Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rae ArdGaoth" data-source="post: 3609144" data-attributes="member: 21064">(OOC: There's actually a road south of Orussus.  I imagine it hooks up with the road towards Lathirn at some point, so Shadya surely took that.)The party decides to follow the route Shadya took when she first arrived at Orussus.  It is late afternoon when they depart, and the sun is already setting when they arrive at the South Orussian Roadhouse some five miles down the road.  They decide to take advantage of the publicly funded inn and Shadya gladly pays for each member out of the travel fund. In the common room at the inn, everybody becomes more acquainted with each other.  One of the road wardens, an elf, overhears your conversation about their journey south.  He tells you of the Riverlands, a large fen created by the many rivers that criss-cross throughout the region.  He tells you how the south road becomes the Seven Bridges Road, named so because of the seven great bridges that it crosses in the Riverlands.  And finally, he mentions that you should probably take the detour around Lathirn.  As some of you have already heard, that particular city is filled with river rats and street scum, and is not a pleasant place to pass through.   The adventurers thank the friendly elf and leave the Roadhouse the next morning five pennies poorer but one friend richer.(Travel Fund: -5cp)[Distance traveled: 5 miles]The next few days are uneventful.  Several people pass by them going towards Orussus, they're friendly enough.  The party stays at roadside inns located at convenient intervals along the road.  They are modest establishments, but they serve their purpose well.  Nobody is used to riding for any extended period of time, and Shadya eats her words as she rubs ointment on her red-raw thighs alongside Conuld.  Cludge is the least tired of the bunch, but he's pretty pooped too.(Three nights at common inns, 5sp*3nights*5people=75sp.  Travel Fund: -75sp) [Distance traveled: 5+48*3 = 149 miles]The morning of the fourth day the party sees the sign to Lathirn as described by the elf.  They follow the detour to the west and encounter no trouble.  By the end of the day, they're back on the main road and far away from Lathirn.  There's a rundown inn sporting a grimy tavern on the side.  With no other place for miles, the party resigns to staying at the inn.  At least it's cheap.(One night at a poor inn, 2sp*5people=10sp.  Travel Fund: -10sp)[Distance traveled: 149 + 30 miles (detour) = 179 miles]The next week is more like the first few days.  The major route begins to curve west. There are small hamlets along the road, each with a place to stay.  The party is getting used to the horses, and the horses are getting used to their riders.  Lasair's mount is most amicable towards her, and Cludge and Shadya are getting along with theirs as well.  Conuld's and Kurgahz's seem indifferent, despite their owners giving them names.  As they travel, the road becomes thinner and less even in between the settlements.  The ground is packed well on the road, but the sides grow ever moister.  The treeline is thicker now, and closer to the route.  The inns are nicer than the one just outside of Lathirn, but a tad pricier as well.  (Seven nights at common inns, 5sp*7nights*5people=175sp. Travel Fund: -175sp)[Distance traveled: 179 + 48*7 = 515 miles]At the end of the eleventh day (the twelfth night) they reach the last inn.  It's a nice one, with hot baths and separate rooms.  It's also a little pricier than the others, but the party is willing to make the sacrifice, knowing it'll be a while before the next one.  The inn is located at a large fork in the road, one heading south west through the Riverlands and towards the desert, and the other heading south east.  Some people at the inn tell the group that there've been fewer groups coming up from the west fork.  They suspect that one of the bridges is out.  The party decides to stay another day and rest their legs before they head on their way.(Two nights at a good inn, 4gp*5people=20gp.  Travel Fund: -20gp)[Distance traveled: 515 + 48 (only 1 day of travel) = 573 miles]The thirteenth night is the first night in the wilderness.  There are a couple of clearings to the side of the road, probably for caravans and travelers.  You set up a watch, but no creatures disturb you.(Subtract Trail rations and feed)[Distance traveled: 573 + 48 = 621 miles][Time: 13 days]The next two days are uneventful.(Subtract 2 days Trail rations and feed)[Distance traveled: 573 + 48*2 = 669 miles][Time: 15 days]On the afternoon of the 16th day, they reach the first bridge of the Seven Bridges Road.  It's not as big as the elf back at Orussus described, but it's a well built structure nonetheless, made to endure the tests of time.  Cludge suspects some dwarves had a hand in the work.  At the middle of the bridge, they stop to take a look down the river.  The forest is nigh tropical, and the water beneath the bridge is deep and fast.  You silently thank whoever constructed the bridge, because the horses would have a tough time crossing were it not there.The second bridge is not far from the first.  It's covered, and also has another covered area on the side, presumably for travelers like yourselves.  You settle in for the night.  A watch is kept as is now usual, but no creatures disturb you.(Subtract 1 day Trail rations and feed)[Distance traveled: 669 + 48 = 717][Time: 16 days]Over the course of the next three days, you cross two more bridges.  The people you pass on the road now have strange tattoos.  They do not look at you hostilely, but neither are they particularly friendly.  They also seem to be locals, not travelers, judging by what they carry.(Subtract 3 days Trail rations and feed)[Distance traveled: 717 + 48*3 = 861 miles][Time: 20 days]The 21st day you reach the fifth bridge.  This one is much longer than the others, and the river it spans is particularly rocky and deep towards the center.  And, as fate would have it, the center portion of the bridge is completely destroyed.  It looks like something just barreled right through the structure, and it now lays shattered in the river, making tiny rapids and sharp edges in the river downstream of the bridge.  Even upstream, it would be a gamble taking the horses across.  Fortunately, there is another route.  A wooden sign is next to the bridge with the words "Bridge out, detour" and an arrow pointing east carved in it.OOC: Take any actions you want for the last 20 days, check my math and my geography, and then tell me how plausible it is for you to carry that much horse feed.  Unless it's totally absurd, I'll handwave it away, because I don't want to bother with it.  =P  Assume that you encounter a farm or some kind of settlement that sells feed to travelers.Once we've taken care of all that, tell me what you do about the collapsed bridge.Judge: Am I totally off on the location of the Riverlands?  I don't think it's been established.  I hope not.  If it hasn't, it is now!Jeez, this took a lot longer than I thought it would.  I'm as exhausted as Conuld, now. </blockquote>

Verification