The Elder Continent IC

[cecil1994]

The skies are clouded, that particular brand of overcast that promises rain. Water sloshes playfully against the keel of the Dreamer. And a few meters away, the grey sands of the Elder Continent beckon.

You vaguely feel like there should be storm clouds. The gods, as ignorant of dramatic convention as ever, do not oblige.

But by the grace of said gods or the your windworn captain, the Elder Continent splays out before you. The mouth of the river Elon (named by past cartographers) starts here- a gaping fifty-foot channel parting the Field of Once. A meadow of bloodred poppies, sister sea to the one that brought you here.

It’s spotted with little protrusions of forest- whitebarks, beautiful and towering. One juts upward a stone’s throw from the shore. Its base is obscured by lesser trees, but near the top you can clearly see steps, spiraling up towards the clouds.

It seems fate has smiled upon you so far. But before I forget- welcome to the Elder Continent.

[jakarta]

Big trees may mean big birds. observes the ornithologist aloud, as he calmingly stokes the eagle on his arm.

[Sønderjye]

On the trip

During the trip Violet have been a pleasant addition. Her dancing and playing had brought entertainment in the long boring nights of the trip.

Now

"I suggest landing on the shore rather than sailing up. We don't know what we'll encounter and there is an advantage in having fewer sides to worry about, at least until we have explored more." She says.

"Also, does anyone have scouting capabilities?"

[Obscurejones]

Tentatively leaning over the edge of the deck, Giovanni blanches at the sight of the majesty of nature. Safer certainly from legal authority but increasingly obvious that it would have no hope of being safer in the day to day physical.
"I readily admit that my talents are less exploratory and far more suited to hiding back here on the b-"
Seemingly deciding that her father's reticence has no place here, a brown beswathed blur bolts by, leaping over the edge of the boat and just barely clearing those scant meter between ship and sand, makes a clumsy landing on the shore. A sharp cry of joy can be heard and she's off, running towards the tallest tree. Giovanni hears the words too late in the back of his mind as she flees.
Look! A treehouse!
"...Or we could explore immediately. Excuse me."
The doctor begins looking for some met hoed of conveying himself, lacking as he does the acrobatic folly of youth.

[HappyMerecat]

Kyth

Kyth looks over at this new land. His eyes greedily take in the newness of this place, but his expectations do not end at what he can sense. He wants to learn all this land offers.


"Big trees may mean big birds"

Kyth looks bemused at this comment. "I don't think there is any correlation between the size of trees and the size of birds in a region."


"I suggest landing on the shore rather than sailing up. We don't know what we'll encounter and there is an advantage in having fewer sides to worry about, at least until we have explored more." She says.

"I am unsure what you mean. WHat is the difference between landing on the shore and sailing up?"

"Also, does anyone have scouting capabilities?"

"I have a keen eye."

[jakarta]

Every see a Great Silver Eagle nesting in a weeping willow?

I could send a parrot to look around. He could report on the presence or absence of crackers.

Loosing his eagle, the scientist jumps over the side and tries to catch up with the girl before she gets to the 'treehouse'

[Othniel]

Meredith

Rolling her eyes at the antics of the other passengers, Meredith silently watched as the bird man made unsubstantiated guesses, was corrected by the half-elf's more sensible observation, and then continued on about his birds. She laughed to herself inwardly as the child sprang over the side of the ship and made for the trees. Maintaining a quiet and dignified aura of propriety befitting her years, she leaned on one of the ship's gunwales, and looked out over the expansive lands. The urge to take off her boots and leap over the side to swim in the water was strong. She grinned. Perhaps not completely dignified.

"Perhaps we should not simply wander into the trees," she suggested, though not so loudly as those already overboard could hear. If they wanted run pell-mell into unexplored forest and happened to learn the hard way about plants that could make them itch, hidden pitfalls, or territorial animals, well, that was their problem. "No telling what you may find."

