The Colony - Turn 42 - Coastal Highway

Start Date: August ?+4, early morning
Start Status: Coast ho!
Start Location: Lost

Adventuring: Rennard, Jinx, Mendel, Aaron, Maarek, Xon
At the Tulip: Adrienne, Brigg, Hagan, Kessel, Smoke, Zenobe

The Turn

The explorers set out along the flooded river and make good time now that the rain has stopped, reaching the coast shortly before noon. The river they're following pours down a narrow valley into the ocean, spreading a brown stain out into the choppy waters. The heavy forest extends to the coast, which is demarcated by steep slopes leading down to rocky beaches that are just a few yards wide. The elevation offers a good view out over the water, which is sadly lacking in sails. The group catches sight of a small island to the east and another coastline (island or mainland) to the northeast.


With food in short supply, the party makes camp early and puts some effort into hunting and gathering. Xon, Aaron and Jinx head into the woods to try and scare up some game while the others gather wood for a signal fire and scout along the shore for any potential food.

The hunting party finds a target quickly, a gigantic shaggy creature that is methodically stripping leaves and branches from trees. A volley of musket, blunderbuss and pistol fire bring the creature down, and the trio spends several hours cutting apart the huge carcass (the thing must have weighed close to a ton). They make a travois to haul the meat and return to camp in the late afternoon with close to 300 pounds of meat, all they could transport.

The coastal scouts also meet with some success. They find a fruit tree bearing a sweet harvest of pears and a few vines growing along the cliffs that have long orange pods filled with dense, earthy-tasting flesh hanging off them. They sample small amounts of each and suffer no ill effects. The group also spots a large school of fish out in the water, but they're out of reach.

August ?+5

With the food situation in hand, at least for a few more days, the party cuts up and smokes meat, working in shifts throughout the night. Aaron uses levitate before dawn to try and spot any distant light sources. He does not spot any, and the dim light limits how far he can see other features, although he does pick out what can only be the conical shape of a volcano on the island to the east. He recalls the captain of the Rose of the Sea mentioning a volcanic island north of New Kavlin. This confirms his feeling that the group is north of the city.

The group heads south along the coast, keeping the shore in sight. The dense woods and a number of small streams and ravines slow progress, but they make good time. They pass another hilly island off the coast as they walk. After about 10 miles of travel, the woods thin out and then start getting soggy. The coastal cliffs have dropped away here, leaving a salty marsh filled with tall reeds and unfamiliar trees. They break through a final clump of forest and come upon another rain-swollen river.

OOC: Seems like a good place to stop. The food you gathered on the coast provided you with plenty of food, although it's unlikely to last all that long given the short time you had to prepare/preserve it. Add up to 20 days regular rations to your kit.

Meanwhile, at the Tulip

Adrienne and Brigg return from their trip to Vinehold and head for the Vine manor in town. It's near dark by the time they get back to New Kavlin, and the house is locked up when they arrive. Brigg asks the guards on the gate about the Silverstream incident and the whereabouts of the mercenary captain that lead the expedition. The guards (after a few silvers exchange hands) indicate he rents a room in Splitway and frequents the Silver Bell Tavern. The pair thank the guards and head down the hill to find the Silver Bell. The captain is easy to find, he wears a now-familiar cloak decorated with the Vine seal and is one of the only people in the place wearing armor and a weapon. Most of the crowd appears to be merchants and craftsmen.

The pair approaches the captain and explains their purpose. They offer to buy a meal (both are starving after their day on the road) in exchange for the captain's tale. He gives his name as Dunvel Woring and agrees to tell the story, provided the pair keep quiet about its source.

His account adds little to what the pair already knows, although he did observe that the so-called miners didn't seem to bleed like normal men would. He also detected a strange odor, harsh and dusty, but attributed it to the creatures' origins in the depths of the mine. He did not see the weird creatures the others reported, but he did get a good count of foes. At least 20 enemies came out of the mines. The original mining party was only 12 men.

When Brigg asks about plans for dealing with the mine, Woring shrugs and says, "We're mercenaries, not monster hunters. I've informed Lady Vine that this falls outside our contracted duties. I expect she will be hiring someone to investigate further."

The dinner conversation then turns to more common topics, and Woring mentions the discovery of a fresh wreck along the southern coast, a naval frigate from what he's heard. There were no survivors found, but perhaps they're wandering in the wilderness. After dinner, the pair takes their leave and returns to the Tulip.