(I'll try to do another log on the 8th, otherwise the next log may not come until as late as the 14th)
Day 7: We're just about ready to set out on our expedition. I've packed everything I think I'll need, including things I don't need but may need so I figured I'd bring anyway. Looking over everything, I think I've over packed. While I doubt I need to bring my entire wardrobe, 3 sets of navigation gear, my own food and water (I have an overwhelming paranoia of us running out), just about all of my money, a very large collection of books, candles, first aid kits, blanks, 2 sets of flint and steel, 3 of my favorite paintings to spruce up with I imagine to be an ugly ship interior and multiple other assorted junk, this expedition is going to be very dangerous and theres a very real possibility I may not be coming back.
Once I was introduced to the crew, I had an even stronger fear I may not be coming back. The expedition guys seem fairly normal. Perhaps a little anti-social but what can you expect from people who spend their days alone starting at rock formations and examining plant matter? They're all fairly young, in their early twenties, so they're inexperienced but at least they're healthy and able bodied. The ship crew on the other hand, seem to be the exact opposite. They smell as if they've been bathing in whiskey but once you see them, you know they don't bathe at all. They're all older men, likely in their forties or older and most of them have trouble standing up straight. Whether that's because they're all drunk or because of their health, I don't know. How they're expected be capable of bringing this expedition to it's destination is a mystery. Finally the mages, specifically the healers, are people I hope I never have to turn to. You can tell right away they have been over exposed to too much magic. They look as if they've been electrocuted, their hair stands up straight and looks to be partly singed, their eyes seem to be permanently crossed and they can't stop shaking. When they talk, they sound as if they're freezing to death, "He-ll-l-lll-o-o-o". Over my dead body is one of them casting a spell over me...
Oh, I nearly forgot the civilian we grabbed off the street. I didn't get a chance to meet him but from what I understand, he's some drunk that will only hamper our progress. I overheard one of the crew saying they found him asleep with a goat behind one of the bars they frequent and they had a difficult time convincing him to go with them without bringing the goat. What on earth was he doing back there with a goat?
I also made sure to get a copy of the list of supplies, since I certainly don't expect anyone else to make sure we have everything we need. Of course, I don't have the slightest clue as to what's needed for a ship to run, so most of the list didn't mean much to me. I took the liberty of putting the idea into E.L.'s head that we should make good use of our discount and got us the following extra:
80 replacement blankets and pillows
6 replacement sails
1 incredibly long piece of rope (I estimated it to be at around 450ft)
2 extra life boats (can't have enough of these)
6 cattle (no worry of something living going bad)
3 large crates of dried fish
8 barrels of rice
4 sets of distillation gear (a fairly new invention said to distill salt water to clean drinkable water)
24 crates of dried fruit (we didn't have any, they though they could survive on meat alone)
12 horses (We'll sell these at the first trade hub we hit, since we got them for under half of what they're worth)
6 magical tomes (Like we could trust the mages to remember the spells)
Various expedition supplies (shovels, knives, medical supplies, vials, flasks, maps, etc)
Once we get all this loaded onto the ship, we'll do a few more checks to make sure we have everything, move everyone onto the ship, sign all the required forms and then we'll be ready to go. It'll be busy these next few days but hopefully once we're sailing things will calm down and I'll find the time to write more.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Expedition Log 2 (Day 5)
(I should point out that the names of places were all taken from the map and were no made up. So if you're feeling adventurous, you could actually take a look at the map that shows the factions and what not and be able to find the path I'm following.)
Day 5: Our destination has finally been decided. We’ve got word that there is a large island in the ocean to the far south. We’ve been told the island is just to the north of Hanlif, the Windseeker trade hub. This works out well since we can resupply there and also get to know who we’d imagine will be trade partners once our city on this island is established. The other navigator and I have been tasked on finding the best route to get there.
