Tao's Campaign

Soest the Broken

2012-02-23T07:45:00.001-08:00

September 8, 1650, Evening

Weather: pleasant, with an intermittent drizzle and a gentle breeze

For Ahmet and Lukas, the rain does not diminish. With winter coming on, the weather is just miserable in the mountains. For Andrej and Melchior, climbing up to Soest, the mist in the mountains worsens as they pass Hesse, turn at the little Inn on the road and make their way to their destination.

The drizzle in the morning is steady, and intermittent throughout the rest of the day. The night again was brisk. There are unmistakable signs of winter coming: the trees have turned to gold and red, the fields (which the party from Munster sees) are all stubble now, though in a number of places farmers are planting winter potatoes (these were transported from the New World by the druids some five hundred years ago, so they are quite normal to people).

Soest is surrounded by woodland and dumpy hills. It is quite a large town, with well over 600 buildings and sits on a round, flat plain. The walls are enormous, with many bastions - but these are shattered and show fire and destruction in many places. Soest was damaged and ruined by the German War, and there are no signs of reconstruction here (the picture would be old). Unlike other places you've seen, there is no reconstruction here. In fact, ruined seige engines, as tall as forty feet, lay wrecked and abandoned. There are piles of stone at the sides of the road next to broken and destroyed mangonels; rotted timbers; and piles of animal bones next to the town fields. Grass and grain stubble show that the fields have been planted around these hazards, rather than efforts taken to remove them.

The Way to Soest

2012-02-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

Sunday, September 7, 1650

Weather: Brisk temperatures and an intermittent storm, with a high wind

You cannot help but wonder if you should be travelling upon this, or any road today. The weather is slightly warmer than chilly ('brisk' would be in the 40s), but after last night's steady storm, the drizzle that lasted until morning, the storm that is just relenting as the party in Arnsberg gets themselves packed - the sky still threatening above - the road is unimaginably sloppy and unpleasant. The road bound for Hamme is no better, which the party can see as both roads fork from west of town. The blustering wind blows from the North-Northeast, directly against the party.

Worse (and this is presuming the party goes ahead anyway, tramping along with their horses rather than daring to ride and breaking a horse's leg), after the morning has passed with one last brief storm that breaks the wind at last (it settles to a still, light air), the party passes three staggered wagonfulls of dead men bound south for Arnsberg, some ten minutes apart, driven by sullen, unhappy drivers. The third wagon passes, making nearly sixty dead bodies in all.

Sunday Breakfast

2012-02-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

Sunday, September 7, 1650

Weather: chilly temperatures and low clouds, with a fresh breeze

The wind has shifted to the Northeast, and the early morning hours reflect a nasty chilliness which, if it were to be measured, would show on a thermometer to be in the high 30s (F) or about 4 (C). Melchior shivers near the main entrance, and is in any case awoken before the dawn, and hustled to a bench by the fire in the kitchen, where he's fed a warm broth for breakfast.

This hustling occurs as the house is entered. The first that Andrej hears about it is as he is shaken awake by Emmanuel. "Master, Master, the Mistress of the house is here." The Mistress is, of course, Serafina. She enters the front of the house with four guardsmen and her maids in waiting, and is little more than glimpsed at by Melchior before she ascends the staircase to the second floor.

She is, at present, in the doorway of Andrej's room. She is smiling, as Andrej awakes tightly bound in his blankets. "It is amazing to me that you do not snore, father. Is that a trait among half-orcs?"

Serafina won't wait for an answer to that. "I see you've collected another fellow to add to the cause," she says. "He seems a fair fellow, something of a looker, but his choice to sleep in the front hall baffled me and my entourage. Does he not know that only a great fool would consider storming a noble palace without order? The blood that descends afterwards is enough deterrent. My new husband wishes to do the same, now, and he has obtained the permission of the Archbishop of Mainz to do so - and the Archbishop has the Emperor's ear. So rouse yourself, come downstairs. I have come with instructions. Eberhardt has sent your friends to Soest, and you shall need to go find them. I shall go downstairs now and see how your new friend is faring with breakfast."

Serafina will indeed find Melchior in the kitchen. Melchior, you are somewhat struck by her; she is a most unusual woman. She shows no fear of you, though you're a stranger. She shows no resentment nor disturbance to find you, a stranger, in her house. In fact, she is somewhat amused by it. "We have become a wayfarer's inn, Mags," she says.

The cook, bustling about and ignoring Melchior, replies, "Yes Ma'am. But they're good lookin' types, with strong backs."

"Strong indeed," smirks Serafina.

Lukas & Melchior's Cards

2012-02-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

LUKAS:

MELCHIOR:

A few comments about the cards in general.

It's been difficult online to express how the cards are used. There is a tendency to view them as a kind of 'weapon,' or magic spell. I want to persuade Jack to take off his armor. It seems natural to use my persuasion card, tell him to take off his armor, roll a successful die and boom-bada-bing! Off the armor goes, right?

Wrong. People do not interact that way. Magic interacts that way, but conversation does not. While I was testing this, among about thirty people, this was inherently understood. I must ascribe that to my many statements in person where I made clear you couldn't simply shout at people to do ridiculous things and have them obeyed. Offline, people 'got it,' jumped in and talked quite normally, as though to actual people, and the cards worked beautifully. Better than I expected, actually.

So there had to be something about explaining this in person that got the message across, which I can't seem to manage online.

I want to throw out a reminder. I gave up on these. I decided that although I could make them work, in the long run they didn't add that much to my campaign. I decided it was going to be a losing venture regarding trying to sell them, and wouldn't be worth the production cost. I am really, really glad about this. Watching and reading some of the feedback I've gotten, I'm certain I have dodged a bullet.

Basically, the disconnect appears to be: what can the cards do for me, if they do not allow me to manipulate NPCs?

To which my only answer can be, if you insist on manipulating everyone to the nth degree all the time, by drawing out your persuade card and using it on the bartender for a free drink, and on the stable keeper for free provender for your horse, and on the merchant for 20% off goods, and so on and so forth ... all of this is going to slowly and steadily build up one hell of a lot of resentment for your character. Why? Because unlike magic, persuasion as a conversational style does not work quite so well when people have had time to think about what you've said. Again, why? Because, sorry to say, the players do NOT exist in a vacuum.

Let's take the case of the bartender. After you've gotten your free drink, and jested him into having a generally good attitude about your presence, and after you've walked out and been on your way, what then? Why, the bartender tells his wife all about you. She finds out about you not paying your way, and she isn't influenced by your wonderful persuasion. She's furious. And she yells at the bartender, using her persuasion, and now he's pissed. Then the bartender's wife talks to the stable keeper's wife, and they talk to the merchant's wife, and next thing you know everyone in town knows what a smooth-talking CHEAP rat bastard you are. Hope you're heading out of town soon.

Yes, players don't think this way. They don't because worlds aren't built this way. Worlds are built like clapboard fronts, and if you act like a cheap rat bastard, the only people who notice are those you're affecting this minute. There are no after effects. Ever.

Yet when I say this, now I have players afraid to use their persuasion cards ... oh no, there'll be reprecusions I can't dream of and then I'm fucked.

Everyday you try to persuade people of things, and you're not fucked when you succeed. Why?

Because you know in your mind, your actual, real mind, that there are potential reprecussions to everything we do. And we're careful. Sure, we make a suggestion here or there, but when we want something, we look at it instinctively from the other guy's point of view. We don't ask for free liquor. We 'suggest' that since we've bought four already, perhaps the guy might make the fifth one free. We don't stupidly push everyone around with our talking skills. We approach things with the idea that both parties should walk away from this happy.

If you pull the cards out like a sword, someone will start swining back sooner or later.

If, on the other hand, you see the cards as a 'sale' or a 'con' or a negotiation, everyone can walk away happy. Even if they lose.

My failing with these things is that I never set out a set of negative modifiers that would automatically destroy attempts to get stuff the NPC was never going to give you. Why? The reason should be obvious. Just exactly on what do you base this group of modifiers?

So I took it from an all or nothing point of view. If you asked for something the NPC wasn't going to give, period, the cards would fail, period. You had to word your proposal in a manner that would at least stand a reasonable chance of success, or no dice. Literally. I'd say no, and you wouldn't roll the dice.

I didn't see this as fundamentally different from having to have a roleplaying-based conflict approach where there were NO rules ... but I was wrong. As soon as I introduced rules, a certain segment of the population immediately attempted to cheat those rules. No matter how that fucked with logic or practicality. I put a sword in their hands, and by GOD they were going to use it, exactly like some dumb ass 3e skill or magic power. I wave my fucking hands and the bartender signs his bar over to me! Look, I rolled an 11!

Yep. Dodged one bullet.

A Dark and Stormy Night in Arnsberg

2012-02-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday, September 6, 1650, evening
Weather: balmy temperatures and a steady storm, with a high wind.

In answer to Lukas' question, the bar mistress remarks that you can't expect farmers to come out in a night like this. The party is the only regular denizens of the inn at present, all others having left town that morning and no new guests having arrived. Arnsberg is not that large a town, and it is off the main trade routes.

The storm is such that you probably would not wish to be on the road right now. It has not relented in hours, according to the bar mistress, and doesn't look like its going to relent.

However, after having had a meal, and warmed by the fire, and discussed quietly your plans, there is a banging knock on the Inn door (the bar mistress locked it to strengthen the door against the wind).

Carolina's Tale

2012-02-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

Saturday, September 6, 1650, evening
Weather: balmy temperatures and sunny conditions, with a light air.

With the evening sun setting, the weather is fabulous for the time of year. Carolina lies in a bed beneath a window, which Fatima has opened for her, and the odor of the cut fields and the turning leaves settles in the still air. Carolina looks much better than she did in the dungeon, but her skin is loose and there is discoloring about her eyes. Fatima has a damp cloth pressed to Carolina's forehead, to reduce her sweating.

Carolina will tell Andrej and Melchior a terrible tale. She tells of how her family in Pomerania were slaughtered; how she was sold into slavery and shipped in a wood-and-iron box across Germany, bound and gagged. She tells how she was fed on sewer water and maggoty bread, not because there was no better, but because it pleased her captors to torment her thus. She tells of how she was stripped and branded and ultimately presented to the Bishop in a house she knew not where, and how the Bishop and his followers raped her repeatedly. She tells of how she was put in a dungeon with other women, and how she heard their screams at night as each had their turn over the many months Carolina was imprisoned. She tells of how she was brought again to be the personal toy of the Bishop on this last trip. She tells of how she had surrendered her own life, and had tried to murder the Bishop with a butter knife ... and how the Bishop gleefully decided to leave her chained in the dungeon to die.

The details are horrible, and difficult to hear. Fatima cannot bear to stay for much of it, and takes her leave ... only to return again and stiffly hear the rest as she tends Carolina.

At the end, Carolina confesses her sins to Andrej; how she did not treat her brother as well as she should; how she lusted after the boy who tended the machinery at the mill; and how she was not as respectful to her mother as she should have been (Andrej would be required to give her penance, but a single Hail Mary would be enough).

Finally, Carolina tells Melchior and Andrej that fear of discovery drove the Bishop to Arnsberg. At Arnsberg he intends there to gather forces to help the French attack from Alsace into Julich and the Rhineland. He is raising money through his Bankers in Munich and Venice to give to the French, and to help them accomplish and invasion that will destroy the Houses of Nassau and Luxembourg.

The Munster Cathedral Dungeons

2012-02-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday, September 6, 1650, midday
Weather: pleasant temperatures and clear conditions, with a moderate breeze

As Andrej descends the stairs, he takes note that there has been some recent disturbance. Past the point of his first descent, he finds that the rock shows that perhaps three or four persons, with no signs of having been armored, have descended and climbed this stairwell in the last week. This seems surprising, for it suggests that no one who labors beneath - a jailer, say - comes out of the dungeons on a regular, daily basis.

The circular staircase turns until it faces the west, some 22 feet below the floor of the nave. The wall of the roof is cut right from natural stone; the floor and walls have been constructed of mortar and flagstone.

There are three stairwells from this point, all descending from a small circular chamber about 8 feet in diameter. One to the north, one to the south and one to the west. The human-made marks on in the dust show the passage to the west was entered. There's been some disturbance in the dust of the other two passages, but made by someone with odd, narrow feet - perhaps seven inches long, and two inches wide, curved in an inward-turning semicircle. Not human feet at all, not even those of a child. There are quite a number of these steps, indicating something has passed into all 'three dungeons' perhaps twenty times in the last three months (judging by the dust).

The stairs in all three wells go down a long way; the candle shows the first fifteen feet or so, but beyond that it is blackness.

The Font's Secret Passage

2012-02-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

Saturday, September 6, 1650, early afternoon
Weather: with pleasant temperatures and a brief drizzle, with a fresh breeze (18-24 m.p.h.)

The drizzle has begun to break up some, and the wind 'freshened,' as the party descends into the tomb stairwell. The sound of dripping water becomes evident immediately as you brush aside the caltrops from your path. The stairs descend some twenty feet before dwindling into a set of small, natural rock ledges, which are part of a natural cave. Nine-toes, having lit the torch, now tries to hold it high so as to diminish the shadow cast by Ahmet's bulky frame, which blots out much immediately in front of the fighter. Meanwhile, the great drops of water fall from the ceiling like fattened rain.

The tunnel is narrow, but six feet wide, but with a roughed out flattened surface, somewhat muddy. It is evident to Ahmet's eyes (upon taking the torch himself, so he can see his own feet) that there has been a great deal of traffic through here lately. The mud (mixed with clay) shows things have been dragged through it; it shows the footsteps of armed men (humans), and of someone with small, bare feet (too small to be human, but wide and with nubby toes).

Then, as the tunnel widens into a natural cave formation, some twenty-feet wide with an seven foot high roof - dripping everywhere, and pools formed in every shallow place amid the mud and hundreds of stumpy stalagmites (the stalactites are but a few inches long) - Ahmet catches sight of footprints that appear to have been made by a large dog ... with two inch claws.

Morning in Arnsberg

2012-02-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday, September 6, 1650, morning

Weather: with cool temperatures and a steady drizzle, with a moderate breeze.

You wake to find the day is not particular pleasant. You walk yourselves across town, taking note that Arnsberg appears to run some distance along a valley with a small stream (not large enough to appear on the map on your right), with low hills on either side. The castle would be on the east hill, and the Arsbergerwald upon the far side of said hill. You thus walk up the valley, circle around the edge of town and come to a large pasture ... the "backyard" that Thomas the groom spoke of.

You can see a brook running through the edge of the pasture, along the inside of the fence upon which you're standing on, and a stone wall on the other side, running up the hill from the bottomland to where it meets the castle, about 300 feet above you. The pic is a bit dim.

Wedding in Munster

2012-02-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday, September 6, 1650, midday
Weather: pleasant temperatures and clear conditions, with a moderate breeze

Once again, the morning proved to be quite brisk, and Andrej found himself a bit chilled in the huge stone edifice of the church. He woke, found himself served a hot broth for breakfast, with boiled potatoes and leeks, with milk heated until it was scalding for warm. He found that by wrapping his hands around the stoneware vessel holding the milk, he was quite resusitated from a long and frigid night, short on sleep.

Soon the cathedral is again a hive of activities. The carpentry completed, a host of decorators set about as the sun rises setting cushions upon seats, hanging banners and tapestries and cloths, sprinkling drifts of flowers upon the floors and hanging woven garlands, stringing hundreds of yards of unseasonal poppies, crocuses, edelweiss and peonies overhead, grown especially for the ceremony by a flock of druids, mages and their apprentices. A small cluster of men set about spellcasting unusual, living motifs upon the stone surfaces - these are illusionists, and they leave behind them long enduring phantasms of saints observing from on high, sheep chewing contentedly on outstretched lawns, odd and beautiful congregations of unicorns and lions laying next to one another in comfort and luxuriant embrace ... and more blooming flowers, with two great blooming cherry trees with embracing limbs draping high over the altar.

In time, Andrej finds himself going through the ritual of being dressed, as the guests are allowed into the church, separately grouped. A great drape has been extended across the width of the church nearer to the nave than the principle door, so that at least three quarters of those present will not be able to see the ceremony, but only hear it. Both groom and bride will walk up the long aisle, so these people will see both enter, and will not see them again until the ceremony is completed. And as such, it is they who are let in first, to watch the parade of nobles and landholders who will come after them, coming up the aisle in their turn before the bride and groom.

The church warms as the gathering grows, literally in their thousands, and a low mumble transcends through all the rooms and vaults of the church, even to the point that Andrej can feel the thrumming through his very feet. As pound after pound of vestment is weighed upon his shoulder, he is reminded of tales about purgatory, where the prideful are forced to walk for a long age in lead cloaks, until such a time as their souls may be burned clean. He is dressed, and wigged, and dusted with perfume and with powder, and blessed by the Prefect who was meant to perform the ceremony, and blessed by the Prior whose title declares him the stand-in for the Patriarch of the Church, who cannot be here because he is fighting wars in Courland, and sprinkled with holy water and fed three holy wafers and three long sips of wine from the communion chalice, gold and encrusted with a hundred blue turquoise and a three dozen minute diamonds. The prefect asks for the seventh time if Andrej understands the ceremony - showing his doubt of Andrej's ability to carry this forth, and giving hint of being ready to step in should Andrej fail - and upon receiving it steps back with a bow and allows matters to proceed unabated.

At last, the cathedral guests are ready, and the groom is ready, and Andrej makes his approach to the altar, where he will stand awaiting for the groom, and then the bride, to march towards him.

The curtain is parted so that Andrej can see Eberhardt come from the far right corner and begin the long, hundred-and-fifty foot halting march down the length of the church, stepping first with the right, then bringing his left to match it, and stepping forth with the right again. He is adorned in an ermine cloak and rich yellow velvet jacket, with a black pearl-encrusted doublet and skirt. He looks completely comfortable, the great white feather upon his enormous beret keeping time with his feet, his arms ready and strong at his sides, as though breasting a great storm but unperturbed by it. A steady rain of comments upon his person and position sprinkles from the guests nearest to Andrej. Eberhardt takes no notice, and does not even look at Andrej until the very last moment, when he gives the very least hint of a smile.

There are a hundred musicians, and a great trumpet of music sends a wave of standing guests through the whole of the cathedral, as the great doors open and let the sun in, and from the far left walks Serafina. She is completely covered, naturally, but her dress and veil are a dazzling brilliant white, catching the sunlight then eclipsing it as she crosses in front of the door. Eberhardt turns to look as the music changes and she begins her way up the aisle, a cloud of wondrous white linen and silk flowing outwards from her delicate, comparatively tiny self, evident only in the narrow waist she presents as she paces her way forward. The crowd first expresses suprise, and then is inordinately hushed, so that the music plays clear and unchallenged throughout her sojourn ... and Andrej himself cannot help but feel a pain in his own heart to look at her.

He recovers, however, as Serafina moves to stand next to Eberhardt, and he manages the first matters of the ceremony with little trouble; the guests are seated, the greeting is given, the assembly invited to repent of their sins, and the Gloria is sung.

Andrej speaks the Opening Prayer, and the First Reading is given from the Song of Solomon. The choir of a hundred and fifty rise to sing the responsorial psalm, and the second reading follows, as from Corinthians as specified. The assembly stands for the Gospel, which then Andrej reads.

Then this is followed by the Homily, which Andrej proceeds to give ...

Reaching Arnsberg at night.

2012-02-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

Friday, September 5, Night
Weather: pleasant temperatures and clear conditions, with a moderate breeze

The overcast weather breaks up as you reach Arnsberg, somewhat gloomy as night comes. In the moonlight, you can make out the town, and upon the hill you recognize the image that Eberhardt had open upon his table.

It will cost you each 3 s.p. to enter into the walls, if you so wish. To the right of the town, you will see a small cluster of houses outside the walls, where likely you might find an Inn (use the prices on the Munster table - they will not be substantially different).

Munster Cathedral

2012-01-31T10:30:00.001-08:00

Friday, September 5, 1650, late afternoon
Weather: pleasant temperatures and heavy clouds rolling from the north, bringing with them a steady drizzle upon a moderate breeze.

