The Untamed Wilds: Caravan Campaign

[Tellerian Hawke]

Merin nods at Sheldon, but is obviously talking to everyone in the party, saying:

"Why don't we trade our ingot directly with them? Maybe we could acquire some better weaponry. And they have interesting armor, also. I'd like to spend some time with these people, both for the purposes of trade, and of learning their language and culture. Of course, first thing's first---we need to deal with the hollow. But it's something to keep in mind."

 

[Kwargrow]

OOC: What white metal ingot? We don't have any unidentified white metal ingot that we found in the serpent's nest. Since we can't communicate well with these guys, I'm ready to move on. I'll wait and ask the town people about the white metal.

 

[MacConnell]

Day 22: Searching for the Correct Vale: Evening Day 6

Sheldon -

They have told us their names. We have told them ours. This is a good conversation. Better to leave on a good note.

OOC: Sheldon, with a look, sides in with Sannit on the matter, since he is the one who found the ingot. The two groups depart peaceably passing in opposite directions.

GM: Valuable Information Acquired: The approximate location of a copper find. The Maldrog have manufactured an improved metal alloy.

GM: Valuable Information Imparted: The direction to Southroad Fair.

OOC: The party travels on until late afternoon, as usual. The rest of the day is uneventful.

GM: State any specific desired actions, including and searches for specific animals, plants, or minerals.

GM: The party is carrying 2 quartz, 8 amber, 5 grey stones?, and 5 agate. I need to know if characters wish to carry specific ones on their person. The stones all have a feel of a way node and can convey certain bonuses that the characters cannot yet identify.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Merin has the idea to use Way to search for geodes and quartz.

 

[Kwargrow]

After the party leaves the Maldrog, Sannit and Bolo discreetly check the tracks that the strange group makes, noting how they walk and the shape of their prints.

Sannit tells the group, "From the way they acted, that white metal is valuable and I don't want to trade it until I know how valuable. We might have given a fortune away for a few weapons, or it might have powers we want to keep for our own. After we talk about it with the blacksmith, or whoever might know about it, then we can see about trading or forging it. And just because I found it, doesn't make it mine. There's no way Bolo and I could have taken those serpents on our own. What we find belongs to the group until we divide it up."

When he has free time, Sannit will search for copper, gold, and silver. He will also inspect the white metal ingot again, attempting to use way to try and locate more of it around.

Bolo takes Turtle and goes hunting. While they go along they search foe edible plants.

Turtle follows Bolo.

 

[MacConnell]

GM: Everyone receives 4 XP for the Maldrog encounter.

After the party leaves the Maldrog, Sannit and Bolo discreetly check the tracks that the strange group makes, noting how they walk and the shape of their prints.

OOC: Sheldon, noticing what they are doing, takes note of the tracks and gait as well.

OOC: Turtle, like a dog would, sniffs the tracks. His sense of smell is not that of a canine, but it is still better than that of a person.

Sannit tells the group, "From the way they acted, that white metal is valuable and I don't want to trade it until I know how valuable. We might have given a fortune away for a few weapons, or it might have powers we want to keep for our own. After we talk about it with the blacksmith, or whoever might know about it, then we can see about trading or forging it. And just because I found it, doesn't make it mine. There's no way Bolo and I could have taken those serpents on our own. What we find belongs to the group until we divide it up."

Sheldon -

Good thinking there. The Collectors seemed friendly enough, but that would not guarantee we would not be taken for a ride on that particular ingot. If they named themselves based on looking for gold, and then particularly inquired about the white metal, it must be of significant value.

When he has free time, Sannit will search for copper, gold, and silver. He will also inspect the white metal ingot again, attempting to use way to try and locate more of it around.

GM: This last part is exactly how the characters should proceed. +1 XP for Sannit.

OOC: A geode is a physical manner of crystal formation rather than a type of crystalline mineral and cannot be directly detected. Searching for quartz, however, is.

• Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 6 7

[sblock=Search for Quartz]Range = 8 Paces
Effectiveness = 47 - 67 = -20
Time = 20 minutes[/sblock]

• Random: 2#1d10 6 4

GM: After 20 minutes of concentration, Merin is pleased to walk about the area to locate 10 different pieces of quartz about the size of a thumb knuckle.

OOC: Sannit begins with copper and moves through each of the different metals.

• Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 5 1
  Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 5 4
  Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 5 7
• Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 0 1

[sblock=Search for Metals]Range = 8 Steps
Effectiveness = 44 - 15 = 29
= 44 - 45 = -1
= 44 - 57 = -13
= 44 - 01 = 43[/sblock]

GM: Sannit is immediately aware of copper in his area. After only a minute of concentration, he determines that the silver in the area is trivial and not worth trying to find. After 13 minutes of concentration, he is sure that there is no gold in the area, and using the white ingot as a conduit, he is immediately able to determine that there is nothing like it in the area.