We’ve both decided the it would be best to travel north up the river, which will lead us to a river where we can head almost straight south. Following this we’ll come to a fork and from there, choosing the right river (our left I suppose) we could stay on that river all the way to the ocean. We could stop for supplies at Etilan and then again at Tudeyll and finally, Matombo. Once we reached Matombo, we would only have to travel a short distance to the southwest to each Hanlif. We later found out however, that Farra Isle (which we would come out just barely to the North of) is in fact infested with Harpies. I’m still not entirely sure what they are but from what I understand, it’s a muddled creation that is half man and half bird and certainly stronger than both. I heard they consider human flesh a delicacy.
Instead, it seems we’ll have to go the long way. We’ll have to travel along the river southwest all the way down to Lannigolds territory and then almost straight south from Laresh. On the bright side, there will be no end of major trade hubs near the river which we can resupply from. Grovinton, Hastlebury, Bellingsy, Trottingham, Potentia, Shelton, Laresh, Kajadum, Mandaipur and lastly, Glory City. With a selection like this we’ll likely have the best selection of goods and will be able to freely decline harsh prices since the next hub will be so close by. I’ll have to make sure I suggest we stock up in the Middle Kingdom, since I know for sure that the Lannigolds aren’t trustworthy and will likely hike their prices up.
It also just so happens that Glory City is home to many of our allies and is the last destination that’s along the river. So not only will we be able to visit old friends, we will also get the best prices for supplies (perhaps free) and we'll be prepared for our journey through the ocean. If only that didn’t put us on the exact opposite side of Illyria.
While it’s unlikely we’ll need supplies, I may make a suggestion to stop by at Freeport. From what I hear, they have some incredibly (expensive) well made navigation gear there. I’ll probably just give the expedition leader (of whom I’ll be referring to as E.L. from now on) some spiel about how a dangerous trip along the ocean will require the best navigation gear to ensure safe and accurate navigating. Perhaps I’ll mention it would be awful to accidentally land on Farra Isle due to an equipment malfunction. Of which he’ll likely think is brilliant, so brilliant, he’ll convince himself once again that only he could think of such an idea and run off to boast about it.
Once we leave Freeport we’ll finally be on the ocean. We’ll travel west and around Parland territory, though I’ll suggest we stay fairly close to short, since I still doubt that any of our crew is particularly well trained enough to handle the ocean, so perhaps this will act as a bit of training. From there we’ll have to travel away from the shore and head to Kelsmouth to resupply once again. Even though it’s a short trip from Freeport I suspect someone will do something stupid do to lack of training and break something that will need replacing. I’ll have to remember to tell everyone not to go to Stormstone instead, even though it would be easier to travel to. Last I heard the Circle of Five had a small trade boat sent there, only to have everything stolen from them and the crew cast into a boat of which certainly wasn’t there, nor in fit shape to be at sea and were sent away. They were found dead on the coast just outside of Kelsmouth.
It will get tricky from here. Ideally we would travel to the City of Temples however it would require us to sail too close to Farra Isle, since we’d be traveling along the current (I doubt any of our crew is skilled enough to do otherwise) so rather than getting supplies, we’ll have to continue on. What’s worse, is we will have to go the around Farra Isle, which has not been mapped. So as to what is South of Farra Isle is beyond anyone. Ideally, there wont be anything but open water and we’ll simple sail past the island with easy.
And then lastly, we’ll continue west and up the west side of the Windseekers island and get a much needed resupply at Hanlif. Then it’ll be a small sail to the island just north of them and we’ll be set. Easy right?
Day 5: Our destination has finally been decided. We’ve got word that there is a large island in the ocean to the far south. We’ve been told the island is just to the north of Hanlif, the Windseeker trade hub. This works out well since we can resupply there and also get to know who we’d imagine will be trade partners once our city on this island is established. The other navigator and I have been tasked on finding the best route to get there.
We’ve both decided the it would be best to travel north up the river, which will lead us to a river where we can head almost straight south. Following this we’ll come to a fork and from there, choosing the right river (our left I suppose) we could stay on that river all the way to the ocean. We could stop for supplies at Etilan and then again at Tudeyll and finally, Matombo. Once we reached Matombo, we would only have to travel a short distance to the southwest to each Hanlif. We later found out however, that Farra Isle (which we would come out just barely to the North of) is in fact infested with Harpies. I’m still not entirely sure what they are but from what I understand, it’s a muddled creation that is half man and half bird and certainly stronger than both. I heard they consider human flesh a delicacy.