Andrej finds himself being fit for clothes that are not his own, but are beyond anything he would have previously experienced. The robes are heavy and encrusted with hundreds of small stones, the main of them amber, diamonds and pearls, sewn into pure silk cloth lined with soft, intensely worked damask. The coin value of the robes, he would estimate, would be beyond price ... and certainly, upon seeing himself in the robes, he cannot help but wonder at his own appearance. It is a long, long way from the grit and hard living regions of Cumana where he was born.

As a host of seamstresses descend upon the robes to refashion them to Andrej's shape, a similar host turns themselves to his appearance of his face. It is agreed to fit him for a wig, to raise his collar, to apply a smattering of some perfumes to distract from his natural, somewhat unusual odor (earthy) for the Munster congregation, but ultimately to trust to his station to overcome any resistance to his race.

Whereupon, he is brought to the cathedral, to review the space itself:

I had hoped to compare it somehow with something Andrej might know intimately, but I could not find reliable dimensions for the above. (I would estimate it to be something like a quarter the size of the Prudential Stadium in New Jersey, if that does not detract too much from the moment). In a word, immense. The interior is white marble and the space is as large as a cavern. A hive of activity goes on as carpenters construct tiers of benches for the largest portion of the invited city of Munster, to provide for nearly three thousand persons.

And it is suggested to Andrej, through all of this, that some kind of sermon will be required upon his part. He would have the sermon he wishes to give ready, would he not?

Eberhardt, Ahmet and Nine-toes

2012-01-31T09:03:00.000-08:00

Friday, September 5, 1650, Mid-afternoon
Weather: pleasant temperatures and clear conditions, with a moderate breeze

Eberhardt approaches Nine-toes and Ahmet as they're each resting, remarking on the absence of Andrej, who has at this time been removed to have himself fitted for vestments. There's a bowl of plums upon a table, and a couple of bottles of Rheinish wine to help ease the time. I think it probable that Andrej has given Ahmet the balance of his hit points before leaving for the afternoon ... there'd be little reason for him to reserve the spell, considering he's going to be very busy and among other clerics. Andrej can confirm this.

"I should like to speak to both of you," says Eberhardt. "I need a pair of spies."

A Show of Force

2012-01-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

Friday, September 5, 1650, Early Afternoon
Weather: With pleasant temperatures and clear conditions, with a moderate breeze.

It's cool again in the morning when the party awakes, and the palast floor somewhat cold to walk on as you settle down to a breakfast of floating poached eggs in fish soup and large loaves of rye bread, served with a pitcher of spiced oil. Eberhardt is awake - there's reason to think that he hasn't been asleep all night. Upon a table in the central court (where you take your breakfast), there are hundreds of pictures kept in leather bound books, and one in particular that's been laid out - three feet by two feet:

Eberhardt is not able to be questioned, as he's working hard in the study and the scribe balks any attempts to speak with him. But as it happens, your breakfast is interrupted by the arrival of Her Ladyship Amalia von Nassau-Dillenburg - which initiates a screaming match between her (doing all the screaming) and Eberhardt (who can be heard first mumbling, then thundering).

The jist of this interaction is Eberhardt's decision to postpone the marriage until such a time as the immediate problems he is attempting to sort out are solved; Her Ladyship seems bent on calling him every name in the book, including a number which a tavern wench would blush to use. Eberhardt quite clearly disagrees, but Her Ladyship seems unperturbed by his maleness, the quibbling things he finds are important and the general demeanor of "the man she has assented to take on as her adopted son-in-law."

It appears at first that the argument ends with no victors. But a few minutes after Her Ladyship leaves, a servant comes forward to inform Andrej that the tailors are here, and that he is to present himself to be outfitted for his vestments.

The remainder of you are left to your own devices as the afternoon begins.

The Apple Quarter

2012-01-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Thursday, September 4, 1650, Night

With pleasant temperatures and clear conditions, with a moderate breeze.

The night has cleared, and as a force of some forty men gather in the gloom, they are instructed to keep quiet and to keep from putting up any lights. Eberhardt gives orders for two groups of twelve to move out and encicle the Quarter, catching anyone they can, and to do as little as possible to tear anything apart or seize goods - as anything they find could be important. They are to barge in, place anyone they find under arrest, keep them under control and await further orders.

If this all seems Draconian, Eberhardt does not seem to be aware of it. He will add, "Let us be thorough, and treat the people with respect! Do not hurt them, they are yet citizens - strike them with clubs quickly across the backs of their skulls, but there's no need to hit them repeatedly. A child can be put easily down with the back of your hand, and then kicked if need be. If anyone appears to resist or tries to run away, or stop you from carrying out these orders, then you might have to kill them ... is that understood?"

Assent goes up, but not too loudly. The men split into three groups, Eberhardt waits for the two groups on either side to get into position, and then starts his own group of sixteen men towards the Quarter. The party can throw in wherever they think appropriate (give your position prior to Eberhardt marching forward).

Eberhardt's Tale

2012-01-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

Thursday, September 4, 1650, Evening

Weather: pleasant temperatures and overcast conditions, with a fresh breeze.

Despite their vigilence, the party experiences no action of any kind. In the early afternoon, the stable boy sends word through the valet that your horses have been groomed and fed. You learn that steps are being taken to clothe Andrej for the wedding, and that the Prefect has been informed that Andrej will perform the ceremony ... Andrej is to go to the prefect's church to be fitted in the morning.

Serafina sends word that she is spending the evening with friends, still making arrangements, and that as per agreement, she and Eberhardt will not see each other again until the wedding. She will be living in the heart of town with the Baroness Milliscent de Coesfeld.

Eberhardt arrives late for dinner. His face is dark with anger, and it takes some time for him to settle and stop shouting at the servants - some of which seems to be focused on wishing he could speak with Serafina just now - before he can explain what he's discovered.

First of all, while you are digesting your eaten portions from a roast haunch of mutton, he will explain that he had to give 4,000 g.p. in collection to the missing Bishop in order to obtain the Bishop's presence, the use of the church and the blessing of the Bishop on the marriage. He was going to have Andrej perform the ceremony, but he still expected the Bishop's blessing, as it would carry considerable weight. The Bishop is one of perhaps five premier catholic leaders in all of Northern Europe.

As such, Eberhardt would know why he would not now be receiving this.

To begin with, he learned that the Bishop did not leave the evening before, but in fact that he left at 3 a.m. in the morning ('the third bell') ... and that he did so in a carriage, at breakneck speed, this according to the guards at Munster's South Gate.

Investigating further, by pigeon and by a friend with means, Eberhardt has been able to confirm that no special circumstances are known which would compel the Bishop to return to his lands, which would be Arnsberg in Hochsauerland, as stated before. Yet this clearly seems to be the Bishop's intent, as he took the road to Ahlen and Hamme, and the Bishop's letter stated as much. Arnsberg, so say Eberhardt's sources, is peaceful and quiet. To leave to quell an uprising could be understood ... but to manage mere personal affairs, this is intolerable.

Eberhardt was also able to learn that the Bishop's whole demeanor the evening before leaving was quite typical, so said the servants he was able to speak with. So some news certainly came to the Bishop that caused this change.

As this is said, the entire company is present, excepting the footmen and groom looking waiting upon Serafina. There is word that the scribe will be returning within the hour. Fatima is seated upon a bench against the wall, behind Ahmet, and has refused four times to return to her room as he has ordered her. Eberhardt has said, "let the matter be," so as to continue the conversation.

"I cannot think what would have compelled the Bishop to such action."

Munster in the Morning; a Startling Revelation

2012-01-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

Thursday, September 4, 1650

Weather: with cool temperatures and overcast conditions, with a fresh breeze.

The next morning, the house bustles about getting itself in order for the day. Emmanuel looks over the equipment, the men-at-arms express their amazement at their sudden change in fortune, Ahmet glowers about at every new thing, Andrej says a prayer or two to obtain his spells back ... and Nine-toes completes his ablutions, heads back to the main floor and finds himself face-to-face with Fatima.

She has been given new clothes to wear by Serafina, who is standing just behind her - and now that she is clean and wearing garb that Nine-toes identifies with his southern German heritage (for Serafina obtained a whole new wardrobe there), he is stunned to discover how beautiful Fatima really is: with olive, Mediterranean skin, and chestnut brown eyes, with sooty black hair, thick and coarse and with a very healthy growth, now combed out and resting in curls upon her shoulders.

Meanwhile, downstairs, a messenger arrives at the house - a lesser deacon, who bears a written word from the Prince-Bishop of Munster. Eberhardt reads it in the hall while the early meal is prepared, as the party settles down to tea, and his face darkens. He reads it for all to hear:

Herr Hornung,

You will please forgive me if I find I shall have to return immediately to my estates at Hochsauerland to manage troubles there. I extend my apologies to you and to your charming bride, for I find my attendance in Munster cannot be managed. I leave immediately, and will be gone this day before the sun rises; I have made arrangements for the Prefect of Ahlen to perform your wedding.

Yours,

His Holiness the Archbishop Ferdinand von Bayern,

Prince-Bishop of Cologne, Hildesheim, Liege, Munster and Paderborn

"Estates?" roars Hornung. "Is there a rebellion? Is there a WAR? What treachery is this?"

Andrej in Munster

2012-01-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, September 3, 1650
Moon & weather unchanged

With Ahmet sent to speak to Fatima in private, Andrej is brought into the drawing room to speak with Eberhardt and Serafina. Upon being settled and made comfortable, and tea and a little food served, they answer some of Andrej's questions.

There has been much going on in Dachau; the town was discovered to have been infiltrated with dopplegangers, who are presently being cleared out of the town. It is a difficult task, but two were found early on at the highest level of authority, and two others masquerading as members of the town guard. Things look very much like the troubles will be solved before the winter settles in.

Delfig, unfortunately, was imprisoned by the dopplegangers, it appears, and committed suicide in his prison cell. It was an awful tragedy.

Ahmet in Munster

2012-01-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, September 3, 1650
Moon & weather unchanged

Ahmet & Andrej, with Fatima, are brought to the Palast der Hornung with Eberhardt and Serafina, and the coachmen are sent on to the inn to fetch Emmanuel, the men at arms and your gear. The Palast is rather fabulous, with a high stone wall, a massive iron gate and a courtyard large enough for three tennis courts. The gate is opened for the party and the coach delivers you before the main building - three stories, square in shape with many small windows ... some 60' wide and 40' high. As is typical of German buildings, there is little facade, but the place is bigger than an inn and features a large iron entrance door, some five feet wide and nine feet high.

Eberhardt Hornung lays hands upon Fatima, and the scratches on her body heal and her bruises subside. At this point Fatima is asked if she wishes to lay down, and Fatima expresses a desire to speak to her cousin Ahmet in person. You're both shown to a large room on the second floor, and a dinner is sent up to you.

"My cousin," begins Fatima. "I have come a long way to find you and tell you something. I did not even know if I would find you ... I only knew that you had gone to Europe. I enlisted an Imam to help me trace you down through the will of Allah. When I was kidnapped in Genoa ..." Here she breaks down, and finds it difficult to go on.

Nine-toes in Munster

2012-01-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, September 3, 1650
Moon & weather unchanged

Nine-toes and Brother Paul both rush into the warehouse, seeing the second of two thugs climbing up a ladder onto the second floor. It takes little time for the monks to follow, Brother Paul leading the way. As Nine-toes reaches the second floor, however, the two men separate. One, on the right, is running the length of the warehouse for a far shuttered window; the other dives out a window on the left.

"Take that one," says Brother Paul, pointing to the left, where there is now only an empty window. "I'll take the other. I'll meet you at the Inn of the Four Drums!"

And with that, Brother Paul speeds away.

On to Münster

2012-01-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, September 3, 1650 (evening)

Weather: Warm and drizzling, with intermittent light rainfall and a moderate breeze.

The party awakes in Lingen to a distinctly brisk morning, the first real sign that Summer has definitely departed. There is a very heavy fog as you break camp, thick enough that Ahmet finds he must stumble around a moment just to find the horses. Even as the fog lifts there's virtually no wind ... but at least the party can get upon the road heading south towards a town called Rheine. It rains in scattered bits all day, the coolness lasting until the early afternoon (with your cloaks wrapped tight around you as you begin to contemplate that winter is but a few months away).

You cannot help taking note that the road is nearly empty. You see not one cart, not one wagon, all day. There are a few traders or peddlars moving on the road, and a group of quiet monks who acknowledge you with signs but do not talk. You make good time with the wagon, as the horses work harder in the cooler temperatures, and you reach Rheine with plenty of sun to spare. The town is good sized, with nearly 400 buildings, with much new construction - the town was razed rather badly, you learn, during the long war.

This comes from a peddler, told as you're all making your way down a slope towards the town. He happens to mention he'll be bypassing the town walls to an Inn three miles further along the road. It seems like such a good idea - and no harm done in the end, so pardon the DM for 'railroading' - that you follow the peddlar there. The cost is a coin less than the cost for the Inn in Lingen, and a storyteller who happens to be present makes the evening worthwhile. Alas, he tells stories the party knows already, but ones from your childhood, so the night is pleasant.

The better temperatures remain through the night and you awake to find a pleasant, sunny day. There's a fresh breeze blowing from the east. Unfortunately, however, once you get south of the smaller, ordinary town of Emsdetten (more than 200 buildings), it doesn't last. While the temperature holds, and even improves until it is warm, there's a squall of small storms that hit you, three of them in a row. You're a bit damp, but none the worse for wear, as you come into Münster that evening.

Münster is a large city, the largest the party has been in since beginning this campaign - more than 2,000 buildings. It is walled and circular, with two magnificent church spires and an impressive cathedral. There's a large market, a university, a library and a catholic seminary, and Andrej recalls from his memory that Münster was a leading member of the old Hanseatic League, which once controlled trade in Germany.

The party finds themselves in the largest square, the Prinzipalmarkt, after that market has closed for the day, and the shops as well. But plenty of beerhauses and inns are open and available for travellers.

A Hard, Busy Road to Lingen

2012-01-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Monday, September 1, 1650

Weather: cool in the morning, ranging to pleasant and even warm in the afternoon, when a full sunny day emerges. The evening is pleasant also, and there is no rainfall throughout the day.

Despite the beautiful weather - and it feels good on your bodies to have a really nice day - you are all tired from the boat ride and from not having slept in a real bed for a week. Each of you suffers 1 point of damage (note, the NPCs also, but not the animals) from the journey.

The road to Lingen from Meppen is no less crowded with carts and wagons, forcing the party to stand to the side of the road again and again as caravans roll past. Thus, although Lingen is only 9 miles south of Meppen, it takes you nearly all day to reach the former town - a fair sized burgh of about 2,500 residents. You're grateful to find, however, that the town itself is nearly empty ... a few words with the guards reveals that the day promising to be so pleasant, the local priests encouraged everyone to take advantage to get their produce to market. Thus, there isn't a wagon to be found in town ... but there are inn rooms available. You may address the prices table from Leer for the amount; there's nothing else to buy in Lingen at the moment, as the town market has evaporated, and Lingen itself does not have a trading market.

Arriving in Meppen Sunday

2012-01-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

Sunday, August 31, 1650

Cool temperatures with drizzling conditions. A light rainfall lasts for about 35 minutes, to be followed by fresh, chilling breeze.

As it happens, when the party wakes up Thursday morning on the 28th, they find they have suffered a point of damage through the night. And worse, the trip aboard the barge does not prove to be as 'restful' as the party might wish. While each day you do rest and gain a hit point, the conditions are so unpleasant that you lose one in turn. Ahmet alone, who is able to gain two h.p. per day in rest, accumulates hit points - but the rest of the party breaks even.

It rains. It rains and it rains. Friday alone brings a respite, though the breeze is unpleasant after the four hours of steady rain that falls late Thursday; and the rain that falls all day long on Saturday is not at all pleasant, nor is the rain that falls all night into Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon, and briefly Sunday evening as the party reaches the dock in Meppen.

The rain is by and large light, but there is a whole lot of it. The deck of the barge leaves little room for shelter, though the captain does allow the party to set up their tents. The beam of the barge is, however, only a few feet above the waterline, and when the wind whips up it sprays off the river Ems. The deck does not dry, as you do not see the sun at all except briefly Friday morning. Between rain and overcast conditions, there's fog Thursday and mist for most of Sunday. All in all, thoroughly unpleasant.

The barges going down the river are loaded up to thirty feet high with hay and sacks of grain and vegetables, often to the point where you wonder why they don't topple over. Men with poles pass your barge within a few feet, near enough to jump the distance, and the crew of the barge is friendly and knowing of those crews of other barges. Sometimes a bottle of wine is passed back and forth while the barges go by one another, along with jests and boasts.

The captain keeps a cauldron of tea boiling throughout the journey, into which he dumps lumps of hard candy which slowly melts and sweetens the tea. The party is invited to drink the tea, and even some of the wine shared among the other boatmen. They find themselves at least enjoying the camaraderie, and the sense that the river is a community, and not a group of isolated boats.

Papenburg, you can see as you go by mid-Friday, is a mere fort, an outpost in the forest by the river, without even a significant dock for traffic. That evening the woods look spooky and dangerous, full of fens along the banks, and you're glad when you get another day up the river and the ground turns more solid and with a few more farms. However, you see no manors of any kind, only isolated cotters, each apparently with their small private dock extending onto the river. Some of these docks have rowboats, but most do not. The farms have all been harvested - you see none where the grain is still standing.

Meppen is a small town of about 1,700, swamped at the moment by farmers who have stacked miles of stacked hay and thousands of sacks near the large dock. The Ems here is met by the Hase and the Nordradde rivers, which swell it enough to be navigable. Meppen is a walled town, but charges no entry fee throughout the month of August and September (you are told) ... but there is no market here, either. A road south to Lingen is clearly marked, as is another road to Emmen to the west. Cart-tracks leave out for Nordhorn, Diepholtz and Oldenburg.

A Day In Leer

2012-01-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, August 27, 1650

Weather: It has been uncharacteristically lacking in rain for the last three days; temperatures have been consistently cool in the mornings, however, and conditions effectively overcast. As you leave Engleke Wednesday morning, and arrive in Leer three hours later, the temperature has risen to being pleasant, with clouds and a gentle breeze.

Leer is as the party left it last week; it was unhindered by the pirates, and in fact has swollen a bit with people rushing in to seek supplies that have been plundered. Thus the road to, and the town itself, is quite busy, but the merchants in Leer have plundered their storehouses in an attempt to sell all they can in these good times (for them). From the street shown on the right, you can imagine what it is like trying to get your wagon, horses and group through the throng of people who have descended upon the town. But there is a promise of more goods being shipped from elsewhere to compensate the people's troubles, and all is well.

The party also encounters a group of five hundred (thereabouts) pilgrims who have set themselves up in one portion of the farmer's market on the edge of town. You may recall my mentioning that Leer is unwalled, and normally has about 3,000 people; at present, this number has swollen to double its usual size, but even at that these pilgrims can be seen everywhere. They are uniquely dressed, in brown robes, red or bright green belts and white cowls, the men all with shaved heads and the women wearing hollar caps with red fringing. Very little inquiry tells you that most of them have had their heads shaved in just the last few days - and it fact you discover a host of barbers are hard at work shaving the heads of even more men.

This party of pilgrims is gathering in Leer from throughout Germany; they are Roman Catholics, and are determined to leave upon the 1st of September for the Holy Shrine in Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, expecting to arrive there in four to six months. Besides provisioning, praying, having their heads shaved (sometimes more than once), and exhorting others about them to join their pilgrimage, they are a jolly, pleasant bunch, and have brought much money to the town by their presence.

If the party will take its time and come to a clear, definite decision about what they will do next, we can begin the campaign again in earnest.

The World South of Engelke

2012-01-03T21:22:00.000-08:00

Let's again have an overview of the regions south of the Party's position in Engleke and Leer; following the battle against the pirates, Vorhein the bartender is so pleased he will give the party food and lodging for free all Tuesday day and the night before Wednesday (everyone can have 1 hit point healing and Andrej can cast a day's worth of spells if he likes). During that time, the party might get a chance to chat with a few people about politics and travel - it is on people's minds, what with recent events, and strangers are anxious to talk.

Let's begin with the elevation map (you can find Engleke top centre):

Much of the country is still flat - with parts of Holland to the west below sea level. Note the Zuider Zee (the inlet in the centre of Holland) is larger on this map than you'll find on a modern map ... I tool a lot of trouble to use a map from the 17th century to depict Holland as it might have appeared centuries ago. Take note of the Weihen Hills in the vicinity of Osnabruck, and those south of Paderborn and Hamme, in the southeast. The latter are the Sauerland 'mountains.'

