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Post by monstermike on Oct 28, 2010 19:38:18 GMT -5
Far in the western reaches of the country, well beyond prosperous farmland, is the small Village of Dead End. Nestled in the foothills of the Brokenback Mountains, Dead End is home to about 1000 hardy souls who eke out a hardscrabble living on run-down farmsteads. There is not much to the town. A dusty main street is surrounded on either side by a few prominent buildings and some of the better homes, all built of clay brick and sun-bleached wood.
Each of you carries a crumpled copy of the advertisement you saw in your home village. It reads:
“Heroes, Adventurers, and Mercenaries Wanted! The Village of Dead End needs You! We have need of a posse of Hardy Fighters, Clever Wizards, and Crafty Rogues to rid us of a Bad Element in our town. Significant bounty money in GOLD for the persons that Kill or Capture Salazar the Sorcerer. Meet Sherriff Cogburn at the Sherriff’s office in Dead End by sunset on the 3rd day of Fourmonth to be considered for this amazing opportunity!”
Today being the 3rd day of Fourmonth, each of you set out at dawn for the day-long walk from Hicksville, the nearest decent town to Dead End. Throughout the day, you encountered one another on the dirt wagon path, found that you were all going to the same rendezvous, and formed your party.
Now, with the sun only a hands-breadth above the horizon, you walk into the dusty village. A dog barks in the distance. A wind-vane creaks on the roof of the stables. You can hear hum of subdued conversation and faint music from the saloon. About halfway down the street, you see a light on in a tiny adobe building. The peeling sign above the door reads, “Sherriff – Burn Barrel Permits Issued Here”
As you approach the door, it opens and the light from the room casts into silhouette a tall, rangy man outrageously dressed in dark cloth breeches, a checked shirt, a leather vest, a brown flat-topped broad-brimmed hat, and a red kerchief tied around his neck. His calf-high leather boots have pointed toes with silver tips, and are elaborately tooled. His weapon belt shows the hilts of two silver-inlaid saxes in speed-draw sheaths. He grimaces at the group, then squints and drawls, “Welcome to Dead End, Pilgrims. You sure took your sweet time a gettin’ here and you don’t look like much, but I reckon you’ll have to do.”
He opens the door to a plain room with a single desk and a small number of wooden chairs. At the back of the room is a single jail cell, occupied by a loudly snoring man. The smell of his drunkard’s breath pervades the room. Seated on the edge of the desk is a lanky, bespectacled wizard, who rises when you enter.
“This here,” motions Cogburn to the wizard, “Is Mr. Smythe. He’s Mayor of these here parts. He’s going to explain the situation we got us here, and then, if y’all ain’t too yellow, I’m going to deputize y’all.”
After introductions are made, Mr. Smythe says, “Thank you, Rooster. West of here is Rag Mountain. Long ago, it was a home to cave trolls who made our lives miserable. Later, after the cave trolls were cleared out, several different groups of prospectors attempted to mine it. They found modest amounts of gold, but couldn’t make the mine pay off because it cost them more to mine it than it was worth. For many decades now, the mine has been abandoned. But over the last several years, there has been new activity at the mine. A large fortress has been built at the mine entrance, and shepherds and hunters have seen goblins, orcs, and even some trolls in the area around the mine. We know that a powerful sorcerer named Salazar is behind all of this. This is all based on whispers and innuendo, you understand, but putting the intelligence all together, here is what we know:
1. Salazar is operating the mine again
2. Dwarves have been disappearing from the mountains since the mine has been in operation, we assume he is kidnapping them to use as slaves in the mine.
3. He is using the gold to purchase magical items to increase his power, and we know that he has made three such purchases, and is building up his supply of gold to make a critical fourth purchase.
4. There are rumors that once he acquires the fourth item, he will make a military move to take over all of the territory west of Hicksville
Now, we are but a tiny village on the outskirts of nowhere, and our property tax revenues are next to nothing. We simply don’t have the resources to deal with this threat. However, we don’t want to end up as slaves to a madman working in a mine either. So if you agree to go into the mine and kill Salazar and his minions, you can keep whatever you find as our bounty to you.
Tomorrow morning, we can stop at the blacksmith’s shop to pick out weapons and armor, and the dry goods store to choose supplies and sundries, on credit of course. For tonight, you have comfortable rooms at the inn, also on credit. The town of Dead End will bill you for these expenses once you return from the mines.
Well, that’s about it. I guess the only thing left to do is the deputization ceremony. Sherriff, would you do the honors?”
