That is my plan I will make changes to it as need be, I have no plans of settling the Stolen Lands. What this places represents to me is simply a place to resupply, rebuild Clan Rivertusk and then a nice leaping point to the River Kingdoms which has always been the place of Clan Rivertusk. Marauding bands of Orcs will only occur when one does something to provoke them, for instance defiling an Orc burial ground or Cairn.
As for the silver mine do any of you have any better ideas? Exploring without a goal doesn't count.
Miyuki smiles:"Farming, Herding, Hunting, offering services as mercenary. Or as caravan guard?"
Doesn't really get me where I need to be going and it is beneath the majority of us to do so... Look at the guards in this place, had you put four against the abomination we fought in the Cairn they would have all died within a minute. We are a cut above the average man, think ambitiously. A silver mine if it exists is a nice thing to have, the silver that would flow into our pockets from such a claim not only helps me but it helps you lot.
I can't say for certain that the silver mine exists but a way does exist to figure it out. Chatting up the local trappers to see if this is fable or if it was real should give us the answer. As for the caravan incoming from Restov I wouldn't bother with, nobles in the River Kingdoms aren't exactly known for their trustworthiness and I suspect the same thing applies to Brevoy.
"I think that we should think about the problems at hand. We are still scouting this area, there could be things more valueable than silver!"
Your thinking short term Etienne, I am thinking long term. A silver mine so long as it isn't played out is a continuous source of coin, sadly it might well be played out for we know... Still we can probably find this silver mine if it exists and do exploration at the same time. I am wondering though Etienne if you can do a small favor for me, I have never been a social creature... Could you perhaps grill the Captain for information regarding these trappers, especially if any of them are orc or half orc?
"And you skin the rabbit, before it´s caught. But I will gladly help you and ask the Captain. Maybe he knows more."
"If the Stag Lord has been dealt with, I would say we should find this silver mine on our way south. Asking the trappers where they think it is would help immensely."
After selling the goods, buying the 2 wands of cure light wounds, and ordering the mwk haramaki with Miyuki, Anton splits the rest of the coins between the team.
Anton also offers the 2nd wand to Sebastian
"I think it's better if both us keep a wand, in case of emergency, so we have a major opportunity to heal the rest of the party. Do you agree?"
Then gathering everyone to the map he points out the hills zone.
"Do you need silver? We made an alliance with the local kobolds, with Chief Sootscale. The lair is a potential silver mine, I personally noted it. Also the mine the Orlovsky discovered should be in those hills too, but I have no idea of the precise location, they were mapping those hills the last time I and Miyuki met them.
We shall cross our maps again when we will met at the Staglord Fort. Then we shall see what will happen when this Surtova will be here with that caravan."
"So, tomorrow morning we shall depart, and move to south, to reach the Staglord Fort. I think that we have deserve a good night of sleep. Do you agree?"
"I agree. Although I am better suited to the frontlines, it certainly can't hurt to have two of us so equipped."
Sebastian awakes before dawn and works through his morning rituals. With a hearty breakfast in him, he mounts Justice and is ready to ride.
In the morning Anton wakes up at dawn, prays Erastil and meditates the Nature to have new spells
2nd-Shield Other (D), Animal Aspect, Bull's Strength
1st-Bless (D), Aspect of the Falcon, Deadeye's Arrow, Produce Flame
0th (at will)-Create Water, Know Direction, Light, Stabilize
Then he goes to have breakfast, and handles Berego for the day.
When everyone is ready on horse, he mounts and leads the team strictly south in the plains, running along the border of the forest but not entering in its, and then to the hills, still going straight on.
Miyuki smiles and follows their comrades. "It is nice to know... that there is a soft bed waiting for you."
Soft beds? Who needs em, sleeping on the ground builds character in a young orc.
Etienne chuckles."Now and then a bed is nice"
Some unexplored way. ;-) There should be a map at Olegs outpost, where everyone showed what he had explored. And we take a fresh route.
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Ok, so if i've got it correctly.
Hex 1: Oleg's, plains, 3 hours travel.
