I see a more "civilized" nation from a godly distance away having bankrolled and started the expedition into the lost jungels of moil. The jungels themselves are absolutely horrid places to be, the insects and disease run rampant amongst the aboriginals, and amongst any settlement that is not careful to burn the pungent bush that repels the insects that carry it. The reason your nation is interested in the area is quite simple, Gold and Diamonds and lots of them. Further south and lost to the unknown paths of the godless heathens are the stinking grounds, fetid and rotten smelling plain marshes that harbour nuggets of gold the size of a man's fist for the taking. To the west are a series of bunttes and hills full of twisting and winding tunnels that have produced the biggest gem ever known on the first and only day of production as mines. To the east is the jungle full of strange plants and animals of unknown properties. Plants and animals the mages guild back home will pay handsomely for.
Have I mentioned this has been tried before? Some 40 odd years before,
The swelling of the sea subsides as you close upon shore. The three vessels, the logos, the nebakanezer, and the gnosis spotted land a day ago after the nearly month and ahalf of monotony on the inner seas.
The tension is measurible. Gear is being readied, cranes, ropes, and gang planks checked. The sailors you are sure will be just as glad to get this bunch of landlubbers off their ship, but at least those awful first weeks are finished. only a few mind odd movements of the ship on a wind swept sea anymore.
The three ships drop sail as signals are passed too and fro, eventrually the captain, a squat man with little to say about the current expedition comes up to you and the two other team leads and asks, "Where do you want to be dropped?" taking you to the head of the ship you see the beach sitting tauntingly ahead of you, seemingly close but all of 50 miles long. The the west the thickest parts of the jungle loom menacingly. A triple canopy so thick that light never reaches the bottom teams with life, unknown and unfriendingly. To the east the highland Buttes, small rounded mountains sitting inhospitably. You hear a few sailors, joking about how it looks like a women on her back just waiting for an enterprising fella to come along and domesticate her, before slapping on of you on the back... laughing and walking away saying..."Crazy mothers all of them"
The captain waits for your decision, your supplies down below. The two other heads , a dark teifling, leading a team of teiflings who hasn't said two words to you since you set sail and a gruff dwarf who isn't much better. Both of them shuffle their feet, obviously waiting for someone, you to speak first.
(DM VOICE) You are facing south, to the left is the mountainish region that is rumored to have diamonds, in the center is the huge area of beaches,marsh, and flood plains that are the only areas where the boats can be safely unloaded. To the right is the jungle proper, thick and menacing you know thatlong before any of you had taken up adventuring a previous colony was attempted. All went well for the summer but as the rain that passes for their winter descended contact was lost. No one has ever been able to find the remains of that original settlement, nor the nearly constructed keep that was going to be masterpiece of defence there. No maps besides those that have been drawn from the sea ever made it back to your nation of Abadar. You know that nation and church both rely on your sucessful taming of the godless land and heathens within (the nation is Abadaria and the religion is Abadara, God Abadar)
The Church is unaligned, althought emphasis is put on orderly conduct as their one true god dictates. The Duke rules by divine right and everyone must act to their station and life, lest chaos and anarchy rule supreme and god withdraw his protection
Supplies:
Mules 8 gp x 6 = 48 gp
Feed 5 cp/day x 6 x 50 days = 1500 cp or 15 gp
Pack Saddle 5 gp x 6 = 30 gp
Saddlebags 4 gp x 6 = 24 gp
Cart 15 gp x 6 = 90 gp
Mining Picks 3 gp each x 10 = 30 gp
Hooded Lanterns 7 gp each x 20 =140 gp
Shovels 2 gp each x 20 = 40 gp
Tents 20 gp each x 8 = 160 gp
Artisan's Tools 5 gp x 6 = 30 gp
Merchant's Scales 2 gp x 4 = 8 gp
50 ft of hempen rope 1 gp x 10 = 10 gp
Rations 5 sp per day x 10 people x 50 days = 250 gp
Block and tackle 5 gp each x 6 = 30 gp
Flint and Steel 1 gp each x 10 = 10 gp
Oil (10 pints) 1 gp x 50 = 50 gp (62.5 gallons or 125 days worth of oil in a single lantern)
Pitons (10) 1 gp x 25 = 25 gp
Signal Whistles 8 sp x 10 = 8gp
Whetstones 2 cp x 10 = 0.2 gp
Personal: Your sweet PC Selfs and 7 Artisans (please name and tell me what trade they practice)
Typhus takes the time to kneel in the sand, praising Abadar for delivering them all safely to this promised land. He rises to his feet.
