Oleg nods at your plans, adding, "If you want to ride out tomorrow, just come back by nightfall. If the trader comes in, he usually stays overnight, and heads back early the next morning."
What does your character choose to do tomorrow?
"It might be best if we sent some of us out to formally explore and work on the charter, while others remained here to continue what we started. Once we make some progress and are rested from our last trip we can explore some of the other leads. I for one, will continue planning to see how best to apply our new labor force."
Perplexed the gnome adds, "By the way, did we ever learn if there was a bounty of some sort on that wild boar we brought back with us?"
Oleg waves dismissively at the boar. "Nah, Tuskgutter must be twice as big as that one, maybe more, given the stories I've heard about it. But I appreciate the feast you've brought us all."
Pondering the conversations in the outpost,
"Geliglee, while I applaud wanting to get things done quickly, I think we would be best served by riding out in force, rather than risking finding more than we can chew out there."
Brandt contributes, looking from the gnome to the others.
"We also need your riding dog at full Geliglee. He took quite a licking, but he's a tough one. I don't think William would mind if I took some time to train him how to keep himself out of danger should we come across some more."
Calum is happy with his boar kill, enough to take some for himself, and to share what remains with the guards, and if anything else is left over (such as the heart, and certain organs that are edible, maybe ask Svetlana to make some scrapple or haggis.) to share some with the prisoners.
Svetlana proves to be quite handy with the butchers knife, as she's clearly used to life on the frontier. "Haven't had haggis in a while," she says as she cuts into the beast's organs, "But sure'n my grandmother taught me how."
It is large enough for everyone to have a fine meal made of it and ready for dinner that night - quite the feast! The soldiers especially are grateful for something other than hard tack and salt beef.
-----
You go over the facts and figures of the sale of goods that you found at the bandit camp with Oleg, and he offers you credit at his post equivalent to nine hundred twenty gold pieces if you sell all the remaining stock.
-----
You discuss the "rehabilitation" of the prisoners with Kesten Garess. He isn't thrilled at the idea of having to watch over even more of the bandits, but assures you that he and his soldiers will both keep them in line and keep them working hard. "You show them good reason to trust you, both in leadership over them and that you're investing in their work, and they're the kind of men that would follow you for a while - so long as there's pay in it for them down the line. Or even just avoiding the noose."
You can get a total of 2 teams of laborers out of the bandits that you have captured. This would cost 2 Influence and 4 Labor. To obtain this:
- You can simply pay 140 GP outright to cover the cost, and take one day.
- Or, you can pay 70 GP to earn the capital through your own actions - probably in about a day if all 5 of you work on it - and with the 2/day capital spending limit in a Thorp, you can have both teams ready and working for you (and earning capital) in 3 days.
-----
Evening passes, and the next morning dawns cool and clear.
Isla shrugs and says, "I suppose we can work on things here at the post for today and see if the merchant comes. Once we have everyone working the way we want, we can focus on exploring the area."
Isla cautiously examines the prisoners. I've made it this far without really having to deal with them. But I suppose they have surrendered and might even be willing to change. It's time to get over my fear of them. Here goes nothing..."
Isla lets out a sigh and approaches the bandits with her arms crossed, "Ok. We are all going to work hard today, right? Because, hard work is the seed of trust...and trust can grow into freedom. Freedom is something that I assume you all what some day, yes? Well then, let's begin."
She spends the rest of the day working with the bandits, trying to indoctrinate them in the idea that this is their chance, not only for life, but for a better life.
Agreeing to the point both Geliglee and Isla made, Brandt will pitch in around the outpost, locating replacement items found in the nearby environment for things needed; and teaching the former bandits how to better dress game, patch holes in roofs with pitch and other naturally found items.
As well, Nalys as well decided to check out the neighbourhood for some food resources: gathering berries, setting small snares for rabbits and hares and so on.