Hex 2: SE of Oleg's Spider's Nest, plains, 3 Hours travel
Hex 3: SW of spider's next, hills, 1 day exploration - Orlovsky gold vein
Hex 4: SW of Hex 3, hills, 1 day exploration - Rickety Bridge
Hex 5: SW of Hex 4, hills, 1 day exploration - Bladeberry Thicket
Hex 6: SE of Hex 5, hills, 1 day exploration - Stag Fort
In hex 3 you find a small rocky hill with a crack near it's base. Peering inside you find a rich vein of gold ore. This is the gold mine the Orlovsky party had laid claim to by putting a posting on Oleg's board.
Hex 4 you find a rickety old bridge. Crossing more than one a time is ill-advised.
While exploring this hex one of you accidentally corners a small animal. The size of a dog, but the slender build of a cat, heavy whiskers, and dark stripes down its back. Its long tail flips about, smacking the ground as it scans the woods. It yips and bays in a complex pattern, offering warning to anything that may cross its path. This aggressive little creature makes a lot of noise until either you back away or it is goaded into attacking you.
Hex 5, shortly after crossing into this hex you encounter a small band of elk, two females each with a calf. The mother's aggressively protect their young, but have no real desire to harm you. In a valley between two hills you find a dense thicket of bladeberry bushes. The bushes have been partly denuded of the delicious berries, but there's still lots more. nearby you find the signs of a bonfire that has since burned to ashes, perhaps only a day old.
Hex 6 you explore the hills surrounding Stag Fort on the shore of Lake Tuskwater where the Shrike and Thorn river come together.
If you have any questions or comments about your trip please let me know we'll backtrack to the salient point, otherwise we'll proceed to your arrival at Stag Fort.
Miyuki would collect some bladebarrys for Bokken. And sighs at the feeling that again someone was faster.
During both encounters with the animals, Anton tries to use his knowledge and his wild empathy ability to avoid a fight, as he previously did with the mother bear and her cubs.
[Dice=Kn Nature with the "dog" in Hex 4]1d20 + 9[/dice]
[Dice=Wild Empathy with the "dog" in Hex 4]1d20 + 4[/dice]
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Avoiding violence with the animals is not difficult, you simply have to give them their space. Unless you fancy some moose burgers, they go on their way.
The odd barking creature is, Anton explains, a brush thylacine. This marsupial carnivore is dangerous in number, but poses little threat on its own.
Feel to jump over to the Antlers' gameplay thread for your arrival at the fort.
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A clear summer morning Carter, Anton, Miyuki, Etienne and Sebastien mount up and prepare to ride out in search of a dragon.
Before leaving Dai Hu, Miyuki's scribe comes out, in a silver and green uniform with a beret and silver fox pinned to his jacket to wish you all safe journey and luck on your hunt. He seems to linger particularly long in his goodbyes to Miyuki.
Were you just going to head west?
Anton has been our leader in the wild for quite some time and I like it that way.
I think our witch will come with us. She just has internet problem!
Sebastian completes his morning ritual, smiling widely as he mounts his horse.
"By the Inheritor it's good to be away from that desk! Time for the road again!" Shifting in his saddle, he says "I swear friends, I have met no greater challenge in my life than those numbers and figures. Iomedae tests us in strange ways, indeed."
"You tell me. Today I had someone wanting join the army who held spear wrong way. Told him the pointy head into the enemy. He looked like a deer during flash. A well. Its good to move free again. A week east, a week search, a week home?"
"West, I think. We should explore some as well. Especially the areas nearest the city."
That morning Anton prayed for new spells, handled his horse Berego for the journey. When everybody was ready he leaded the way to West, towards the forest.
While exploring he also, as usual, speaks with the others.
"If you agree, I think we can do, as we did previously, exploring to the west for few days deep in the forest, then moving a little bit south, and moving again to the east, in this way we will not miss anything for our exploration map. Unless we found evident tracks of this dragon, in that case this will mean that we are near him or his lair."
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You travel west along the new road to the edge of the hex and then into the Narlmarches beyond. You spend the day exploring the area, and find no traces of dragons, but near midafternoon you do find something.
You hear the sound of colourful cursing echoing form somewhere nearby. You follow it to it's source and find that a wagon, being pulled by two ponies has become mired in the muddy river bank of the skunk river. The current is threatening to pull the beasts and their cargo into the center of the river, where they will surely perish.
A band of gnomes is trying to decide what to do form the banks, but they seem disorganised and uncertain. Adding to the confusion is a gnome stations atop a small hilltop shouting contradictory orders and wild curses at the other gnomes.