"You lot! Offload that gear over there. You men, (pointing at the artisans) get those tents set up. We'll need shelter before the night comes."
You hit the sand thankfully, the teamster and the carpenter with the aid of the others setting up the oiled hide tents a ways up from the water.
The two other groups on your ship start trundeling towards the west, where you beleive the majority of the rest of groups also headed to seek fortune. The gear is swiftly offloaded and put into the wagon's the mules set up and tethered and you discover that the miner's have taken it upon themselves to perform cooking duty.
In Short things are going as planed.
The Ships are due to sail away on the tide the next morning, the captain who has been overseeing the transfer of goods and ballast on his ship and on the beech, shakes you each by the hand and wishes you, sincerely, good luck, before taking off on the longboat.
The Beach: Late Afternoon/Early Evening Weather Dry but Humid
The beach rock is pebblish, large polished stones as big as your fingertips crunch under foot. Your tents are set up just off the beach in the longer grass and sod that dominates before the forest.
To the North: Inner Sea
To the East: Inhospitable Cliffs that would gladly smash many a ship
To the South East: First Salt-Marsh and beyond that a Dark and Looming Forest
To the South: Salt Marsh that turns into the esturary of a rambling (slow moving, sluggish even) river
To the South West: Salt Marsh and the Beginings of the Jungle of Moil
To the West: Contiuence of the Beach and Salt Marsh that you are on, and then abrutly the jungle of Moil
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
Logos wrote: The Beach: Late Afternoon/Early Evening Weather Dry but Humid
The beach rock is pebblish, large polished stones as big as your fingertips crunch under foot. Your tents are set up just off the beach in the longer grass and sod that dominates before the forest.
To the North: Inner Sea
To the East: Inhospitable Cliffs that would gladly smash many a ship
To the South East: First Salt-Marsh and beyond that a Dark and Looming Forest
To the South: Salt Marsh that turns into the esturary of a rambling (slow moving, sluggish even) river
To the South West: Salt Marsh and the Beginings of the Jungle of Moil
To the West: Contiuence of the Beach and Salt Marsh that you are on, and then abrutly the jungle of Moil
Lyan breathes deeply of the beach air, assuming the workers will do an adequate job of making camp. He feels the need to scour his scales after the sea voyage, but that will come later.
Turning to his companions, he says loudly (as he says everything loudly), "Well, comrades. Looks like the salt marsh to the southeast might be the best way to come around to the hills. I don't fancy getting the mules up those cliffs!"
F Eladrin Ranger 2
Celegrom looks at the landscape for a analyse of the danger that we could encounter at this expedition or for the best place to keep the people.
She says: "I will explore the landscape. I will begin at the sotheast."
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
Celegorm Telrúnya wrote: She says: "I will explore the landscape. I will begin at the sotheast." "Do you want company?"
F Eladrin Ranger 2
Lyan Hurzin wrote: "Do you want company?" "No problem, I am happy to be with a company!" After this answer, she turns at the group of people to ask: "Are they anybody who wants to come with us?"
"I will accompany you as well. I feel a need to stretch my legs after a journey." He turns to the artisans, "Get that corral up first. The mules will need their space. And fetch some clean fresh water."
( Nature, Endurance or Atheltics Check please [take you best mod and role once plz] )
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
F Eladrin Ranger 2
Hiking and pushing hard you scout out the area directly to the south east of the camp your artisans are making. After the salt marsh, you find a pilthy deciduous forest that is somehow holding on in the face of the voraciously growing jungle to the west.
The woods themselves are sparse, and the wood of low quality. You do however find trails and tracks. This woods while not teeming with life does see some visitors, a few paths on the ground (and in the trees) suggest humanoid travel.
On your way you find what looks like a long abandoned camp, and the teifling finds an abjectly degraded and rotting teddy bear, or rather a teifling bear bear, the teddy has tiny knitted horns.
You can all quickly tell that this area would be hard to settle for any protracted period of time, and likely offer little in the way of resources. The forest continues south for a ways until it abutts against the begining of hills leading the highlands that you actually interested in.
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
Lyan's nostrils flare. "Well, we're not the first through here, but that's hardly a surprise. Tieflings . . . and a family?