Nalys enjoyed being in the wild alone. Most of the time, he was just wondering around, catching sunlight and cleaning the thin forest road. As well, he took some of bright-painted rug from the Oleg's and used that for marking old trees. Not very useful job right now, but later as prisoners start lumbering this forest for construction they will see, which trees they are allowed to chop and which are too young for that.
It is a very productive day for the party.
-----
In the late afternoon, you work with Oleg to discuss setting up a disbursement of funds for the captives-turned-workers. If they work hard, and support their new community, he'll hold funds in trust to pay them for what they supply, eventually even providing them with a better place to live than the lean-to's they are inhabiting now.
-----
As twilight begins to fall, you hear the guard on the wall give a shrill whistle down into the yard. "Wagon approaching!" he calls out. Oleg grins, "That'll be Yareth. He's the Trader that comes through - probably wondering what I've done with the place!"
The open gate admits a large wagon pulled by two stout horses, flanked by lance-bearing riders in scale armor. From the wagon, a rotund halfling in a floppy hat hops down. "Oleg! What in the name of Asmodeus' codpiece have you done with the place?!?" At least give me a warning, and I'll get you some paint to make it look a little better." He grins ear to ear, and exchanges a hearty handshake with Oleg, and whistles when he sees how many of you are in the yard. "It's a fair bit more crowded around here, Leveton. Thought you were leaving all this behind when you left us in the city. Who're all of you, then?"
"New friends, Yareth, helping tame these lands a bit. They'll tell you who they are, if they wish, and I know they've some orders for you to fill. We'll do our business inside in a bit."
Isla gives the trader a friendly smile and introduces herself, "Greetings, I'm Isla. My companions and I are here on a charter to explore the Greenbelt. It was Yareth, right? Would it be possible for us to take a look at your wares?"
As she looks over the wagon, she asks, "We were hoping to purchase a wand of healing. Do you have something like that? Also, do you carry composite shortbows...and if so, what are your rates?"
Calum examines the horses and riders, looking for any signs of rank or family. Dismissing any findings he approaches the halfling and extends a hand.
"Well met, I am Calum, Calum Armstrong. I would be wondering if you had any training manuals for training animals. I am familiar with the horses, but I've never trained a dog before."
"Straight to business, then - I like you lot already!" He hops back up onto the wagon and heads into the covered portion. When he re-emerges, he has a tattered book in one hand, a shortbow in the other, and a stick between his teeth. He passes the book to Calum and the bow to Isla, then takes the long stick out of his mouth and uses it to gesture. "That book was given to me by the game master of the Lord Mayor's estate. It contains all the tricks you'd need to get your dog to do what you want, but that knowledge doesn't come cheap - fifty gold pieces for the pleasure!"
To Isla, he turns and says, "That bow comes from one Miss Orina Stonehill, a good hunter in her own right, and from the tales not too much different of a shape than yourself. It's got a bit of a stronger pull than your typical shortbow, but not so much as to make it unwieldy. I'd part with it for... one hundred and fifty crowns, and that's a bargain!"
Brandishing the stick, he says, "Now I don't normally carry these, but you're in luck. There's an old adventurer living just north of Restov that has settled down to run a farm. Said he didn't need it anymore, was looking for seed money to get the farm going. It's not new, of course, said he had to use it a few times himself. But it's got enough in it that it could help you in a pinch more than a few times. Let's say three hundred and sixty crowns, and it's all yours."
Geliglee steps up, "Any news from the local cities or towns? As a mage, I don't need much in the way of weapons, but if you have any arcane scrolls I might be interested."
Isla lets out a chuckle at the extroverted trader. "Sorry, I didn't mean to leap to business so quickly...but you have been a much awaited arrival here at Oleg's." She takes the bow and tests it to see if she can pull it back. "Thanks, this will work well." she says offering the man 150 crowns from her coin purse. "Would you be interested in purchasing this old thing?" she asks, gesturing to her old shortbow. Noticing that the man enjoys a good story about his wares, she adds, "It's not much, but it has helped bring down several few bandits in it's short run."