The huge river to the southwest is, of course, the Rhine, splitting in two below Emmerich. The other river paralleling the Rhine is the Moselle, descending from France. The party is already familiar with the Weser west of Engleke. That one slightly smaller river draining through Leer is, you'll remember, the Ems.

There is an abundance of trade centres, particularly in the Ruhr valley - that's the concentrated area at the bottom centre of the map, with Crefeld, Dusseldorf, Essen, Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Venlo, Wesel, Bochum, Recklinghausen, Dortmund and Hamme ... plus a constellation of others surrounding those. This is the most intense industrial region of both the real world and my D&D campaign - with access to the sea and inland Europe. It is fair to consider that there are roads through virtually every part of the map ... the population made more clear by this second map, below:

Depending on your zoom, the patterning on this map can be a bit hard to read, but adjust it until its comfortable. The region represents a very intense population density (there's more to the south and west - on a large map it's very impressive). Naturally, this is no less that what might be expected from Holland. Still, there is a large deciduous forest in Lower Saxony, stretching from Oldenburg to Hochsauerland - its a well-watered country, with plenty of small lakes not showing. The edge of the moors along the North Sea are just visible along the top of the map.

There are some quite large monsters in this forest country, some as large as five tons, which Andrej can testify to as he's seen on in the flesh. Most of the goblins that once dwelt here are believed to have been wiped out, but there are known caves with deep tunnels, said to be occupied by morlocks, in the Teutoburger Wald, the forest encircling the cropland of Bielefeld and Herford. Gutersloh would be in the South Teutoburger Wald. And there is an abundance of bandits.

And, of course, here's the political map:

I had to simplify and change the colorscheme from the last map - I was running out of colors. For simplicity, all of the free Netherlands is one color; a small corner of the Spanish Netherlands shows in the bottom left, and a bit of Swedish Germany; and the remaining areas of the Holy Roman Empire are divided according to their houses.

Holland has been free of war since 1640, when it won at last its freedom from Spain, after 80 years. The people there are very much against war of any kind; they anxiously defend their personal rights; and they already have an earned reputation for having the most civilized society anywhere.

The Holy Roman Empire, as you know, is anything but peaceful. The various houses - particularly Brandenburg and Nassau - vie for control of the independent territories through marriage, plotting and plain crookedness. Munster is fairly peaceful, and represents (along with Engleke) the strongest Catholic presence. The remainder of the map, except for the tiny part of Spain, is Protestant - Lutheran in the Holy Roman Empire, and Calvinist/Huguenot in the Netherlands ("Orangemen"). But of course the principle worship everywhere is money. This area represents a lot of it, along with many millions of people.

I'm not sure if I've explained this, but there are several Free Cities - these are cities shown with a thick gray circle around them: Turnhout, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg and Herford are those showing on the map. These are usually fully independent, nominally under the Emperor, with complete rights to trade (no duties paid to the Emperor). Herford, it bears mentioning, is part of the Brandenburg estates.

You can read about The Vest here. What's more, you should be able to find links for all of the regions shown on this map.

Questions?

Starting 2012

2011-12-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

So, it's time we were thinking about getting the campaign started again. I am going to be around for the rest of this week, with three days off for New Years, so a good day to start again might be around Tuesday to Wednesday next week. Probably we can count on a day of questions and catching up, before the party starts off to Leer to re-equip.

I'll be putting up some new maps covering the change in location the party has experienced, if only to make clear how one gets to Munster from Engelke, presuming the party would want to go there.

Regarding the cards, and the use of cards. I trust the party will take note of the links on the previous to seeing what all the cards are, as actions will create additional cards for players. When it comes to playing the cards themselves, there will probably be some troubles arising from the internet. I found I was able to teach people pretty quickly how to use them while face-to-face, but things may not be so evident without my smiling face showing how it's done.

I would recommend roleplaying the action cards when they are used. For example, if Ahmet were to use his persuade card, he might do so by saying, "We would look upon it kindly if you could step aside and let us enter the town, despite our appearance; I assure you we will look much better once we have found an inn and partaken in a bath and a shave. We are upstanding citizens, believe me when I tell you this; we simply had some bad luck with a manure wagon."

Or some similar presentation. It really is quite easy once you have the idea what persuasion is, or jesting or boasting or lying.

I would encourage people to suggest other cards that could be added; for example, there is no 'threaten' card, which might be created by exchanging some other card suggesting the player has a threatening appearance (a survivor-type card, or perhaps the Once Convicted card), or which implies having developed a sense of what it takes to threaten people (a Hardened Adventurer card, or Fortitude). I haven't decided ... though I'd probably make a decision if someone indicated they would want such a card. In truth, it would work pretty much the same as 'Boast,' but obtained by trading in something other than what Boast requires.

Let me know if there's something else we want to consider before starting.

Conflict Card Distribution

2011-11-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

Here are the card groups for each player. Take note that you can see copies of ALL the cards here, so if there's any you think you should have, or which you want to trade for (lie, beg, seduce or boast), let me know.

The pickings are lean for three of the characters because you fellas truly raped your interactive stats for strength, constitution and dexterity. Just so you know.

Ahmet's Cards:

Andrej's Cards:

Nine-toes' Cards:

Silvius' Cards:

It Hasn't Ended Yet in Engelke

2011-11-29T06:54:00.000-08:00

Monday & Early Tuesday, August 25 & 26, 1650

Weather: Pleasant temperatures continue, with cloudy skies now, no rainfall and a moderate breeze.

The plundering of the town continues apace. Distant cries, shouts, the clashing of weapons, the screaming of women and so on seeps in from outside, as a good deal of the wealth of Engelke is extracted in exchange for a population boost nine months from now, rich with genetic diversity ... not that anyone in the party knows about that.

Watchman #3, who identifies himself as Joost, approaches Silvius and Nine-toes, who happen to be standing together. "Pardon me sirs, but Klaas and I;" Joost refers to the fellow resting in the corner, who nods when you look at him, "have been talking about how we owe you our lives. We're very sorry about what happened, and we don't wish to go to prison. We would like very much to serve you, carry for you, fetch for you, act as your shield men ... when Klaas is better, of course. We wouldn't need much. A bit of food perhaps, a bit of pay - half pay, sirs, if you can see yourself parting with 9 g.p. a month for a pair of pole men."

As Silvius and Nine-toes consider this, there are six men who appear at the front door of the stable. They are dressed as the other pirates, save one - a priest dressed in robes associated with the Spanish catholic church ... dark, crimson red, with a wide high collar and a prominent silver cross and greenstone rosary.

"M'Lady," cries the priest upon seeing Madam. "You've been hurt!" She's been sitting, holding the handkerchief to her side all this time, not doing much more. Now the priest begins to make signs for casting a spell, while the other five pirates move aggressively towards the party.

Before anything can happen, however, the Madam calls a halt to it. "These are our friends!" she shouts. Her men freeze. "No one in this Inn is to be harmed, do you hear me?"

The pirates all stand down, and the party takes their hands off their weapons.
"You asked me a question?" smiles Madam at Andrej.

Conflict!

2011-11-29T06:36:00.000-08:00

This is an interjection in the campaign to ask a question. In the last comments section Andrej the cleric 'hinted' about incorporating the use of my Imech into this campaign. I am willing to do so, if people would like to give it a try, but I feel that it should be unanimous. It isn't difficult to learn, though admittedly I haven't tried to teach it to a party online.

The offline party had fun with it, but were not really the type to embrace it wholly. But its really up to you. Let me know, and if you agree, we can give it a try.

The Stable

2011-11-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

This is the post intended for the event between the party and the town watchmen who have just entered with the expectation of seizing the party's horsemen.

The scene would look like this:

This is intended as a bare bones map; it doesn't include details about the street, or of the inside of the tavern beyond just the front area. On this map, Ahmet is the brown man with the pick, mounted on the horse. The orange is Silvius, whose just come in and is readying his horse. The green is Nine-toes. The blue is Andrej, readying the cart. The white is Emmanuel. The yellow is the bartender, holding his maul.

The pink and purple are the guard; three of them, in pink, are armed with glaives. The others are armed with spears.

This is going to get a bit crazy online, but we'll try going slowly to see how it goes. I ask the players to please be patient.

A few points:

1) We will have to determine everyone's movement. You can work this out for yourselves from this table. Nine-toes is a bit special - he moves 6 due to being a monk.

2) Please have a close look at this table. It will tell you how to 'spend' your movement. Remember that to attack, you must spare yourself two full movement points to do so. Also, you may want to choose your final orientation at the end of your move - this costs NO movement.

3) I am thinking at this moment that the best way to do this is to create a post on your blog, where you can post your movement. All you need to do is download the image, draw on it using Paint or any other program to show where you intend to go, describe here what you're doing, and then post the picture onto your blog. I will collect your movements off your pages and pull them together onto the main table. I'll show the enemies movements and update the table as we go. If you want records of the combat, you'll have to save them yourselves.

This probably sounds a bit difficult and crazy. I am curious as to how difficult it really is. I know there are ways online to do this as an automatic feed, but I don't know how to use them at this time, and at any rate I wouldn't be able to access any such programs during the day. If everyone is game, we can give this a try.

Alternately, if three of you vote against this idea, then I'll run the combat in the tried and true D&D way ... following your descriptions as best I can and updating the table from those descriptions. It is up to you if you want to play this tactically or not. HOWEVER, if we do play by description only, then the players will have to accept my judgement for where you wind up at the end of each round. I can only do the best I can.

Let me know what your movements are in any case. Tell me what you think and we can get started. The announcement was made with the last post. The party, at the moment, has initiative (the watchmen are giving it to you).

Other notes: There is a door at the back of the stable which is closed and behind Andrej, which leads to an open area surrounded by a solid wooden slat fence five feet high. There is a side door into the Inn from there, which leads to the Inn's mess area. The fire appears on the map somewhat exaggerated for effect. I'll answer any other questions as we go. Oh, the last horse in the corner is Vorhein's horse.

UPDATE:

Here is the current picture, showing only the combat portion for easier viewing. Numbers have been added for soldiers, to aid in designating your targets.

For Movement, we can also try this:

The idea here is that the hexes are numbered for the direction that you move - and that each movement is designated by that number. Emmanuel's move on the right would be written 1-1-6-1-1.

Note that the orientation of the player is not relevant to the code. The circle of numbers never changes. If Emmanuel were to turn around and retrace his steps, it would be written 4-4-3-4-4.

You could also designate your target this way. If the Emmanuel on the left were to throw an axe at the Emmanuel on the right, the trajectory would be 2-3-2-3.

Is that easy enough?

UPDATE TODAY:

Surprise, Surprise!

Everyone has moved now, BUT the pirates:

The pirates first appear

The pirates start to move forward (arrows show movement)

Andrej and Ahmet get in some serious thumping.

And she shoots her own Man!

A round of tough fighting as the party gets into the thick of things.

Andrej gets seriously thumped.

Silvius gets a critical and Nine-toes hits home; the party fights back!

Madam moves forward and nicks Ahmet.

Ahmet strikes out with Madam.

Nine-toes feels the Madam's dagger.

Vorhein's spear hits home and Andrej's up and ready for action.
(ignore the arrow by Pirate D ... a bit of flotsam left over from the previous image)

The death of #4, and the anger of pirates.

Ahmet & Silvius knock 'em back, and a pirate goes down.

Returning to Engelke

2011-11-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

Monday, August 25, 1650

Weather: Unchanged; pleasant temperatures continuing as the sun sets, no rainfall and a moderate breeze, the overcast sky beginning to break up.

The likelihood is that the party has bundled Devereaux's body in a blanket from his bed for carrying, and that as the party makes its way back to town it is fairly loaded. The body is about 80 lbs., so that is one player; the keg is not that heavy, 10 lbs., but it is bulky and fairly demands the attention of one person. The chest is 72 lbs., which gets unpleasant for one person over a long distance - so it is probably being shared by two people.

The sun is an hour above the horizon when you get back to the edges of Engelke. You find a chapel, speak with a priest there - who recognizes Devereaux and speaks kindly of the fact that the poor, deeply troubled man has found his rest at last. He is well known in the area as a madman. The cleric automatically associates the party (wandering mercenaries as you appear) as descendents of Devereaux's shipmates, and the lie seems simple enough that you go with it. Whatever questions you may have of the priest in general go unanswered, as the priest knows very little of life, and politics, being simply a country vicar.

The sun is just above the horizon as you get on the road again and enter amid the first houses of Engelke. Things seem a bit busy for the time of night. Quite a number of the houses have lights burning as the sun slips below the horizon, and just now coming along the road is a wagon pulled by two horses, driving hell for leather towards you. The wagon is mostly empty, and the driver hardly sees you before nearly running you down. He doesn't look as he passes, did not even see you.

Over the next five minutes or so, as you are still at least twenty minutes from the Inn where you've left your horses and Emmanuel, the road starts filling with people, all moving in the opposite direction as you - perhaps a hundred overall. From them you get news:

"Enrico Baptista has entered the Dollart [the gentle bay upon which Engelke rests] with nine ships, and swears to plunder the town," comes the first meaningful information you can receive. From where the party is, the Dollart cannot be seen ... but the Inn you go to is within seven streets of Engelke's wharf.

Devereaux's House And The Gem

2011-11-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

As the party stands together sorting out their mind-sets and considering what's just gone on in the last hour, with the house well in sight, they piece together bit by bit the realization that knowledge of the gem will not simply let them go. There is a clear understanding that they have not been able to keep themselves from thinking about the gem since arriving. During their conversation, they find themselves continuously talking about the gem. With a great clarity, they feel a foreknowledge that sleep will be impossible without possessing the gem. They must have it. They cannot leave this place until they do.

While that prospect is frightening, it remains the fact of the matter. They may be able to resist for a time, but sooner or later they will have to go get the thing ... no matter what consequences that brings. Each member of the party understands this. Each member cannot change it.

Devereaux's house stands there. The weather is unchanged. Only now the overcast conditions seem dreadful and foreboding. The moderate breeze that felt good on the ride up now seems to sting the skin with bits of sand, threatening to drive a man mad. The temperature that was pleasant before now seems thick and cloying in the player's throats.

All about seems hateful and ugly. And each companion looks at one another with doubt, irritation and fear.

Learning About M. Devereaux

2011-11-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 25, 1650

Weather: cool, with cloudy conditions, no rain and a gentle breeze.

Four days pass uneventfully. The party is free to heal, if any of that needs doing, rest, attend church, become more familiar with Engelke and in general rest. Remember that food consumption is only a pound a day, and that there are no costs beyond the inn rooms and stabling, unless you want a shave or a bath or something like that.

There was a terrific storm on Thursday afternoon, with high winds, an immense deluge of rain in only an hour (nearly three inches) and airborne spray off the sea. Engelke faces the Dollart, however, and is well protected when the wind blows from the north or northwest, so the storm was mostly just very interesting, being blown away from the town.

Behind Engelke, I should say, there are no forests; the land is a collection of scrubby mounds of earth and sand, and there are even a few dunes here and about that grow and shrink over time. There is some cultivation, but most of the hinterland has none at all, particularly north of the town, and what there is extends in the direction of Leer. There is some hunting that the townspeople participate in this time of year, for the dunes are loaded with grouse living off the wild seed that grows there, and while the season of autumn begins to deepen the birds are fat.

Come Monday morning, whomever wishes to pay to enter the old walled town may do so; the price for looking up the name you want is a single gold piece, not one each. But you are quite surprised when you are told by the records scribe, "Michel Devereaux? Of course I know him. He's still alive, don't you know? Used to be a famous citizen of the town, but those days are well past now - don't imagine most know of him any more. Mad as a hatter, lives by himself in the north of town, upon Tutelborg lane near the Hieve swamp. Little two-story house, stands by itself ... sure you won't have trouble finding it."

One more view of the house, from the front

Reaching Leer

2011-11-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 19, 1650

Weather: Moring is cool and overcast, with a fresh breeze. This breeze lightens a bit through mid-day, but brings mist that lowers the visibility when the party reaches the town of Leer. There is no rainfall.

It is two in the afternoon when the party reaches the town of Leer, a little more than 3,000 people, an open, unwalled town occupying a mere square mile upon the Ems river. This is the region of East Frisia, and for the first time in some months, Andrej sees an openly Catholic chapel upon the wayside.

The town of Engelke, much larger, is reached by following the last few miles of the river before it enters the 'Dollart,' a small bay subject to tides, separating Engelke from the Dutch Province of Groningen. A gentle slope surrounds the Dollart, but the party is only a few feet above sea level in Leer.

Both the town of Leer and the town of Engelke are trading markets - if you don't find something in Engelke, you might find it here ... but I'd have to dismiss the rest of today's travel if the party decided to stick around at this time. In any event, I haven't generated a table for Leer or Emden (I can do so tonight), so if you do want to buy, we can presume it 'happened' and move on right now.

Ammerland

2011-11-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 18, 1650

Weather: Morning is cool, overcast and with a moderate breeze from the northwest; around noon there's a light rainfall for 15 minutes, followed by pleasant temperatures that last through the afternoon and evening, though the sky remains overcast. The night continues to have pleasant conditions as well.

There is little to say. The day is uneventful save for the bit of rain in the morning; you do not meet anyone special upon the road. The countryside is flat, very wooded and filled with swampy, barely tenured land. You see at most a few woodcutters, a few herders and fruit orchards, but hardly a single planted field throughout the whole day.

The title of this post describes the region you're in. in the morning you pass a large lake, almost two miles across, while you learn is called Zwischenahner Meer. Towards the end of the day you spot some lumpy isolated hills here and there, and upon each one of them is a windmill vigorously turning with the breeze. The travel is very easy on the horses and because it is dry, quite easy on the cart also - mainly because you are travelling along a very well cared for cobblestone road.

As night falls, you find it takes an enormous amount of time to set up the two tents, so that you don't bed town until quite a bit later than normally you would - as such, your sleep will not be as well as might be desired. In later days, you will probably need to knock off travel earlier, travelling less distance per day, than before.

The town of Leer is still a half a day away, and Engelke a couple hours beyond that. You should reach Engelke by late afternoon if the weather holds.

No one experiences any ill effects from travel today.

First Afternoon in Oldenburg

2011-10-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, August 17, 1650

Weather: Cool, cloudy and with a gentle breeze from the west (good sailing conditions)

To begin, everyone joins in breaking camp, gathering their things together. Silvius in particular suffered somewhat during the short night, getting not much rest and suffering 1 h.p. of damage in the way of a sore back and shoulders. The last business of the party is dealt with before moving forward.

The party enters Oldenburg through the east gate of that town, taking note that the town seems remarkably pristine and clean, and in fact unaffected by the late war in everyway. The walls are strong and only a few decades old, the streets well-managed and wide. The town is quite large, more than ten thousand people, but suggests a comfortable and wealthy populace for the most part.

Because it is Sunday morning, the main portion of the town has settled into the dozen or so churches in Oldenburg, closing shops and emptying the streets. When the party does find a place to stop, rest and put up their horses, they find only a 14-year-old boy on duty, and no one else. He will stable the horses and allow the party their business. The kitchen is closed until noon; no beverages are for sale until that time, and no liquor until six this evening.

At this point, Jack thanks the party for their hospitality, promises that he will pass it forward to others, and asks if the party will forgive him moving on.

Jack's Tale

2011-10-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon & evening, August 16, 1650

With the afternoon the sky grows increasingly overcast, with the wind rising to where it sways branches and small trees; the weather remains no less pleasant, however, and rain seems to avoid falling ... so except for some slight pressing of the wind while walking, you make fairly good time.

As you approach Oldenburg you pass more and more loaded carts filled with hay and seed, and sometimes with asparagus and kale. Then when you reach Oldenburg itself, you find some sixty or seventy wagons standing and waiting outside the town gate, jamming up the road and parked upon either side. It is about an hour before dusk, and by sending Emmanuel forth to enquire you find out that the guards are not allowing any normal traffic tonight into the town, as they are processing wagons entering after the harvest.

You have little choice but to bed down outside the walls for the night. The sky remains overcast, but the wind lessens. The smoke jumps around a fair bit that night, forcing the party to change seats again and again between keeping warm, but Jack is pleased to tell stories.