"A keen eye will go a long way toward scouting, Master Kyth," she continued, directing her words at the half-elf mage. "And I suggest we unload the ship and set up camp before venturing into the wilderness. Best to prepare a base camp first."

[jakarta]

Violet! Wait!

Looking around. [roll0]

So is Eddie the Eagle [roll1]

[cecil1994]

Violet! Wait!

Looking around. [roll0]


This landscape is distracting at best. You find it hard to focus enough to notice the smaller details, yet happen on one by chance- the underbelly of a thatched roof, high in the whitebark above.


Meredith

Rolling her eyes at the antics of the other passengers, Meredith silently watched as the bird man made unsubstantiated guesses, was corrected by the half-elf's more sensible observation, and then continued on about his birds. She laughed to herself inwardly as the child sprang over the side of the ship and made for the trees. Maintaining a quiet and dignified aura of propriety befitting her years, she leaned on one of the ship's gunwales, and looked out over the expansive lands. The urge to take off her boots and leap over the side to swim in the water was strong. She grinned. Perhaps not completely dignified.

"A keen eye will go a long way toward scouting, Master Kyth," she continued, directing her words at the half-elf mage. "And I suggest we unload the ship and set up camp before venturing into the wilderness. Best to prepare a base camp first."

Khali Lin offers you an appraising look. She rests on the Dreamer's side, and twiddles her thumbs.

"The wisest words said all day. Shelter is our first priority; there's work to be done setting it up, and it's best finished quickly."

At that, she swan-dives into a deeper part of the river. Either you'll get along spendidly or she's a reader.


Kyth

"I am unsure what you mean. WHat is the difference between landing on the shore and sailing up?"

The captain speaks up. It is her ship, after all.

"The Dreamer could head up the river, if need be. But the opinion that we've better things to do is a true one."

Her words lack the distinctive clarity you've grown accustomed to. You'd say she's lost in thought, if Abriana could ever be anything but focused.



"Also, does anyone have scouting capabilities?"

People side-eye Garavel. She nods.



Seemingly deciding that her father's reticence has no place here, a brown beswathed blur bolts by, leaping over the edge of the boat and just barely clearing those scant meter between ship and sand, makes a clumsy landing on the shore.

the sound of collective eyebrow-raising

[jakarta]

Jumps, swims as needed, chases after girl.

[Sønderjye]

Seemingly deciding that her father's reticence has no place here, a brown beswathed blur bolts by, leaping over the edge of the boat and just barely clearing those scant meter between ship and sand, makes a clumsy landing on the shore. A sharp cry of joy can be heard and she's off, running towards the tallest tree. Giovanni hears the words too late in the back of his mind as she flees.

Violet can't help but smile over the enthusiasm.

"Be careful"


"I am unsure what you mean. WHat is the difference between landing on the shore and sailing up?"

"It's as the captain says. If we were to travel up the river we would be exposed to all sides."


"Perhaps we should not simply wander into the trees," she suggested, though not so loudly as those already overboard could hear. If they wanted run pell-mell into unexplored forest and happened to learn the hard way about plants that could make them itch, hidden pitfalls, or territorial animals, well, that was their problem. "No telling what you may find."

"So what do you suggest that we do instead? We need to enter the forest at some point and our rations won't last forever. Carefully of course"


Violet! Wait!

"Yes?", Violet asks with a raised eyebrown.

[Obscurejones]

Having located the dinghies Giovanni attempts to enlist the help of a few longshoreman. Or even midshoreman. Hells, any sort of shoreman would do. He casts his thoughts out as the small craft lowers to the water.
Dear, if you could at once both slow down, and not allow that bird brained miscreant to catch you I would appreciate it.
Turnning to give a little jaunty salute the bandaged figure begins to serpentine through the fields, zigging and zagging.

"Yes?", Violet asks with a raised eyebrown.

"I believe our resident ornithologist has co opted your name for his own purposes. Namely to try and arrest my daughter's attention. I wish him all the luck." It's remarkable really how a large amount of linguistic training allows a person to inject sarcastic tone into their speech. Particularly into the word ornithologist.

