shaidar wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:24 pmNewton thinks for a moment
"Mimark, maybe 60 miles NNE of Alice, 30 miles ESE of Draea. We were told that to the north of Mimark there were ruins of a temple, filled with emeralds. It might be useful to know anything about this temple, if it was a temple. As for Maknor, a location would be handy to start. Then anything about royal crypts around two days travel to the east, then following a river north. Prince Damar was supposedly buried there with his sceptre of rulership.
Sixthmonth, Fourteenthday
Draea
"Very well," says Madame Fleur, "unless you've got anything else for me you can contact me again in a week's time."
When Madame Fleur departs, Feargus says, "...and that is our Factor. She's not bad...better than most even.
So last night I was reading that treasure map we have that we're calling "The Hidden Treasure of the Bandit Queen Datziznaid". I think it's just about clear enough to figure out a destination if we wanted to go for it. Any takers for a road trip?"
I think Newton and Ardath introduced Brixa to the factor's representative in Alice, correct? If not, when on the mirror, Ardath would have mentioned Brixa and the inn she was staying at.
In other news, the staples have been pulled from my scalp. Being otherwise healthy, I managed to tear a muscle in my forearm. So my typing will be concise for a short while.
Ardath
During the ride from Alice to Draea, Ardath displayed an average person's ability to stay in the saddle. Definitly not someone to use a lance for a mounted charge. It was also evident that while Newton may be significantly more at home in the wild, Ardath was a willing student and took challenges with a smile.
"My apologies, I'm still getting used to being in a group, and not on my own." Ardath nodded to Feargus. "One of the things I can contribute is light; making small things glow brightly enough that we can see underground. I have a couple of coins like this now, but more might be better. I can cast it on any solid object, the main thing is covering it when you want to sleep."
"Yeah, I think that we can find that treasure and find the Fane person burial site since they are both west of here. Probably do the treasure first since we have the map. Is everyone going or we still sending people south?"
It's hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they always take things literally.
shaidar wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:47 pmArdath was introduced to the factor in Alice, so I assume that's all sorted for him
My assumption as well.
That is correct. The only one who hasn't journeyed south is Rex's character, but since you guys are all in the north it's kinda a moot point, since you're not going to have access to the banks here anyway.
By the time the adventurers finish their conversation with Madame Fleur night has fallen and they have nothing left to do but follow their plan of action. The map they have indicates it is about a 36-mile journey on the main road before they need to veer off into the wilderness.
I forgot what you guys were going to do with mecenaries. Referring to the mercenary/hireling page, it looks like Telemachus had hired horse archers and Newton had hired foot soldiers. Since this wasn't addressed before starting, we can assume you can change this lineup if desired. I *believe* all of the PCs and their immediate retainers are mounted. If anyone has a warhorse that puts your party movement at 120' (24 miles per day) and riding horses put your movement at 240' (48 miles per day). Mounted archers and light cavalry are mounted on riding horses; medium and heavy cavalry are mounted on warhorses. Foot soldiers have a movement rate of 90' (18 miles per day).
I forgot what you guys were going to do with mecenaries. Referring to the mercenary/hireling page, it looks like Telemachus had hired horse archers and Newton had hired foot soldiers. Since this wasn't addressed before starting, we can assume you can change this lineup if desired. I *believe* all of the PCs and their immediate retainers are mounted. If anyone has a warhorse that puts your party movement at 120' (24 miles per day) and riding horses put your movement at 240' (48 miles per day). Mounted archers and light cavalry are mounted on riding horses; medium and heavy cavalry are mounted on warhorses. Foot soldiers have a movement rate of 90' (18 miles per day).
I think I remember a post where Gardo was going to take charge of the mercenaries. Either way we certainly want to keep them.
I'm certainly happy for Gardo to take over the foot soldiers too, but I guess we need to provide them with mounts
At that point you're probably better off just hiring more cavalry rather than buying mounts. My suggestion would be to stick with the two squads of mounted troops and assume the foot soldiers were let go. Anything larger than the two squads and you're going to have to be dealing with supply trains, etc. Not that we can't, of course, or that you don't want a larger force when you tackle the dragon, but for what you're doing right now two squads of mounted archers (we'll assume you hired new to replace the dead/injured in the downtime) is good enough.
Ardath listens to the plans, and spends time resupplying his gear, caring for his new horse, and later wandering around interacting with whomever crosses his path. He is a priest, and his job is to make things better. He also says a quiet prayer for Brixa.