He tells the first about being a cabin boy out of Newcastle and shipping out to the Arctic, where he met the little people called halflings in a town called Archangel. He then tells a story of how on his second voyage he sailed to India, where his ship was plundered and half the crew taken to a pirate cove Hajipur, sometimes called by the Portuguese pirates Diamond Harbour, in the Great Bengal Delta, where he was for four months until his ransom was paid. Having made the acquaintance of a fakir called Lassafar, he and twelve others crossed through the hills of Odisha and onto the plains of Bihar, where he saw a great many amazing things about the people called Hindoos, and how they burned their dead on the shore of the Ganges, and how they believed in thousands of gods, and how free their women were with strangers, even sometimes being given by their husbands as sleeping companions to guests.

From Bihar he travelled up into the valley of the Teesta River, climbing thousands of feet to Darjeeling, where they make a marvelous kind of tea, and higher still into Sikkim, where the air became so thin he could not breathe, though the natives could run back and forth as though the air were as thick as by the sea. Though he climbed many more feet above Gangtok, where the king of Sikkim met he and his companions, finally Jack could climb no higher, though he learned that there were still people who lived in villages which were as high as the mountains that soared up on every side. He heard tell of yetis and rocs, though he never saw either, and he learned that over the passes was mystical Tibet and beyond that China, but he and his companions declined to go further.

Returning to England his ship was driven by a storm into the coast of Arabia, where it was driven upon rocks. He was washed overboard near a place called Sayhut, and for days wandered along a desert shore between the great inland desert they call the Empty Quarter, before he was found by a sheik of Hadramaut, in whose country he was. There he lived for three weeks before gathering provisions to reach Sayhut port, and during that time he lived with the sheik's daughter as though they were husband and wife. In Sayhut he found his ship under repairs, and rejoined it. To regain their lost cargo, the captain decided to enter the Red Sea to buy goods from Ethiopia, and it was there that Jack saw a place where lava bubbled up from beneath the sea in a region called Eritrea, so that the sea boiled.

He has been back now for three years in England, and has since found little interest in living any life but one upon the road. He hopes again to sign with a ship, perhaps in another year's time, and see America, or perhaps Africa, for he has seen none of the south part of that continent save the cape where his ship rounded on its way to India.

Across the Weser to Oldenburg

2011-10-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 16, 1650
With cool temperatures and cloudy conditions. A gentle breeze brings no rain.

The morning on the bank of the Weser and the temperature has dipped a little ... but it appears to be another fine day. The ferry operator gets everything ready, and horses and carts can together be put on to take them across. The ferryman asks to be paid before you leave, a total of 3 c.p. per animal and 7 c.p. per person. The cart the ferryman will not ask to be paid for.

The Weser is nearly a mile wide, and the Ferry is both poled and sailed across by four men, including the ferryman. It takes surprisingly little time, as the breeze is caught by the lateen sail and soon enough the ferry slides right across on the wind. The ferryman inquires as to where the party is going, and without thinking Emmanuel mentions Oldenburg. The ferryman promises to point out the way, and when the party debarks on the other side he indeed does so. The Oldenburg road, which will get the party to Engelke, must first be reached by means of another secondary passage over a half-cobblestoned by-way, like the one south of Cuxhaven except a good deal less marshy.

Mid-day approaches and the weather holds, temperatures turning pleasant. The meadow fields are filled with poppies, the trees about are supporting apples and some northern pears, and now and then is a wide field brilliant yellow with rape or white-and-green with clover, picked over by dozens of fat cattle.

Just past noon, the road meets with a good sized stream flowing eastwards towards where the Weser valley ought to be (behind you now), and you pass a road marker saying that Oldenburg is 8 miles away (you ought to be there before nightfall). A bit beyond that you find a curious thing. A man is standing in the middle of the road ahead, with his back to you, and with a piece of string between his hands. He appears to be stretching the string out the length of his arms and measuring the width of the sky above the road. He measures it at three and a half lengths of string, seems unhappy about that, and so returns to the right side of the road and does it again. You see him do it three times altogether before you come within ear-shot. He seems completely unaware of you.

He's tall, about six-foot-two, weighing perhaps 160 lbs., and wearing a tight brown jacket and breeches, but no robe or cloak. You cannot see any equipment about the man, or any weapon he might be carrying. To learn more than that you would need to get closer.

Starting towards Engelke

2011-10-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 15, 1650

Weather: pleasant, cloudy

You experience one of the first beautiful autumn sun rises of the year, with clouds in the east turning pink before the sun climbs above the horizon. The sky is full of big puffy clouds. The temperature is a bit cool, but it promises to be a fairly nice day.

The road south of Cuxhaven is being used more than most times of the year, as farmers bring in crops of wheat and oats from the soggy farms south of town. The party finds the road on either side mixed with marshes, small ponds, cattails and much long grass, and to get around the carts its necessary to get off your horses and walk them.

After about two miles the carts thin out and you find you can ride most of the time. The Holsteiners are unusually light on their feet, and you discover much to your surprise that your asses hardly feel a thing - you find you must comment upon it, as without knowing it you've been given horses which are actually famous for not causing a sore ass after much riding. With a little experimentation from the fighters, you find the horses are quick to step up the pace, and extraordinarily easy to turn left or right, or come to a quick stop. The monk and the cleric find it somewhat more difficult to perform these motions, but the fighters have no difficulty, and even find they must cavort a little from pleasure.

You see the barn come up on the right, following a long steady climb onto a low ridge. It is completely wrecked, and painted a faded blue. All looks quiet. There is no horse tied up outside, nor any sign of a person being here.

Presentation & Celebration in Cuxhaven

2011-10-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoon, August 13, 1650

However unhappy they may be about it, the Mayor Johann Helksmueller stands Silvius and Nine-toes upon a platform and gives a speech about their bravery; their strength; the boldness with which they tackled adversity; their special nature and unusual grasp of a desperate situation; their sacrifice of time and effort to do good things for the people of Cuxhaven; their adventurous defense of the lighthouse that keeps ships safe and capital flowing into the hands of every person there; their quiet, reserved attitudes towards accomplishing this heroic task; their simple people-loving habits; their rustic, unassuming appearance, without pretense, without holding themselves to be better than other people, for after all they are only people like the good people of Cuxhaven; their love of Cuxhaven; their at-first refusal of this honor, wishing only to do their duty to the town without seeking glory; their exhortations of the mayor that the reward be small and that it should not weigh heavy upon the town; and finally, at last, the truth about these men, that they expressed a wish for nothing more than that the town should prosper, that the town should present itself well in the world, and that the people of the town should want for nothing, that they should have everything bestowed upon them, that the very simple matters of life be obtained by all, the food on their tables, the tools of their trade, the nets, the ropes, the hulls of their boats, and God willing, all these things come without trial and storm, without the wave that destroys, without the bitterness of war or famine, without pestilence, without the death of our loved ones, or the cries of our children - ending with, "All these things these men, these steadfast defenders of the city, these happy fellows who have the blessing of their friends and followers, these blessed souls, wish upon you, people of Cuxhaven. Let us honor them in our hearts and with our good wishes."

Whereupon the crowd bursts into considerable applause, mostly from the opportunity to do something after the mayor has gone on and on - and on - and Silvius and Nine-toes are presented with two pouches of gold, and with two beautiful warhorses, which are startling examples of the Holsteiner breed of light horses. The town applauds some more, and Silvius and Nine-toes are led down into the crowd, where they are thanked and their hands shaken and offers of drink and food, and an Innkeeper named Erwin insists they must come for dinner, and half the town as well, with Andrej and Ahmet peacefully coming along, watching this whole spectacle. And somehow the Mayor has conveniently disappeared, and the town's guard also.

And after dinner and food and feeling full and a night's rest in the Inn, the party finds that four horses together have been placed in the Inn's stable, and that Erwin has been given a box with a key from the mayor, and that in that small iron box are two more pouches of gold, with small tags that say 'Ahmet' and 'Andrej.'

Return to Cuxhaven

2011-10-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 13, 1650]

Weather: warm, clear

The party breaks camp, loads the skiff and Terrell sets about bringing you back to Cuxhaven. Terrell cannot help at this point to ask most earnestly again about what was aboard the ship, and what the party saw that has kept them talking for so long. For much of the time Terrell (I presume, since he was being spoken of), was sent off and kept busy by Emmanuel washing the pots, the party's boots, oiling the weapons and so on.

It takes much less time to come back to Cuxhaven than to come out, as Terrell does not need to tack. He brings the ship in at about 8 knots, and you find yourselves back in the nearby waters in ninety minutes. The waters are filled with fishermen by that time, spaced over several miles in a sort of cloud in the estuary of the Elbe River.

The party cannot help but notice something quite odd about the fishermen. For the most party, the skiff comes at nearest a few hundred yards from any of the other boat, but several of the fishermen actually stand in their boats as the familiar skiff comes past. You see some fishermen point shake their comrades and bring their attention to you, pointing and the like. One fellow takes off his cap and you can see his lips moving in prayer.

Within good sight of the harbor, you hear a distant horn blow. This is followed by several others, which continue for two or three minutes, by which time you're within a few hundred yards of the dock you left yesterday morning.

You can see a dozen soldiers on that dock, armed with glaives and shields. There seem to be a hundred other people besides, and it is quite clear they are looking at you and waiting quietly and patiently for the skiff to arrive.

The Wreck of the Pale

2011-10-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 12, 1650

The sea and the sky shimmer, and as though emerging from a fog, the sandbar and the ship upon it make themselves evident. The bar is fairly large - the tide has started to go out, this being past three bells - but the ship is close, no more than fifty yards off. Nine-toes can feel a curse emanating from every part of the sandbar itself.

The ship is immense, rising nearly 30 feet above the sand - almost as high as Scharhorn does above the sea. In its day it would have rivalled a ship of the Armada; it is well over five hundred tons. It's clear now that the central part of the ship, along with the deck that protrudes above the sand, has been smashed and splintered all to pieces, great beams are torn asunder, and shattered pieces emerge from the hulk in every direction. There are no pieces on the sand, of course - they have been long since washed away. But the party can see the absence of barnacles or even seaweed, which have not gathered upon the ship's form.

Terrell sees that the skiff well and truly is set upon the sand, and he leaps off onto the beach before he can be stopped. No ill befalls him. In amazement he staggers forward a few yards, head turned to the side, so that he can read the words on the ship's prow. All at once he shouts, his hand pointed, "It's the PALE!" He calls. "My GOD, that's a lost ship! Been lost for seventy years!" He approaches the skiff again. "It was never found! Word was it was wrecked by a kraken ..." He gazes at the ship. "It certainly looks it. The thing must have smashed the ship right in the middle with one tentacle!"

When he looks back and sees that none of the party has had much of a reaction from the name of the boat, he'll explain. "It's the ship of Francois About, the Butcher of Nantes. He was famous for killing hundreds of Huguenots during the time of troubles in France. He turned pirate and plundered half a dozen English vessels. Bloodthirsty as all get out ... the Catholics never produced a bastard like him. And this is his ship!"
All about while this goes on, the sea is calm, the waves wash upon the shore. The sun is out and high, the sky clear, the wind from the west at four or five knots. There's nothing to suggest movement or threat.

En Route to Scharhorn

2011-10-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 12, 1650

Weather: cool, clear

Gerhard gives you instructions where to meet Terrell and the boat, which is ready to go when you arrive. Terrell is a fairly impatient boy, with lots of questions about where you are going and why you're going there, and what you expect to find, and whether or not there's treasure, and have you done this many times before and if so where and how much did you find when you did it that time and so on and so forth until one of you has to threaten him.

The skiff is seaworthy but not in the greatest condition; it needs a paint job, the sails are patched and there's a certain amount of leakage. Terrell is certain of its doing the job.

At 6 a.m. you catch the lowest tide - it's a full moon, and the tide begins to rise noticeably after 10 a.m. (this passage edited), and by then you'll want to be well out of the flats between the western point and Neuwark. Terrell guesses it should take about two and a half hours to get to Scharhorn.

Morning After the Crab's Death

2011-10-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 6, 1650

As soon as light breaks, Gerhard will set about the task of butchering the crab, taking whatever help he can get to load the claws and legs onto the cart. He has obtained a barrel on loan from Zanfrancesco, and the majority of the body's meat is slopped into that along with salt. He hopes to leave just after noon, when the tides are receding, and get to Cuxhaven before nightfall.

My previous calculations with the new moon were off; in fact, the new moon was just before the campaign started, not after. The first quarter rose in the morning of August 5th after 3 a.m. Thankfully it changes nothing, except the exact moment of the tides.

Gerhard would like to know if you want an exact tally of the weight of meat gathered. Off-hand, he estimates about 600 lbs., or about 12,000 silver as per your agreement. He can pay you that amount if you want to settle on the price; he hasn't got the money of course, he'll have to make arrangements with the Hanse bank in Cuxhaven, which he can do personally on Thursday.

Is there anything else that needs addressing?

Evening of the 2nd Day, Neuwark

2011-10-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 5, 1650

Evening. Dinner has been eaten, and a baptism performed in the chapel. There are 20 stones on the top of the lighthouse, hoisted by the unsupported crane. The net for the supported crane has been laid out and concealed, with food upon it (I will need a % roll from Nine-toes for setting the trap). The counterweight has been created using the other crane's net, and now sits, full of pieces of wood, on the top of the lighthouse as well, linked to the net on the ground.

Silvius and Nine-toes stand at the top, along with Zanfrancesco, Gerhard, Hans and Rupert. Hans is tending the lighthouse, spreading the oil over the wood. In order to lift the stones and drop them, Silvius is stripped of his armor, and neither is carrying a weapon (they are laying next to their feet, if needed). The crossbow is 3/4 loaded, but will be difficult to use.

As the sun sets it only now occurs to people that the space immediately under the lighthouse will be the darkest area, and difficult to see. This becomes more pronounced as Hans lights the wood, and the fire spreads and casts its glow on the island.

Before anything else happens, please correct errors or forgotten points.

UPDATE:

2nd Day, Neuwark Island

2011-10-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 5, 1650.

Daybreak.

Hans and Rupert stop feeding the fire after 4 a.m., and steadily the last of it burn away just before the sun rises. The dawn comes in brilliant umber and red colors, with a clear sky over you and clouds in the east. Rupert collapses into his bed long before dawn, while Hans tends to some last minute details and collapses as well.

Gerhard rises with the party, gives generally the information that I've described about the Hanse and the willingness of the lighthouse keepers. Gerhard has talked to his brother Rupert about using the platform to throw rocks, and Rupert has agreed to that, as long as he can continue to tend the fire. Gerhard also discussed about pulling the crab up with the crane, and while Rupert feels the pole can handle it, he's no more certain about the pulley itself than Andrej is. But Rupert does say there are tools, metal pieces, spikes and timber in the lighthouse basement ... if someone wanted to shore up the crane's timber and improve the joining of the pulley to the crane, all the while hanging 100 feet above the ground. Rupert declines doing that, but he'd be willing to allow someone else to do it. He and Hans can load using just the one rope while the other crane - the one facing the direction the crab comes from - is strengthened.

If the pulley were strengthened, then Hans and Rupert would agree that a trap could be laid for the crab with the net they use for hauling wood up. Gerhard (who is relating all this) explains that the net is strong enough for that, and that the other net used for hauling up wood could be loaded with enough wood to use as a counterbalance, left at the top of the lighthouse and then pushed off at the right moment ... if the crab could somehow be induced to stay in place while people pushed the counterweight off.

That's as much as Gerhard can say.

Regarding all the other practices, plans, intentions and so on, I'd like to play today as though nothing has actually been done or decided. So if you could please give your character's precise actions from daybreak going forward, that would be best.

Also, sorry, if you could put your OCC comments in brackets, it would be easier for me to decipher through a lot of text when I fall behind.

Welcome back, Ahmet, I hope you enjoyed your vacation.

The Crab's Arrival

2011-09-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 4, 1650

The dusk slips away and the lighthouse keepers get about lighting the accumulated wood pile on top of the lighthouse. The flame spreads quickly over the wood, which has been bathed in oil, creating a rather remarkable sight. In moments the flame covers the pile, and the keepers move to the edge of the platform and the stairs there that take them down into the main structure.

Within minutes the crab appears on the far eastern dike. It is enormous ... but as yet 400 yards away, and its real dimensions are difficult to describe. However, it moves off the dike and begins to quickly move across the planted field towards the lighthouse. The party would estimate it is moving as fast as five or six feet per second, and quite nimbly, not tearing the wheat as it goes but setting each of the eight legs it uses for standing precisely, the tips sharp as the stab the ground. It is true, the crab's body is about eight feet in diameter. As it nears the lighthouse, still a goodly distance from the party, an estimate would make the whole crap a good fourteen or sixteen feet wide, the legs bent like a spider's.

At full speed it slams into the side of the lighthouse, claws in front of its mouth, and literally bounces off the stone. At the last moment the shadow of the platform makes it impossible to see. Perhaps imaginatively, the ground seems to shake. The crab staggers back into the light, then slams forward again. The crack is not so loud the second time.

Now it emerges from the light, moving slower, swinging to the left and right as it moves to the west across the fields. When it gets within sixty yards to the left of the barn, it stops. The body can be seen to 'float' three feet above the ground, just above the tops of the wheat stalks. Its standing legs are as thick as a man's thigh. The other two limbs, one perhaps ten percent larger than the other, are five foot long appendages ending in claws about the size of barrels.

It moves slowly forward for a dozen or so steps, then speeds directly towards the barn. If no one disturbs it, the crab will stop at the barn's open side, move half way in and begin gobbling the sugar beets and squashes it finds there, shoveling them into its mouth.

The Crab's Path

Evening, Neuwark Island

2011-09-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 4, 1650

It takes six hours to drive out to the island, as it is nearly twenty miles due west of Cuxhaven. The tide is starting to roll in towards the end of your journey, and you succeed in reaching the island with only your feet wet. The sun is still up, but is quite low in the sky ... sunset is in about an hour, but given the time of year there will still be twilight for ninety minutes after that.

Neuwark Isle ... a somewhat recent photo

Note there is a somewhat diamond-shaped dike around southwest of the island, which is about eight feet in height. The remainder of the island, including the portion inside the dike, is at it's highest four feet above the sea (and most of it is less, particularly in the fens area on the east and north, where the tides have left water pools and inlets. The lighthouse (in my world, at least) is located in the group of trees that are centre on the map; the church is a red-roofed building to the bottom left ... a red barn stands next to it, and a pool nearby amidst the trees. The area within the dike, just as shown, is plowed and covered in uncut, ready-to-harvest wheat, which has been abandoned by the residents.

The party lands near the very southern point of the island, near the church, next to the road that runs around the dike. Obviously the church can't be seen from the shore, but once Gerhard has driven the wagon onto the dike it is evident. The lighthouse is 100 feet high, with a large platform, wider than the tower, at the top for the burning of wood, with two long ropes reaching to the ground at opposite corners, and a ten foot high woodpile at each end.

You cannot see any sign of the crab.

Afternoon, The Tide Going Out

2011-09-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

August 4, 1650

You're directed by an apprentice to Gerhard's warehouse across the back lane, where you'll find Gerhard getting ready things he wants to load by wagon. Once Andrej has pulled up, Gerhard will direct a couple of strong-backed fellows to load the cart, pressing six silver pieces into Andrej's hand "To keep things in the family, you understand." It's quite clear from what's going on that the offer of six copper was a ruse to keep things quiet.

Instead of merely wood and stone, Gerhard loads 250 feet of netting, eight feet wide, into the cart, and one hundred a sixty pounds of salt. On top of that he loads a pile of rough stone and timbers, effectively concealing what is underneath. This takes a little time, and Gerhard will only mutter about his 'competitors' when asked about what he's doing ... or he'll repeat, "On our way, when we're on our way..."

And there I'll leave it for the moment, addressing what he might say "on our way" when I hear from players as to their take on the situation so far.

The Morning After the Feast of July

2011-09-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

August 4, 1650

The campaign starts on the knife-edge of time, just as any moment does, with the players having paid for their room and their lodgings all the nights before this one with money that is now gone - and therefore never needs recording. Another night would cost from their present purse, but then that is how it is when a campaign starts.

The High Mast.