Instead, it seems we’ll have to go the long way. We’ll have to travel along the river southwest all the way down to Lannigolds territory and then almost straight south from Laresh. On the bright side, there will be no end of major trade hubs near the river which we can resupply from. Grovinton, Hastlebury, Bellingsy, Trottingham, Potentia, Shelton, Laresh, Kajadum, Mandaipur and lastly, Glory City. With a selection like this we’ll likely have the best selection of goods and will be able to freely decline harsh prices since the next hub will be so close by. I’ll have to make sure I suggest we stock up in the Middle Kingdom, since I know for sure that the Lannigolds aren’t trustworthy and will likely hike their prices up.
It also just so happens that Glory City is home to many of our allies and is the last destination that’s along the river. So not only will we be able to visit old friends, we will also get the best prices for supplies (perhaps free) and we'll be prepared for our journey through the ocean. If only that didn’t put us on the exact opposite side of Illyria.
While it’s unlikely we’ll need supplies, I may make a suggestion to stop by at Freeport. From what I hear, they have some incredibly (expensive) well made navigation gear there. I’ll probably just give the expedition leader (of whom I’ll be referring to as E.L. from now on) some spiel about how a dangerous trip along the ocean will require the best navigation gear to ensure safe and accurate navigating. Perhaps I’ll mention it would be awful to accidentally land on Farra Isle due to an equipment malfunction. Of which he’ll likely think is brilliant, so brilliant, he’ll convince himself once again that only he could think of such an idea and run off to boast about it.
Once we leave Freeport we’ll finally be on the ocean. We’ll travel west and around Parland territory, though I’ll suggest we stay fairly close to short, since I still doubt that any of our crew is particularly well trained enough to handle the ocean, so perhaps this will act as a bit of training. From there we’ll have to travel away from the shore and head to Kelsmouth to resupply once again. Even though it’s a short trip from Freeport I suspect someone will do something stupid do to lack of training and break something that will need replacing. I’ll have to remember to tell everyone not to go to Stormstone instead, even though it would be easier to travel to. Last I heard the Circle of Five had a small trade boat sent there, only to have everything stolen from them and the crew cast into a boat of which certainly wasn’t there, nor in fit shape to be at sea and were sent away. They were found dead on the coast just outside of Kelsmouth.
It will get tricky from here. Ideally we would travel to the City of Temples however it would require us to sail too close to Farra Isle, since we’d be traveling along the current (I doubt any of our crew is skilled enough to do otherwise) so rather than getting supplies, we’ll have to continue on. What’s worse, is we will have to go the around Farra Isle, which has not been mapped. So as to what is South of Farra Isle is beyond anyone. Ideally, there wont be anything but open water and we’ll simple sail past the island with easy.
And then lastly, we’ll continue west and up the west side of the Windseekers island and get a much needed resupply at Hanlif. Then it’ll be a small sail to the island just north of them and we’ll be set. Easy right?
Expedition Log 1 (Day 1)
(Keep in mind I haven't written anything in a form meant to be shared or read by other people since junior high, so my writing skills aren't going to be that of some famous author)
Day 1: It was decided a couple weeks ago that the Brids Empire needed to expand. With most of our cities bordering the river, save for one of our newly developed cities just to the west, looking to take advantage of iron found beneath an old ruined tower nearby and one city that was "conquered" by our armies to the Southwest.
It still baffles me that so many people considering it a great military accomplishment considering we not only needed help from our allies but the city was in a state of anarchy, nearly defenseless and almost completely cleaned of anything of value. Why they felt to need to bring down the walls and destroy over 75% of the city is still beyond me. We spent more money destroying the place than cleaning up the rubble and rebuilding everything and all for what? A stockpile of livestock and some weathered siege blocks that have deteriorated over the years. Had we better spent our time and money, this very expedition may not have been necessary.
None the less, it's been decided we need to expand and unfornately, we can't do so anywhere remotely nearby. The alliance that once called themselves "Wolves of something or other" has recently changed their alliance name and for whatever reason, has decided to ban wolves anywhere near their cities. Just our luck that they are found just to the Southeast of us.
