The party settles in to the small chamber, which because of the color of the stone and the way that the formations are striated, we'll call the Straw Room. You're guessing by this time that it's the 20th of May, and that for some of you there has been no sky for ten days.
You sort through the food, partake in what you will (let me know), making yourselves comfortable. Because of the echo of the room, and from a growing habit of being under ground, you've begun to speak more softly to each other than you would have some days ago.
You hear the approach before it happens. And as you all set yourselves to fight something, soon you realize its Willa and someone else, and the clipping of hooves on stone. Within seconds, Willa and a porter, Gilby, will appear, with a donkey, bringing a little food but mostly other equipment.
Three dozen iron spikes, with a metal hammer. An axe, two shovels, three metal wedges. 300 feet of rope. A block and tackle. Seven feet of iron wire and 200 feet of twine. A tin whistle. 20 lead bullets for a sling; two long swords, an extra maul, two clubs, four daggers and four darts. Six flints for starting fires. An iron grappling hook (she makes mention of the cliff, which was uncertain for her but she thought she might send back word to see if Hamish on the surface would have one). An emery whetstone. 20 large canvas sacks. Eight iron picks. And 40 travel rations, 160 lbs. of food, consisting of bread, salted pork, cheese, onions, sugar, oil and salt provision for a day).
She is overjoyed to find that you are well. "We were going to see if you had been back," she says, "And if you had, to keep going, to see if there was a further place along to drop further supplies, or see if you had died. When we did not see you before reaching the Straw Room my second time, we thought perhaps you might need a further cache. Lothar did say the journey to the cliff would take a long time. Did you see it?"
44 comments:
Thank you all your help. This is amazing. We were discussing moving the supplies further up, cliff is about a 2 day walk from here. It's...incredible. There is a frozen lake and a defaced frogling temple.
[supplies have been recorded. If someone is willing to input weight ... ]
I partake in an ale bottle and some onion and haddock.
After having properly greeted Willa, Gilby, and the brave donkey who made it down there, I add onto what Mikael has said.
"Yeah, the lake still needs some investigation and the path still continues after it. A new supply camp seems to be in order. We should make the way together."
"Any other news for us? Is it truly the 20th of May?"
Willa says it is the 21st of May. "We'll come down with you as far as you say."
I haven't calculated the weight on the donkey, which can carry up to 280 lbs easily, up to 560 if it has to. I think I'm inside that, but probably not by much. Gilby would rather not add any more weight to the donkey, as it is having trouble as it is with the trail. But it is another 160 lbs of food as is.
Well, we're now flush with equipment. I'll partake in some ale to cheer for that.
Now that I think about it, where did all this come from? Our initial proposal was for a much humbler allotment of supplies than what we're now seeing. Did someone higher up take an interest in our little expedition?
Let's make our new depot at the entrance to the temple chamber.
[I updated the party logistics with data directly from the market. For any item not in the market, 1 of the item = 1 pound. It has us at 670 lbs of stuff here]
Well, we are the deepest group at this point
Agreed. Once everyone is fed and rested, we should go to the temple chamber with the supplies.
I meant "higher up" as in Stavanger proper, since time has flown to allow some sort of communication to occur. If I recall, this location is about a day and a half from the city, on a soft march.
[100 for the porter + 20 for Willa + 100 for us = 220 lbs. there remains 450lbs for the donkey to carry; OR we could let some stuff at this cache]
Oh, let's leave something here, no need to break our backs, once the circuit is in place, it'll all come together, unless the new tunnel sprawls too much.
Carry what we can, leave the rest here, let Willa, Gilby and the mule bring all these supplies to our new camp as we explore the area
Willa suggests leaving the second cache here. Then it can be used as supplies to build a third cache.
In order:
1) Willa left the party, took a day to find the throne room, waited a few hours and met the three porters, Fjall and Valda, with the donkey. Willa explained to them what she knew, asking for more supplies.
2) On the second day, as you were reaching the lake, then starting to turn back, Willa and Gilby dropped the first load of 275 lbs. of food. Meanwhile, Valda and Fjall returned to the surface.
3) on the third day, as you were walking through the tunnel all day to get to the Straw Room, Willa and Gilby returned to the throne room. At the same time, Valda and Fjall came down from the surface again, to the same throne room. They transferred goods to Willa's group.
4) and then today, you arrived at the Straw Room and waited. And hours later, Willa and Gilby met you.
