The Wilderness

[archolewa]

May 2nd Rappan Athuk Campaign Year 1

The group makes arrangements with the caravan, led by a burly, jovial Northerner named Sven Svenson. They spend the night in some rooms above the Hope's Wink, and meet the caravan outside the northern gates not long after dawn. It takes about an hour or so for everything to be made ready, and then they head north. The going is naturally a bit slower than if they had gone by themselves, and Svenson estimates it'll take about four days, rather than three, for the group to reach the northernmost river of the Wilderness, just before the Dragonmarsh Lowlands. At that point, the caravan will continue north, and the companions will turn west.

During the first day of the trip, Randall and Anker start throwing some lines around, trying to find those inevitable bad apples in the bunch. Reaction: 1d100+15 = 36 Randall's able to pinpoint a few likely leads, but they prove closemouthed and wary and he doesn't make much headway. Still, he gets the sense that he just needs to be a bit patient, work them a bit and he might yet have a chance to get them to open up before they go their separate ways.

The first day passes uneventfully, and as sunset approaches, the caravan begins to make camp along the road. They haven't quite reached the first river yet, but Svenson figures they'll hit it pretty early the next morning. Svenson reminds the group of their obligation to help keep watch over the night, though he leaves it up to the team to decide which watch rotation each will participate in. There are four in total.

[rredmond]

Martin

Does this sort of thing normally go two per watch? Martin asks. He strokes his chin, would it be possible for me to take first watch, and my friend Iacchus here to take last watch? For studying and praying purposes. We haven't really used any spells yet, but figure we'll set up the pattern now

[Edeldhur]

Hektor and Tulius

Both men are agreeable to any watch.

[Rex]

Ingulfr

"I would prefer the first or last watch as well for the same reason. Ulfr, would you mind taking one of the middle watches?"

After that is decided he will talk to the caravan masters. "I am a priest of Odin and if you need the assistance I can plan on casting create water and or purify food and water the next 2 days of travel. May allow you to streatch your rations further."

[archolewa]

Ingulfr

"I would prefer the first or last watch as well for the same reason. Ulfr, would you mind taking one of the middle watches?"

Ulfr nods. "Yes sir."

After that is decided he will talk to the caravan masters. "I am a priest of Odin and if you need the assistance I can plan on casting create water and or purify food and water the next 2 days of travel. May allow you to streatch your rations further."

Svenson nods gratefully. "Any blessing from the Allfather would be most appreciated sir. The rivers here seem to flow clean, but this close to Rappan Athuk, who knows what kinds of dark perversions lurk invisible to the mortal eye, and tasteless to the mortal tongue."

As the caravan settles in for the night, Ingulfr calls upon Odin's blessing to purify the water they've collected from small streams, and the berries and roots the caravan gatherers have gathered to help stretch the rations. The caravan members, mostly Northerners, bow their heads and hold up their hands in supplication.

Meanwhile, Martin puts himself a little bit off to the side, and invokes his own, far less well regarded, magic to enchant an arrow and sling stone with continuous light. Svenson looked nervous when Martin informed him of his plans, but the caravan master is no fool. He knows well the value of arcane magics to mortal survival in these harsh lands, even if it makes him wary. The stones light up with an almost blindingly bright yellow light.

Food is had, as is some song to help ward off the fear of the encroaching darkness. The bulk of the caravan settles down for the night, while those who are on watch, both Ingulfr and Martin and several caravan guards, set up at various points along the perimeter.

The night passes uneventfully, and the the next morning dawns.

May 3rd Rappan Athuk Campaign Year 1

The caravan continues along the coast road. The land around the roads is open grassland with a few scattered hills and trees. The caravan crosses the first river without trouble, and continues North along the road. As the caravan pauses for lunch, the group catches sight of a few wolves slinking through the hills nearby, one large enough to possibly be a worg, though the creatures give the large caravan a wide berth.

Later, as the caravan settles down for the night, roughly halfway towards the Wild Edge River, they spy several large, humanoid creatures watching from a distant hill. Ingulfr and Iacchus recognize them as bugbears. The creatures vanish down the far side of the hill not long after the two spot them.

[Rex]

Ingulfr

Ingulfr will continue to keep an eye on where the bugbears were and let everyone know, "Bugbears lurking about over that way!" He points to where he last saw them.

[Edeldhur]

Hektor

"How many?" - Hektor strained to see in the distance, but they are probably gone by then - "We should perhaps do shifts with three tonight, if we can"

@archolewa: Are there any others in the caravan as guards, or just the 8 of us?

[archolewa]

@archolewa: Are there any others in the caravan as guards, or just the 8 of us?

Oh yes, the caravan definitely has other guards. This place is *dangerous*. There are, I think, 16 other guards with the caravan, enough for four guards per shift.

[Ythgar]

Randall and Anker

Randall suggest setting up some noise-making “traps” at a far perimeter from the camp that night.

[Edeldhur]

@archolewa: Are there any others in the caravan as guards, or just the 8 of us?

Oh yes, the caravan definitely has other guards. This place is *dangerous*. There are, I think, 16 other guards with the caravan, enough for four guards per shift.

So it will be our watches as defined PLUS 4 guards per watch, correct?

[archolewa]

So it will be our watches as defined PLUS 4 guards per watch, correct?

Yes.