You have all been lounging these last three weeks with your lost earnings at an Inn called 'The High Mast,' built on a twelve foot bank overlooking the Estuary at the extreme western edge of Cuxhaven. The town is not walled, though it includes a citadel built by Hamburg, and stretches in a long single curve along the curve wrought by the tides. Two dozen wharfs stretch half a mile to the east, and a hundred boats are in the process of being pulled from the shore and onto the water as the sun has not quite risen. This last day you four were the only ones using the common room on the Inn's second floor. The last three days, from Friday until Sunday, the town has celebrated the harvesting of grain and vegetables in the Feast of July. The first day of Autumn was the 1st of August (not, as many might wrongly think, the 21st of September), and you are all full and sated from the public distribution of vendor and the very last dregs of the spring season's beer. There'll be no more beer until October, a sad thing, but for the present you have no complaints ... except perhaps for Andrej, who may or may not have viewed sourly the lack of honest respect these Lutherans have for the sabbath - that is not for me to say.

With the departure of the rural peoples returning away from the festival, the town has been 'emptied,' and following the feast you four, Andrej, Silvius, Nine-toes and Ahmet have come to know each other a great deal better.

It happens that Silvius was told only the evening before by the fishmonger, Gerhard, that his brother who helps manage the lighthouse on Neuwark Island has told him the families that dwell upon the island have fled from some threat. According to Gerhard, there are only three persons remaining - Rupert, Gerhard's brother, the other lighthouse keeper and the catholic who oversees the chapel upon the island. Word has been sent to Hamburg for aid, but nothing is expected for a week ... and in the meantime there's a danger that homes could be damaged. Gerhard, who spoke to Rupert just the day before, on the 2nd, said that even the stone lighthouse had suffered abuse.

This Silvius tells to the others; we may presume Silvius asked for more information, but Gerhard would not be forthcoming. He expressed his concern for the island ... but more to the point Gerhard expressed that it was "a terrible waste" and that the worst of it was the opportunity that was lost, "handed over to those hard-fisted merchants in Hamburg, no doubt," in Gerhard's own words. From thence he could not be pressed for more information, except a word or two about the good a cart and a foolhardy driver would do him ... whereupon Silvius remembered his recent acquaintence Andrej.

The World Around Cuxhaven

2011-09-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Before starting the actual campaign, I'll take some time now to provide background for the region, concentrating on the terrain, the use of land and the political situation. This will take some time - I could write a book or so on the subject if I wanted to research and research - though I'll try to cover the highlights.

To begin with, a familiar looking map:

This would be the format of most maps on the blog, showing the elevation of the individual hexes to give a sense of what might be the bottomlands and where the hills are. As you can see, most of the land is quite close to sea level, with much of the region subject to coastal flooding. The land rises towards the south, away from the sea, and there are some low hills and uplands stretching from Lubeck on the right up towards Tonder at the top of the map. Virtually everywhere, however, is less than 100 feet above sea level.

There are three significant rivers, not named on the map. From west to east these debouch into the North Sea (the water in the upper left) near Leer, below Bremen and at Cuxhaven. The first is the Ems, which rises in Westphalia, or the western bulge of modern Germany. The second is the Weser, which rises in the hills of north Hesse, and the third is the Elbe, which rises in distant Bohemia. Of these, the Elbe is easily the largest and most important, and creates an 80-mile estuary which is subject to tides and navigable for the largest ships of the age. At Cuxhaven the estuary is about 8 miles wide.

Note that there are many trade centres: Delfzijl, Winschoten, Engleke, Leer, Oldenburg, Bremen, Luneburg, Hamburg, Lubeck, Cuxhaven, Kiel, Flensborg, Sonderborg and Nakskov ... all of which would have a different table for costs. Easily the most important two are Lubeck and Hamburg, the road between them cutting through the bottom of the Jutland Peninsula (which extends off the map between the North Sea on the west and the Baltic Sea on the East). This 38-mile road is perhaps the busiest road in Europe, and one of the busiest in the world, while Lubeck and Hamburg are points where goods are loaded on and off boats bound for everywhere. The most important bulk cargos are timber, grain, wine, wool, iron goods and fish, but of course everything is carried. Keeping the road open is of primary concern to every power in Europe ... and as such carries a heavy political importance.

In addition, cities like Hamburg, Bremen and Leer trans-ship goods from inland out to the sea ... Hamburg in particular, which ships from central Europe a wide variety of manufactured goods, silver, beer, leather and farm produce, while importing fish, timber, livestock, wool and goods from distant lands like India and the New World. Hamburg is thus a crossroads between inner Europe and the world, and between east and west. It is an immense city, with nearly 150,000 inhabitants. Cuxhaven is comparably small, a town with merely 2,500 people.

Moving onto the next map:

This map shows the divisions between 'civilized' areas and 'wilderness.' There is in fact a great deal of wilderness still within Germany in the 17th century, which though inhabited tends to lack the necessary presence to make said areas 'safe.' Thus areas of moor and woodland is occupied by bandits and various monsters, with lairs throughout and the occasional dungeon (where the land is sufficiently above sea level). The coastland and islands on both sides of the central peninsula are known havens for pirates.

The more heavily inhabited green areas, "mixed cropland & woods," are areas where even the forests and meadows have been civilized to some degree by herders and gamewardens. These areas have a few scattered mansions within them, but most of the agriculturalists are cotters or villeins, persons occupying lands without a lord to rule over them - though with few personal rights and privileges, and often subject to incursion from persons in the wilderlands. The life of a cotter is hard. Still, there are priests throughout these lands as well, operating small churches, and druids living on the edge of the wilder forests, hamlets and thorps not shown on the map, and monasteries and a variety of other military or commercial groups living in small keeps or gatehouses. Perhaps fifty percent of the land is cultivated, and the population density can rise as high as 240 persons per square mile.

The bright yellow-green areas surrounding Hamburg and Bremen are solidly cultivated areas where manor estates exist cheek-by-jowl with one another. They are heavily populated, with numbers up to ten thousand persons per square mile in the cities. Virtually every person not living in Hamburg or Bremen is a landed peasant, living in a restrictive social structure. Cultivation and livestock raising is intense, with every square inch serving the needs of the population.

And the last map:

The political situation in this part of the world reflects the divided structure of states and entities occupying the land. As you can see from the key at the left, there are four 'groupings' of states: the Kingdom of Denmark (& Norway), at the top left of the map; the Holy Roman Empire, a weak general authority made of powerful individual states; the lands occupied by the Kingdom of Sweden, military 'colonies' gained after the Thirty Years' War; and just the edge of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

These states are all at war with one another to some degree, and in the case of the Swedish territories, at war with itself. That war is being fought by the outer lands (Stade & Verden) against Bremen, which was - and wishes to be again - a free imperial city. As such Bremen has been crushed several times since 1648 by the Queen of Sweden, the unmarried Kristina Augusta, known for her posturing as a man and wearing armor into battle. It is common to find Kristina in this part of the world, preferring to be involved herself as opposed to remaining at court in Stockholm.

While this minor 'civil war' progresses, the King of Denmark, Frederick IV, has designs on the County of Kiel, which it would like to swallow up - in particular, the small county of Tonder, which with Kiel is directly under the authority of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, Frederick III. He has plans to marry his daughter Hedwig Eleonora to the Duke of Bremen and Verden, Queen Kristina's cousin ... a marriage the Queen is presently obstructing. Yet despite this Sweden very much would like to keep Kiel and Tonder out of the hands of the Danes, and the two countries have nearly come to blows over this.

Meanwhile ... the lands west of Swedish occupied Germany, the County of Oldenburg, is in the hands of the Brandenburg House, which controls much territory in the north of Germany. Oldenburg would like to see Holstein in a bloody war, which would enable them to consume Stade and Verden ... and as such Oldenburg is providing arms to the rebels in Bremen in the hopes of breaking the Swedish hold there. Brandenburg would rather not have Denmark move further south into Germany, but an all out Swedish-Dane war would be in their favor regarding Further Pomerania (not on the map) which is in Swedish hands and which separates the west territories of Brandenburg from East Prussia, which is also part of the Brandenburg estates. The Brandenburgians slaver like Homer to have those lands.

Meanwhile, Calenburg's interests, along with Hamburg and Lubeck, is to keep an open trade arrangement with the sea, since these areas don't really care who politically controls the land as long as the trade is not disrupted. As such, they tend to promote themselves as arbitrators.

The Holy Roman Emperor at the moment is Ferdinand III, an Austrian, who is more concerned with matters Turkish and Spanish than with these northern problems, and thus leaves the individual states to fend for themselves. His power is minimal at any rate.

Most of the map is Protestant in religion, but the County of East Frisia and the small County of Emsland have a majority Catholic population. The Netherlands is obviously Dutch Huguenot in belief; most of the remainder is firmly Lutheran. The Thirty Years' War has largely ruined Europe's appetite for inter-religious strife, but the Catholics still present an embattled mentality where it comes to being wedged between Oldenburg and Holland. Still, the agreement between those two Protestant countries to leave the Catholics as a 'buffer' makes it the most stable part of the map.

Smuggling goes on apiece just about everywhere as one can imagine.

This covers the basics, I believe. Please ask questions. There's always more to learn.

Character Sheets

2011-09-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Reading a pdf from Silvius this morning, I am reminded that there was another thing that bothered me about the earlier campaign ... and that was the lack of easily readable character sheets. I must tell you all that I loathe pdfs. I don't think I'm alone in that. The biggest problem is that they can't be easily updated, on the fly so to speak, whereas a written character sheet can be - in just a few seconds.

Then it occurred to me that the tool for recording character sheets online and updating them quickly is right here, in the form of the blog post. All that would be necessary is the creation of the character 'sheet' on the blog, where it can be edited any time after its posted, where it can be linked to this blog and therefore read by me anytime at my convenience. In fact, if the player wants, it doesn't have to be on their standard blog, but can be made on a new blog, where the character sheet need be the only post.

Then if damage is caused, if a new piece of equipment is added, if food is eaten and so on, that's all right there and open. I can see in advance where you're keeping your equipment and it can be judged and applied to the campaign as necessary - not that it would remove the possibility for deception, as it can be changed as I'm looking at it. But it would make it possible for me to point out that something was missing or something needed to be updated to fit the proper facts.

What say you, people? Want to give this a try?

Last Details

2011-09-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

I am wrapping up things for a vacation I'm taking this week, which is part of the reason I am putting off the start of the campaign. I will be available to answer questions, and I'll try to send an equipment list to your emails as soon as possible, to give you a week to . I am however going to catch a flight this evening at 11 pm EST (destination not disclosed), so I'll be incommunicado for much of the day and all of the evening. I shall keep you posted on developments. No one said anything about needing new information from me yesterday, so I take it the crew is at the moment satisfied.

Age & Hit Points

2011-09-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

This game has served as an inspiration to do more to finish my character generation table. I built the part that determines character ages last night, and wow ... is that excellent. I will never have to generate these numbers manually again. I love that.

Age affects stats, and since you're all human and mature, you're all affected the same way. Nine-toes is 24 years old; Sean's as yet unnamed fighter is 25 years old; and Ahmet-oglu Ahmet is 26. Nine-toes was born on February 14, 1626. Sean's fighter was born on March 11, 1625. Ahmet was born on March 24, 1624. Which, having just generated the numbers, strikes me as a close pattern.

For all three characters, add a point of strength and a point of constitution. This gives Nine-toes a strength of 16 and a constitution of 13. This gives Sean a strength of 13 and a constitution of 17. And because Ahmet's strength is a percentage, it goes up 10%, so that makes his strength 18/31 and his constitution 17.

The players may not be familiar with my hit points system. Your actual hit points are now a combination of the die needed for your class, your constitution and your mass. The latter can be read about here and here. I know that Butch has read them, but perhaps not for awhile. I'll answer any questions that need asking on the subject.

Basically, it means that Sean, say, starts with the d10 for a fighter; gets +3 hit points with his brand new 17 constitution; and then gets a d8 to determine the number of hit points for his mass. If he were a smaller creature, the mass would be rolled on a smaller die. Because all my player characters start the first level at maximum hit points for level, Sean gets 10+3 for the first two ... but he does not get maximum hit points for his mass. I roll that, getting a 6 - which gives Sean 19 hit points to start.

Using the same numbers, Ahmet starts with 17 hit points. Nine-toes, a monk, starts with 2d6 for hit points, and has no constitution bonus for his 13 constitution. Rolling his mass, I see that Ninetoes starts with 17 hit points as well.

So you guys can take a bit of a beating. Good on ya.

Well, it's my birthday today, making me all of 47. I don't know how much time I'm going to have once the morning goes by. Apart from the equipment list, and you fellows choosing your weapon proficiencies, what else is there to do?

Butch's Fighter

2011-09-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Strength: 18 / 21 +1 to hit, +3 damage
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 11
Constitution: 16 +2 hit points
Dexterity: 14
Charisma: 10

Born: Melitene, Cappadocia, central Anatolia
Height: 6'
Weight: 180 lbs.
Wealth: 30 g.p.
Credit: none

Father's Profession: Miner. Character has the ability to shore underground construction, determine patterns of ore distribution on sight and recognize bad odors or unsafe construction 80% of the time. Character is +1 "to hit" with a pick.

Family: Raised by paternal grandparents. Has five first cousins dwelling in the high country of Cappadocia.
Inter-relations: The character's long abuse of animals has created an aura about the character which animals distrust. Animals associated with the character begin with a morale of 11, and rolls against morale must succeed twice before morale improves.
Youth: The character suffered a very bad love affair, and as such the character has an increased resistance against attempts by women to seduce him (+2). The character has spent 10 years in jail (player chooses reason), and as such has become hard tempered and unpleasant.

Weapon Skills: The character starts with one more weapon proficiency than normal; as a fighter, he would normally start with four, but in this case starts with 5. As a fighter, the character may use any weapon. Additionally, the character causes +1 damage with any weapon when it is thrown at an opponent.
Toughness: The character heals 2 hit points per day from rest, as opposed to 1.

Sean's Fighter

2011-09-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Strength: 12
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 8
Constitution: 16 +2 hit points
Dexterity: 16 +1 to hit with missile weapons and initiative, +2 benefit to armor class
Charisma: 10

Born: Hamburg, Germany
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Wealth: 160 g.p.
Credit: none

Father's profession: Blacksmith. Character has the ability to forge iron and practice other skills of the trade. Through advised maintenance, all metal goods of the party have a +2 save vs. destruction. Character has a +1 "to hit" with hammer.

Family: Father and mother, Martin and Freida, plus two younger brothers, Thomas and Richard, and all four grandparents reside in Hamburg.
Inter-relations: While the character's family treats him with moderate concern, the character's past behavior has caused most persons in the city to treat him with enmity and a hearty dislike. The character has been banned from all establishments in the south quarter of Hamburg (which is a large city after all), with the exception of the town market in that quarter.
Youth: The character's mentor, recognizing that the character much needed to move on, obtained a writ of passage for the character that enables him to move freely (no tolls or town fees) within lands controlled by the Cities of Hamburg and Lubeck, or the County of Kiel. However - and this really bites - the character's departure required that he has not quite completed his training. While the character will be a 1st level, he starts 'in the hole' as it were, with an experience total of minus 200 ... thus requiring 2,201 to reach 2nd level. The character has always had trouble learning things, and though the total age has yet to be calculated, it will be 7 years greater than a typical human fighter.

Toughness: The character has a extraordinarily strong upper body and arms, and has the ability to use a weapon up to seven and a half pounds one-handedly. Moreover, the character is resistant to arachnid poisons, and suffers only half damage from them.

Jeremiah's Monk

2011-09-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have started working on the background information for the characters. From the last time I did this, I made a few errors, particularly in trying to embellish the stories rather than giving just the raw information. This time I shall only do the base data, and let you work things out for yourselves.

I know that the desire for many players is to come from far-flung places on the globe, but you have to realize that my world is a BIG globe. It just isn't likely that you're from any spectacular distance away. I rolled three birthplaces and was surprised to find that one did turn up in the Orient. The others, I'm afraid, are more local.

I'd appreciate if everyone feels they can comment on any of the three posts, this one and the next two ... to build a sense of camaraderie. Each post will deal with the background of an individual. This isn't ALL the background, I'm afraid ... There's a lot to generate and I got interrupted last night. But I'd like to give out as much as I have for now, and spend the next period of time working out the remainder. The biggest problem in the next week will be a full equipment table, which I hope to have up by Monday. In the meantime we'll just get up to speed in bits. Remember please this is partial, and know that I don't have to ability to generate more at this moment. I will this evening, and try to have it up tomorrow (let me know what you'd most like to see).

I recognize that yes, it is difficult to pick a name if you don't know where you're from. Most players don't seem to care, really, but if you want to be accurate then I'm sorry I gave the sense that once you had picked a name it was carved in stone. Let's assume that if you want to hold off on any esoteric point, such as a name, it is probably all right to do so.

Very well, starting with Jeremiah's character, a Human Monk. If there's anything I'm inaccurate about, don't hesitate to holler.

Strength: 15
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 15
Constitution: 12
Dexterity: 16 +1 to hit with missile weapons and initiative
Charisma: 11

Born: Stuttgart, Germany
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Wealth: 160 g.p.
Credit: none

Father's profession: Mercenary. Character possesses an additional weapon proficiency. Monks ordinarily start with 1 proficiency, but Jeremiah gets 2. May pick from bo stick, club, crossbow, dagger, hand axe, javelin, jo stick, pole arm, spear, staff or staff-flail.

Family: Scattered. Has an uncle, Niktor, living in Stuttgart.
Inter-relations: Due to poor judgment, despite the high wisdom, word has spread throughout Stuttgart and the area that the character is a liar. The character cannot obtain new hirelings from that area, or from anyone connected to that area. Moreover, because the character has never been good with people, all hirelings and associates that do work for the character begin with a morale of 10.
Youth: In a moment of exhuberance, the character had an accident and is missing a toe upon their left foot (player can choose reason). As such, for any circumstance where the character may lose balance, a -2 modifier is applied to the roll.

Physical Concerns: The character suffers from a poor heart, and cannot hold his breath for more than 20 seconds at a time (this may change as he becomes a higher level monk). Moreover, altitude affects the character's movement, so that it is reduced by 1 with every 4,000 ft. above sea level.

Talents: When the possibility exists, the character is automatically given a chance to roll a save vs. death magic in order to deduce either a cursed item or a cursed location, within 60'. This does not require the character to willfully choose to do it, but has the chance automatically. Moreover, the character saves against all magic at one level higher than normal.

For the moment, that's what I have. Age, hit points and other bits of information will follow.

Starting New Characters

2011-09-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

In starting a new character, players should begin by rolling their stats. This corresponds closely with AD&D in my world. For each stat, Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, Dexterity and Charisma, roll 4d6 and discard the lowest die. If it should happen that your dice totals do not include one roll that is 16 or better, plus one roll that is 15 or better, begin again at the beginning until you have two rolls that meet the standards previously expressed.

Having acquired six totals, feel free to arrange the dice according to your whims, in order to best obtain the character class you want.

Clerics require a 9 wisdom, but it is hardly worth playing a cleric without a 16 wisdom and at least a 16 strength OR constitution. A 16 wisdom and a 16 strength, plus a 14 constitution (if you can manage it), will give you a good fighting cleric. For the record, there already is a cleric in the party, so you may want to arrange with him (Andrej, played by James C.) regarding your religion. I will talk to you about your religion if you should desire a cleric.

Druids require a 15 charisma and a 12 wisdom, but it is hardly worth playing a druid without at least a 16 wisdom and a 15 constitution. Druids can't wear better than leather armor, so you will need the hit points. The lack of a 16 or better strength can be compensated for with the shillelagh spell. Druids, too, must choose a religion, but again this can be discussed if you choose a druid.

Fighters require a 9 strength, but it is hardly worth playing a fighter without at least a 17 strength plus a 15 constitution. Dexterity is nice to have too.

Paladins require a 13 strength & wisdom, a 9 intelligence and a 17 charisma, but it is hardly worth playing a paladin without the strength and constitution of a good fighter. Dexterity is also nice.

Rangers require a 14 strength & wisdom and a 13 constitution & intelligence. Like the fighter, you'd do best with a 17 strength, but constitution can be let slide since rangers start with a lot of hit points anyway. Dexterity remains a nice addition.

