The Untamed Wilds: Caravan Campaign

[MacConnell]

Do you have any direct contact with Boga? Someone we can talk to? Would it be worth it to have closer contact with another large city if it makes Asylim think twice about moving on us in force?" he asks Giodavi.

Giodavi -

"You folks sure do bring a lot to the table! No, I do not have direct contact with Boga City. Every development has been happenstance up to this point, but it is something I can look into."

"On a separate point, I have something I would like you all to look into, though it may turn out to be only rumor."

"I know you have already heard the tale of the Hollow of Bones. Well, while you were out west, a small band of Orngaddrin came to trade. They offered us copper ingots as payment. As best we can figure, since no one speaks Orngaddrin, and they spoke neither Ansylin nor Centrin, is that the ore came from the hills to the southeast toward the direction of the Hollow of Bones."

"I would like to send a mining expedition to investigate, but I do not want to sacrifice laborers if the area proves to be hostile. Stories say that the Orngaddrin can 'smell' the ore, but they prefer gold or corundum based gem stones, so I am not trying to usurp any mining rights of the Mhytres. Copper would be a tradable commodity for us and would be a bonus to the development of our fuel oil. If you are willing, I'd like you to investigate the possibility of headhunters or cannibals and let me know if the problem can be surmounted or if the area should be truly avoided."

"I also might add that the Orngaddrin traded heavily for the fuel oil. This bodes well for a potential partnership with an indigenous people to the east."

 

[Kwargrow]

Sannit listens intently and nods. "A friendly alliance with nearby tribes could be just as good as talking with Boga. If we can convince them that Asylim's interests are bad for everyone they could come to our aid if called. Since we were going to the hollow anyway this seems like another fortunate occurrence."

 

[MacConnell]

Investigating the Hollow of Bones: Day 17

OOC: After delaying for another day to wait the completion of some armor repair and modification, the group get a fresh start early the following day. Expecting to take about 4 days to travel outward, 10 days worth of dry rations and water are prepared.

GM: 44 clams was deducted from store credit for dry rations. 2500 clams was deducted from store credit for clearing grounds to build. Sannit spent 100 clams of personal funds adding talons to his spaulders.

OOC: To make the most of fresh water, the party decides to follow to river east for two days then turn south hoping this will give a more easily followed route to find the 'Hollow of Bones' or some indication of a mineable area in the hills.

GM: While following the river state any specific intentions other than weapon and way manipulation practice or looking for usable plants. If a specific plant or concept of way is desired, though, please state.

 

[Kwargrow]

When we collect water from the river Sannit looks for any place he can do some crude panning looking for small bits of metal. He once heard while he was with the caravan about this method to determine if the river is pulling up any deposits.

While attempting panning he grins at Bolo and says, "Didn't we say we wanted more excitement? Well now we're miners!" She laughs and pushes him in the water.

While out hunting they will coordinate with any others that want to help looking for signs of lizard tracks or habitation.

GM: I love it when y'all come up with things I have not yet considered. +1 XP for Sannit.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

While out hunting they will coordinate with any others that want to help looking for signs of lizard tracks or habitation.

Merin and Tor will help in this regard, also. Tor is ESPECIALLY keen on finding more of the Knobbed Lizards, if possible.

 

[MacConnell]

Day 17: Investigating the Hollow of Bones: Midday, Day 1

​

The rivulet is mostly placid and at parts relatively wide, though not especially deep at this geographic location. At the midday break, the pack animals are unburdened to give them respite while the party members go about individual activities. San-Bolo refill any used waterskins, while Sannit tries his hand at some shallow water panning. Aust-Raven make a cursory perimeter check for overt activity. Merin-Tor slowing walk the riverbank looking for signs of reptiles. Sheldon-Indigo unpack the animals and build a fire. Indigo then looks for medicinal or edible plants while Sheldon intends to prepare lunch.

As Bolo keeps an eye on Sannit and the surrounding as he pans in about knee deep water, she notices a shadowy image in the water near an overhand of the bank. Pointing this out to Sannit he leans back and forth to try to get a better view through the water's surface.

"I think it is a fairly good sized fish."

Knocking an arrow and moving very carefully, Bolo eases up the bank toward the shadow. Recognizing that it is, indeed, a fish, she kneels and leans backward to lower her body and create a flatter angle on the water, releasing her arrow. The fish, with an arrow stuck through its body, darts out from the bank, dancing on the water. Within a count of two the fish is done and begins to drift down with the current. The arrow making it easy to see, Sannit moves over and collects the decent sized trout.

