On to Bergen

Continued from Espen Rosted

The DM: To reach the lodge, you trek your way along the fjord east of Bergen, until climbing up to the plateau above. The rain hasn't let up at all since the night before; not even as you stood outside by the outhouse (beneath trees, we'll say) — that's a detail I skipped accounting for as we started again.

This last part you do as the light improves, though the rain continues to fall steadily, a quarter inch every hour. You reach the top of a plateau above the fjord, about 2,500 ft. above sea level, finding a wide tundra-scape full of stunted trees and expanses of grass. At once you see the reason why there's a lodge here; a herd of about two thousand reindeer are grazing a few hundred yards away, huddling together against the rain. Apart from the steady rain, the weather up here is cool, with a gentle breeze blowing from the south. After so many hours, you're glad at last to enter the lodge and shuck off your wet clothes, with several contributing to the building of three new fires in the places for them.

The lodge is immense; a single long house that's forty feet by fifteen; it is, you're told, six hundred years old, and once a residence of kings in the summer. It is in good condition, though clearly a hurricane couldn't knock the place down. In places, the beams are a foot square — presumably they've been hauled up one by one from the forested areas along the coast.

Vafrandir: A beautiful place. Who all is here with us?

The DM: Alvin and Sven; your party. I can’t remember which hirelings you’ve brought along.

Vafrandir: Arvid, Ole, and Arduin.

Vafrandir: "Who else knows about this place?"

Lexent: I take it this means that we have conveyed to Captain Larsen that we are not planning to sail to Trondheim, and that we have removed our effects from the ship, including the gold and shield?

Sven: “Everyone. But there’s no reason to suppose Hamish is here; and even in a pouring rain, we can see anyone approaching from half a mile away.”

The DM: He points to a high place at one end of the lodge, explaining there’s a porch that will give a 360 degree view of the landscape.

The DM: that’s correct Lexent. The ship will head on without you. Larsen seemed relieved.

Lexent: "If we are discovered and, perish the though, must defend ourselves and Hamish, what legal protections do we have?"

The DM: Sven shrugs.

Sven: “None. If the Genoans find us, they’ll kill us without impunity; even were they arrested, the Count would ensure their release. We must be sure that Hamish is recognized by someone else, to force the Count to turn his back on the syndicate.”

Alvin: “I’m more concerned with Hamish’s recovery from his drinking. I have seen others break, or take their own lives. He hasn’t asked for a drink yet, but the body has it’s way of conquering the spirit.”

Lexent: "I'm more concerned over what might happen if we are forced to kill them."

Lexent: I turn to Hamish. "How are you feeling?"

The DM: Lexent, there are detoxification rules on the old wiki. I've transferred those to the new (and I'm editing them a bit now). You should look at them.

Lexent: Interesting. I was under the impression that alcohol was not considered a toxin.

Lexent: In that case I begin working on Hamish's treatment.

Pandred: Keeping watch.

The DM: I find myself rewriting the rules. Should take just a bit. Is there anything else people would like to do while waiting up here? Alvin is going to leave soon for Odda, to fulfill his part in bringing the Thane from there to the lodge. This could take weeks.

Augury

Lexent: I cast Augury and ask the following:

Do the Genoan's or their agents know that we are here with Hamish?

Are any of Espen's associates planning to betray us?

Will the Thane acknowledge Hamish once presented with the information we have?

The DM: Okay, I’ve made an extensive rewrite of the Authentic Wiki rules. Please look and tell me if something needs to be clearer.

Vafrandir: Those look good and easy to understand.

Vafrandir: We've already paid for our rooms at the inn through the 30th, so we should be cognizant of that.

The DM:

Do the Genoans know? No.

Betrayal? No.

Will the Thane ... Yes.

The DM: It’s the 28th now; Hamish is awake and eating soup. Alvin says he’s going as soon as the rain stops. It settles into a very light drizzle after seven o’clock in the evening and he announces that if this holds, he’ll leave at nine.

Lexent should make a roll against detoxification now. Name your stat and then roll a d20 against it.

Lexent: Wisdom: 4

The DM: Alvin leaves.

The DM: Unless someone wants to do something specific or say something, shall we fast forward through the relevant parts of this? I’ll be making checks every day; there’s always a possibility of the Genoans finding out about Hamish’s disappearance AFTER the augury answer. As well as other encounters that may be seen. Do you keep watches?

Vafrandir: We'll keep watches. What should we do about food?

The DM: Oh, Vafrandir, as long as you’re checking here; do you mind our having a brief conversation about the authentic wiki in the talk discussion tab?

Vafrandir: Let's do it.

Lexent: I'm fine with that. Acknowledged about the Genoans. Yes, we keep watches. Let me know when to make another check.

The DM: There are no encounters for eight days, nor word from anyone.

Lexent, use this system: starting with July 29th, write:

Date / Ability / Roll

Interrupt to ask any other questions with Augury if you wish.

Hamish’s Stats are: 18 str, 13 int, 16 wis, 17 con, 16 dex, 14 chr. So you can see he will start to help fairly soon, once you show some success.