Mages require a 9 intelligence, but it is hardly worth playing without at least a 15 intelligence and a 15 dexterity. A 15 or better constitution is a great help, for if you have very few hit points, you will move up in levels slowly at the beginning.

Illusionists require a 16 intelligence and a 15 dexterity, and do best with a 15 or better constitution as well.

Thieves require a 9 dexterity, but it is hardly worth playing without at least a 16 - a 17 is better. A 15 or better constitution is again a great help. Be warned that pouches in my world do not hang like fruit upon the trees, and that bold action is risky.

Assassins require a 12 strength & dexterity and an 11 intelligence, but it is hardly worth playing without a 16 dexterity and a 15 or better constitution. An assassin can do quite well, but getting hired is tricky and requires a lot of character planning.

Monks require a 15 strength, wisdom & dexterity, and a 10 constitution, and those stats are sufficient to play a good monk - with emphasis on the dexterity if at all possible. Differences include the monk starting with an AC two better than the old player's handbook, and a d6 for hit points rather than a die four. A monk will start with a minimum of 13 hit points, for those who worry that the lower levels suck for a monk. Played well, they can be quite effective.

Bards requires a 15 charisma and a 15 wisdom. Without a constitution of at least 15 and a strength of at least 16, you will wind up playing a support character. Information about bards in my world can be found here.

I would like it if persons would discuss which character they intend to play in the comments section. One of my last campaigns had three persons deciding to become mages, which was silly and I shouldn't have allowed it. Three fighters is one thing, but all mages ... ridiculous. If you could work towards a mix of classes that would be pleasant. I'll allow a mage AND an illusionist, but not more than one of each, and only under the condition that the last person is a fighter, another cleric or a monk. There are only four of you, and it would be nice if there was a chance of surviving. As I said, there's already a cleric; a party consisting of a cleric, a mage, an illusionist and, say, a thief or an assassin would be pretty much doomed to going up slowly or dying the first time real combat occurred.

Don't make any mistake about it. I give experience for combat and treasure. Please come to play with that ideal in mind.

While I remember it, no multi-classed characters for now.

Having your class, please choose your race. I play these according to the Player's Handbook, and will post information if you need it:

Elves come from the far north, Finland and Karelia in modern Russia. They have infravision, the ability to move silently and are effective with swords and bows. Elves can be clerics, fighters, rangers, mages, thieves and assassins.

Half-elves tend to be Russian-elf or Swedish-elf mixes, with either mother or father being human, they also have infravision. Half-elves can be clerics, fighters, rangers, mages, thieves and assassins.

Dwarves come from the deep interior of Russia, have resistance against poison, combat effectiveness against some humanoid and giant classes, and infravision. Dwarves can be clerics, fighters, mages, thieves and assassins.

Gnomes come from the forests of nearer Russia, and correspond to dwarves in many characteristics. Gnomes can be clerics, fighters, mages, illusionists and thieves.

Halflings come from the hill country of central Sweden. They are effective with slings, move silently, have infravision, and are resistant to poison. Halflings can be druids, fighters, thieves or assassins.

Half-orcs come from the steppe and desert lands of southern Russia and Turkestan, and may be either human-orc mixes or dwarf-orc mixes (dworkins). They are stronger and tougher than most other races. Half-orcs can be clerics, fighters, thieves and assassins.

Humans come from everywhere. They tend to have more hit points than other smaller, lighter races. They can be of any class.

I do not allow any other race, so do not ask.

Please then, choose your sex. The principle difference is that women tend to be lighter in body weight, and therefore on average have less hit points. They do have other attibutes, I understand.

Finally, for the present, choose a name. Please create a blogger I.D. with that name, so that when you post comments you will do so in character.

Anything else immediate we'll handle in the comments. Bigger things beyond these four we'll handle in the coming week.

Gentlemen ...

2010-07-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

I think it is time to admit this. I think that I must end these campaigns.

More and more the commitment on my part has been waning, particularly since my workload has been increasing steadily at my job, which I started five and a half months ago. I have less time at work to play. I'm finding that, when I am home, I have no interest in the campaign at all. That, I must accept, is a sign.

I have been pressing myself to write the fiction I wish to write more regularly, with a thousand words a day; I started a novel on the 1st of April, which I've just finished. I am 13,000 words into a second novel. That's the dedication that I applying to that venture. That is the reason I'm not running an online campaign at home.

In many ways, I'm running out of time.

So let me wrap up.

Symeon, I don't fault you; obviously something was keeping you from posting through the day, and I was having trouble finding a thread for you to follow. I was going to give you a vision from drinking the water, that would show you finding a young boy, and sneaking him north along the coast to an uncertain place (that would turn out to be Chalcidice), while he protected a copper bowl (the womb) that was capable of restoring life to the dead. In other words, I was reduced to giving you a quest, with no definite rule about whether you'd undertake it. I suppose it wasn't the best of ideas.

Andrej and Avel, it turned out that the two of you were also on a quest, though I did hope it was voluntary. Chgowiz was meant to join you again; he did roll up a character two weeks ago, but with the exception of explaining that he was delayed by life, he hasn't spoken to me. I feel he would have joined, but even so I think we've all gotten a bit tired of trying to make this happen through the computer.

My plan was to show that Albert was, in fact, a cousin of Eberhardt Hornung; that on some level, he did have the right to ask for rent, and that there would be some difficulty in legality. I hoped somehow to encourage him and the party to take on this enormous beast, which was going to wander around for weeks if necessary, tearing down trees, knocking over shacks, whatever was necessary to get the party involved. I don't know exactly how you would have killed it, but that wasn't my problem.

But it's all over now. I wish you all well, I know I'm leaving you in the lurch and so on. I hope there was some enjoyment. All in all, however, it is no substitute for a real campaign. If I were to try this on line again, I would do it through some system where we could meet online on a given evening, and play real time. I don't see that happening anytime soon. I am, however, leaving it on a shelf, so you may not want to destroy your characters.

I will be continuing with the Tao of D&D, and I will be available as before for feedback.

So long, and be well.

Inside the Keep

2010-07-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 27, 1650

I will describe the principal condition of the gatehouse.

As can be seen, there are three levels, not including the tower. As said, the road runs alongside the highest level, which is reached by a set of stairs that are ten feet wide and six feet from top to bottom. The floor below, would be reached from a set of stairs immediately to the left of the main entrance, the side opposite to that shown in the picture.

For simplicity, let us refer to the highest principal floor as the “Entrance Floor”; to the floor below that as the “Service Floor”; and finally, to the lowest floor as the “Cellar.”

Each floor is, in the main, 24’ long and 16’ wide. The Entrance Floor has three windows on the side facing the viewer, which would be the SOUTH wall; these windows are, from entrance to the rear of the Gatehouse, 3’ wide, 1’ wide, and 3’ wide. Each are 5’ high. The total height of the wall surrounding the Entrance Floor is 11’ high. There are two windows on the EAST wall, opposite to the entrance, which is on the WEST wall. These windows are each 2’ wide and 5’ high. There are two windows on the NORTH wall, respectively 1’ wide and 3’ wide, each 5’ high and arranged oppositely to the narrow and wide window shown, with the 2’ space between them. The Entrance Floor has no roof. There is a chimney that rises in the SW corner, but this chimney at present does not rise above the wall, and cannot be seen. The floor is sturdy, but water damaged from open roof.

Where the stairs descend to the Service Floor, there is an iron ladder fixed into the wall that leads to the bell tower. The Belltower is 5’ square, and stands 18’ above the wall of the Entrance Floor, or 29’ feet above the top step of the entranceway, or 35’ above the road. As can be seen, it has 8 windows surrounding it, each 1’ wide and 3’ high. There is a bell that remains in the belfry, that is 18” in diameter and in great need of cleaning and polishing. It has no rope, and a quick inspection suggests that the wooden frame holding the bell may need to be replaced. The ladder leads to a single ‘roost’ inside the tower, which is 4 and one half feet in diameter, with an open hold for the ladder and a 1’ wide hole in the center for the bell rope. So it is quite cozy, but large enough for two thin archers using short bows, or one archer using a long bow or crossbow of any size.

The Service Floor corresponds in size to floor above, and is partly buried into the hill. As pictured, the dark area on the wall on the left that might appear to be a window is in fact a door, 6’ high and 3’ wide. Otherwise there is again the narrow window and the wider window, the same dimensions as the floor above. The windows on the NORTH wall also correspond to those of the floor above. The door is oak, perhaps 4” thick and reinforced; but at the moment, is in swollen condition, and cannot be budged.

The Service Floor may have once corresponded to a kitchen, focused around the oven in the SW corner, next to the door. The state of the overall room is moderately dry, the floor above being waterproofed with sap by the Gypsies. This is where the peat has been processed, with the oven being lit in wet weather to keep the room dry. At present most of the prepared peat is laid out at the base of the stairs, to carry up to the entranceway when the time comes ... the damper peat is towards the oven.

The Service Floor also has an ‘Alcove’, a 5’ by 7’ space which extends out from the EAST wall, which seems to have been built so as to cover the well which extends downwards, perhaps 40’. It is difficult to tell, as a light does not shine upon the water below. However, there is water down there, of unknown quality. The winch and pulley system are worthless, and there’s no bucket. The well is square shaped, 3’ square, with thus a 2’ space on either side of it. As can be seen, there are two windows on the north and south walls of the Alcove.

The Cellar is reached by another iron ladder, in the NE corner, with a hole in the floor somewhat larger than the bell tower - about 4’ by 5’. There was at one point a winch on the ceiling above the hole, but all that is left are the brackets. A descent into the cellar shows it to be a fairly dry, cobble-stone walled space, at the moment filled with dried dirt drained from the peat. The cellar appears to be drained by a 9” diameter hole at the base of the east wall, and the floor is gently sloped (about 4 degrees) from the west wall to the south.

The walls of the gatehouse overall are 6 - 8 inches thick, of granite, the plastering almost all gone.

Likely, the gatehouse wouldn’t keep out a determined mage, but it would probably hold back a mob for awhile if it was well stocked and defended.

The view from the Belltower gives the sight of mostly forest, which appears to have newer growth closer to the gatehouse, and older growth beyond; it would appear once there was a circle of cut-down space, but this circle has overgrown in the last 7 years.

Hornung's Gatehouse

2010-06-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 27, 1650

Having left Thursday morning, the road does prove to be less easy, particularly after reaching to fork and thus forsaking the road to Soldau to take the track to the keep. Track is the correct word, for in many places the road is barely wide enough for the carraige, and at times Emmanuel needs to drive while Avel and Andrej cut away enough of the brush on the sides of the road to let the wide carriage through. There are many places where the road becomes muddy - particularly after the brief shower that occurs Friday morning. Only once, however, do the horses need to be unhitched in order to be harnessed separately to pull the carriage out of a bog - and it is not too bad.

The land itself grows more inundated with water as you move into the valley of the Aller, and by journey's end all three of the party are muddy from the knees down, damp and quite uncomfortable. But you do finally find - with a cotter's help - the gatehouse itself:

This is the state of repair; and the place is not abandoned or deserted. There seem to be people here - Gypsies, you would reckon, and more than a dozen at first glance, in small makeshift huts at the bottom of the hill depicted here. The road would run along the left side of the picture, level with the highest floor shown - with the tower than overlooking the road below.

Munster-an-der-Ortze

2010-06-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 25, 1650

So, having reaching Hildesheim Monday night, on Tuesday the carriage proceeded north, re-entering the lands of Calenburg for the second time. Upon coming to the border, the party is confronted by another patrol - one that is more friendly, more routine, who merely wants to know where the party is heading. It occurs that the party that this might be a time to ask directions to the keep, to learn (perhaps for the second time) that the place the party wishes to do is northeast of Soldau, northwest of Munster-an-der-Ortze, and southwest of Luneburn, upon the border of the Principality of Verden, that being territory retained by the Swedish crown following the end of the 30 Years War.

The party is told that they can reach their destination by means of a narrow cobbled road between Munster and Soldau; that upon that road there is a tower in disrepair that stands at a fork, and that the right fork will climb into a group of low hills and into a glen fed by nothing more than a little watercourse (not shown on the map) that is called the Aller, and that it is three miles north of a Hamlet called Winsen.

The party will reach Munster midday on Wednesday; I stop there, because it is the last point before entering into the forest. So if there are any last things desired, now would be the time to purchase them. It can be seen from the map that the area being entered is somewhat wild, deciduous forest; the picture is of the Aller River, but it would not likely be maintained this well at the time of the game. I include it here to identify the size.

(OOC: I do not have a table generated for prices, but in this case I think we can be flexible, in the interest of keeping the campaign moving, and assume that the prices will change when I can generate the table (my tables are in disarray because I am trying to add Norway and the Low Countries to them). So please use the last table I generated, and presume that the only things available are those found at the 'Town Market.' As a sidenote, I like that I can select certain tables to be used for small towns, keeping the unrestricted table for use in the large, market cities.)

The Heights of Mt. Ossa

2010-06-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 9, 1650

Aric will strike out for the slopes of Mt. Ossa, taking pathways that are steep and not that well travelled. By early afternoon, the two of you have climbed to a place where Symeon is able to see a considerable distance across the plain below, eight or ten miles to the horizon.

“Symeon,” will say Aric. “I have heard you speak of Greece as a single entity, and while I understand this thinking, I cannot say that I condone it. Greek thought has never been a single land or had a solitary existence. It has existed as slave, servant and master in a hundred lands, and whatever the political nature of its people, the ideas are not bound by mere soldiers or kings.

“You have said you wish Greece to be free. When has this land ever been free? We were Byzantines and the land was soaked with blood as usurper slaughtered king over and over. We were Roman and still there was blood. We were many independent cities and always, again, blood. And now you would raise more armies and drench the ground with more blood, to gain what? To make the land free. It is only land, Symeon. It does not breathe, it does not feel pain, it knows nothing of whose armored feet tread upon it, nor does it care. Think not of the land, but of the people in it, of the spirits that have dwelt here for ages upon ages, reaching back into the depths of time. When blood is what they want, they will call for it. If it satisfies them to have the land in the hands of the Turks, we cannot bring about a change.

“We must worry ourselves with those things that are in our grasp. We must keep chaos from breaking loose the bonds that keep it held ... the chaos that those bandits down there, who share your views, would release upon the land. Stop, now, and look out at the plains below. Do they seem ill at ease, or do they seem at peace. The land blossoms, food grows, children laugh and play, all is as it should be. Put aside this anger, and find instead peace yourself.”

It would be the character’s nature to ignore all this, but I will point out that when Symeon does look out at the plain, he DOES feel a sense of peace ... this would be a sight he would rarely see, and it would be compelling and even, if we must use a magic phrase for it, suggestive. So he may stuff all that down if he wishes, but he must admit to himself that the world is a beautiful place.

The Gottingen-Hildesheim Road

2010-06-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 23, 1650

To begin with, please note that a week has passed. This is in keeping with the party's desire to 'move things along,' as it were. Nevertheless, I shall try to give an overview of the time that's passed.

Last Tuesday, the party left Nuremberg - a very large city, comparable to Munich, with many tens of thousands of people, heavy traffic, many goods pouring through the town gates and so on. The party had been to Zurich, which would have been larger, so this is not the first truly large town the party has seen ... but still, it must be noted that the urbanization was very significant. Again, with other areas the party has travelled before, farming throughout the area is intense, with many manor houses and castles. I myself am glad that this is more definite now, as determined by my new mapping structure.

Climbing out of the valley of the Main, the party grows aware of the diminishing population as they travel west, through Nivenstadt, and then into the Frankenwald, an area of untouched nature. It is very different from the forests of Switzerland; here the woods are idyllic, suggestive of tales Avel or Andrej may have heard of mythical woodlands, where faeries might dwell. While the beauty of Switzerland is to be found in the staggering scale of its mountains, here the beauty is in the flowered slopes, the glittering lakes and white-water rivers, and in the spectacular greenery - this is one of the lushest areas that anyone in the party may ever have seen. Emmanuel is quite moved by it.

Last Wednesday, the party rode down out of the Frankenwald and onto the farmlands surrounding Kitlingen and Wurzburg; they would have met some traders or other travellers, also on their way to Frankfurt, particularly as they would have been a delay at the Kitzlingen bridge over the Main River. They pass the fork north to Schweinfurt, and arrive in Wurzburg in mid-afternoon. Some time is required arranging for passage, but barges are leaving daily now with metal ores for the Rhine valley (copper, iron, zinc), for the river's flood period is past and there are now five good months of river trafficking before the winter returns.

Last Thursday, the party relaxed as they wound their way down the Main River towards Frankfurt, passing through the region called Unterfranken, or Lower Franconia; the forest here is thicker, more overgrown with brush and brambles - and in some places from the river the party can see evidence of fens or even wetter marshland - and there is a certain gratefulness that it is all being passed upon the water, and not by road. Nightfall brings the sight of Ascapha, where the barge - carrying a load of young dairy cattle - is pulled to shore.

Last Friday, after Hanau on the right bank and Offenbach on the left, where the land again becomes purely agricultural, around midday, the Main River reached the city of Frankfurt. The sight of it astounds the party. Frankfurt, and the other cities surrounding it, represent a mass of people unlike anything the party has imagined. There are 450,000 people in Frankfurt ... a huge, engorged city that has far surpassed the boundaries of its walls, so that houses, workshops, warehouses and fishing docks sprawl along both sides of the Main. The barge lets you off outside of Frankfurt itself, and it takes hours of walking to finally emerge from the never-ending populace - one of the great factories of Europe, where the world is supplied with goods made in this place and poured outwards into the basin of the Mediterranean, across northern Europe and as far away as the New World.

It is with a sense of escape that the party is able to reach the Free City of Friedberg before the end of the day - an area of mixed agriculture, still civilized but far less frenetic in its pace.

Last Saturday, the party made its way north towards - without reaching - the town of Fritzlar, but in fact moving from the south region of Hesse into the north. Hesse is divided into two 'Houses', that of Darmstadt and that of Cassel ... it is into the lands belonging to the latter house that the party reaches by late Saturday. At one point, the road to Bingen, through Wetzlar, was passed, and since that time the amount of traffic has increased - though truth be told, the road north out of Frankfurt has never for a moment been empty. There are many dozens upon any half-mile stretch of it, each group walking along in the wake of the one before.

Last Sunday, after passing through Cassel and thence to Gottingen, the traffic upon the road becomes much diminished. Most have turned west towards Paderborn and the Duchies of Marck and Berg that lie in that direction. In Gottingen, as the party camps upon the north side of the city, they find that even more of the traffic has moved east, towards Magdeburg and Thuringia.

And so today, Monday, as the party proceeds north to Hildesheim, the Weser River a few miles to the east, skirting along the edge of the Harz Mountains and into the Salzgitter Hills, a densely wooded, rolling land with many streams and outcroppings of rock, full of birch, willow and alder trees.

As I say, it is this country through which you are walking, a part of the Principate of Calenburg, the precise political entity where you have striven to reach (though you are in a southern arm of the principality), when upon the road ahead comes six guardsmen (some fifty yards away and on the road), wearing the livery of the principality (you would recognize it from having seen the coat of arms in Gottingen the day before), not hurrying in the least. They stop, however, upon seeing the party upon the carriage, and make motions to wave the carriage down.

The Palatinate, SE of Nuremberg

2010-05-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 16, 1650

You did, effectively, remain in Eichstatt an extra day while trying to find an appropriate person to identify the books you received from Robur. And so now it is early afternoon as you travel the road to Nuremberg, joining with the main route towards your destination again. The main road is well travelled - you regularly come across others heading south, and with the carriage you come up and overtake people upon the road in singles or in groups every hour.

The country you are moving through becomes a dense forest after rejoining the road SE of Nuremberg. The number of people here that are not on the road drops off very quickly, and any farm cut along the side of the road - or sign of a castle or manor - becomes quite rare. The land itself, from others you might ask along the way, is under the authority of 'the Upper Palatinate' ... this being a group of semi-independent knights who dwell scattered through the wild lands to the east of where you are. They are nominally vassals of Bavaria. Many of these knights are rumored to have fought against the Turks, or against the Spanish - and certainly against the Swedes in the late war. They are catholics and highly devout, as well as reclusive in their habits.