Next she examines the wand, using Detect Magic to ensure that it is the right wand, as well as how much magic remains inside of it.
Isla turns to the group and asks "Three hundred and sixty crowns? Is that okay with everyone? We can probably take most of it from our group fund..."
The gnome nods in agreement with the use of party funds.
"Of course, Ilsa,I am ready to split the price. I believe this thing comes from divine source, probably blessed in church. I've never tried to use one, but I hope Old Deadeye will not leave me and I can make it work," druid took his coin purse out of belt pouch. "My name is Nalys and I haven't decided, what I'd like to buy... Probably, I need sack of fresh seeds to feed my bird, but I might buy a potion or two if you have something special"
"Aye lass, sounds grand to me." Brandt says, eyeing the thing askance somewhat. Considering the goods which the trader has brought with him.
"I don' think I've got the coin to buy anythin' else, but I'd be looking for other armor or weapons - but is secondary to our needs as a group."
Turning back to the trader, "My name's Brandt, I'm here to help guide folks around the wood, and I'm wondering if you know any good trails or spots to travel to around here?"
Yareth scratches at his sideburns while he thinks. "News, huh? Well, the damn Issians keep flapping their jaws about this or that what the Rostlanders won't do for the Dragonscale Throne. Nothing you probably haven't heard before you left the city to come this way. Other than that, folks just keep getting on with living." He waves his hands and gets to your other question.
"Hmm, scrolls of power, huh? Can't say I've got many of those, but let me see..." He rummages around in his wagon for a short while, then emerges with a scroll case. "Well, can't say I've much, but there are a few I have here. Let's see, one to make an enemy weaker, one to make someone bigger - not sure why anyone'd want that - and one to put a group of folks to sleep. Any of those what you'd be looking for? If not, I can talk to the wizards in the city and bring something back your way next time I come around."
-----
Yareth waves a hand as though dismissing a jest. "Just glad that Oleg here is getting some good business finally. This was going to be my last trip if the bandits had hit him again. Tell you what, you give me that bow, and I'll knock... fifteen crowns off the price of your new one. Deal?" He also hands over the wand for inspection, and you indeed find that it has the number of charges it should at this price.
At this point, it's less taking up a collection from your coinpurses, and more about asking Oleg to settle with Yareth in goods and services as part of your store credit. It's not difficult to sum up that Oleg owes you plenty, and marks it off for each of you in his ledger.
-----
"Seeds?! Look Oleg, I'm the new farm supply - ha!" He laughs hard for a moment, then slapping a knee, says, "Wish I had a need to carry seeds there, friend. It'd mean the world was an easier place to travel. As to potions, I've a couple. Let's see..." He hops back up to the wagon, and comes back with a leather satchel. "Now, this'll make you harder to see, but not invisible - just kind of only a little bit there. This one will make you hit better, not get scared as easy, and make you a little bit tougher to put down. This one is actually an oil - spread it on your staff or club and it'll get a lot better at knocking the snot out of your enemies. This last little one won't help for long, but I like to think of it as a bottle bit of little-folk luck - might help you overcome something that you otherwise couldn't."
Oleg pipes up, "If you need something a bit more specialized, crazy old Bokken lives southeast of here. He's a bit of a hermit, but likes gold well enough."
-----
"Well, Oleg here talks to all the trappers that'd know best, but he's not been much one for conversation these last few months. Lucky for you, I talked to one last month who was making his own way to the city for some well earned relaxation. Told me he came across a haunted bridge somewhere along the river to the east. Got too close, felt a chill on his spine, and just as something started to come up out of the river he tells me he takes off running. Pah! Couldn't learn more than that out of him, but so it goes. He also told me about somewhere on the west side of the forest - hot mud springs. Smelled terrible, he thought, but might be a curiosity for some to see. That's what I can recall for now, but I'll be sure to let you know if I think up more."
-----
Taking a break from the orders he exclaims, "Whew! Oleg, time to whet my whistle. If you'll excuse me, good folks, I've got to see this man in his office for a minute, then I can help you more if you need." The two of them go inside for a while, leaving you for a bit in the yard with his guards, Kesten and his men, and the prisoners.