It seems that rather than actually doing something sensible with the wolves, they've slit their throat and dumped them all in the river. Nearly 20,000 dead wolves were cast into the river. For over a week the river ran red and soon after, stank of decay. The river is no longer suitable for drinking or fishing. Thankfully we have a freshwater lake near our cities untainted by this wolf genocide. It's been unanimously decided we need a city in a place far enough away from this "Curse" (ironic name...) alliance so that we can trade with others without someone asking why we smell funny.
I'm still not sure why I was chosen to go on this expedition, or anyone else for that matter. Everyone who was chosen to go could have been replaced by someone better suited for the job. None the less, I and one other navigator, a man of which I can't pronounce his name let alone spell it, have been chosen to make it to our destination, which still hasn't been entirely decided yet. Us aside, there are five mages, two of which are specialized in healers and all of which are new to magic, 12 men specialized in plant life, rock formations and other assorted expedition related things, 25 men as the crew for the ship, many of which are apprentices, four cooks and of course, the expedition leader, of whom I'm sure will be pointless barking orders while getting payed obscene amounts of gold.
In total, this makes 49 people, just one less man needed for some expedition fund that would give us extra equipment and food at a discounted price. Thankfully, I spoke to the expedition leader earlier today and convinced him we should grab a random civilian off the street and claim they're needed for something, to make it a full 50 man crew so we'd be eligible for the discounted supplies. He thought it was a brilliant idea, so brilliant, he convinced himself of he could have thought of it and hasn't stopped gloating about it since.
Day 1: It was decided a couple weeks ago that the Brids Empire needed to expand. With most of our cities bordering the river, save for one of our newly developed cities just to the west, looking to take advantage of iron found beneath an old ruined tower nearby and one city that was "conquered" by our armies to the Southwest.
It still baffles me that so many people considering it a great military accomplishment considering we not only needed help from our allies but the city was in a state of anarchy, nearly defenseless and almost completely cleaned of anything of value. Why they felt to need to bring down the walls and destroy over 75% of the city is still beyond me. We spent more money destroying the place than cleaning up the rubble and rebuilding everything and all for what? A stockpile of livestock and some weathered siege blocks that have deteriorated over the years. Had we better spent our time and money, this very expedition may not have been necessary.
None the less, it's been decided we need to expand and unfornately, we can't do so anywhere remotely nearby. The alliance that once called themselves "Wolves of something or other" has recently changed their alliance name and for whatever reason, has decided to ban wolves anywhere near their cities. Just our luck that they are found just to the Southeast of us.
It seems that rather than actually doing something sensible with the wolves, they've slit their throat and dumped them all in the river. Nearly 20,000 dead wolves were cast into the river. For over a week the river ran red and soon after, stank of decay. The river is no longer suitable for drinking or fishing. Thankfully we have a freshwater lake near our cities untainted by this wolf genocide. It's been unanimously decided we need a city in a place far enough away from this "Curse" (ironic name...) alliance so that we can trade with others without someone asking why we smell funny.
I'm still not sure why I was chosen to go on this expedition, or anyone else for that matter. Everyone who was chosen to go could have been replaced by someone better suited for the job. None the less, I and one other navigator, a man of which I can't pronounce his name let alone spell it, have been chosen to make it to our destination, which still hasn't been entirely decided yet. Us aside, there are five mages, two of which are specialized in healers and all of which are new to magic, 12 men specialized in plant life, rock formations and other assorted expedition related things, 25 men as the crew for the ship, many of which are apprentices, four cooks and of course, the expedition leader, of whom I'm sure will be pointless barking orders while getting payed obscene amounts of gold.
In total, this makes 49 people, just one less man needed for some expedition fund that would give us extra equipment and food at a discounted price. Thankfully, I spoke to the expedition leader earlier today and convinced him we should grab a random civilian off the street and claim they're needed for something, to make it a full 50 man crew so we'd be eligible for the discounted supplies. He thought it was a brilliant idea, so brilliant, he convinced himself of he could have thought of it and hasn't stopped gloating about it since.
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