These knights keep this road open, for although it is a major highway, the country on either side is largely wilderness, and populated by all kinds of creatures ... many of them roaming freely and occasionally striking at isolated travellers, especially late at night.

At any rate, this being the early afternoon, the carriage is waved down by a dwarf and his companions, four other men, one of whom seems to be fairly torn up - dried blood is evident upon one of his legs. The dwarves are wearing clothes suitable for warmth and for climbing, and have various equipment with them suitable for that purpose - crampons, ice hammers and such.

My Headspace At Present

2010-05-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, there has been a dearth of posts here lately ... and I am afraid I cannot put it down only to the slightly harried work schedule lately. Part of it is, frankly, that I am at sixes and sevens about the Delfig thing, and it makes me wonder about the effort it takes to put this campaign together.

It is less than easy to write and write out the various descriptions, and build them towards things that can be played on-line. For the most part I enjoy myself - but it can be work, like any DM who has found himself at the beginning of a night's play who is without the 'spark' needed to make it a good one. I start with some mornings without a lot of creativity, and I start some weeks thinking that I should chuck it.

On the other hand, it has been enormously fun, and creative, and I have even managed to teach myself some things about campaign design.

But when I find myself having contributed to the creation of something which then clearly has no respect for this campaign or for the creation itself, I cannot help but be stunned. And of late, these last few days, the motivation has not been there.

I do not ask for advice, but I would like to know what the existing players think about the doings around here, about Delfig's suicide, about their own 'will to play' and how they have been affected by it. It would help to get me grounded and into a head space where I could run again.

The Glade

2010-05-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 9, 1650

Nasira will be drugged, and when she awakes it will be day; fairly early in the day by her observation. She has been untied, and put into a chair which is set in an open glade, under a tree, hands bound behind the back and fixed to the tree itself. She is still face stripped, but her head is covered.

Three men stand in front of her. The mustached leader, a vaguely familiar lighter skinned man whom Nasira was certain was there last night, and a cleric. The cleric stands furthest away, and only watches.

When they are certain she is awake - and they are not above striking her to be certain - the leader will ask a question: "Who are you, and where do you come from."

Eichstatt

2010-04-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 14, 1650. Noon.

Eichstatt proves to be an unusual town - to begin with, there is no town wall. And yet there are many beautiful buildings, a huge cathedral upon a large square (the Domplatz), and several stone buildings which represent a university, a hundred years old. The streets are full of young men carrying books, with many priests and - Andrej will take note - deacons who serve as professors of the university.

There seem to be no streets featuring the usual collection of artisans. There is a town market, selling those things which may be found under that heading on an equipment list (if you wish to buy something, let me know and I’ll generate a list this evening). Rather, there are many dorms or abbeys, which themselves have kitchens, where more than nine tenths of the town eats - both student and priesthood alike.

There appear also to be as many as six sizable libraries, and many small booksellers - as the party moves through the streets, the sound of working printing presses can be heard.

Two principal roads lead from Eichstatt - one that goes north, and one that travels to the east.

Nowhere

2010-04-27T08:32:00.001-07:00

Friday or Saturday, June 13 or 14, 1650

Delfig awakes, uncertain as to where he is.

To begin with, he has been stripped of most of his clothing. He has a shirt, and a loin cloth, and breeches. Nothing else. His feet are bare.

All is utter darkness. He can feel stone under his hands and against his knees. The blindness is disconcerting, as he literally cannot see his hand in front of his face. But after some minutes, he begins to perceive that the there a very narrow band of light that can be identified on his right ... he moves towards it, and finds that it is the slit under a door - he can feel the wood on this fingers, and can feel the depth of the slit. It is nothing more than a quarter of an inch. He presses his face to the floor, and cannot make his eye close enough to the floor to see through the slit. The very dim light seems steady, but he can tell nothing more about it.

An examination of the door first reveals that there is no doorknob, on either the left side of the wooden slab or the right. But after a time, Delfig finds a wooden flap, which he can lift - peering through it, he can see a gently lit hall, about ten feet long, reaching away from the door. He can see no other doors in the hall, nor any torches ... but clearly the light he sees comes from torchlight, from somewhere beyond his sight. The light of the hall is no more than one might find in a dark room on a moonless night - for the walls are not yellowed with light, but blue-black. Just enough that he can make out the shape of the hall, and its features - but nothing else.

He might call out, but no one comes. And when he surrenders the flap, and looks around him again, he will find his eyes have adjusted somewhat, to the degree that the cell he is in - for it is a cell, about 8 feet by 6 - is lit almost as well as the hall outside. The source of this light proves not only to be the door, but also an opening in the ceiling - unobserved previously. This opening is about six inches square, and by looking up through it, Delfig can see a hint of light, a reflection at best, that might be natural, although he cannot see the sky.

Delfig has nothing, nothing at all, except his clothes.

The Rough Road West

2010-04-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 13, 1650

It is evening, as the sun sets, as I write this.

The west bound road continues in a generally westward direction, following the ridge over the Altmuhl Valley - which is to say that you cross many rivulets and streams, and that the road itself rolls up and down over spurs along the ridge, in a most taxing manner. The road itself is not a good one, and there are no road signs. The watercourses are too small to bar the way of the wagon, but at the same time there are no constructed bridges along the way. Every crossing is a ford, and many of them are knee-deep (and the water quite cold, despite the month - not icy, but you wouldn’t want to bathe in it). Finally, the road is full of potholes and in some places, the trees hang down and impede the carriage (a cart would go through fine, but the carriage is often too wide or too high).

You see no one else through the journey, though you travel for a day and a half.

The countryside is rough, unoccupied, but just this side of wilderland - in that there is a road, and the road is clearly travelled from time to time, as you find evidence of firepits and places where trees have been cut down with an axe. Thursday night you bed down by one of these firepits.

As the sun sets, you reach a much better road, which is cobbled and which is perpendicular to the road you are on. But what with the winding that you have experienced throughout the day, you cannot be sure if this road does go both north and south. The right, however, does appear to rise into the highlands to the north, while the south road descends into the main valley.

In the east, you see a full moon rise in the twilight, as the sun sets in the west.

New Rules for Subdual

2010-04-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

With the addition of this post, I want to explain that I am phasing out 'subdual' attack ... I've never particularly liked it as a combat solution. Basically, since reducing an enemy's hit points has never meant actually causing physical 'harm' to an opponent, it has always bugged me that "using the flat of the sword" was the avoidance of causing real harm when normal attacking didn't cause real harm.

It seemed equally dumb that subdual damage was 1/10th of normal, but was still treated as full damage in terms of the actual combat ... the Gygaxian solution to not having to kill your opponent, while using the same, unchanged system.

Never worked for me.

So from now on, there's no such thing as 'subdual damage.'

The system will be this: if you don't want to cause a lot of damage, don't use your weapon, use your fist. If you want to pull down your opponent without killing him, grapple him. If you don't want to use your fist and you don't want to grapple, but you insist on using your weapon, well - I can't help you. Either use a smaller weapon or stop using it altogether.

For any leveled person, you can pretty much count on dropping that person into the negatives with your weapon and then easily grappling and or punching him unconscious. For any other creature, I am instituting a policy that they will still live, but can take no action whatsoever, if reduced to -4 to 0 hit points.

Good luck.

Dachau's Rathaus

2010-04-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 13, 1650

Whether Delfig intends to turn himself in upon arriving in Ingolstadt, or to wait until he reaches Dachau, the result is the same. He will find himself standing between four guards at Dachau's North Gate. Here he will learn that earlier the day before, another bard was found travelling north from Ingolstadt, who was brought to Dachau only three hours ago. Upon determining definitely that this other bard was not Delfig, the bard was let go - but this is the reason why the guards who were at the Regensburg-Nuremburg crossroads suddenly disappeared.

Delfig will be brought to the Rathaus, and there he will be watched most closely, as he waits. He is informed that the burghermeister - The Patrician Eduard Johannsen, he that was recently elected - wishes to speak with Delfig, most earnestly. That there has been, as far as the guard knows, no crime committed ... but then, it is possible that the burghermeister could yet bring a charge - that would be within the meister's rights.

It is in the foyer of the Rathaus, in seeing a rather intricate representation of the yearly calendar, that Delfig realizes it is Friday 13th.

Robur's House

2010-04-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 12, 1650

Bringing the carriage back to the house, the party finds an area of soft loam a fair distance from the building, overlooking a small creek. The road, previously unmentioned, continues on, passing over the creek on a flat wooden bridge.

There is little else to say. The party should take care to manage all the details for whatever they wish to do here, and then indicate where they will go next.

The Road North of Ingolstadt

2010-04-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 12, 1650

There being little reason to describe again the landscape, I will say simply that Avel and Andrej have reached again the place where the overgrown road connects with the main road from Ingolstadt, via carriage. It is getting later in the afternoon.

From where they are, it is possible to see Delfig, half a mile in the distance, making his way up the hill away to the left (heading north).

Ossa

2010-04-20T06:44:00.001-07:00

Sunday, June 8, 1650

This being Sunday, there are no Greeks upon the road, and the party makes good time towards Ossa; the road north winds around the south edge of the mountain, and by the time the party must stop for the heat of the afternoon they have reached the village. It is very little to speak of, much like the other villages I’ve mentioned - these are not towns, merely little settlements.

Looking up, it is possible to see that Mt. Ossa still has a bit of snow on it, at the very top. The village of Ossa is quiet, the residents inside and waiting for sunset (the end of sabbath) - there are no moslem villagers. There’s no one to ask for directions, but there is a road past Ossa, and a small sign that says ‘Spilia’.

Not long after the party stops for the heat, they hear the body of soldiers moving along the road towards Ossa - the sound of armor and feet approaching. The soldiers will catch up to the party quite soon, and will march through Ossa, on their way to Spilia. An exact count indicates there are thirty-four of them.

Mid-Afternoon, Above the Altmuhl Valley

2010-04-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 12, 1650

Not too long after turning down the new road, the party will find that it drifts to the west and towards the south, and that the elevation gained in travelling north from Ingolstadt threatens to be quickly lost, as it is evident that this road promises to descend into the Altmuhl Valley ... several glimpses of this valley are gained in just two miles of travel.

But it is two miles from the Ingolstadt-Nuremberg road that the party stumbles across the disturbing scene.

The first sight is not wholly informative; where the road takes a dip and turns to the left, about twenty yards beyond - below a stout apple tree, and partly concealed by it - the party can see the torn body of a horse. It appears to be quite dead. Just beyond, there is a body hung over a fence stile, on its side and facing away from the party. The body is covered with blood, but there is something familiar about it.

Now, it should be understood that all is relative silence. There are a few birds, and a gentle wind, but no indication at all that anything has happened, except for this awful sight.

Near Sunset, Namata Crossroads

2010-04-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 7, 1650

The party knows well enough to leave very early in the day, before the sun rises. To travel to Mt. Ossa, the party must first travel west, along the road to Larisa, for this road passes through a deep pass that leads from Golos to the plain of Larisa. The road is heavily travelled ... this is one of the principal routes into the heart of Greece, moving traffic towards Trikkala and Epirus. Upon emerging from the pass, the plain is spread out below - the plain beyond is huge, twenty miles in diameter, and is a rich, flat cultivated plain full of orchards, vinyards and pastures. The land is thoroughly irrigated, and heavily populated ... it is possible to see a hundred peasants at a time, nearby, cutting branches, tying vines in the fields or scything out the undergrowth beneath pear and plum trees.

To the east you can see a long ridge extending north and west from Mt. Pilion, which is behind you and to the right. Two little mountains, the names of which you don’t know, rise on your left, to the west. Mt. Ossa is ahead, in the distance, looking quite magnificent. Following the Thessaly road for another ten miles, you turn at the sign that directs you to Mt. Ossa, and through the small village of Melissa. In Melissa the party must stop, and siesta for several hours ... it is just too hot to travel. By four in the afternoon, the sun has moved well past the zenith and the party can advance forward.

Beyond Melissa, the road leads to another village named Namata - where there is a wide irrigation ditch, thirty feet across - and a crossroads, from Larisa to the east, leading through the gap between the aforementioned ridge and Mt. Ossa ... which is now much larger. The immensity of the mountain is stunning - six thousand feet above the party, a huge disc like a shield, ten miles across.

Upon the crossroads there are thirty soldiers, laying about, resting ... apparently waiting for orders. They are gathered together in groups of two to four, eating fruit, cleaning their weapons or their clothing, chatting or sleeping ... there are none sparring. This is now quite late, and the sun will set within ten or twenty minutes - it is quite hot.

What actions might Nasira and Symeon take?

Midday, Golos

2010-04-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 6, 1650

Symeon and Nasira return to Golos, arriving there about midday. Naturally, Symeon will look towards his trusted sailor (whose name, I believe, hasn't been set yet), to find if there has been any news. There hasn't been; a new ship has come into the harbour from Chalkis, and is unloading, but there are no special tales about it ... it is carrying dates and almonds. The small Turkish resident force in Golos has broken up a wedding, and there have been some harsh words - threats and the like. But little else.

The sailor, whatever his name is, asks permission to take the boat out during the day, to fish.

Noon, North of Ingolstadt

2010-04-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 12, 1650

Making your way along the road to Nuremburg, about three hours north of Ingolstadt a group of four men, in the livery of soldiers of Upper Bavaria, mounted, appear behind you upon the road. They are thundering their way along, moving very quickly. Naturally there is some concern ... which passes quickly when the four men, without so much as a glance, ride around the carriage on both the left and the right and continue down the road. The party sees them climb a slope to the top, and then drop down and out of sight.

Some sense of relief comes over the party, but at this time I find that I must stop and gather reactions.

Past Midnight, Near Zagora

2010-04-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 6, 1650

The olive grove where the party had laid down is not far from the sea (the mountain comes to the sea, so nowhere to either the north or south of Zagora is far from the sea). A distant sound first, unrecognizable, but after quite a few minutes, more and more familiar, particularly to Nasira. It is the sound of oars, and it is moving closer. It will awake both of you, and bring you to the edge of a low rise, to where you can look down at the beach.

The galley is perhaps eighty feet in length, and manned by twenty rowers; they are bringing the boat towards the narrow shore, where the sand is no more than a dozen yards wide.

Then, to the party's left, the sound of others moving down the slope, a fair distance away, too far to hear their voices clearly, just enough to know that they are there. You would guess four, perhaps five, not necessarily all men. After watching for several minutes, you see them come onto the beach - four men and a woman - just prior to the galley getting there. Those on shore and those on the boat wave to one another.

The Road North to Ingolstadt

2010-04-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 11, 1650

The journey to Ingolstadt is relatively uneventful. Upon leaving the North Gate of Dachau, Delfig takes note that the gutted gatehouse, which he has not seen in more than a month, is filled with activity, the interior cleaned out, a pile of burnt refuse stacked nearby, laborers with brushes cleaning the stone, fresh wood piled nearby, several saw pits and the sounds of hammering. Apparently, steps are being taken to make the gatehouse more defensible, and the outlay for a tower has been started next to it.

It is mostly downhill to Ingolstadt, forcing the horses to take it slowly. The countryside is gently hilly, with thick forests broken by places where the land has been tilled. There are numbers of pig herders - quite a few in fact, and the road is consistently busy. You may speak to a few passersby, but these are farmers, or peddlars, and no one of note.

The bridge across the Danube and into Ingolstadt is immense, with a center built of wood, and large enough to allow a 20’ wide barge to pass beneath it. Three wagons could easily pass side by side. Ingolstadt is, naturally, a wall town - and to cross the bridge, you will have to pay the normal town fee (there is no other way to cross the Danube at this point.

You hear tell that Ingolstadt was the first city to hold back the Swedes during the Great 30 Years War.

Zagora, Aegean Coast

2010-04-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 5, 1650

As Symeon comes to the outskirts of the small village, not but perhaps 80 persons who depend almost wholly upon fishing for their survival, he cannot help notice that there is one woman who is quite out of place. The town is quite typically Greek - it is evening, and there are no women on the street at all. A few late fishermen, who have pulled their boats up, are moving up the steep paths to their homes - but this woman is going nowhere. She seems to be doing nothing but closely watching Symeon ... as though there is something interesting that she sees.

More than that, she is not a Christian - her niqab, caftan and hijab (deeply colored purple) identify her strongly as a muslim. Symeon's natural ability to identify characteristics about people strongly suggests that she is not Greek, perhaps not even human.

The End of Delfig's Work, Dachau

2010-04-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 10, 1650

Please take note of the date. This is the day I calculate that Delfig is able to complete his work, and so the party will need to assess their food consumption for this period. Note that you are relaxing, and not travelling or adventuring, and the food consumption can be as little as 1 lb. per day; you might want to pay your inn bill, also.

To my knowledge, the actual itinerary of the party's intentions is not yet known. However, on Monday, you are contacted by an agent of Hornung - his name, he says, is Reynart. He is diminuative, perhaps 5'4" in height, and seems to suffer from the cold, although it is a fairly warm day when he comes to see you. He wears an expensive black linen and wool doublet, with a gold crest on the shoulder that you must recognize by now as Hornung's; he carries a leather pouch, from which he draws forth a map, two keys and ten g.p. for travel expenses - and to hire a guide if need be - if it is your interest to travel to Calenburg.

He will say that Hornung is fully aware of the crime taken against Jan, and has dispatched a fellow of his acquaintence to Bern to follow that trail ... Jan being a friend of his, and Hornung not wanting the murder to go unavenged.

What answer does the party have for Reynart?

Introduction, Golos

2010-04-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 5, 1650

The view is that of the Pagasetic Gulf, looking away from the market town of Golos towards the opposite side of the bay, with Mt. Pelion behind and stretching away to the left, to form the hook peninsula that encloses the Gulf. Symeon Kokolas knows from growing up near here, in the town of Alos, that the peninsula and its heights are occupied by groupings of centaurs, who are standoffish but friendly to the folk on the shore.

The region is known as Magnesia, a part of Thessaly, and is under the thrall of the Ottoman Turks, who have now ruled here for almost two centuries. It is a difficult country for Greeks who choose to remain Christian; heavy taxes are levied against them, and many rights are denied them. Magnesia has been thoroughly subjugated ... the country gives no hint of rebellion, though there is dissastisfaction. The people are cowed, accepting of their condition, submissive to their foreign overlords.

Earthquakes are common to the region, and light winter rains ... though Golos is a supremely sheltered harbor, and is exempt to the tsunamis that strike other parts of Greece during the winter months. This being June, that temperature has climbed into full summer, with temperatures mildly uncomfortable most days, and the dry season has begun (except for fogs drifting from the sea or down from the mountains on some mornings, the will probably be no rain until September).

Afternoon, Hornung's Garden

2010-03-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 5, 1650

The streets are uncommonly filled with soldiers – in some cases, town guardsmen, but more commonly with actual soldiers wearing the livery of Bavaria, dressed in either chain or scale mail (depending upon their importance), and posted at virtually every street corner. The town seems quite oppressed – the people quietly going about their business, very little in the way of smiling faces, no casual gatherings of any kind. While the party moves through the town, they are not harrassed, but it is clear that you are being closely watched by every armed individual you pass.

Hornung dwells in a large house, where Delfig has been before. Upon knocking at the gate, he will recognize a servant whom he may have remembered is named Walter. Walter’s eyes will pop open at the sight of Serafina ... whom he has never seen (saying so) but of whom he has heard a great deal (which he also says).

He shows the party to the garden ... and it is there that Hornung is walking, using a crutch under one arm and doing so with some considerable difficulty. But he does look much healthier, no longer on the edge of death.

Serafina will call, “Eberhardt,” and Hornung will turn, his face turning pale, then filling with amazement and utter joy. He will take one step towards Serafina with the cane, then abandon the cane altogether and take another step – before he can fall, she has reached him, and keeps him from doing so. They embrace, wordlessly, in utter and total love ... there have been no second thoughts, no doubts. He clearly loves her, and she loves him. Even the party members who have developed feelings for her cannot doubt that.

The Return to Dachau

2010-03-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 5, 1650

It will require the rest of the day to ride the wagon to Ulm … where the party would, quite probably, wish to stay the night at the Black Bullhead. That being the case, Dietlinde the proprietor will break down in sobs upon learning the death of Jan, whom she was always in love with; she will provide the party with free rooms, will behave very well towards Serafina, but apart from the party she will close the doors of her Inn and expel the other guests. When the party sees her again, she will be dressed in clothes of mourning … the additional clothes suggesting that Dietlinde is a woman of some means.