When the merchant disappears into Oleg's office, Isla turns to Nayls and asks, "You mentioned you might be able to use it? Do you want to hold onto it for now? You know, to split up our healing power, since I can cure people without it?" She adds with a shrug, "If not I'll hold on to it..."
Talking to the rest of the group, she mentions, "There are also the potions that Oleg gave us before. I might not be the best one to carry them. This one has the same healing power as the spell I cast. This one gives you divine protection from attacks."
"How much for the scrolls of weakness and sleep?"
"For both? Let's say fifty crowns. I know you magic users like to put these into your books sometimes. You need supplies to do that? I think I've got some special inks in here somewhere."
"Fifty crowns for the two scrolls, and another fifty crowns worth of arcane scrivener's supplies then. I will think on what other scrolls I may want to purchase in the future."
"A deal, then!" He hands you two scrolls out of the case, snaps it shut, and heads back into the wagon. He re-emerges in a few minutes with a small leather pouch and a pair of quills. "This should set you for now. Had to measure things out a bit, but it's all there."
Spells Copied from Another's Spellbook or a Scroll: A wizard can also add a spell to his book whenever he encounters one on a magic scroll or in another wizard's spellbook. No matter what the spell's source, the wizard must first decipher the magical writing (see Arcane Magical Writings). Next, he must spend 1 hour studying the spell. At the end of the hour, he must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell's level). A wizard who has specialized in a school of spells gains a +2 bonus on the Spellcraft check if the new spell is from his specialty school. If the check succeeds, the wizard understands the spell and can copy it into his spellbook (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook). The process leaves a spellbook that was copied from unharmed, but a spell successfully copied from a magic scroll disappears from the parchment.
If the check fails, the wizard cannot understand or copy the spell. He cannot attempt to learn or copy that spell again until one week has passed. If the spell was from a scroll, a failed Spellcraft check does not cause the spell to vanish.
These spells cost 10 GP each in materials to copy over, so you'd have 30 GP of materials remaining.
Once the trader has gone inside, "Not now, but at some point, I'd like to upgrade my armor and longbow, but I've been able to use a lot of the things we found so far, and I'm quite content with where we are now. This lets us put coin to keeping ourselves alive and increasing Geliglee's magical prowess for the time!"
Brandt settles down to eat, "I think that haunted bridge and mud springs sound potentially very interesting, and something we should eventually put our eyes to seeking out. "
"I fell that we should fully explore the areas immediately surrounding us, then once we are more secure in our locale we can figure out what direction to push forward towards."
"Oh, I'll take that oil," said Nalys counting golden crown, "how much should it be?"
"Don't forget, we still have a Stag lord somewhere south, so probably we should be somewhere in Post reach, so they didn't catch people here unprepared."
Looking through the book, Calum digs into his purse for some gold, remembering the party had collected some.
"50 crowns for a book on animal training? Seems like a bargain I shouldn't pass up. To find one so quickly, I'll take it."
Yareth holds up the vial of oil. "That'll be fifty crowns. I got it from a man quite a bit like you, on the other side of Restov. Said he put it together to help his neighbor fend off the wolves. Turns out the wolves were quicker than he could open the bottle - hope you're faster than the wolves!"
---
"Oh, I'll take that. We encountered a wolf there, actually a worg,.. But, blessed be my club by Erastil, I land a great blow on his head before he could actually do something and Calum did the rest." he passed money to the merchant and hide an oil in his belt pouch.
That evening is a hearty feast for all, and in the morning Yareth wraps up his business with Oleg and gets ready to return to Restov. "Glad to see good people helping Oleg here. Good fortune be with you on your travels!"
-----
The five of our set out southeast just a short while later, carrying minimal gear and planning to make it back to Oleg's that evening.
