"Are we lost?" I ask with a grin. "I love teasing this guy!"
"I don't think we need to cast any divinations."I respond in all seriousness, still not happy with slaughtering a pair of harmless giant frogs, but letting it go because of our overall mission.
Adarion and Amual thinks the squad is at a certain spot, but Daelynn is certain their precise location is about 300 yards off.
"My lord, we are here." I point at our location on the map. "I believe if we continue to move southwest by another two miles or so, we will reach the western edge of the Narlmarches. I suggest we cross this river close by and move due south." Gives Amual a look of confidence, then bows slightly to Adarion for approval.
"She seems to be sure of herself. Heck, she's ALWAYS sure of herself."
"I concur with her judgment."
Having faith in the skills of my troops, I mark the spot of this encounter on the map. From here, I look for a spot to cross over the smelly river if possible. If not, then we will simply deal with it.
"Everyone form up, let's look for a spot to cross. The smell is getting on my nerves."
Without much effort, you manage to find spots immediately north of your location where you can cross the river without so much as getting the bottoms of your boots wet. The sounds of the Narlmarches have resumed. Once you cross over to the other side of the Skunk River, I am let to believe that you are traveling due South without hesitation. To the west you can barely see the forest open up a bit. Further west is the edge of the forest. The undergrowth is medium density and trees are a bit more scattered apart. I am also assuming that you are also traveling in column formation with the same lineup as before.
Date: Wealday, 1st day Gozran, 4714
Time: Noon
So far, there have been no encounters after over one hour of travel south. The fog has burned off completely. The end of the Narlmarches is about over 150 feet to your right (west). Undergrowth goes from sparse to average, with the tree density doing the same. The smell from the Skunk River is gone now. You can see sunrays easily breaking the single canopy now, giving your more clearer vision, but LOS is still averaging from 50 to 150 feet on the ground. Travel by treetop is not possible here without jumping, flying and so on. The air is still cold, but not so much as yesterday.
I want to study the land's flora and fauna as we travel.
[dice = Knowledge: nature]1d20 + 14[dice]
@Daelynn:
You notice that this cold forest has plenty of game both small and large. Plant life here doesn't offer much in the form of food, even for elves, but you did spot the occassional patch of frostberries, nuts, and a couple of edible plants. It would take some dedicated foraging to find food. But the hunting is abundant.
Water is practically everywhere. You can't go far without encountering a small stream or a pool here and there. In summary, it may be harsh and cold, but everything you need to survive is here.
The weather isn't very pleasant. You were informed that summers are short and winters are long. Once you left the hot stinky hot springs, the reality of winter returned. Without your Endure Elements enchantment, things would be uncomfortable. People can survive here, but it demands the strong and hearty.
"Could we take a short break? I want to share with Amual my findings about the flora and fauna life here. He might have some knowledge as well. We need to know the land we are living in for Gods-know how long."
"will do.
Looking for a decent spot that isn't overgrown with bush and no standing/running water.
"Everyone, let's rest here for a short time. Daelynn and Amual take the south position. Kethelis and myself over there to the northwest, while Claeledar and Fiavia finish our triangle formation over there to the northeast. One person on watch, the other does what they need to do. Keep the chatter down to whispers, better if you use Message spells. We move out in 15 minutes."
Waits for detailed information when the spell activates.
Stands watch for Fiavia, main area of observation from North to East in a 90-degree cone as LOS.
Does the same for Lord Adarion. LOS zone from north to southwest.
@Daelynn:
The spell simply gives you a bit more of the same information in detail. There are LOTS of bad stuff here that you can run into. From bandits to more powerful creatures. Hunting is abundant with things you can eat here. You have already passed several game trails so far in the day. Game inside the forest includes deer, boar, foxes, rabbits, badgers, beavers, and so on. A good hunter/trapper can do well here, but they are often the hunted as well.
You are still technically in the winter season, with spring from about mid-April through June. The spring is cold and very very wet, most rainfall occurs during this period more so than any other. Summer is from July to August, but it really isn't all that warm. Fall season is September to mid-October with rains and early snowfalls.
The soil is fertile here. If the humans were to clear the trees completely, they would be able to cultivate the land for their insatible hungers. Thought the growing seasons are short, they could still farm the land, particularly further south. But in doing so, they will erase the ecology and much of their hunting.
