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Can You Trust Their Map? -- DM Zach
Tuesday January 15th, 2013 7:12:12 PM
Fine, you are too scared to fight, and don't want to pay what our information is worth. I figured since we mapped the location that we are fairly certain is the supply depot he resupplies at you would be interested. And before you accuse us of not taking him out then... there was no bounty then. We will leave you be, but how about this. We will give you the info and since I like you... you won't have to pay right then. If you all live and get the Pirate King, ya'll decide if our info was worth it. If it was, then you pay us 1000gp. If it wasn't... well, you'll be lying to yourself." Scully pulls a folded piece of parchment out of his pocket and throws it on the ground. "That's where I would go if I were ya'll. And don't get yourself killed. We want a chance to beat ya'll bloody one of these days... you know, when ya'll aren't to scared." Scully and his Heroes turn to leave but he calls back over his shoulder. "And be careful... they say there is something unnatural about the Pirate King and his crew."
The piece of parchment is folded up on the ground. Examining it will reveal a fairly well drawn map of the southwestern coast of Rum. There are numerous islands on the map, but on is circled and has an X on it. It is a rather small island, inconspicuous and out of the way. The only question is, what is Scully's motive here. Is he trying to send the Heroes on the false path and go after the Pirate King himself, or is he simply letting you all go in the hopes that you are killed? Maybe he was sincere and is just going to wait on another sufficient bounty?
Within a half-mile of the wall, the last signs of civilization have ended. The terrain is mostly forested and hilly and the going is slow. Small streams and trickles cross between each hill, and nearly every hill has a meadow area where going is easier.
They have seen the area is hilly and forested, with occasional meadows of tall grasses and hidden ponds and swampy ground among the low areas. Insects abound, and the sounds and occasional flushing of animals in hiding indicate a normal level of activity by normal temperate animals. Further away, the occasional fox, deer, or eagle is seen going about their own business. At night, insects take up their calls, and the hero's fire reflects the eyes of curious animals, with the occasional bat or owl sweeping through to grab at the attracted insects.
Two days of tramping later, and the group pretty much determines they are far enough away from Rum to set a permanent camp and start doing their cloverleaf examination of the area. The next week convinces the group of three things. The first is that their plan is producing a good map for the Fixers. Each evening, Harvest is able to draw her own map based on what is drawn on the Fixer Map. The group has carefully identified streams and a couple of deep, cool artesian pools, usually under cut-away sections of deep forested hills. The second is that most of this area of the island is hills and woods and it is taking a good and long time to get that accurate map. The third is that the local fauna seem to be afraid of the group. While there are signs of fauna, the group has seen very few animals or birds of any sort.
At the end of a week, the group has fairly well mapped in all the spaces possible from this location. The terrain within a days walk has remained the same; forested hills with mostly broad leaf trees and stands of pines, streams, occasional meadows, and the few artesian springs. The hills have been getting higher to the west, and the group knows they have yet to get to the spine of the island, a couple of days ahead.
There are definitely animals. The heroes can see thier eyes at night, thier tracks by day, and scat, nests, and other sign to show there is a healthy environment here. Small traps at night net the group rabbit and the occasional fox. Signs for badger, deer, wolf, otter, and beaver are also seen. Occasionally, a flash of an animal is spotted, but the larger ground animals are very, very skittish and run at the first sound of the clanking troop. Birds are seen, even large eagles near the rocky mountaintops, but other than small songbirds, and the nighttime owl and bat, they too stay away from the group.
Another week passes while the group camps, scouts, and then moves on, this time over a saddle in the mountainous spine and to the other side of the mountains before making camp once more. The wilderness saavy heroes scout a good location for a camp that has a very good view of the other side of the island. From here and piecing together her maps from the last camp, Harvest is able to get a good idea of the shape of the island that the group is on. The Island is almost 75 miles long and more than 30 miles wide at the widest part. Since the city is nestled near the southern tip of the Island, the WLAers have been moving steadily north, and now on the other side of the spine, can see the northernmost third of the Island.
The heroes have trudged and scouted in the wilderness for over a month. They have become more hardened to the elements, more used to the flora and fauna of the island, and have slowly made a map of nearly the entire southern portion of the island, moving inexoriably towards the largest hill/mountains that make up the island's spine. It is here, the first day of establishing thier basecamp on the other side of the spine, that Harvest, Peza, and Arno all find something unusual while moving around a rocky outcropping.
Expecting to see a continuation of the talus slope going up, they are surprised to find a gentle slope going down, and the rock quickly replaced by grasses and low bushes. Following this 'trail', the group sees the hills open up into what looks like a pocket valley, full of trees a small waterfall cascading off a cliff to provide a rainbow in the air.
From where they stand, Peza and Arno (who are in the lead) make another discovery. At the side of the trail, the cliffside has been smoothed flat and bits of paint and plaster can still be seen. What the scene was has been worn away, but it is obvious that something intelligent once called this Valley 'home'.
(This Valley, it turns out will be where we discover The People.)
"We saw no sign of the orc and goblin peoples, Teebee," says Harvest Moon as she helps Peza prepare for the expedition to Hidden Valley. "Have you tracked them after their raids? Do you know from whence their parties of war had come? Have you made count of them? How many of each of these peoples were in a war party? Did they ride?," asks Harvest Moon, the questions now coming as thick as drops of spring rain. "I have heard that the goblins especially ride sometimes upon fierce worgs."
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