“Y’all are hereby deputized. Now let’s see if I can find those badges…”
Game Time 4/3 1800
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Post by monstermike on Oct 29, 2010 12:15:10 GMT -5
After the briefing with Sherriff Cogburn and Mr. Smythe, you all head over to the Inn for some rest and relaxation. The locals welcome you warmly, and the barkeep runs a tab to be submitted to the village. Through supper, you regale the local villagers with exaggerated or completely fictional tales of your past exploits. Afterwards, realizing that tomorrow could bring either riches and glory or a grisly death, you are all in a manic mood to celebrate what may be your last day alive. The ale and wine flow freely throughout the evening.
Knowing that you will have an early start, you all head to your rooms, quite drunk, around midnight.
At 5:30, Sherriff Cogburn is there to wake you up. "We're burning daylight, Pilgrim!" he yells as he douses Bitsa with a ewer of cold water. Bitsa looks around, wiping his face with the bedsheets and notices that is is still quite dark outside. The sherriff wakes Aonghasan by putting a live rooster in his room, which pecks and scratches the elf and flaps and crows at him until he rises groggily from his bed. "Let's go, goat-boy!" he shouts at Panagiotis, banging the haft of one of his daggers against the bottom of a copper night jar.
You and the other members of the party (OOC: who will be joining us shortly, I'm sure) drag your sore, throbbing heads out of your beds and into your clothes and follow the Sherriff down the street to the Blacksmith/Armorer as the sun begins to peek over the eastern horizon.
The blacksmith is a capable dwarf named Trronus. Looking at the selection of arms and armor in his shop, you can tell that he is a master of his craft. He has all the ordinary selection of daggers, swords, bows and crossbows, hafted weapons, spears, and polearms at standard prices. He also has the full range of armor and shields available at the usual prices, and a few unusual weapons in a jumbled pile at the back. He bids you to take your pick, and keeps a careful tally of your selections.
"Oh yeah, an' we're having a BOGO special on arrows," Tronus says. "Buy one quiver of 24, get one extra arrow free!"
(OOC: Choose your weapons and armor from whatever version of T&T you have, and post your selections in this thread by noon Sunday. We will use damage dice, STR and DEX requirements, weights and costs from the tables in the v. 7.5 book, even if it disagrees with whatever resource you have. If you want to fight with a weapon in each hand, you may. But you have to meet the total STR and DEX requirements of both weapons. You can fight with a two-handed weapon, two one-handed weapons, or one one-handed weapon and a shield. Of course, you can always switch between a shield and an off-hand weapon if you wish. Wizards are limited to daggers only for off-hand weapons.)
Your move (selecting weapons and armor) due by noon, Sunday, 10/31.
Game time 4/4 06:00
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2010 13:05:29 GMT -5
Pan goes directly for a long trident, then tucks a massive chopping knife into his belt almost as an afterthought.
"One for when they're right under hoof," he says, patting the kukri, "And one for when they try to run."
He completes the outfit with the top half of a suit of scale armor, once he's worked out how arrange it to work around the odd angle of his legs.
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Post by gaptooth on Oct 30, 2010 15:57:27 GMT -5
While traveling along the dirt wagon path to Dead End, 'Nasan keeps his eyes peeled for a sturdy "walking stick"-- something that seems like a suitable medium for the Hocus Focus spell-- it wouldn't hurt if it could be used as a shillelagh or staff in a pinch --but that's not his main concern.
- SR on Luck to find a stick: 4+5+17 = 26 - SR on Intelligence to examine a stick if I find one: 1+6+20 = 27 - SR on Intelligence to cast Hocus Focus if I find a suitable stick: 6+1+20 = 27
During the briefing, 'Nasan slouches disinterestedly in a corner, fixing his hair with his gazed fixed in a small mirror. He's really probing the story for associations with his fields of study-- has he heard anything about this Salazar character, the mine, or the local history through his occult lore studies?
- SR on Intelligence + Loremaster talent: 4+4+20+6 = 34
Waking in terror the next day, 'Nasan finds the hen on his pillow, and scrambles away from it shouting incoherently: "Gaaaaah! My hair! Get this beast out of my hair! Basilisk! Coc-katrice! Barnyard animal!"
Finally, he catches it under his pillow-case and throws it out the window, but not before upsetting all the furnishings in his room and wrecking the place up. Conscious of the gritty life of a chicken, an animal capable of walking in its own poop, most of the ruckus is his panicked attempts to avoid contact with the animal and its moltings, and to keep it away from his stuff.