"If we can get the carts through the marsh, it shouldn't be too hard to get them through this wood, so long as we watch for interference."
Lyan is ready to head back to camp.
"Indeed, a family denotes enough safety to bring children to. Unfortunately it did not seem to end well for them," Typhus notes as he stares around the ruined camp. "We shall need to build defenses, put together a proper settlement before long. We'll need fresh water and a defensible position. We ought to search for that."
F Eladrin Ranger 2
"It is a great idea to begin the construction of an defensive outpost!" She looks at the camp where they let the others and ask: "We should return at the camp!"
Returning to camp you find the artisan's snoozing for threw the late afternoon heat. Your tents are set up and your rucks are inside. A shoddy pen keeps the donkeys roughly together.
One of the miner's rouses himself enough to uncover the remains of dinner for you three. Its beans.
While he does that he starts talking a little, careful not to sound like he's bossing anyone arround.
So are we gonna go up that big heap of rock to the east? me and my brother Piotr here think we saw some yellow earth, its a good sign. Maybe not diamonds but rupies and garnets are not too shabby.
Female Half-elf Warlock 3
Tira finally gets her legs back under her. "I hate the sea! Maybe I can finally keep something down" Tira waits for her more sea worthy companions to return. "I hate the sea!" [Kefluran here, if its ok I'll play the half-elf warlock, if I'm still welcome]
F Eladrin Ranger 2
Celegorm welcomes Tira by a "Don't like the sea?" with a smaller laugh. She looks back at the encampment with a hope that an defensive outpost will be construct.
Female Half-elf Warlock 3
"Oh, I like the sea, when I'm watching it from the land. Its being on ships and feeling the sea, that's what I hate. By the morrow I'll be ready for whatever task is needed of me." Tira walks around taking stock of the defenses and personnel.
The defences here consist of little beyond sight, its fairly flat so you think you could see anyone sneaking up on you, but by the same measure they could see your camp a long ways off. You can make out, as evening descends, little beacons of light that mark the other parties. You see eight other beacons.
The personal didn't seem to do any better than you did on the boat, a whole lot of whobbly walking, and being thankful for being on dry land. THe miner's seem like the laziest of the lot, appointing themselves cooks and little else, but you see them doing a little digging, pushing and proding of earth, and rock. But before th end of the night one of the brothers Piotr, comes up to the 4 of you with a big smile on his face and hands you a small hunk of black and greenish rock. Obviously not impressed with your reactions he points out a redish junk of it, about the size of 1/2 of your pinky. "Garnet, worth a few gold polished maybe, probably sold by weight, its a good sign no?"
leaving you with the smallest garnet you ever saw, the miners go back to their tent, chuckling. as night falls and sleep begins.
Logos
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
"I'll take first watch," Lyan rumbles. "Who should I awaken?"
As the others prepare to bed down, Lyan takes an abrasive cloth and begins scrubbing his scales. He'll have to wait for the rest until he gets his armor off before he sleeps.
Female Half-elf Warlock 3
"You can wake me, I can take the next watch."
F Eladrin Ranger 2
"After the watch of Tira, I will take the watch until the morning." Celegorm is going to his trance.
( just a note, eladrin trance only takes 4 hours as apposed to the normal 6 hours for a full rest, and the eladrin notices things normally durring the trance, No checks but they can see everything and end trance at will, the eladrin can litterally keep watch while sleeping)
Logos
"Wake me when I am needed. I will take whichever watch is left."
The night passes uneventfully except for the morning, bright and early just as everyone is getting up, the team of tiefling's of whom you remember from the ship saunter's into camp. With a prisoner, in tow.
"Howdy" they burst out, smiling at the lot of you, sniggering all most. "I see you slept well", "While you were sleeping however, we caught a warband of these little fella's and we just thought you might want one,know your enemy kind of thing"
The Tiefling kicks what looks like a small child towards you. The Small Person is severaly bound with lengths of hemp rope. After being kicked he makes a savage sound and launches himself at the nearest person, the jewler hans, attempting to bite his face off. Only the taut rope with the tiefling on the other end stops him. Suddenly everyone is very awake.
Causaully tying the small person to one of the wagon's the teifling's saunter away, apparently having had their fun...
The creature is only about 3 feet high, and looks like a gnome, but has pointed teeth and a feral look about it. The creature is freshly bleeding in places, and is covered in tattooes and bits of jungle plant. It attempts to bite anything that comes in range and speaks abhorrent gibberish.
