Chapter 2c - The Bunker

[Keehnelf]

Ilfrien looks around at those who've stayed behind. "Well, I mostly stayed out here because I don't like any of those others. I hope it doesn't end up being a terrible decision."

It's hard to tell whether this is meant as a joke or not. She stuffs her new rations into Applehead's saddlebags, wipes her hands, and points inquiringly off to the southeast. "So, abandoned road?"

[Enoch]

Yana rolls her eyes theatrically. "If you're worried about it, there is always a party heading back. Otherwise, yes--I think the abandoned road is our best bet, unless one of us wants to carry the halfling over our head when we ford the river."

[Keehnelf]

Ilfrien shakes her head. "Nothing to be afraid of out here. I just don't want to have let my bad attitude get me in trouble. I have every confidence Ogre-Brain here can get us out of any trouble we find." She pats her light mace uncomfortably.

[Marullus]

Arlandria Frogmorton

The diminutive woman repacks her supplies tightly and securely in her backpack, then secures her pack on the horse once more. She hops up on a log to gain some height as she speaks to the others, carefully restringing her bow and inspecting her arrow fletchings as she does so. "I'll be going, and will continue scouting. This group is noisy, and thus far it has saved us from ambush by both orcs and kobolds. If you hear my cry of warning, speed yourselves to battle."

Satisfied with the condition of her weapons, she hops down off the log and begins tracing roughly in the dirt and explaining to those who went to the Lake previously.
"Due east from here, we found the farm house cellar, and beyond that the road. We then went east to the Kobolds we slew, then due south east until nightfall in the pinewood. Coming back west from there we found the lake with the giant eagle claws, then the road, confirming it continues due south and goes yet further on. After that we came due east and found the river, connecting there somewhere between where you slew your boar and the lake, as we found your left over carcass."
(Map attached)
"Climbing trees to check our progress, I don't think we made it as far as we thought... on our way back, I thought we'd be six miles in from the perimeter, but it looked only three miles or so to the woodline. I could a bit further than that in each direction and there was nothing to note but more trees... if we hope to find something more exciting than kobold patrols that Bounders and Perimeter guards handle, we need to go due south and deeper in, and the road is our best bet."

She looks up to all members in turn. "We can march due southeast from here until we hit the road... perhaps there is something in the trees of note, but our last efforts were, well, a bit boring, and a bit slower than I hoped until we get to the road.... maybe four miles that way through hard forest. Or, we can go a mile back south, skirt across the fields at a faster pace to the gate, then back along the path. That is... maybe six miles to the same point."

(GM - is there reason to expect we'd go sufficiently faster by field and trail to make it viable? I'm OOC fuzzy on these movement calculations.)

[tkrexx]

Some confusion is evident on Hyde's face, until he grunts in resignation, carefully checking the arrows he scavenged. Well, I like them all. I like everyone here. We all be good pals, hah? I never had so many good pals, yeahh.

The Half-Orc pauses a moment in thought. I think the river be kind of a boundary, maybe there be alot going on across there. I know Hobbits don't fancy water much... The pony, he indicates Applehead, he can carry Arlandria, and prob'ly Yenny, too, if we cross the river, hah? Ponies be great swimmers.

[AleBelly]

Arlandria Frogmorton

The diminutive woman repacks her supplies tightly and securely in her backpack, then secures her pack on the horse once more. She hops up on a log to gain some height as she speaks to the others, carefully restringing her bow and inspecting her arrow fletchings as she does so. "I'll be going, and will continue scouting. This group is noisy, and thus far it has saved us from ambush by both orcs and kobolds. If you hear my cry of warning, speed yourselves to battle."

Satisfied with the condition of her weapons, she hops down off the log and begins tracing roughly in the dirt and explaining to those who went to the Lake previously.
"Due east from here, we found the farm house cellar, and beyond that the road. We then went east to the Kobolds we slew, then due south east until nightfall in the pinewood. Coming back west from there we found the lake with the giant eagle claws, then the road, confirming it continues due south and goes yet further on. After that we came due east and found the river, connecting there somewhere between where you slew your boar and the lake, as we found your left over carcass."
(Map attached)
"Climbing trees to check our progress, I don't think we made it as far as we thought... on our way back, I thought we'd be six miles in from the perimeter, but it looked only three miles or so to the woodline. I could a bit further than that in each direction and there was nothing to note but more trees... if we hope to find something more exciting than kobold patrols that Bounders and Perimeter guards handle, we need to go due south and deeper in, and the road is our best bet."

She looks up to all members in turn. "We can march due southeast from here until we hit the road... perhaps there is something in the trees of note, but our last efforts were, well, a bit boring, and a bit slower than I hoped until we get to the road.... maybe four miles that way through hard forest. Or, we can go a mile back south, skirt across the fields at a faster pace to the gate, then back along the path. That is... maybe six miles to the same point."

(GM - is there reason to expect we'd go sufficiently faster by field and trail to make it viable? I'm OOC fuzzy on these movement calculations.)

A few points here.

1. Regarding movement, there's a post on that in the house rules. The group will move as slowly as the slowest member of the party. Travel over open fields, grasslands, etc constitutes normal movement. Travel over quality roads are at 1.5x movement. Swamps, thick woods, etc. are at variably reduced movement. So yes, following the trail will be the speediest way to travel.