Dressing, he asks the innkeeper about a hot bath, perhaps with some salts and perfumes to ease his shattered nerves.
---
For weapons, 'Nasan picks out a Sax and a couple Dirks for throwing-- also, a Staff Ordinaire or quarterstaff if he couldn't find a sturdy stick on the path earlier. When he hears about the BOGO offer, he pauses to examine the light crossbow. "Sir, does the special offer apply to bolts for this as well?
- SR on Charisma + Savoir Faire talent: 5+2+20+5 = 32
He looks at the Banded Mail and shudders-- "Armor is so beastly. Why can't they make this in my style?" He holds it up to himself alongside the Cuirboille, and sighs: "Banded Mail, it is. At least I can cover it up with my cloak."
Edit: Fixed the name of a certain mythical animal that was rendered incomprehensible by the cuss filter.
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Post by ProfGremlin on Oct 31, 2010 1:31:00 GMT -5
Bitsa comes to a sudden and wet awakening. Wincing at the unexpected deluge and the subsequent shrieks interspersed by rooster crows followed shortly by the dull repetitive pong of metal on pan from the rooms next to his, Bitsa slowly dries himself off and gets dressed.
The light footed hobb nicks downstairs through the dimly lit common room and to the kitchen. Checking to make sure no one's about he quickly snags a heel of bread, a wedge of cheese and an apple which is stowed away in a pocket. Quietly munching the bread and cheese he waits for the others near the inn door.
Bitsa follows along as the others, led by the insufferably cheerful sheriff, make their way through the morning twilight towards the town forge. Having made the acquaintance of the master-smith Trronus, Bitsa begins to wander about looking for something to catch his eye. He's never had such an opportunity before and wants to make the most of it.
Bitsa takes his time and finally settles upon a nicely tooled sax, a blackjack, and a well-designed sling and pouch of sling bullets. Having selected his weapons, the hobb begins to look over the armor. Since Bitsa doesn't want to be overly weighed down he decides that a darkened tunic of heavy leather will do the trick nicely.
Having made his selections, Bitsa works the tunic over his head and settles it in place. Over it he belts the sax and pouch of bullets and sling. The blackjack he keeps in his hand flipping and twirling it in a manner that bespeaks more than passing familiarity.
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tenkar
1st Level Troll
Posts: 11
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Post by tenkar on Oct 31, 2010 17:28:05 GMT -5
Tenkar pushed back his throbbing headache as he picks thru the weapons. He pulls a hafted axe of the walls and give his grunt of approval, quickly finding a Dwarven spike shield to go with it.
After shoving a katar (dagger) into his belt he stumbles over to the armor. He finds himself a full suit of mail that is more or less his size.
"Alright, once the room stops spinning I'll be ready."
Then as if he suddenly remembered a forgotten thought, adds "Da ya' think I need one of them crossbows on the wall there?" to no one in particular.
"Eh, can someone hand me the light crossbow and some quarrels? I'ma bit short on my reach, and parts of this room aint been standin' still yet".
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Post by monstermike on Oct 31, 2010 23:55:11 GMT -5
Trronus takes a few minutes to tally up your purchases with a goosewing quill, ink, and parchment. He sands the parchment, rolls it up, and hands it to the patiently waiting Sherriff.
Pan has found a suit of scale mail that fits well on his upper body, and some quick dwarven modifications by Trronus turn the lower half into something comfortable and protective for the satyr. Gesturing to his trident and kukri, he jokes to his companions that he now has a knife and a fork.
Trronus spends some time with Tenkar getting his armor adjusted just right. "Ae wish ae was goin' wi' ye, laddie!" Trronus growls, jerking a strap. "Learn 'em right proper, it would." (Jerk) "Teach 'em some manners." (Jerk). "Filthy goblin scum." (Jerk). "Thar ye be! No go an' do right for Dwarf-kind with me blessing!" This last with a strong thump on Tenkar's mail. Tenkar tries not to wince as he smiles back at the feisty dwarf.