Sheldon, attracted by the commotion walks to the river.

"Nice! I'll take that over dry rations any day."

Sannit tosses him the fish so that he can prepare it for everyone's lunch and goes back to panning.

OOC: Sannit finds some small gravel that could be desirable metals but too small to be worth collecting. He does, however, find two worthwhile pieces of quartz and one amber. Raven finds a patch of edible mushrooms. Merin-Tor find tracks of many animals but nothing to indicate a definite pattern worth following for anything other than raccoons. Indigo finds a small sassafras tree and collects some leaves.

GM: New Collections: 2 Quartz (10 clams each) 1 Amber (10 clams) 1 Trout (eaten for lunch) Button Mushrooms (eaten for lunch) Sassafras Leaves (1 measure)

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

When he doesn't find what he's looking for, an idea comes to Merin. He stops along the riverbank, amid the raccoon tracks. He sits cross-legged, and closes his eyes in meditation. Reaching out with his mind, using Way to carry the waves of his thoughts, Merin tries to detect large reptiles. He is also attempting to discover what his range of detection actually is; once he has figured this out, he will begin to move periodically, each time relocating to the edge of the previously searched detection radius. He will not travel more than about half a mile away from the party.

Tor, seeing that Merin is up to something, decides to follow him, once he discerns that Merin is moving away from the camp.

~I need to keep Merin out of mischief,~ Tor muses, inwardly.

GM: Once again, excellent idea. +1 XP for Merin.

 

[MacConnell]

Testing the Weave

When he doesn't find what he's looking for, an idea comes to Merin. He stops along the riverbank, amid the raccoon tracks. He sits cross-legged, and closes his eyes in meditation. Reaching out with his mind, using Way to carry the waves of his thoughts, Merin tries to detect large reptiles.

OOC: As Merin relaxes his body and opens his mind, the first revelation that comes to him jars him and breaks his concentration, but also, the epiphany solidifies his resolve, and he tries again. At lunch Merin likened the experience to sitting in the calm ocean at ebb tide and feeling the most minuscule of currents, the movement of crabs on the sand, the disturbance of the passing of a fish.

OOC: Overt things come to him first, the location of the sun, the movement of the wind, the weight of the trees, the hardness of the substrate, the cutting of the stream. It is at this point, his eyes already closed, that even his hearing is dampened, making it important that Tor had decided to keep guard. Merin's mind harmonizes with the very essence that separates the gifted from the mundane, the laborer from the adventurer, for the vast majority of people have no way of attempting this action. He realizes during this trance state that he can break at any time but he cannot manipulate or isolate the flow of natural way, he may only observe it. Most of the way is fleeting, like the ripples made on water by skipping a stone.

GM: Merin is able to associate major things due to memory of his actual observation of the area, but only regular patterns. He determines that his range of awareness in this state extends about 20 paces radially. Like the raccoon path on this side of the river, he determines there is another regular path on the other side used by something larger and that the fish Bolo caught was the largest one in this part of the stream feeding from a regular rove of smaller fish.

 

[Kwargrow]

San-Bolo agree to investigate the path.

 

[MacConnell]

Day 17: Investigating the Path: Afternoon Day 1

OOC: The pack animals are commanded to forage close and left on the south side of the river with the gear. Once everyone is ready, the party splits and crosses at two shallow locations upstream and down from the desired path on the other side. On the other side of the river, the party converges on the path, which is slicked with mud. The frequency of use has obscured the identity of any foot prints, and it also appears as if something has been sliding into the river on its belly.

OOC: The party follows the path inland. Immediately at the top of the small slide, the canopy of constantly falling straw still hides identifiable prints, but by scanning the area with an objective eye, the path can still be followed. Maybe 10 or 12 paces from the riverbank the path appears to head into a hollow made by the root bulb of a fallen tree. The hollow extends back into a small cave that would only allow one of the smaller party members to enter by crawling on her belly

Sheldon - "I have an idea. I was thinking about this while Bolo and Merin have been developing other things."

GM: Sheldon kneels down close to the entrance and takes a deep breath. As he releases it, the cave inside begins to light up as if being illuminated by an oil light.

OOC: Grinding its jaw in displeasure and making a squeaking bark is a mother giant river otter suckling some small pups. Sheldon snorts a small laugh and extinguishes the light.