Typhus kneels down by the creature, just out of bite range. "Can you understand me, little one? Can you speak as I do?" If he gets no response, he stands and walks back over to the others.
"If there are more like this little one, we shall need to begin building a perimeter, if only to ensure our gear is untampered with. I suggest we take a look near those cliffs. Perhaps we shall find a good location to build a defensible position?"
Female Half-elf Warlock 3
"Hello, little one" Tira greets the little creature in common, elven, and goblin, watching his reactin of understanding to any language. "You miner, bring me some meet. Both cooked and raw. Bring me a couple of fruit also."
"Well friends, since you say you brought us a gift, I suspect you'll be leaving him with us on your way out. Thank you, for your help, of capturing so dangerous of a creature. I hope we can repay the favor in the near future." Tira's tone is one of contempt for their obvious attempts at belittling our group.
As the miner brings the food, I throw it down with in reach of the little one. "We'll at least see what food you like when you get hungry. Well miner, you're group is now in charge of guarding this little one. I want him secured in chain's if possible. His teeth will go through any ropes. Keep two of you on watch at all times. Now move!"
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
After Tyra drops down the food, Lyan goes to one knee in front (by a respectful distance) of the creature, studying it.
"Those teeth look carnivorous, and it seems to have a language. Beyond that, I have no idea.
"Yes, let's get a defensible location today, once this thing is properly secured."
Nature, Perception (1d20=8, 1d20 1=7)
Slowly the woodcutter and one of the other's go to secure the creature, when they come to the sheepish conclusion that they cannot do much better than is already done.
The Miner grins and looks to tira, "we ain't got no raw meat, and I ain't given the little monster any of mine" before anyone can say much of anything the miner goes back into his tent and soon the heavy rip of cotton, or snoring comes out.
The other miner looks perplexed at you four and then starts getting the camp ready to move, not bothering his brother. If pressed he responds "my brother's not a morning person"....
The creature is begining to attempt to chew threw the heavy ropes, it will take a while but eventually...
This days travels bring's you to the edge of the dark forest that you three scouted yesterday. The miners look uneasily about it, obviously not comfortable with the idea, but not saying anything.
Its Noon, Just at the fringes of the Dark Forest, the trees towering over you in their sickly way.
To the North is the salt marsh and the beach you've left behind
To the East is the foothill for the mountainous terrain beyond that
To the West is a River and the jungle proper beyond that
To the South is the Forest Proper dark and gloomy
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
Lyan ignores the attitude of the miner, for now.
"We should try to make a base camp in these foothills -- find a defensible spot."
Female Half-elf Warlock 3
"I say we skirt the river. We'll keep plenty of water, although the danger increases as all creatures need water. Also this may be the same idea that the previous settlers may have had." I look for any possible trails. [how do I use the rolls page. I couldn't figure out how to get my rolls up like everyone else did. I used it though, damn sucky rolls.]
Perception (1d20-1) 3
Tira wrote: [how do I use the rolls page. I couldn't figure out how to get my rolls up like everyone else did. I used it though, damn sucky rolls.] When you get the roll results, you'll see code under "Formatted Versions." Click on the BBCode entry and that automatically copies the code to your clipboard for pasting.
Tira scouts the woods of paths and trails.
She finds lots of established paths but nothing that was recently or ever used by wagons and carts. Tira sees foot paths and rope bridges in the trees themselves and several wide paths on the ground. Wide enough to move the carts over.
Tira also gets the distinct sense she is being watched, but sees nothing to suggest that .
F Eladrin Ranger 2
"I will try to study this creature." Celegorm says when she walks with the others in the path.
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
Tira wrote: "I say we skirt the river. We'll keep plenty of water, although the danger increases as all creatures need water. Also this may be the same idea that the previous settlers may have had." I look for any possible trails. I just read more carefully. I think the river is in the opposite direction of the foothills/hills/cliffs, where we were planning to start mining.
[The river is west, and the foothills are west,they are in different directions]
"Seems to me that water may be our weak spot; therefore we must find a good spot to entrench near the river." Typhus then suggests that they look for a spot close to the river, preferably on a high point where the surrounding countryside can be easily seen. Even if they're seen just as easily, it's more important to have the vantage.
Logos wrote: [The river is west, and the foothills are west,they are in different directions] Umm . . .