Water is pure, plentiful, and potable for use, except for the Skunk River. That particular body of water can be used if you boil or purify the water.
The spell reveals that the deeper you go into the Narlmarches, the more tangled the trees are, giving you more access to tree travel.
Leans over to whisper at Amual.
"Hey, here's what I have learned about this place so far," I say to my companion. Shares my knowledge to him with as much detail as possible. In addition, I retrieve pen and paper to take notes on our discoveries for the rest of the team to read on.
Looks at her briefly while keeping watch.
"Hmph, did you really have to study hard to know this?" I say to her with a comical tone of voice. "And I thought you were a druid. Just kidding, heheh. Now, if we continue south for a bit more, we can use the trees better. Even though this is our ideal environment, the undergrowth is really a pain do deal with."
I remove one shock arrow from my Bag of Holding and place this into my Efficient Quiver to up my arrow count to 60 as per our party info. As Claeledar keeps a keen eye out for trouble, I whisper out,"This isn't such a bad forest. But there sure is plenty of evil things lurking about. I may not be Sylvan, but even I sense danger permeating throughout the land. We sure have lots of work to do."
Without looking at her, I respond back with eagerness. "Good, we can sure use these lands for many purposes. Good thing we are elves, because this will definitely take a year or five to accomplish."
"Everyone, form up. Column formation, ten feet spacing. Amual in the lead, followed by myself, Daelynn, Kethelis, Fiavia and Claeledar. Speed at 30."
Once you resume your journey, the trees tighten up in less than one hour of travel. The western edge of the forest suddenly veers out to the west and can no longer be seen.
"Let's go tree hopping. Hopefully, we won't have any disasters this time."
This time (and I won't let it slide too often), all of you manage to reach the branches without fail. From here, travel is much easier than on the ground. Elevation is 30-50 feet. LOS up here is about 300+ feet, with LOS to the ground almost clear. Despite the undergrowth, you can see the snow on the ground in this area better; but some spots will be so entangled that even your superior vision will not penetrate the brush completely.
We shall travel south until close to nightfall. At that point, we will find a place to camp for the night. Unless of course, we encounter something.
Right about close to nightfall, you found a very tight cluster of beech trees that look strong and provides good shelter on the ground. It does not look anything is there or in the trees.
Date: Wealday, 1st day of Gozran, 4714.
Time: evening hour of 6.
Light: almost none.
LOS: 50 feet.
Wind: 5 knots from the northwest.
Temperature: 29-degrees and dropping.
Weather: Cloudy and winter cold.
Precipitation: none.
I signal the squad for a halt.
"We will camp here for the night. The ground looks good from here, and this cluster should provide both cover and good concealment. Standard camp procedures, you all know what to do."
Once we set foot on the ground, I will have Amual and Daelynn gather up wood in case we need a fire going. They will not go any further than LOS permits from our camp. Claeledar and Fiavia will get themselves situated while Kethelis and I post watch on the two wood gatherers. We will do this for 30 minutes.
I will keep an eye out while Amual gathers up an armload of wood, while making sure I can see the rest of the group. We will switch up roles in order to prevent fatigue.
Fiavia and I will check waterskins to make sure we are all good on that. From there, we gather up stones for a campfire and make sure we are not sitting on anything dangerous. We also check our gear and replenish our quivers from the one shot each of us made earlier on the frogs.
Ok, good. No encounters or bad things have occurred. Daelynn and Amual have accumulated a good supply of wood. The trees really makes a dark circle. It's as if someone deliberately made this small grove for a purpose. Because of this, there is no brush here and the snow is light. But roots are everywhere. The area inside this grove is about 15 to 20 feet wide. The overhead canopy cannot be seen.
Attempting to get a fire started despite the wet wood.
@Amual:
You had some difficulty, but managed to get it done without using any spells to do so
.
In no time at all, you now have a decent fire warming up the place with enough wood to last until late morning.
"Quite a day today," I say out loud to those who are listening. "Best part was watching Dreamstrider fall on his ass! Don't worry, my friend, I won't tell everyone about it back home!"
Smiles at her with a grin that says, "eager to see your reaction in the morning when I conjure up worms in your waterskin."