To 'Nasan, Trronus says, "Nay, still 10 quarrels for 5 GP, same as allus." 'Nasan finds a fine-grained ash quarterstaff intricately decorated with carved diamond patterns that matches his considerable height and fits like it was made for his hand. He carries it to an out-of-the-way corner of the cluttered shop and tries a hocus-focus spell on it. (L2 SR INT Success - 14 AP - Cost 8 WIZ - See new post in house rules!!). Although he finds the banded mail distateful, after admiring himself in it in a full-length mirror, 'Nasan decides that he can make even _that_ look good. As he admires himself, he takes a moment to ponder his studies of occult lore for any information that may be relevant. (L1 SR INT Success using Occult Lore Talent - 8AP) He recalls two facts. The first is that a hero named Tallinoor succeeded in ridding Rag Mountain of trolls several hundred years ago, but died in the attempt. The second is that a librarian at the Occult Lore Library often complained of a wizard _named_ Salazar who checked books out and never returned them. Books on the properties of materials, alchemy, metallurgy, demonology, engineering, chess, and recreational mathematics.
Bitsa and Owynn seem to be satisfied with their acquisitions, so Sherriff Cogburn drags everyone from Trronus's Armory to the Dry Goods and Sundries store right next door to it.
The proprietor is an elderly man named McGuckin, with a wild spray of white hair growing from his ears, but none on his head or face. Clearly, he has opened up his shop early by special request of the mayor just so this party can equip itself. He carries every possible item a delver could need. "If we don't have it, you don't need it. That's our motto, he he. But we are run a bit low on first aid kits. Only one left for each of yas."
(OOC: A first aid kit has enough stuff in it to be used 5 times. In this game, each use will heal 1D6 of CON. Can only be used once after each combat sequence. There are no second-aid kits)
Some of the items in his shop include:
Clothing of every possible type Bow Saw Chisel Crowbar First Aid Kit Grappling Hook Hammer Hoe Pitchfork Shovel Sledgehammer Wooden Mallet Woodsman's Axe 10' pole Backpack Belt Pouch Bound book Large Iron Box Small Iron Box Chalk (10 pc) Large wooden Chest Small wooden Chest Dwarven Matches (100) Dwarven Steel Pen Flint and Steel Ink (2 oz) Iron Spike (10) Lantern Lockpicks (set of 3) Small mirror Flask of Oil Parchment (10 sheets) Quill Pen Arrow Quiver (holds 20) Bolt Quiver (holds 20) 50' Hemp Rope 50' Silk Rope Large Sack Small Sack Scissors Steel Needle (10) Tinder Box Torch Water/Wine skin Wax Candle (10)
"And if yas need somethin' special, I'll look in back and sees if I gots it." McGuckin tells the group.
Your move (select equipment) due by noon Nov 2. Game Time 4/4 07:00
Edit: Changed 'Nasan's Hocus-Pocus spell to 2nd level ("powered up") since his SR allowed it. This changes WIZ Cost, AP, and how long the staff will last. See house rules).
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kwll
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 236
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Post by kwll on Nov 1, 2010 13:02:19 GMT -5
Ever since his arrival to Dead End, Owynn spends most of his time scratching his head. The league of strange adventurers which has assembled to answer the call of the local sheriff seems somewhat odd to him, starting with the intimidating goat-man (or is it man-goat?) and the shrieking wizard.
He is not sure if this troop will be sufficient to accomplish anything good, like for example the mission at hand. He tries to convince himself, however, that whatever happens, he will be able to sneak out of any bad situation -- as usual. And if things go well, he will be richer than he is now, if anything at least with the equipment graciously offered by the sheriff himself!
In Trronus's shop, he quickly picks a broadsword, a tower shield and a sax. He send goes to chooses a cuirbouilli full armor that suite his size. And after a short reflection, he adds a javelin to the lot.
Next, when facing McGuckin, aside from the first aid kit, he settles for a backpack, a lantern, a couple of flasks of oil, flint and steel, a silk rope, a grappling hook, 10 iron spikes, hammer and a water skin. While packing everything, he asks: "Is there something also arranged for food?"
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tenkar
1st Level Troll
Posts: 11
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Post by tenkar on Nov 1, 2010 18:38:28 GMT -5
Tenkar starts to pick thru the inventory available: "No need to write nuttin', so I can pass on that stuff. Hmmm... large sack, torch, wine skin, bolt quiver, backpack for all the shite, some chalk, spikes, hammer...tinderbox... ack, 50' of silk rope. Oh, and the belt pouch. By the gods, I shoppe like a woman!"