[My Bad, Take this up in the discussion thread. ]
Here are the 8 cardinals to where you are at noon on the second day
North; Salt Marsh and beyond that the Beach where you landed
North-East; Salt Marsh and beyond that the Imposing Cliffs
East; The Dark Forest and beyond that the Foothills
South-East The Dark Forest and beyond that the Highlands
South; The River and beyond that Unknown
South-West; The Other Side of the River and the Jungle Proper
West; THe River and on the other side, the jungle proper
North-West: River Estuary and Salt Marsh, Beyond that the beach
M Hobgoblin Battlemind/Quicksilver Demon 17 (Foe Killer)
Typhus Aurelius wrote: "Seems to me that water may be our weak spot; therefore we must find a good spot to entrench near the river." Typhus then suggests that they look for a spot close to the river, preferably on a high point where the surrounding countryside can be easily seen. Even if they're seen just as easily, it's more important to have the vantage. "I'd agree with you, Aurelius, if we were looking for a temporary camp. But I think our best chances for gems are in the hills, to the East. And that means getting through this forest as quickly as possible."
Female Half-elf Warlock 3
"As for looking for gems, the miners should know the best place. And from all the tales I've heard, the mountains are the place to go. So foot hills or mountains? I suggest we include the miners in this discussion."
"Once we decide on the location of our expeditionary mining, we should then look for a location near to it and water, but most of all, defensible."
Tira then goes around asking any of the artisans if they know the gnomish language. If the creature is of gnomish origin, so might be the language. It's a start on figuring out to communicate with the locals. Also, I will help learning of this creature, and try to befriend it. Is it chained yet, or is it still in its ropes? If we have no chains, I suggest we change the ropes soon. He does have sharp teeth.
"Very well, let us scout the area, then move on the morrow."
F Eladrin Ranger 2
"I will watch the landscape and the ground for information that could be useful for us."
You Spend the night by the river, the odd sounds of the jungle washing over you.
Confronting the miners and other artisans, you realize that none of them speak more than a little gnomish, but those that do quickly tell you that what the creature is speaking is not gnomish, and they doubt it is a "real" language at all.
Sitting down with the miner's you talk mining for a bit, and the miner's tell you two things. That the signs they saw that are promising seemed to be more in the foothills then the proper mountains and that they can't really tell you more beyond that until they've had chance to poke arround in the "bowels of de earth" as they say. That means either finding natural caves or diging exploratory shafts, obviously finding natural caves will be much much faster.
The gnome creature is halfway threw the rope by the time you make camp for the night. You worry that if you untie him he will escape before you can retie him. But you are confident that you will be able to wait another night before it becomes a pressing issue.
Everyone is getting the sense of being watched, a lot of muttering and salt throwing is going on amongst the other craftsmen.
during the night whoever is on watch sees two things, first the source of the feeling of being watched is twofold. You see more of the gnome like creatures are circling the camp and then when you go to open your mouth they are just gone. Also in the morning when everyone is roused you find a huge boar, slaughtered cleanly just at the edge of camp, perfect for eating as well as juju (shurnken head totem) on a stick with a white ribbon.
The White Ribbon bears the tongue of the Eladrin saying simple "Take Nothing, Leave Nothing, and No Harm Shall Come To You."
Day 3: Its morning, your water reserves are filled and good for at least a week. Where are you going.
"It appears we have attracted the attention of the natives. Perhaps we ought to seek them out and introduce ourselves?" Typhus says, scratching his chin, "What do you believe they mean by this message?"
"Let us get the miners set up in a small camp near the foothills. The other artisans can begin to build a suitable settlement and we shall seek out these mysterious neighbors."
Typhus is in favor of releasing the small feral savage. He seems to be mostly harmless and not worthy of any further study.
Female Half-elf Warlock 3
"I agree with Typus, the little one should be released, but I doubt the he is of little consequence. We can learn much from him, if only we knew how. Celegarm, can you find any tracks around our gifts form our nightly visitors? I also agree with Typhus about heading to the foothills, since that is where the miners are leaning toward."
"We could release the little one and follow him. That will teach us some, but I'm sure he'll try to evade us at first oppurtinity."
"As for what the note means, that is self explanitory. We should not mine, and when we start we should expect trouble. Do we have enough guards for an encampment if we leave to find our somewhat friendly neighbors? Should we send an envoy to the other groups and see if they have similar offerings and tidings?"
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