Feargus stays up late the night before departure, sharing stories and song with anybody who enters the common area. He's not drunk exactly but also not sober. At one point midway through the evening, he glances to the side and sees his ward, Mardan Cy scribbling away notes in a journal, quietly in the corner. He tries to get the youth's attention but is waved off.
Goshawk
For his part, Goshawk is ready to return to adventure with the crew. It has been sometime since he was with the main company and plans to be up at first light to get his horse loaded.
Spends the rest of the day the day talking to the Draea guards to get any information or rumours they've come across in the area in the last few days. If they're interested he'll also spend some time talking and sparring with Ardath and Shmara to get to know them better.
That evening at the lodge he presents Ribar with the mastercraft sword "You've shown your skill is improving and you will a good weapon to back up your good heart"
He then calls over Toma "You've shown you have the potential Toma. I know that an axe isn't the the weapon of knights, but it is solid and reliable. Father Odos created this weapon with love and devotion to his god and I hope you treat it with the respect it deserves"
Lastly he speaks to WIlter "Wilter, you are also showing your potential. You might not be a martial fellow, but I still respect the skills you bring. I have no weapon for you, but I hope you have the patience to be able to wait for your hydra skin armour to be ready."
Spends the rest of the day the day talking to the Draea guards to get any information or rumours they've come across in the area in the last few days. If they're interested he'll also spend some time talking and sparring with Ardath and Shmara to get to know them better.
That evening at the lodge he presents Ribar with the mastercraft sword "You've shown your skill is improving and you will a good weapon to back up your good heart"
He then calls over Toma "You've shown you have the potential Toma. I know that an axe isn't the the weapon of knights, but it is solid and reliable. Father Odos created this weapon with love and devotion to his god and I hope you treat it with the respect it deserves"
Lastly he speaks to WIlter "Wilter, you are also showing your potential. You might not be a martial fellow, but I still respect the skills you bring. I have no weapon for you, but I hope you have the patience to be able to wait for your hydra skin armour to be ready."
Make a note on their sheets that Ribar and Toma will gain a +1 bonus to morale checks for the next month (ending 7.14).
The adventurers rise early in the morning, rouse the two squads of horse archers, and leave Draea. Over the weeks they have stayed there the companions and their retainers have grown close to the strange, taciturn iron-folk, and a number of them -- the Baron included -- come to see them off.
Setting out under a cloudless sky, the adventurers wheel their horses north and ride most of the day, passing through the primeval forest. Unless some of the woods of Absalom, the trees here are tall and spaced a generous distance apart, yet close enough such that the canopy filters the sun and prevents any hindering undergrowth. The trail, which Gardo, Feargus, and Newton have ridden before is no longer the semi-abandoned trail; it is obvious to all, and not just Newton, that many horses and some wagons have traveled this way in the past month.
It is late afternoon -- perhaps around 3 pm -- when the adventurers arrive at the location marked on the map. According to the smudged sheet, the main road should be intersected by a road -- or perhaps trail -- leading east to west, with the tomb they're seeking along the western route. However, no such trail can be seen from the road. It's hard to judge through the canopy, but the companions figure they've got another two hours or so of daylight.
Looks like everyone has riding horses, putting the movement up to 48 miles per day. That's enough to get you to Hex 237.188 and then figure out where to go from there.
Random encounters? Encounter on 1-2:: 1d66
Refer to this map:
Maknor and the green dragon.png (158.27 KiB) Viewed 320 times
Last edited by thirdkingdom on Sat Jun 26, 2021 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Based on the state we found the main route in, it's not surprising that the trail we want is overgrown and unnoticed. We need to start looking while we have the light. Time for me to earn my keep."
Newton dismounts and starts looking around for signs of the trail, starting on the eastern side and moving to the west side if he has no luck.
"Based on the state we found the main route in, it's not surprising that the trail we want is overgrown and unnoticed. We need to start looking while we have the light. Time for me to earn my keep."
Newton dismounts and starts looking around for signs of the trail, starting on the eastern side and moving to the west side if he has no luck.
Sixthmonth, Fifteenthday
Hex 237.188
4 pm
Newton spends about an hour sweeping the eastern side of the road, then the western, but eventually the scout is forced to admit that he has had no luck. Either the trail on the map is now so overgrown that it is no longer visible, or, perhaps, there was not actually a trail to begin with, and the map simply shows the most direct line from the unnamed village to the fane. Regardless, there's perhaps an hour of travel left in the day.