It will require another full day to travel over the ridge and to reach Augsburg. The journey will be without any notable distraction … the party will rest for the night at the tavern that was mastered by Neil. Again, the story of Jan’s death will darkly hurt the man – though he will not act as strongly as Dietlinde did. He will also provide a night’s free lodging, in respect for the friend the party had.

And so it will be noon on Thursday when the party will come into sight of Dachau … after such a long time.

At the gate, the party will be charged three s.p. each to enter … much higher than they paid on any former occasion. The party will also be warned by the guard that ‘curfew’ will come at seven bells, and that they will want to be sure to be indoors by that time.

Antelope Campaign, To June 1650

2010-03-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

The following is a general description of the last three weeks of the campaign – comments on this post are all considered OOC (out of campaign) and anyone may feel free to contribute.

Starting with Monday, May 12, the party was leaving Augsburg on its way from Dachau to Ulm, with the intention of fetching a woman Serefina from a monastery in Sion, a small region in the south part of what would be modern Switzerland. The party consisted of Delfig and Andrej, with NPCs Friar Jan and their servant Emmanuel.

On the way to Ulm, the party encountered a white stag pursued by a wolf; they killed the wolf, but lost sight of the stag. Upon reaching Ulm, they stay the night at the Black Bullhead Inn. They turned south towards Lindau on Lake Constance, to make their way into the Swiss Confederation ... and discovered that the stag they had seen was following them. They met various people on the route, including a group of criminals, the threat of dangerous humanoids and a boatmaker on his way with his family.

A day north of Lindau, Father Jan attempted to approach the stag, and was attacked; the stag fled, and Jan recovered.

In Lindau, arrangements were made to take a boat on the Rhine River ... the journey was splendid, a little worried with weather, but by various means the party did reach Olten (by leaving the Rhine and ascending the Aar River. In Olten, they discovered a carriage service that would take them to Lausanne, on Lake Geneva.

On the carriage, they met a brother and his sister, M. and Mme. Herieux. He was quite a smooth talking fellow, but his sister never said a word.

Not far into the journey, they passed a fire at an inn near Langenthal, a small town off the main road – Delfig and Andrej, at great threat to their life, were able to save eleven people from the fire ... making them heroes of the town. While the town wanted to celebrate their exploit, Father Jan made plans to continue to Lausanne by carriage. And while M. Herieux made great hay of Delfig and Andrej’s exploit, unbeknowst to the party Herieux’s sister had continued on with Father Jan.

In Langenthal, Delfig and Andrej exposed M. Herieux as a charlatan and possibly a thief, but he escaped. They made all haste, blocked at many turns, in an attempt to warn Father Jan – but found him murdered north of Bern ... quite likely by Mme Herieux. They learned of the investigation, but there was little they could do. They mourned in Bern for their friend.

Continuing their journey sorrowfully, they passed through Lausanne and Montreaux. They encountered the player Avel along the way. They left Switzerland and entering the Prince-Bishopric of Sion ... finally reaching the town of Sion at last. Bringing their mission’s purpose to Serefina, they found her quite willing to go with them. They provisioned a carriage that she possessed, and from there made their way over the Furka Pass to the east, and into the eastern Swiss Republic again.

On the Furka Pass they were attacked by a hippogriff, and by chance discovered clues to a treasure – an amulet, a helmet and a coin. Upon descending the pass by the correct road, they reached the little wealthy town of Altdorf – where they heard a tale about the Furka pass which Serefina mistook for an omen.

Once they had reassured her that there was nothing to fear, the party returned through Zug, Zurich and Buchhorn, where they took another road to Ulm.

It was here they encountered the white stag again ... and found that it had a wretched creature riding upon it, invisible to all except Serefina – until Delfig began to play. At that point, everyone seeing the creature, they began to fight it. This brings us up to date.

Afternoon, Combat Upon The Road To Ulm

2010-03-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 3, 1650

Taking up the combat in the middle ...

Delfig returns to his playing, and sure enough the horrid creature flashes back into visibility. It has gone off the road, and stands in the woods about ten feet from the road's edge, amid a group of aspen. It is grasping a tree for support, and will look at its own hand as though to understand that it is visible.

Andrej is slightly closer to it than Serafina, and both have their weapons drawn. Emmanuel will come scuttling out from beneath the carraige, dragging rope and holding a bag of flour the size of a bread loaf. Avel, if he is here today, is about twenty five feet behind the creature (in the woods), and up until this time unobserved. (We may assume he is fighting with himself as to whether to take action or not).

Afternoon, Road North To Ulm

2010-03-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, June 3, 1650

The weather continues to be sour, but the except for some drizzle in the morning, it doesn't rain.

The road north from Buchhorn follows a steady climb, and by ten in the morning you pass by Ravensburg, a large, walled town. Soon after, without being certain when, the countryside begins to look familiar - but it not until you reach Biberach-an-der-Riss that you realize that you're back walking on the road you used to leave Germany. At some point they joined, but you're not certain when (there are many forks in the road along the way). You must cross the Riss again, still being 5 c.p. pieces each. I believe that before you were not charged for the animals ... but the carriage this time will be a 5 s.p.

You recognize the hovel where you stayed last time once you are on the other side, 18 days ago. It is about one in the afternoon when you leave Biberach behind, and now you find yourself near the place where previously you were concerned about grimlocks.

It is about that time, about two in the afternoon, when the party sees the white stag, certainly the same as before, walk slowly from the woods to stand at the side of the road. To describe it again: it is quite a large beast, with horns that are, this early in the season, about four points. It is pale white all over. At present, it is about forty yards forward of the party.

Serafina will ask, "What is that?"

Evening, Buchhorn

2010-03-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Monday, June 2, 1650

This is presuming that you travel through Sunday (I made sevaral comments about it, and at best got a subtle suggestion from Andrej that you were going to ignore the sabbath – Serafina has no trouble with it). If there’s a change in mind about that, I’ll update this post as necessary.

Through both days it rains fitfully, most of Sunday afternoon and through the night on Sunday.

Through the first day of travelling, five miles from Zug you’ll pass the town of Horgen, before reaching the enormous city of Zurich. This would be the largest city that, quite probably, any member of the party has seen (larger than Munich, even); though when Serafina was a child, she once saw Milan. You can’t begin to estimate the population, but many tens of thousands, certainly. The surrounding environs are filled with manor houses, castle-keeps and blockhouses, not to mention inns and taverns, so there’s no need to pay the gold piece necessary to enter the town unless you wish to explore. It is certainly a place where you might find or learn anything you wish, as Zurich is not only a huge financial capital, but an important scholarly centre, also.

That same day you climb over a series of low hills to the town of Winterthur, where you spend the night (same costs as Zug for entering the town and spending the night). The town is surrounded by a moat and towers, but is neverthless very picturesque. As it is under the nominal authority of Zurich, it has no market, nor does it especially cater to merchants; but the townspeople treat the party well enough.

(OOC: Some Napoleonic buffs might remember the town for an important battle due to take place 249 years in the future).

The second day of travel, you wake to find the surrounding country in fog, which persists for the whole morning.

You find yourself falling in with a group of acrobats who are travelling to Stuttgart; they explain that you need not take the route through Constance, which will be very expensive, but that you can bypass the lake by crossing the Rhine river at Stein – I know the party would deliberate, but as a DM I know nothing will happen, and you will come to the same place either way. Stein is vaguely recognizable ... you passed it when you were travelling down the river on May 18, two weeks and a day ago. 3 c.p. each for yourselves and your two animals will get you ferried across the Rhine. You’ll reach Stein about one in the afternoon. By this time the fog has begun to lift.

From Stein you’re able to find a road to Uberlingen, swinging around the two principal west reaches of Lake Constance, where the country gets a little wild again (for most of two days you will be travelling past small farm after small farm, most of them no larger than 20 to 40 acres in size. Waving to peasants and other travellers has become almost tiresome.

Rain has continued sporadically through the afternoon. You say goodbye to the acrobatic troop at Uberlingen (Delfig will have shared some notes, possibly would have learned how to juggle three balls – roll dex check). From there, five hours on the road will get you to Buchhorn as the sun goes down, about 9 p.m. If you enter the town, it will cost you a s.p. each (it is a Free City), and two s.p. each for the animals ... but the inn where you stay will be the same cost as it was in Zug or Winterthur. The rain has stopped entirely, but the ground throughout is sopping.

The north road will lead the party to Ravensburg and to Ulm; the east road leads to Lindau, the road with which you are familiar – but it would be the longer road home. The north road will meet the road north of Lindau.

Sundown, Zug

2010-03-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

Saturday, May 31, 1650

Following a winding road out of the principal Alps, the party descends some hundreds of feet along the river valley. Much of the afternoon is taken with following the edge of an immense, beautiful lake on the west. Later you will climb out of that valley, then into another where, before nightfall, nine o'clock, you'll finally reach the little town of Zug, upon Lake Zug, below a small mountain rising 1,500 ft. above the town. A sign on the road pointing at the mountain designates it 'The Zugerberg.'

Zug has a wall, and will cost 5 c.p. each to enter if the party wishes to find a bed for the night; the animals will also cost 5 c.p. An inn room will be a s.p. each, and stabling for each animal 2 s.p. each. Travel gets expensive.

Andrej, the party will need to eat a pound and a half of food each, though they might choose to buy food at the Inn (the cost is listed on the Zurich Innkeeper's table (from the file sent last night). Tomorrow, Sunday, will be a market day, if people would like to buy goods here in Zug, where most everything on the list will be available. It will take a half day to travel to Zurich, so it would be possible to travel there and still enjoy the market day.

Buying in Zug or Zurich will cost the party half a day's travel.

Afternoon, Altdorf

2010-03-08T08:09:00.001-08:00

Saturday, May 31, 1650

With the afternoon, the party gathers together in the common room on the main floor of the Chamois Inn. Andrej explains to the others what he’s heard. Serafina is in her room, by last observation sleeping.

While the difficulty is discussed, I should also bring up the matter that tomorrow is Sunday. What’s more, since today the party is not travelling, if they don’t begin to do so later today, they will heal a hit point, resting. They can also reduce the amount of food they must eat to 1 lb. each.

Daybreak, Altdorf

2010-03-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

Saturday, May 31, 1650

As the sun has risen (the mountains hide the true dawn), and Emmanuel is packing the carriage, you discover that Serafina is refusing to go on.

"You do not understand," she explains, when questioned. She sounds quite controlled, not like last night. "It is not the thing itself, it has nothing to do with the so-called curse on the treasure. It is that the story about the girl is clearly related to the objects that Brother Andrej found. We were destined to find those things, to tell me what I have suspected; that my Eberhardt does not know his own mind. According to friend Delfig's story, he was bedridden and broken ... this is a sign, not a curse. It matters not whether we take those relics with us or not, it is that I and this spurned daughter from centuries ago are tied together somehow. That is why I cannot go."

Near Midnight, Valerio's Tale

2010-02-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

Friday, May 30, 1650

“There was a great King, the last King of his kingdom, the great kingdom of the Po called Lombardy. This King was a powerful man, a ruthless man ... when there was a duke who claimed the right to this King’s kingdom, this King had the duke’s eyes put out, and his hands cut off, and his feet cut off. And then he did the same to fifty men who were the duke’s men, and a thousand other men besides were put to the sword, though they were not cut apart, for they were only common men. Such was this King’s heartlessness.

Now, the King had a beautiful daughter, whose voice was that of songbirds, and who’s skin was like that of the finest marble; she was a very uncommon girl, this daughter, and she had many suitors, both princes and other kings, who would marry this daughter and align their lands with the King of our story. They promised to give the King armies and navies that he might attack his neighbors ... and they promised to give the King riches, that he might build palaces and churches to the glory of God ... and they promised the King wisdom, that the King might grow wise and might live centuries longer – but the King spurned every offer, and denied every gift. And so the princes and kings of other lands went away and said to themselves, “This King must love his daughter, and that is why he will not part with her.”

Ah, but this is not so my friends, for the King truly felt nothing for his daughter. Though she might have the truest heart, though she might be the most beautiful woman in the world – and there were those who said she was – it meant naught to this King, except as the bargain he desired, a bargain that his children might own the world. For this King did desire to marry his daughter off – to none other that the greatest lord of Europe, the Emperor Charlemagne.

Charlemagne had never seen this daughter, but he had heard of her. He had not asked for her, and when the King of our story sent messengers to Charlemagne telling of the daughter’s perfect hands, and her perfect feet, and her perfect eyes, and her perfect lips, Charlemagne was not moved, and did not call for the daughter.

The King of our story would not relent. He built a great army, not with which to attack Charlemagne, or to attack his neighbors, but to wage war on his own kingdom, to gather together a great dowry, a dowry that would compel Charlemagne to marry the King’s daughter. Every soul in the kingdom was stripped of wealth, every coin, every jewel, every trinket and every ornament was seized. Hundreds upon hundreds were put to the sword by the king’s army, until at last the people relented and brought everything they owned of value to the King. And all this that was brought was gathered together and loaded onto a line of wagons that reached from the eye to the horizon. In this my friends, I tell the truth.

Now the King did not put his daughter at the front of this line, but instead he put her in the largest wagon, at the very end, that Charlemagne might see all the treasure the King was sending and his heart would be softened. And so the mighty horde began its way north, over the Alps, and into the empire of Charlemagne.

Now, while the King had waged war on his own kingdom, he had not thought about the Church, or what was due to God. When the good fathers saw the devastation that had been wrought upon Lombardy, they devised a plan. Charlemagne was a very holy man, and if it became known to him through what sins this daughter was presented, no amount of gold would soften Charlemagne’s good heart. So they sent a party of three men, who reached Germany before the King’s wagons. Very quietly and very cleverly they gave Charlemagne a dream, in which Charlemagne saw all that had passed, and all that was passing.

When Charlemagne woke, he gathered together his closest men and rode south – and in the mountains, he turned back the monstrous horde, and the daughter also, refusing even to look upon her. He refused her my friends, however beautiful she might have been, for what value does a woman have if a man must sell his soul to have her?

And Charlemagne leveled a great curse upon the gold, that it should be lost forever, and that whosoever came into possession of the gold would fall, and their kingdom with them.

Now, it is said that the gold never returned to Lombardy, that a great storm drove the wagons into the highest mountains and that every soul that had tried to bring the gold to Germany had perished, and the daughter with them. But there are those who say the gold must have returned to Lombardy, for the King was the last King of Lombardy, was he not? But where is the gold, my friends, where is it? For you may ask of every family in that ancient Kingdom, and they will recall none of it ever having returned ... and you can ask of every other kingdom, but they never saw any gold. And in the end, as we well know, when the King did fall, it was by the hands of Charlemagne’s army, and it was Charlemagne who was give the title Rex Langobardorum, the King of Lombardy. There are those who say Charlemagne took the gold, and the kingdom both – but we know, don’t we my friends. We know where the gold is!”

And at this Valerio points his finger to the highest mountain. “There, it is there! And woe to him that finds it!”

Late Evening, Altdorf

2010-02-25T06:40:00.000-08:00

Friday, May 30, 1650

The road winds down and down through steep mountains, finding its way along another river than the one you left behind, fording the river again and again in the narrow valley. As the sun drops below the tops of the mountains, the peaks glisten, turn golden, then bronze, then a dark coppery red as the valley darkens with dusk. While the sun has not yet ‘set’, it is an hour below the tops of the mountains before you arrive at Altdorf. The picture is legitimate, and close to what you’d see (except the street lights) as you came into town.

The recommended Inn, the Chamois, is a sprawling, massive chalet of three stories, with two balconies, with hearths, on the top floor, each with spectacular views of the valley. It will cost a g.p. per person per night to stay there – and rooms are scarce. Only one is available. There are many lights, and the odor of a brewery nearby, and apparently a gathering upon one of the two balconies.

Afternoon, A Fork In The Road

2010-02-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Friday, May 30, 1650.

The party awakes, gathers itself together and begins to move down the road into ever thickening forest. By noon, you come to a place where a guard post and gate has been built, to take a toll upon the road. The toll is a silver piece per person and 3 c.p. per wheel (which is 1 s.p. for a wagon, 6 c.p. for a cart). Animals are let by for free.

Soon after the toll gate, the party will come to a fork in the road. The left fork reads, "To Zug." The right fork reads, "To Chur."

Pre-Dawn, Down the Furka Pass

2010-02-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

Friday, May 30, 1650

It is a race, but the party does get over the top of Furka pass an hour before sunset. As it happens, the route down proves as difficult with the carriage as the route up, as the horses must be used to check the uncontrolled progress of the vehicle, so it doesn’t get away and roll off the road. Still, the slope is less steep on the far side, and the party makes good progress. It is an hour after sunset when you find a good place to rest, at the edge of the treeline (you could not stop before that point, for reason of the following sentence). You must make a fire (the weather is nasty cold at night up here, and a fire will be necessary for survival), and you will probably eat even though it is late. Sunset is at quarter after nine p.m., so it is not quite midnight when the party settles down to sleep.

I presume watches are set. It happens that when Andrej takes his watch, he hears a distinct sound, close by, that it takes several seconds to identify.

It is Serafina, quietly sobbing.

Morning, Up the Furka Pass

2010-02-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

Thursday, May 29, 1650

As it will take a full day to reach the base of the Furka Pass, and since nothing special happens on that day, we will skip ahead to the day after, to the start of the climb. Please take note and distribute food as necessary.

The party can take charge of a sack of turnips (22 lbs.), and a sack holding 4 lbs. of salt pork, 3 lbs. of gorgonzola cheese and twenty hard, as yet unripe pears, all from Serafina. She's happy to eat whatever the party eats. There are the two kegs - not barrels, I originally said kegs - of ale also, with 12 gallons each. Lastly, Serafina has a 10 lb. sack of a strange fruit, which Delfig is not likely to have ever tasted; Andrej might have had one or two opportunities in his journeys, and Avel would remember them from his boyhood in the Crimea. We call them 'apricots.'

With full bellies, the party may begin their climb. It is arduous, of course, but not immensely so - Andrej and Delfig are familiar with mountains, and Avel too ... though perhaps none quite so high. The journey is, nevertheless, uncomfortably long. The day is cloudy, fairly cool, which the party realizes by the afternoon is a blessing. The road switches back and forth, back and forth, ever higher, until all and sundry are certain that the road will climb right off the top of the mountain and directly into the clouds. Andrej is reminded of stories of Purgatory, which is a mountain that is not climbed until every sin is paid for.

He is wondering what sins he is paying for now, as the sun edges towards three in the afternoon, hoping the top of the pass will come soon so that spending the night at the top will not be necessary. As it happens, at this moment, Andrej is in front of the party. The carriage has slid, and been adroitly braked by Avel, whereupon he's back pedalled some twenty yards. Delfig fell back with the carriage (to avoid being run over), while Serafina was able to press against the mountain and let the carriage slide by.

Now Avel is resting the horses for five minutes, and Andrej sees it is done well and there's no need for him to rush to calm the animals. And besides, it is a steep twenty yards, and Andrej has already climbed it ... going down will mean climbing it again. He is tired, and not immediately anxious to do so.

(Which is not to say the character couldn't go down ... only that he's experiencing the exhaustion that naturally comes from wearing out the body).

In any event, there is a very pleasant looking rock to Andrej's right. He is likely eying it, to sit down, when a sound comes that is not rock scraping upon rock. It is, however, scraping.

Mid Afternoon, Sion

2010-02-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, May 27, 1650

All is bound up, packed, made ready and set to go. The town clock has not yet struck 3 p.m., the sun promises three hours of daylight and Serafina is anxious to make way without waiting another day.

She is uncertain of which direction to proceed, however; down the valley, in the direction by which the party arrived, or up the valley, up river to the Furka Pass, the route directly to Zurich. The pass is 7,992 ft., and may still be deep in snow even this late in the year, though that is not likely, as it has been a warm spring. It would almost certainly be a shorter journey.

Serafina will leave it up to the party.

Very Interesting

2010-02-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

This change in template has been implemented upon discovering that I can, in my place of money earning, post comments on my other blog. As such, this blog has been reformatted to suit.

I am not strictly certain that this will work.

Don't let the similarity confuse you.