On the Move

As you're trekking along, generally following the high ground with the lake, Store Stokka, on your left, you begin to hear a swell of movement coming up behind you.  At first, it sounds like a rustling, but this is soon supported by an occasional boom that Lothar first identifies as the sound of a large drum being struck.

After this, there is a distant cracking and tramping, of many things moving through the woods, perhaps as close as two hundred yards.  It is coming up faster than you are moving.  "We have to run," shouts Bergthora, but this seems desperate, given that you know that these creatures can move faster through running and hopping than you can.

The party looks around and sees only the thick forest, the clumps of shrubbery and fat pines, obscuring the inevitable that is coming . . .

Return to Store Stokka

With no real change in the weather, it being still cool, and coincidentally also being May 5th like today as I write this, you begin to lead the Captain and his soldiers into the forest.  Engelhart, I expect, will keep a running conversation going with any of the Captain's questions and we don't need to go into that.  The party marches along, with the players taking note that the followers are, occasionally seen talking privately to soldiers as you're moving along [presuming we haven't reached the peak of your paranoia, yet].

About half a mile from the lake camp, you come to the top of a rise, with Store Stokka a mere hundred yards towards the right.  Reaching this point, you get a surprise.

Somewhere in the direction of Mimmarudla, you can see a great amount of smoke rising.  You would guess this is a part of the forest that is burning.  It is sending a long and thick plume that is skirting across the tops of the trees towards the lake, a distance of at least a mile, before the smoke dissipates.

As well, not far from where the lake camp would be, you can see a forty foot tower emerging to the tree-tops.  Even with a glass, it is difficult to see if there is anyone on watch.

Apart from this, you're not close enough to see anything else that is unusual.

Pandred's Journey, Early Morning Friday

Date: 9am Friday, April 29, 1650
Location: Store Stokka, Rogaland
Weather: a gentle breeze is blowing from the east, with brisk weather. The skies are clear above, but there is evidence of a storm moving to the south of you, potentially three hours away.  Feels like 2.6 C.

It rained most of Thursday day, though little worse than a smattering of rain through the morning.  In the mid afternoon there was a light rain, unpleasant for Pandred and Willa, who were just planning on starting back by then.  Wisely, she waited until the rain lightened around evening, then as she made it back to camp again by dark the rain had stopped altogether.  Still, I'm going to rate that moving through a wet landscape counts as 1 point of damage that they both take on their way back.

[I'm going to try a rule of 1 h.p. per 3 hours of rain endured, if shelter is not sought against it ~ in this case, they had to strive through at least one period if they were to get back before dark]

Pandred found that the apothecary in Stavanger was willing to pay her 4 g.p. per gland or bladder that she was ready to sell.  She also learned that the glands rarely last more than 24 hours after they've been separated from the source; the party, back at camp, will learn this if Pandred did not take all the glands with her.  On the good side, Pandred learns that the gland contents have certain medicinal or fuel properties that will last for two to three weeks after the glands have been removed. So there is still time to take them back.

Pandred, if you will let me know how much actual gold you spend, I will assume that the coin from sales of the glands will count, thus x.p. can be awarded ~ ooo, new stuff!

Come the morning of the 29th, Engelhart can cast the cure light wounds spell a total of twice, one of those to restore Pandred and Willa, since they will be back by the second casting.

I strongly suggest sending one of the party members that hasn't suffered a point of damage to look at the eggs.  They will appear to be dead; without sustaining by the beetles, they die quickly.  The apothecary in Stavanger will confirm this for Pandred.  I'd rather no one lost a healing potential on account of this wild goose chase.

Anything else?

The Barrow is Somewhere Abouts

Date: 12pm Tuesday, April 19, 1650
Location: West of Store Stokka Lake, Rogaland
Weather: a fresh wind blowing more from the north, now, north-north west, with unchanged chilly weather, with the skies having cleared again.  Feels like 1.5 C.

It is not a long walk around the south edge of the lake, and now that it looks like the brewing storm has melted away and given to clear ~ if somewhat crisp ~ skies, you make fair time.  Those who have been playing with the clothing insulation calculator will notice they have to take off some of their clothing to avoid taking damage today, as it is hot climbing over deadfall and not tripping over roots.

There is a lot of snow on the ground around the lake, in trenches and low places, but these are easily avoided.  The lake, however, is completely clear of ice.  The party rounds a hill on the west side of the lake and begins across a flat boggy meadow plain that slowly tilts upwards as they go northwest, into the wind.  Occasionally you have to cover your noses with a hand to warm the skin, but it is not cold enough to cause much distress.

Rowan, at one point, stops.  As though obtaining information from a race memory, he feels as if the party must have come far enough.  Unfortunately, he does not possess geography as a skill, and cannot determine the exact location of whatever you are searching for.  To precisely find the proper location from here, he would need to observe the sky at night, allowing for a specific star to rise above the horizon ~ of course, the sky would have to be clear of clouds for that, so this weather would have to hold.

A Barrow Awaits

Date: 6am Tuesday, April 19, 1650
Location: Stavanger, Rogaland
Weather: a fresh wind blowing from the northwest, with chilly weather, cloudy skies and a slightly better outlook.

Looking for an acronym for comfortable clo, or clothing insulation, while travelling at an adventurer's pace, then adding it to the list above.  I'm thinking perhaps a simpler word, to describe it, like "Ease."  Then I could say, "The ease today is 1.61" ~ which it is.

I'm going to deal with the CLO post on Wednesday.  For the moment, if people can manage an 'ease' of 1.61, it won't be a bad day for adventuring.  At least it isn't raining.

At this point, I don't want to assume anything of the party, so I'll ask ~ are you setting out for the barrow as planned, given the weather?

Party's Answer: Yes

It does not take long for Lothar, hearing Rowan's vague directions to the barrow, to find the right path towards Store Stokka Lake.  It is a distance of two miles, that will Lothar's direction will take a little less than three hours.  You circumnavigate a small hill just west of Stavanger, then move over rolling country until you reach the lake.

The wind direction swings a little more to the north and you feel a little spattering rain on your faces.  Not enough to actually make rain, but the hard wind (which has been blowing without let up since early yesterday) is enough to make horses on the lake when you get there.

The shore seems completely empty, devoid of a dock or even a hut that you can see.  Lothar guesses that one trail you passed might lead to some kind of trappers' cabin somewhere to the north, probably on the lake, but he can't be sure how long it would take to find it.  The best route around the lake is probably on the south, as you have come out on the left side of a prominent, isolated hill, about a 200 yards wide and 150 feet high.  It is quite impressive.  There are other isolated hills, less impressive, on the other side of the lake.

It is nearly 9am.  Action?