Etienne rides closer and offers his help.
Anton handles Etienne the potion of Touch of the Sea and casts Bull's Strength on him too.
Taking off armor, Etienne swims closer and helps and pushes the wagon.
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It hardly matters, the potion grants you a +8 to swim and the ability to take 10 even is distracted. The water here is not deep (ponies still have their heads above water while mired on the river bottom) so a 10 is all that is required.
Nex someone must unhitch the frightened ponies and lead the to land. Handle animal or animal empathy.
If can take 10 Handle animal = 15
Sebastian takes a length of rope and hands one end to Etienne. The other he attaches to the saddle pommel on Justice. "I will anchor you here, Etienne. Attach this end to the wagon or ponies as needed and I will help drag them out."
Sebastian will cast Bulls Str on Justice to aid in anchoring/pulling.
Anton casts Animal Aspect on himself, taking the Otter aspect of the spell.
So he swims to the wagon, and also helps handling the ponies
Doing the best to calm the gnomes, Miyuki does her mundane magic on them
"No worry, my friends, Etienne, the young man with the body ... ahm the one helping with your ponies and Anton will take care of your animals and we will also help with your wagon. We will manage that easely, together. Who is your leader?"
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Etienne begind taking 10 on his handle animal, but by the time he's done the wagon will have washed away.
With the aid of Sebastian's rope and Anton's coaxing the two ponies are safely back on dry land.
Miyuki seems to be doing a decent job at calming the gnomes, but the leader seems to only be getting more excited, and vociferously vulgar. Now that the ponies are removed the wagon is being dragged towards the center of the river.
Etienne can make a STR check to drag it back to the shore, but even as beefed up as he is, it may be too much for him, as many as 4 party-members, two on a side may assist. Sebastian may use his horse's strength so long as someone ties the rope to the wagon.
Justice struggles to find purchase on the riverbank. Sebastian dismounts and attempts to pull on the rope as well.
While still in Otter animal aspect, Anton moves swiming in the back of the wagon and tries to assist Etienne too
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With help from Anton and Sebastian Etienne's mighty strength. pulls the wagon back to the shore.
All the gnomes applaud, one of the ponies come up and licks Etienne's face.
The cursing, shrieking gnome from atop the nearby hill, comes down. He glumly looks you over, under a bettered metal helmet he is sporting a black eye. Oddly he doesn't seem pleased to see you.
"Name's Jubilost Narthropple, mapper, explorer and raconteur. Thank ye much for saving my wagon." He stands there with his arms crossed. "Who might you lot be?"
"Well met Master Narthropple. My name is Matsu, first lady of Emermark. It seems you had an accident, maybe you could share your story with us.
The young man of heroic strength is Sire Etienne de Guerlin and the others are Anton of the house of Medived and Maester Callen."
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He grunts. "So you're form that castle I've heard tell about to the east. People that set up castles start putting on airs and graces, expecting other people to bow," he spits on the ground. "Well I have no intention of bowing to anyone. I makes my maps and if you wants to buy them you can pay just like everyone else."
"We were just about to set up camp when a snake spooked the ponies. I suppose if you hand't come along when you did we'd likely have lost our supplies. For that I'm grateful, but don't expect much more.
Sebastian leans in to Matsu. "Mayhap we should look to see what maps he has, my Lady, under the pretense to buy? Not even a pretense, if they're good ones. Mapmakers need a base of operations in wild lands as well. Maybe an offer for trade: maps for the kingdom, in return, Emermark offers space for a shop of sorts."
He leans back. "Aye, well met, Master Narthropple." He goes about coiling his wet rope, leaving it hanging over the saddle pommel to dry, then remounts Justice.
Emerging from the waters and taking his normal aspect, Anton recovers Berego, and mounts it. Then he approaches the gnome and the rest of the team.
"May the Old Deadeye bless you, master Narthropple. As everybody in Freewater and in the others farms around can confirm you, we are not that kind of noble.
We gladly assisted you, not expecting something in exchange. As Lady Miyuki said, I'm Anton Medvyed, of the Church of Erastil, current high priest of Emmermark, but mine own people simply call me father Anton."
Anton sincerely smiles Narthropple before adding
"Do you or your fellow gnomes need assistance? Do you have any wounded?"