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Post by ProfGremlin on Nov 1, 2010 22:40:09 GMT -5
Bitsa's eyes rove over the shop and it's contents as the loose-knit group enters. His eye's light upon a nice set of lock picks on the shelf out of the way. At McGuckin's words the hobb picks up a well constructed back pack and crosses to the shelf the lock picks are on. As he passes the shelf the picks disappear. One of the first aid kit's McGuckin mentioned finds it's way into Bitsa's pack as does a flint-and-steel and a tinderbox. Looking over the items Bitsa considers and then adds a pack of chalk and a pack of charcoal along with a ball of twine. Trusting to his night vision, and that there will be torches in an active mine, Bitsa passes on the torches and lanterns but picks up a flask of oil.
Bitsa then stops to look over the selection of general purpose tools. He thinks back over his training and then ties a coil of silk rope to the outside of his pack. In the bottom of the pack he lays a collection of iron spikes, a stout hammer and a crowbar. Not sure if he'll need it Bitsa shrugs and adds a grappling hook. A small mirror, a waterskin and a grey-green reversible cloak round out the hobb's selections.
Hefting the pack, Bitsa sighs inwardly. A bit heavier than I'd like but who knows what I'll need in a mine... Hearing the tall human ask about edible provisions Bitsa looks up and adds his voice, "Aye, that'd be nice. Also, d'ya happen to have a map of the mine? I'd prefer to know the lay of the land as much as possible."
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Post by gaptooth on Nov 2, 2010 0:12:10 GMT -5
'Nasan goes straight to the ten-foot pole aisle and browses these most excellent implements. "I don't want to touch anything if I can help it," he mutters to himself, hoisting one. He absorbedly gathers the following supplies: * First Aid Kit * Grappling Hook * Backpack * Belt Pouch * Bound book * Dwarven Matches (100) * Dwarven Steel Pen * Ink (2 oz) [Only if required by the steel pen] * Lantern-- light for reading and writing * Small mirror-- "Just in case mine gets smudged and I need to adjust my hair." * Flask of Oil * Parchment (10 sheets) * Bolt Quiver (holds 20) * 50' Silk Rope * Small Sack * Water/Wine skin [to fill with water at the earliest opportunity] * Wax Candle (10) 'Nasan will also inquire about a mule and saddle bags if no torch bearers or lackeys are available for hire (see OOC thread). Edit: Only one 1st Aid Kit
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2010 7:49:32 GMT -5
Pan collects a coil of rope, the iron spikes, some belt sacks and the chalk. "Something for when one of us falls down a hole, something to carry the loot, and something to mark the way back out."
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Post by gaptooth on Nov 2, 2010 11:00:09 GMT -5
'Nasan also looks around for provisions, which weren't on the big list. He's heard too many stories about people being trapped underground and eating each other.
Glancing surreptitiously at the other delvers, he quips "As sweet as I look, elf flesh is certainly too salty for your palates. Besides, where would you be without your loremaster?"
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Post by monstermike on Nov 2, 2010 11:44:59 GMT -5
Tittering to himself, McGuckin tallies up the bill and hands it to Sherriff Cogburn.
"All right, then," he says, his eyes widening slightly at the bill. "There's a bite of breakfast laid out for you back at the Inn. While you fellas stuff your pie-holes, I'm going to go talk to the butcher and see if I can dig up an old map of the mines."
He leads you back to the Inn where they have indeed laid out a bite of breakfast. There is bacon, ham, eggs, crusty baguettes, kippered herring, stacks of pancakes, a variety of fruit, hot coffee and tea, and juice. The food is delicous and you are all sharp-set after your early start and long morning of selecting your gear.
As you are mopping up the last dribbles of egg yolk from your plates, the Sherriff returns with Mr. Smythe and a hulking youth.
"Taking care of you boys is turnin' into a real job of work for me," the Sherriff grunts. "All right. This here is Herman. He's the butcher's boy and he's lookin' to earn a little extra money. He's none too bright, but he's a strong lad and he does what he's told. He doesn't know nothing about fighting and his pa says he can't even hold a cleaver without cutting himself with it. I explained the situation to his folks, and they said it was all right if he went along to carry some of your gear. They understand the potential danger here, so they want 25 gold pieces a day for his wages - not so much for the work as for the risk he's taking. In addition, they want a 5000 gold piece bond against his safe return. If he comes back alive, you redeem the bond at full value. If he doesn't come back alive, it's theirs and you pay it out of yer loot. Dead End has posted the bond and will pay him a day's wages up front, if you want him."
He looks directly at Aonghasan, "If you want him for your personal bearer, I'm holding you personally responsible for the bearer bond. Understand?"