• Random: (1d10)/2 1

OOC: Moving to the only location to show a worthy quantity of copper, instead of unearthing an ingot, Sannit finds a dark green stone.

OOC: Indigo decides to join Bolo and Turtle on the hunting expedition, wanting, also, to search for medicinal herbs.

GM: The hunting party acquires 3 rabbits. Indigo collects a bag full of buds from a prickly pear cactus and shaves the thorns. The rabbits are enough for fresh meat for the party and the buds are brewed into a drink. The pulp is then fed to Turtle.

OOC: Using his paring knife as a conduit, Sheldon decides to search for iron. OOC: Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 5 1 [sblock=Search for Iron]Range = 10 paces Effectiveness = 55 - 15 = 40[/sblock] GM: At quite a surprise to Sheldon, he immediately realizes the location of any worthy pieces of iron in the area. Random: 1d10 1 GM: Searching through the gravel unearths a rock containing an ingot worth of iron ore, but only the one. GM: As darkness is settling in and the directional breeze calms, the distinct smell of rotting meat reaches the party. Turtle, of course notices first, but everyone can detect it and knows its direction to be east by southeast. Since Merin had recently reminded the party of the conversation, it brings Raven's words to mind. "Ha! That rumor still floats about. The truth of the matter is a bit mundane. The standing dead are not trees but the remaining stalks of the bloom of a cactus. The cactus is similar to agave, but is mostly subterranean and puts up a bloom stalk only once during the rainy season. The cactus prevents the growth of other plants near it." "These hollows are more common further south in the drier sands. There is a real danger, though. The bloom comes out at night and smells like rotting meat. It attracts carnivorous animals to it, mostly jackals. The seed pods are like large darts that are fired from the stalk into the attracted animals. They are toxic. Most animals die where they stand to fertilize the ground around the cactus. The ones that run off spread the cactus to new areas. when the cactus is not in bloom, it can be rooted out and destroyed."

 

[Kwargrow]

GM: The party is carrying 2 quartz, 8 amber, 5 grey stones?, and 5 agate. I need to know if characters wish to carry specific ones on their person. The stones all have a feel of a way node and can convey certain bonuses that the characters cannot yet identify.

Since there's eight of us, I think, still?, We can all take an amber, Bolo will take a quartz and Sannit will carry a grey stone.

From now on Sannit will use metals as conduits since his experiment went well. We have gold I know, maybe not silver.

At the campfire Sannit says, "Strange that it uses such a smell to attract it's prey." He will also use way to study the green stone he found.

Bolo says, "If we could get a piece from one of these cacti and dry it out, could we use it to sense where other similar plants are? Like you do with the metal?"

Turtle shakes his head and rests his chin on his paws. He keeps his ears open. He experiences a strange sensation. The smell of decaying meat makes him slightly nauseous and he has no appetite.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Merin's mind is abuzz with all of the information the party has learned today. The concept of using current supplies of things to find others of its ilk has definitely taken root with him; he is beginning to see the inter-connectedness of the Way, and a thought occurs to him:

"We should all hold hands, and use the Way to search a wide area for other people; if the head hunters are near this place, having warning of their approach is a good thing. If we can use one ingot to find another, then we can use ourselves in the same manner, to find other creatures like us. And of course, since we would be combining our talents, we should be more effective, and should also be able to detect at greater distances. What say you all?"

 

[MacConnell]

Closing the Day with One Last Search

Merin -

Merin's mind is abuzz with all of the information the party has learned today. The concept of using current supplies of things to find others of its ilk has definitely taken root with him; he is beginning to see the inter-connectedness of the Way, and a thought occurs to him:

GM: Merin learns and Sheldon confirms that neither of them have to be in body contact, only in close proximity to link with another Bender. The others, being slightly behind in skill, must be touching, but it does not have to be much contact.

• Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 4 7

[sblock=Linked Search for Others]Range = 43 Paces, 1 Step
Effectiveness = 366 - 47 = 319%
Time = Instant[/sblock]

GM: Each member is instantly aware that they are the only people within the search range. Everyone is also acutely aware of the extension of the search range.

OOC: As an afterthought, Sheldon suggests searching for warm-blooded animals in the same manner.

• Search Penalty: 2#1d10-1 4 3

[sblock=Linked Search for Animals]Range = 43 Paces, 1 Step
Effectiveness = 366 - 34 = 332%
Time = Instant[/sblock]

GM: The party is instantly overwhelmed with the acquired information, confirming this to be a less than ideal search with a need for refinement. There is a massive amount of life within the range. The only distinction with this search is differences in the amount of heat. There are significantly fewer medium to large animals and no very large animals.

OOC: ** With regard to the carried stones, Sheldon and Indigo, will choose after Merin and Tor.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Merin will carry a piece of quartz. Tor will carry one of the unknown grey stones.