So here it is, time for Willa and Gilby to sleep.
Willa's suggestion is sound. Let's all return to the lake in the morning.
Also, might Engelhart have healed me at some point in all of this traveling?
I like Willa's suggestion. We can bring 100 lbs of food or so, and have enough food and supplies to set up a camp while we explore the lake, temple and tunnel. Let Willa, Valda, Fjall and the porters strengthen our reserves while we focus on exploration.
Yep. Everyone is at full.
That's more or less what I had in mind.
So yes, let's eat, rest, and go back to the temple room.
Thirded.
Agreed as well.
I am sorry. 2pm came, I had to take out garbage, got into a conversation, came in, did some dishes 'cause it was after two, then watched this great video of someone ripping cinema sins a new asshole ... and forgot to actually sign off.
Distracted. Thank you for gaming, all. Until Tuesday, then.
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Assume, then, that the party HAS returned to the frozen lake, with the equipment and rations that Willa brought down on the donkey. Where would you like her and the porter to unload the donkey, once you arrive?
I would suggest down from the ledge, but near it.
Say, at the base of the pathway.
Yes, that would be where I suggest. I don't really like the feel of the lake, so I don't want to set up camp at its edge
[here]
Provided there is enough room to be comfortable, I'm OK with that.
How much time has passed since we were in the straw room? How much food was consumed [4lbs/(person.day)]?
Even with the donkey carrying most of the load, it will take 16 hours again. So in food, a day and a half (making this the 23rd of May). So count 6 lbs. per person, including Willa and Gilby (42 lbs all around).
[ logistic sheet updated. ]
Once everything is set up, I would thoroughly thank Willa, Gilby and the donkey (which I check for potential injuries, using my Animal Physiology Amateur abilities ).
I would also ask if they could bring more lamp fuel during their next trips.
Do you want to explore the lake room more, maybe go down to the lake?
Or do you prefer going to follow the passage we found?
I'd like to do a thorough survey of the temple buildings first, to make sure we don't leave any important information behind us.
I second Lothar. Also, I thought we were going to try and do something about the trapped souls within the frozen lake?
The passage is interesting, but I consider it third on my "to do" list.
Regarding the souls trapped in the lake, the Valkyrie said we had to destroy the beings keeping them trapped, and that we would receive any information we needed when we need it. I think as long as we keep exploring we'll run into the guardians eventually. First logical place is the temple. Might be some secret passages or something built into them where the beast might be kept.
A thorough examination of the temple area will not reveal any hidden passages or secrets. The temple consists of a toppled walls and collapsed roofs; there was once a square building at its center, surrounded by six smaller chambers, whose purpose is unknown to you, as the walls have been defaced. Between the temple and the lake was a promenade some twenty feet wide and thirty feet long, with fitted stones as a floor ... this has survived fairly intact. The promenade leads directly to the cliff, where there were two columns made of stone blocks, which have been broken. The columns remaining are just eight and ten feet high, but there is enough broken stone to suggest they were once both 20 feet high.
Can we distinguish a way down to the surface of the lake?
How high is the cliff?
Is it low enough that we may get a bucket full of it, using the 50ft rope?
I doubt we'd want to go have a dip in there, but an investigation is in order.
The cliff varies between 80 and a hundred feet; it is highest between the destroyed columns. There is no "path" down. It is a matter of climbing.
By this time, Willa and Gilby will have finished unloading the donkey. They feel ready to start back, as they'd like to use the last two hours of the day to get as far as they can back to the Straw Room. They will take 4 lbs. of food with them.
I will tie an empty ale bottle at the end of the 100ft of twine we have (with a breakload of 96lbs., that should be enough) in order to lower it to the lake down the cliff and try to retrieve non-frozen surface water if there is any.
There's no freestanding water on the lake.
I'm ready to check out the constructed passage now. Consensus?
(Also I'm cool with Willa and Gilby heading back)
You guys want to check out the passage before checking out the lake?
If we had an experimented climber, I'd suggest we get her/him down to the frozen lake with a pick, but that will be for another time maybe.
I'm good with the constructed passage.
If we're agreed, I'll start a new post for the constructed passage.
We are agreed
Hey, all. Sorry I'm late. I'm game for checking out the passageway.
The next post is up.
[I have having some technical difficulties with my computer design program. Please forgive any lags in presentation that result in the next couple of hours. I'm working steadily to produce the effect I want]
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