As my squad makes Gnome-like fools of themselves, I retrieve The Globe from my haversack and attune myself into the crystal. Once I establish a connection, I send my message in my thoughts:
"First day in Narlmarches. Made a contact with giant frogs near the origin of the Skunk River and eliminated them with no wound to the squad." I deliberately leave out the part about Amual's embarassing fall or else I may lose concentration and end the transmission. "Continuing to the south beyond the in efforts to find the lost Elven tower. I estimate that we will find it within the next two to four days, as the exact position is unknown. Currently positioned west of the Skunk River. Nothing else follows."
@Adarion:
Before you end your mystic connection, you receive a reply:
"If our calculations are correct, continue traveling south for a day or two until you reach the Murque River. Our vague information tells us that the forgotten post is somewhere upriver. We do not know if the the outpost is on or near the waterway. Be wary for danger. Good luck. Out.
Rustles up a tea pot and a container of tea leaves from my haversack. Adding water, I place the small kettle onto a flat rock and brew up some fine stuff.
"Some of the finer things in life should be enjoyed, even in the midst of a mission," I think to myself silently.
I give a good deep inhale of the tea brimming on the fire. "Ah, now this is class in the woods. Too bad we don't have any fey wine, but this will do."
Wonders if playing my clay flute would be a good idea. Thinks the better of it, and decides to pour over my spell book for tomorrow's choices.
"All right team, this is our current situation." I point at the map folded out inside the light of the fire for all to see before darkness really sets in. "We are here. Tomorrow, we head south as before, until we reach the Murque River. If our intel is correct, we will turn west and follow upriver to locate this lost outpost. We may find it tomorrow, it may take a few days. Once we find it, we will observe the area for any threats. If there are any nasties located there, we eliminate with extreme prejudice. Once that is done, we will use the post as our base of operations for the next year or so.
Storing my map back into the scrollcase and standing up to face the squad, I take charge. "Let's pack down for the night. Make sure we get in a good eight hours of rest before we head out. I'll take first watch as always. Claeledar and Kethelis are on second two-hour watch, Fiavia and Amual next, Daelynn and myself will be last."
The night goes well with no events or random encounters. At about dawn, everyone wakes up to another morning in the Narlmarches.
Date: Oathday, 2nd day of Gozran, year 4714.
Time: morning hour of 7.
Lighting: Slightly dark.
Sunrise: Roughly one hour.
Wind: Light, 4mph south by southwest.
Temperature: 32-degrees F.
Precipitation: none.
LOS: 50-70 feet.
Yawns slightly during a stretch and tends to the low burning campfire. [b]"Whoa, it's pretty warm this morning./[b]
Evaluating the weather from what I can see and tell.
@Amual:
There must be a warm front somewhere that is pulling in from the south that is warming things up. From your studies of the land, this will cause things to melt and open areas will be muddy. Expect serious fog in non-windy days outside of the forest and nearby large bodies of water. But this is short term, it's still winter and it's not close to being over.
Once I wake up and begin my spell preparations, I look to Adarion.
"My Lord, should we continue to eat our rations or find something to hunt or gather?" I ask. "From what we have gathered, there is very little in the way of nuts and berries. But there is plenty of live stuff to eat."
Looking up from his own spellbook, he responds to Daelynn.
"For now, we shall use up some of our food and water supply until we discover and reclaim the old fort," I respond calmly to the eager druid companion. "Once we do that, we can begin living off of the land during our other missions. I anticipate we should be done with our first task soon. We still need to explore this unknown land a bit more, actually, quite a bit more."
"The rest of you, be prepared to fight just about anything we encounter," I advise to the squad. "In most cases, a fort does not remain abandoned and lifeless for long. Give me a rundown on your spells for today so we can maximize diversity." Gives myself a quick thought about today's preparation...
"Oh, right. Even though the weather seems a bit warmer, let's all casts Endure Elements anyway so we don't have to wear the heavy winter gear that will slow us down. Also, how about we all use Feather Fall...just in case."
Giggles profusely, remembering yesterday's embarrassing fall from grace that Amual suffered ingloriously.
Flicks my head at her general direction.
"Oh doooooo shut the unholy hells up!" I say in a whisper.