Setting out from Treborg

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.