(Herman's Stats: STR: 16 CON: 14 DEX: 8 SPD: 11 INT: 7 WIZ: 10 LK: 12 CHR: 9. He looks to be about 16 or 17 years old.)
"Next order of business," Cogburn says, "Maps. We ain't got any. But I talked to old Thigby Wallace who was the last person who tried to mine for gold in there about 50 years ago. He's gettin' up there in years and his memory ain't so good, but he spent a lot of time in that mine. He says the entrance is on the eastern face of the mountain and back when he was operating in there, there was a decline shaft that went down into the mountain about 1000 feet. This ain't no straight-up-and-down shaft you understand. It's like a ramped tunnel going down into the mountain toward the west. They would walk down it to the mining areas along it and haul the ore back out of it up the ramp with a mule-drawn cart. The first level of mines was about 500 feet down this shaft and never really paid out. Thigby had started a new level of mining about 500 feet further down the shaft, but he had to quit when he broke his leg. He figured that the decline shaft could have been extended further for a third level of mining, but he didn't think it was worth it because the rock there changes from gold-bearing rock to a bunch of softer stuff with seams of coal in it."
Here, the Sherriff paused to pour a cup of coffee. "As far as things stand now, we know that the fortress on the east side of the mountain covers the mine entrance. There's a big cone of slurry coming out of that fortress on the south side, and a big smokestack coming out the top of it that's always smoking, so we think they are processing the ore somehow right there in the fortress. Thigby guessed that maybe they dug down deeper along the decline shaft and are getting coal for smelting on a third mine level."
At this point, two servants from the Inn come in and start laying out parcels on the sideboard neatly wrapped in paper. "I asked the Innkeeper to fix up some provisions for each of you. You got some smoked ham, cold roast chicken, hard-boiled eggs, bread, cheese, apples, and some dried fruit in each packet. Should be enough to get a couple of meals a piece from it. But we figure they gotta have some way of feeding everyone in the mine too, so after this is gone, you'll have to be on your own for food."
(The food parcels are all the same, there is one for each of you and one for Herman if he comes along. They weigh 20 wu each.)
"Finally," the Sherriff says, "Mr. Smythe has got something to say to y'all." Tired from his long morning of playing nursemaid, the Sherriff sits down at the dining room table and fixes a little breakfast for himself from the leftovers still out on the table.
Mr. Smythe adjusts his spectacles and says, "I just wanted to thank you all on behalf of the hamlet of Dead End for ridding us of this menace." He waves his arm in a blessing motion across the group, "Go forth with my blessing, and good luck to you all."
Game time: 4/4 08:00
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Post by monstermike on Nov 2, 2010 12:14:43 GMT -5
The Sherriff finishes his breakfast while the group makes their final preparations to depart. In a few minutes, everyone is ready. The Sherriff says, "I'll give you all a ride in the wagon up the hollow a ways. It will save you a few miles of walking."
Outside, he has a crude buckboard wagon hitched to two horses. You load your gear and climb in, trying to find a comfortable way to sit. "Whiskey! Water! Gyahh!" he shouts with a flick of the traces.
The wagon rumbles out of town and climbs into the foothills. The road is rough and very narrow in places. It soon joins a small stream and follows it up into Brokenback Hollow. Ever climbing, the road crosses back and forth over the stream in a few places via poorly maintained plank bridges.
After about an hour, the wagon stops. You are well past the foothills and into the mountains. To your west is a dome-shaped mountain roughly 3000 feet high. You can see the fortress about a mile away on the side facing you, its smokestack belching black coal smoke.
The road forks here, with the Brokenback Hollow road continuing ahead, wrapping around the north side of Rag Mountain. Another road branches from it to your left and continues toward the fortress. You can see it zigzagging up the steep slope the last several hundred feet toward the structure.
"This is as far as I go, fellas," Sherriff Cogburn says. "I'd love to go in with you, but somebody has to stay behind and issue the burn barrel permits." You all climb stiffly out of the wagon and drag out your gear.
As the Sherriff backs his wagon around to point it back down the hollow, he says "Good luck to you fellas. I'll see y'all back in Dead End when you have this little job finished. Well, most of you. Maybe. Adios!"
With that he whistles and flicks the traces and heads back down the trail.
Do you want to take the road straight to the fortress or continue around the north side of Rag Mountain? Discuss it among yourselves in the Table Talk forum and post your moves by noon on 11/4.
Game time: 4/4 09:00
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