Edge=40, Halfway=30, 1/4 way = 25
It's a cold day on the plains, and you spend much of it huddled in your cloaks and warm-weather gear on your saddles. It is mostly flat landscape, with the occasional frozen stream or stand of trees to break up your passage.
One area causes you to pause, however. A large patch of ground, perhaps 200 feet across, is strewn with the skeletons of boars, deer, bears, and even a few humans, as though some predator was using this location as it's feeding ground.
Isla appears on edge as soon as she notices the skeletons, grabbing her shortbow from her side. "Do you think whatever did this has been here recently?" she whispers to the more skilled trackers in the party.
Meanwhile, she looks over the bodies, looking for any tell-tale wounds that might indicate what kind of predator hunts the area.
"My my... that is a lot of bones."
The gnome has a quill to paper throughout most of these travels, mapping and taking notes. This has caused him to stop his scribbling and pay attention, however... though he quickly outlines the size and nature of the clearing before stowing his writing gear.
Brandt dismounts carefully, putting an arrow to hand with his longbow. Carefully entering the boneyard, Brandt scans for signs of imminent danger before looking for tracks.
"If this is a lair it may be not far gone, we should be careful though. Calum, stay ready in case this thing shows up suddenly, please. " His eyes focused on the skeletons and whatever sign of their creator...
Calum remains astride his mount, patting William to reassure the beast.
"Be on your guard William. And Brandt, we all should be careful. No use in having this at my side now is there?"
Calum draws his blade while turning his eyes to the pile of bones.
There is only the whisper of wind across the bone-littered area. On examination, this is perhaps a couple hundred feet across - a fair amount of ground to cover.
As Brandt walks through the bones, examines tracks and death signs, it appears to be a creature with several legs, the ability to move quickly in sudden haste, and of powerful pincer jaws - a trapdoor spider, most likely. They are uncommon creatures , but cunning predators where they do stake their claim.
No sooner does he have this thought than a piece of earth seems to open like a trapdoor not far from his vicinity, and a spider as big as he is launches forward to bite him!
It lands the bite, and though it is a grazing attack, he feels himself get a bit weaker when it enters his bloodstream.
Those of you watching from a distance are amazed at the creature's speed, as it launches itself at Brandt from nearly 15 feet away under cover, then springs back to the relative safety of its earthen cover.
Nalys did a loud whistle pointing Seara to the beast and covered his club with oil from a flask.
"Trader said I would have no time to use that..."
"Oh! It Hurts!" Brandt yells.
Unsteadily drawing the arrow to the bow he has out, He attempts to fire it at the spider.
Geliglee hops off his riding dog, and readies his dagger to attack in case the spider comes too close to him. Without a clear line of sight, he doesn't want to chance a spell just now.
Brandt's arrow punches through the edge of the sod flap, and grazes the spider.
"Brandt! Watch out!" Isla shouts a little too late. Caught of guard and lacking a clear shot she attempts to bolster her companions.
Calum urges William to charge into combat.
"Let's move William, fast as you can go, looks like Brandt needs our help."
Calum charges forward, shield at the ready, blade cutting the wind as he thrusted the sword towards the spider.
"The cavalry has arrived sir Brandt!"
The cavalry smashes home, with Calum's lance piercing through sod and dirt straight through to the spider's core. There is a hissing screech that pierces the air, and soon there is no movement from below the sod "hatch".
Brandt manages to shake off the lingering effects of the spider's bite.
The spider (who is NOT dead) screeches in pain, jumps out and bites at Calum, before retreating to the cover of its sod flap.
However, it's teeth fail to connect.
Isla calls out an encouraging song, and Geliglee stays back while the others fight more closely.
Brandt, seeing the spider threatening Calum drops his longbow and loosens his greataxe from across his back as he advances into the spider's lair. "Thanks for the help mate, let's see if we can't finish the darn thing fast!"
Seara finally noticed the target, Nalys was pointing at and rushed from the sky down
Nalys himself moved closer, to help Calum fight the spider and make a swing, but was over cautious and couldn't reach the target.