2. When in thick woods, it is easy to miss things that are nearby. As I mentioned earlier, there are many ways to indicate intention of direction of travel - following a road/watercourse/landmark, giving a compass bearing, stating an intention to explore an area (this would mean that you could canvass an area centered around a landmark or location. This explored area would increase with the amount of time spent searching).

[AleBelly]

Hyde will remember that there are several spots suitable to ford across the river, but they will have to travel south along it for 4 miles or so.
Will resolve travel once the party agrees. Please nominate a caller if you wish to use one.

[Zorroroaster]

"I'm interested in what's down this road you mention. Happy to track back to the fields and across to the gate if it speeds travel through areas already covered somewhat."

[AleBelly]

Date: 18 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 16:15
Conditions: 37F, cloudy and windy, 15 mph from the west; -1 penalty per 40' increment on missile weapons
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Campfire
Intended Direction of Travel: South along path, 10.6 miles traveled today

The party bashes southeast through the woods, and after almost three hours is happy to find the path. It's bumpy and overgrown. It doesn't offer as fast going as a regular road, but does offer some respite from the thick woods. The path meanders from east to west, but heads south. As the sun sets and the cold dark takes over the sky, the party comes to a fork. The road splits, heading both east and west, but ends its southerly course. To avoid traveling in darkness, the party decides whether to set up camp and which direction to take the next day.

Actions? Sleep shifts, please.

[Keehnelf]

There are six of us, right?

I recommend two-person watches of four hours each, since we don't have tons of sunlight anyway. Ilfrien volunteers for first or middle watch.

[Zorroroaster]

Eduard agrees, and will take any watch.

Others preferences?

"In the morning, let's have someone up a tree to see if they can spot anything of interest. Barring that, I say we head east. I have no desire to visit that lake again any time soon."

[AleBelly]

OK. Actually the first night's watch partners are all here (the four that returned to Alleborg were paired up with each other. So, it's

1. Korok, Ilfrien
2. Eduard, Hyde
3. Yana, Arlandria

Date: 19 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 06:00
Conditions: 37F, cloudy and breezy, 10 mph from the west; -1 penalty per 60' increment on missile weapons
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Campfire
Intended Direction of Travel: ??

Wind gusts and sporadic rain showers annoy the party throughout the night. The party, as far as they know, encountered nothing throughout the night. As they face south, the road splits east and west.

Where to? Please deduct a day's rations

[tkrexx]

Hyde bids good morning, smiling to all present, then stands at the crossroads, peering each way for equal amounts of time. He returns to the party, and looks to the Halfling. I eat better out here than in Alleborg. You be a fine cook, Arlandria! Sorry all the pig is gone. Maybe we find another on our journey, hah?

[Zorroroaster]

Eduard rises early, his bones still aching from history in the lake two days past. He dons his armor and eats slowly, waking slowly.

After finishing his meal and securing his equipment, he moves off a little from the group and stands alone for a few minutes, breathing deeply and thinking of the day ahead.

When he returns, he's in a good mood and ready to go.

"What kind of trouble shall we get into today?"

Magic Missile prepared.

[Marullus]

Arlandria has last watch along with the prayerful Yana. As the others awaken, they are again greeted by the now-familiar smell of frying potatoes, gravy, and savory herbs. A pot of hot, bubbling liquid also emits a heady aroma, some form of dark and pungent root-based tea within. As she walked with the group the previous day, she notably kept an eye on both Korok and Hyde. Her demeanor has been business and professional, but as Hyde tromps back in and compliments her cooking, that changes. She lights up, puffing up and looking pleased. "Well! You are quite welcome! Just because we ply our trade in the wilds doesn't mean we should be uncivilized. Some pork would be most welcome. At least someone appreciates it. It is no small thing, spicing up this bland fare. Try the tea as well; willow bark helps the aches of travel." She scoops him another large portion.

After breakfast, she packs up, commenting to Eduard. "We're several of miles beyond the perimeter now, which is good. Just getting some distance is important to finding something new. We should, however, be mindful of any places where we wish to search more thoroughly. Do we wish to do so here at the crossroads before proceeding on?"

She also takes his advice and shimmies up the tree. She pulls her rope from her pack, tosses it around the trunk and using it as a brace to speed and secure her ascent.

Climbing yet another tree [1d100] = 62
Base climb walls: 65%

[-1 ration]

[Zorroroaster]

1 days ration deducted.

[Keehnelf]

"I don't like the idea of heading west unless we see something of special interest along that route. I don't fancy ending as fish food like you lot nearly did." Ilfrien shifts uncomfortably, sipping at her tea. "This is good."

[Enoch]

1 day's rations deducted.

Yana ponders this as she helps herself to another serving of breakfast. She talks around a mouthful of potatoes. "I don't know that heading west would take us back to the lake, necessarily, though it would probably reach the river eventually. East does seem a reasonable way to go. A road leads from one place to another, right? If one end is at the river, it makes sense that the other end is...somewhere else, I guess.

As to searching, this seems as good a place as any. It's the sort of place that would attract people--and things. As the Prophet says, 'Seek ye well the creatures of Simargl; and pen them up or destroy them.'"

The gravity of her words is somewhat marred by her mumbling around her food.

[MonkeyWrench]

ration removed

Korok wakes and eats his rations. He stands apart from the group, checking over his equipment and weapons again. He does not comment on the groups decisions about where to travel and does not speak to anyone unless spoken to.

Content to simply wait for the group to decide where they go to while he makes sure everything is in working order, he does a few stretches as well during the morning talks.

[Zorroroaster]

Orcish yoga. Now THAT I've got to see.