Chapter 2 - The First Foray

[Zorroroaster]

Im fine with however it ends up being split. I think one team should head southeast away from the river, because it'll be easier to navigate back by heading directly west to the water, then North to our campsite. Never mind, might cover more ground by one team heading more or less east. That way we aren't cutting each others grass.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sev eats and washes. He stays quiet, still feeling out the larger group and its many interesting members.

Eventually, he speaks.
I will go with either group. I am fine with the ideas being proposed.

[AleBelly]

I am fine with Group 1 being four. We are going south along the east side of the river, yes? So group one goes straight/south while the other goes left/east? Can't go right/west because of water?)

Arlandria is up early, sitting by the fire, mending her heavy wools and leathers to close the gaping hole in her side. A haunch of deer roasts over the fire, aromatic by the time others awake, the rest still hung in the tree partially butchered. A cast iron skillet sizzles with sliced potatoes and sprigs of rosemary. The diminutive woman deftly flips them in the air every every minute or so. As others awake, she points to the deer. "Some one might want to butcher the rest of that down? Perhaps pack it in some salt on that pony. Hate to see what it draws to our campsite, left hanging as it is. You want to fry up any of your rations, or share in these, we can do it right quick. No point in cold tack when you got a fire 'fore a busy day.". She smiles, friendly and pleasant, her fingers deftly finishing the stitching while the pan sizzles.

Arlandria looks at the deer. There's enough meat on the bones to feed everyone for the day if they spend an hour cooking it up. They have no salt to preserve their rations. There is in fact a salt shortage in Alleborg, which is part of he reason for the high cost of trail rations.

[AleBelly]

I am fine with Group 1 being four. We are going south along the east side of the river, yes? So group one goes straight/south while the other goes left/east? Can't go right/west because of water?)

As the party has followed the watercourse, they have found quite a few places shallow enough for a man to cross...the water is about 3' deep. This will pose a problem for many of the demihumans. The water's obviously cold too, so there's that consideration.

[Zorroroaster]

Eduard would consider crossing a river if there was a nearby ford and something of interest on the other side, so that's good to know.

Shall we flip for directions, or does someone have a preference?

[MonkeyWrench]

I don't have a preference

Group with the smallest amount of short people gets to head for the river crossing?

[tkrexx]

Some one might want to butcher the rest of that down?

Yeahh, Hyde smiles, and moves to make good use of his blades while the others sort out the plan of the day. Not so good as wild pig, but still good. If we had time we could smoke some of this.

[CAI4]

Chet finishes meditating and joins the conversation. I can do most stuff a thief can do, but no money for tools. I'm OK with how the group is divided anyway.

He looks at the coins and weapons on the ground. We can sell these for money in Alleborg. And I wanted a crossbow too but didn't have enough money for that either. Can I keep it? I can carry the other stuff since I'm likely the most fastest guy in the party.

[Keehnelf]

Ilfrien says,"I want to go east. There are giants. Giants collect treasure, and can be killed. Then we can take their treasure. Plus, I bet giants are a security risk, so we should get rid of them. That's my vote."

[Marullus]

Ilfrien says,"I want to go east. There are giants. Giants collect treasure, and can be killed. Then we can take their treasure. Plus, I bet giants are a security risk, so we should get rid of them. That's my vote."

Arlandria shrugs, eating a large forkful of crisp rosemary-seasoned potato slices from her pan along with a large slice of venison haunch, dripping with juices. "Fine by me. I'm not too concerned about which way we go. Staying to the river seems the safe bet. We can let the men go that way instead." She smiles broadly, looking from Ilfrien to Yana with a confident nod, then looks uncertainly at Korok and his long braids. She leans over to Yana and whispers, "Wait... is that one a boy or a girl?"

[Zorroroaster]

Eduard listens closely to the conversation and pokes at the campfire with a stick.

"We will head south along the river, then. We will meet back here tomorrow night, and then return to Alleborg. If either party is late, we will camp one night and then decide what to do in the morning, depending on our own condition. Sound good?"

He stands up, knees creaking a little. He takes a deep breath and exhales forcefully.

"Alright. Let's get moving. We need to make good use of the daylight."

[Keehnelf]

"Ok. One day out, one day back."

[Marullus]

Arlandria shoves a final piece of roasted venison into her mouth as she packs her skillet back among her belongings. "Should we not go one day out and one day back, meeting on the second night? Only hiking half a day with the days so short seems likely to be less fruitful."

OOC: Who's got the map? Current calculations were one mile an hour, with nine hours of daylight, and 6-7 miles to cross a hex, right?

[Zorroroaster]

"I think you got some venison in your ears, madam. We were indeed talking about exactly that. One day out, one day back." Eduard gives her a wink and chuckles a little.

I think Alebelly said the large hexes are 7 miles per side, so to cross a hex through the center (from edge to edge) is a little more than 12 miles? Can someone help my crap geometry? I have started mapping, although it's not much of a map so far.. We've only just entered the first hex south of Alleborg. The detail map is 0.5 mile per side on the hexes, so not quite a mile across. If we don't see anything interesting, we will follow the river until somewhere roughly in the middle of the hex before making camp.

[AleBelly]

Yes, the hexes are 7 miles to a side. As drawn the hexes are 14 miles wide vertex-to-vertex and 12.1 miles north to south.

Date: 16 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 05:30
Conditions: 30F, clear, calm
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Campfire, waning gibbous moon directly above

Arlandria cooks up the venison the orcs were kind enough to kill. It's still an hour and a half before daylight, but the moon provides enough light that the party can get moving if they wish, although it will be slightly slower going. The bellies of the adventurers are almost bursting with expertly cooked meat. They need not eat the rest of the day.

I will start up separate threads for the parties. Private forums should be coming soon...

[AleBelly]

Date: 18 Rituals, Year 41
Time: 07:30
Conditions: 36F, cloudy and windy, 15 mph from the west
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Sun

The Gang of Four is starting to worry. Several hours after full darkness pass. Korok is on watch when the six that explored the river trudge into camp. They look damp and exhausted, and indeed they are. They have marched over 10 miles and fought a long battle. Hyde, Jaspar and Yenny bear minor injuries.

The new arrivals warm themselves by the campfire, but their purpose isn't gaining warmth; it's to dry their possessions. The night passes uneventfully.

At 7:30, the entire party is up. Perhaps they look to Arlandria for breakfast, and begin discussing their plans for the day.

The group of six can consider their food needs fulfilled by the boar meat. Korok, Ilfrien, Arlandria and Yana please deduct a day's rations.

If any healing spells remain, feel free to apply those retroactively. Spellcasters, please give me your spells for the day. Chet deducts four torches for the hike back.

[Zorroroaster]

Eduard looks bedraggled and tired even after a night's rest.

He tells the other group about Jaspar's abduction and subsequent ransoming by the nixies in the East lake.

"We would have been back sooner, but they wouldn't release their hold on Jaspar until we completed their task. I would be very careful travelling near that lake. Perhaps we can warn other adventurers to take precautions. Yenny had a great idea with a bit of candle wax.

How did you all fare? Are you interested in staying out here any longer, or eager to head back? I could do with a few days to fully dry out."

[CAI4]

Chet looks apprehensive. I want to return to Alleborg too. I must visit my monastery for training and to atone for violating my body by drinking that healing potion.

[enn.in.me]

Yenny I too feel the need to cleanse my spirit, and my belongings. I would like head back for a few days. This wild-ness will be available whenever we want to come visit it.

[MonkeyWrench]

Korok, "Sounds like you all had a lot more fun than we did. I'm fine with going back, or staying out here and finding more."