[Edeldhur]

Hektor

Ok then, as I see it we do the watches in groups of six, derived from the standard watch rotation we have defined before.
Ingulfr and Martin first shift (+4)
Have the Paladin keep an eye on the thief for the second shift. (+4)
Tulius and the dwarf the third shift. (+4)
And the half-orc and dwarf the last shift. (+4)

"With the threat of ambush ever-present in the darkness, we mustn't leave ourselves open to stray arrows or unseen foes. We should take cover around the caravan wagons, using its bulk for protection" - Hektor commented.

"Neither Tulius nor I have the finesse of seasoned trappers, but we're willing to lend a hand however we can" - he added to Randall.

"My biggest concern is an ambush from the darkness - to counter that, we could try to find wood and tinder, then construct small piles which I will thoroughly soak in oil. These oil-drenched piles are intended to be our emergency beacons; when danger strikes, a burning log from the main fires (ideally having at least two ready) can be quickly pressed to the soaked wood, instantly lighting up the area"

"This burst of light should help us reveal any would-be attackers hiding in the shadows, giving us a precious few moments to respond"

Bottom line:

We will try to take cover around the caravan so we are not simply ambushed from the darkness with arrows.
Randall suggested some noise making traps - not sure who can assist with setting them up? Hektor and Tulius can assist, but they are no trappers
If we are ambushed, darkness will be our biggest problem, so Hektor will space out around the Caravan two of his six pints of oil + 1 from Tulius. He will find some wood and tinder, make some piles and soak them with the oil so they are ready to burn and provide extra illumination if needed, by simply grabbing a burning log from the main fires (lets try to have at least two of these?), and touching it to the oil soaked piles.

[Ythgar]

Randall

"Some simple trip wires with something noisy attached is all that is necessary - something those in watch will hear.

"Signal fires are fine, but they won't wake many people up - we need noise for that."

Randall and Anker will spend their watch hiding in shadows and away from heat sources that ruin their infravision.

[Edeldhur]

Hektor

"Signal fires are fine, but they won't wake many people up - we need noise for that."

“They are not signal fires. They are meant to increase the illumination in case we are attacked by those able to see in the dark” - Hektor explained.

[Rex]

Ulfr

Ulfr will also position himself away from any fires when he is on watch.

[archolewa]

The group informs Svenson of what they saw, and their plans. He looks concerned, but not especially surprised. "Aye, not the first time they've been spotted recently. Other caravans have seen them watching from the hills. Nobody's been attacked yet so far as we know. But those are good ideas. I'll set one of my guards each shift to fire lighting duty. They can let loose with a right royal battlecry too while doing it, help wake up anyone not woken by your bells. Speaking of which, we got some buckets you can fill with loose stone or what have you if you'd like for your noise makers."

Randall and Anker go about setting up some trip-wires with noisemakers attached, along the easiest approaches to the camp I'll be rolling a Find Traps check behind the scenes to see how well Randall and Anker obscure the tripwires, while the others help fell and chop one of the scattered trees for wood to set up the bonfires.

Svenson makes sure everyone in the caravan have some sort of weapon, a club at least, on hand. "Get enough novices together, and they'll at least look scary, even if they're useless in a fight. Make the bugs think twice, eh?"

Then, the caravan settles down for a fitful sleep.

The night passes uneventfully. Watch rotations come and go. Everything is silent. Then, as the warm rose of dawn begins to tint the eastern sky, Ulfr and Anker between them spy seven large, warm bodies with their infravision. One of them is a good deal larger than the others, and Ulfr suspects it to be an ogre, with the others clearly bugbears. The ogre is accompanied by three bugbears, approaching from the west, while Anker spies three bugbears approaching from the east. They are moving slowly, and over rougher terrain, avoiding the easier approaches that were trapped by Randall and Anker.

The pair let out simultaneous cries of alarm. Guards rush to light the bonfires, filling the air with bright hot light. The other guards ready their weapons, and the companions grab their gear.

The ogre and bugbears let out great battlecries.


We are in combat! I'm going to need action declarations for each PC and their henchman. I'm going to assume that the caravan is packed tightly enough together that people can get to either side from their bedrolls in a single round of movement. Though remember that unless you Charge, you cannot move and attack the same round. Another important thing to remember about OSRIC: You *cannot* pick an explicit target when attacking. If you're fighting three bugbears and an ogre at once, I pick a target randomly.

Once actions are declared, I'll roll initiatives for each of the three sides (remember that OSRIC uses one initiative roll for each side): PC's, monsters, and caravan guardsmen, and resolve the round.

If you wish to roll your attack and damage (or anything needed for a spell), you may do so, but you *must* put it in spoilers. Other players should not know the result of your action when deciding on their own.

[Rex]

Ulfr

Ulfr will drop back to Ingulfr to form up with him. Letting everyone know about the ogre and 3 bugbears.

[Rex]

Ingulfr

Ingulfr will get his into his armor and grab his shield and hammers.

If he obviously doesn't have time to get into his armor he just grabs his shield and hammers.

[Ythgar]

Randall and Anker

Anker will make sure Randall is alerted, and both will hide in shadows waiting for an opportunity to backstab one of the bugbears.

[rredmond]

Martin
The MU moves the middle of the caravan and climbs on something to get a decent vantage point. His looking for where his help might be needed and if there’s any other enemies sneaking up on them.

Iacchus
The cleric suits up and gets his mace ready to join the attack. Or if he can’t get into the fray, he’ll prepare to help anyone hurt.