Let's go for the open hold then.

Vafrandir: Is there light enough to see in? I can grab a torch otherwise.

Climbing into the Ship

The DM: The rent in the bow is about 18 feet long and 8 feet wide, lateral to the hull, so that it is straight up and down from your perspective (the ship lying on its side). You can't guess what has caused it. You can see that it has exposed a middle deck (Deck D) and part of the one above (Deck C); the crash has then twisted the interior of the ship, so that the doors have popped out of their frames. You can see a broken hatch that would lead downwards to what might be a Deck E. Deck B would be the main deck of the ship (let's call the forecastle Deck Aa and the Stern Quarterdeck Deck Ab). The inner doors are each about 12 feet into the ship, so that you crawl through the crack to find yourself standing on a wall, with the broken hatch on your left, one popped door (Deck D) in front of you and the other popped door visible through a 3-foot hole smashed through Deck C. I hope that's comprehensible. Errors in choosing to make this adventure surround a three-dimensional space.

Vafrandir: Which deck is the cargo hold?

The DM: Apparently both of these that you can see; Decks C and D are filled with smashed cargo, with evidence of turnips, potatoes and oats. This food has become dry and hard; the oats are like a powder when you crush it between your fingers. It appears the ship has endured one, perhaps two winters; it did not crash this year.

Vafrandir: I'll continue to search C and D, just in case. We can't make use of any of the food, good to know. Who else is in here with me, Pandred?

The DM: At present, yes. Marcule is still out for the time being, and we may presume Embla is standing outside the ship. Rather than saying you "search" the decks, imagine that you're in a dungeon at this point. I'll need you to tell me if you climb through the hole and into the hall leading into Deck C, or the hall leading into Deck D. Both "popped" doors are still attached to these halls, so that they act as an obstacle to get past in order to see inside.

Deck C

Vafrandir: I see. I'll climb through the hole, and into Deck C. You get a strong whiff of damp rot when you maneuver yourself over the hatch.

The DM: You squeeze through, having to remove your backpack and lay some tarp that you find overtop the bottom rim of the hole. The door to the C-Deck hall is hanging by the left hinge, about nine feet away and three feet above the wall under your feet. You seem to be in storeroom for whitewash and pitch, but it is all dried now. The hall beyond the twisted door is 5 ft. 6 in. wide and 3 ft. high (the hall being on its side).

Vafrandir: Can I see what is beyond the hall?

The DM: You can see the first few feet; you think you might see a door above, about three feet in.

Vafrandir: I'll lay on my back and crawl along the hall until I can see the door. I may have to remove my shield to do so (don't think it'd be much use in a tight space anyway).

The DM: As you get inside the hall, you can feel another door under your back, and see three doors total along the hall, with the first above you now. There is a final door at the end of the hall, presumedly leading into the ship.

Vafrandir: I'll scootch over a few feet (back out of the hall) and try to open the first door I felt.

The DM: As you open the door, a skeleton is released out of the frame above you, dropping onto you (more precisely, swinging on the door at you). Roll initiative.

Vafrandir: 2 raw, 3 adj. I'll let out a holler. Does my pre-melee wisdom check apply?

The DM: No, because you have no time to think about it, so you will automatically protect yourself. I roll a 1. You have initiative.

Vafrandir: I'll draw my sword (1 AP) and stab upwards (2 AP): 5 raw, 7 adj to hit; 3 raw, 4 adj damage. I'm not sure how the melee hexes work here but if I can I'll roll back out of the hallway into the storeroom (1 AP).

The DM: because of the various clutter, there's nowhere to roll. As far as a combat map goes, sometimes they're just impractical, given the form of battle being imposed.

The DM: The skeleton doesn't attack back.

The DM: The skeleton doesn't actually move.

Vafrandir: Is it "alive" at all?

The DM: Not apparently. Pandred, you can see a rather upset Vafrandir on his back through the hole, with a rather abused skeleton thrown back against the wall next to him. There are several scattered bones laying about. One leg of the skeleton is no longer attached.

Vafrandir: "Well. Uh, here's something, at least. Poor man (or woman)."

The DM: You're not going to give me the pleasure of watching you shake this off? Bet I got your heart racing a bit.

What now?

Pandred: Grumble grumble. I'll holler out for someone to light me a torch and take it back to my freshly opened hatch. We'll see about the skeletons later.

Vafrandir: Can you see my face as I imagine a skeleton-zombie mauling me to death with no shield in a cramped hold? "I think I'll come back with you. Fewer surprises in there, hopefully." I'll go grab one of the torches and follow Pandred back in.

The DM: I don't get to do very many legitimately set-up jump scares, where I'm not actually screwing over a player character. Let me enjoy them when they occur.

Vafrandir: You can revel in it, I assure you! :)

Hatchway

Pandred: What about the broken hatch leading towards (potentially) E? I'd like to try and get that open if I can.

The DM: Do you have a tool that you can use to pry the hatch open? You get a whiff of damp rot when you move above the hatchway.

Pandred: I have my handaxe, that's about it. Is the hatchway vertical or horizontally oriented where it is? Does the frame look obviously rotten?

The DM: The frame is dry and tough; you'll have to hit it with the axe a few times, since it won't be enough to wedge it up.

Pandred: Let's do it then. Clang!

The DM: You hit the frame three times, breaking it apart, and as you peer into the dark, you hear Vafrandir let out a strangled shout.

Pandred: Ha HA! I'll scramble over towards him on Deck C, abandoning my newly minted entryway.

The DM: Pandred, with torch lit, and Vafrandir climbing over the canvas to rejoin you in the room, you can see that you're looking at what would be, if the boat were level, a 5 ft. deep, 12 ft. wide hold, with a rope ladder that is now hanging 5 ft. down, against the hold's roof. There's a glisten of light below you, suggesting water, so you suspect that the hull above is leaking in rain. That is why the damp smell of rot.

Embla Strand I join you both.

The DM: Counted in. [OOC-DM: I'm working on lacedon right now, Embla; any specific sage abilities of yours you'd like me to work on?]

[OOC Perhaps Authority-level sure-footedness, as I have those abilities? Or Amateur/Authority Logistics?]

[I'll start with sure-footedness]

Embla Strand Might I grab the rope ladder?

The DM: Presuming Pandred steps aside, yes. Embla, you have your hands on the rope ladder.

Embla Strand Splendid. I tug on it to gauge its sturdiness.

The DM: It's a bit sagging, and slightly rotten, but you would guess that it has been affected by humidity and not by actual immersion. It should hold you.

Pandred: I'll keep the hole as lit as I can with the torch here. Doesn't seem like the drop-test would be worth it from so small a height.

Embla Strand I gingerly climb up.

The DM: up? The hatch is in the bottom of the boat, but from the perspective of the boat lying on its side, the hatch makes a vertical hole. The rope ladder would normally reach down into the bottom of the hold, but as the hold is turned 90 degrees, the rope ladder reaches down to the side of the hold. There is no way to climb up. Do you need a diagram?

Embla Strand My apologies. A diagram would be helpful. In that case, can I use the ladder to descend down into the wet?

Pandred: A diagram wouldn't hurt, that's for sure.

This thread is continued on Inside the Ship