[jakarta]

Cornflower, Sweetie...We shouldn't go off alone. We don't know what is out here yet, so we should explore as a group.

[Sønderjye]

Violet sends a smile in the doctor's direction and shake her head.

"Alright then. All of you who are skilled at scouting let's scan the nearby forest, don't hessitant to call for help if needed. The rest work on unloading the nessesities. I'd like my oxen down first and will have them stay near the forest in case something comes at us." Despite the words being orders, Violet's tone manages to communicate them as suggestions.

"Captain, is there any disadvantaage in having the ship just ankered here?"

[cecil1994]

"Captain, is there any disadvantage in having the ship just anchored here?"

Abriana frowns. She doesn't take her eyes from the water, but she does answer.

"Yes. I brought us in at high tide, and we're as close as we can get. It should help in unloading. But we'll beach as soon as the tides change, if we don't move."


"Alright then. All of you who are skilled at scouting let's scan the nearby forest, don't hesitate to call for help if needed. The rest work on unloading the nessesities. I'd like my oxen down first and will have them stay near the forest in case something comes at us." Despite the words being orders, Violet's tone manages to communicate them as suggestions.


Having located the dinghies Giovanni attempts to enlist the help of a few longshoreman. Or even midshoreman. Hells, any sort of shoreman would do. He casts his thoughts out as the small craft lowers to the water.

The twin ship's tenders are lowered to the water. One is filling with the adventuring sort- Garavel, Joel, Gareth- while the other is being loaded with tents and fenceposts and livestock and a singular cauldron. Lucasinho is squeezed behind a sheep.

[HappyMerecat]

Kyth

"Ah, up the river." Kyth nods.

Kyth scans the shore as best he can.

Perception [roll0]

[cecil1994]

Kyth

"Ah, up the river." Kyth nods.

Kyth scans the shore as best he can.

Perception [roll0]

The beaches of the Elder Continent are grey as Gandalf. Some pithy sailor had named its sands "tombstone dust"; to your eyes, they are beautiful.

You see nothing else.

[Othniel]

Meredith

After awaiting her turn to be brought ashore, Meredith stood not far from the growing pile of supplies and peered into the forest. She rested her hand comfortably on the pommel of her blade, but was otherwise motionless. A statue.

Perception: [roll0]

[cecil1994]

Meredith

After awaiting her turn to be brought ashore, Meredith stood not far from the growing pile of supplies and peered into the forest. She rested her hand comfortably on the pommel of her blade, but was otherwise motionless. A statue.

Perception: [roll0]

The meadow is a peaceful one. There's the occasional deer, rabbit, fox, or songbird, but they're giving you a wide berth.

The only outlier (within eyesight, at least) is the towering whitebark. From here you can clearly see the steps circling it- and the tiny hut they lead up to, perched between a junction of the trunk.



By now everyone has disembarked. Tents are being raised, the livestock are grazing amongst poppies, and land is being staked off for a preliminary farm. The more adventurous (and foolhardy) sort has searched the nearby lands- returning with firewood, some blackberries (cleared as edible by the dwarven twins), and a faint expression of disappointment. Nothing is wrong, here.

The whitebark is yet unscaled. By an unspoken decision, no one approached it until the local region was scouted.

Your move, says the Elder Continent.

[jakarta]

(Mobile doesn't want to access color control)

"Perhaps we should introduce ourselves before getting too settled. " Orville suggests looking upat the tree house. "With a whole continent here it is easier to move a bit than to squat on kand that may already been claimed. Save trouble in the long run.

None the less, with pauses to document bird sightings and calls, he joins in with planning the locations for the duck pond and a series of rotating flock yards/gardens.

[jakarta]

That night at the dinner campfire, Dr. Raptor mentions hearing several bird calls during the day, mimicking them and asks if anyone has heard any owls yet. He takes careful notes of any comments made about birds from the others into a small notebook. He then retires to his tent to 'transcribe his notes'.

He does actually do a bit of transcription while waiting for most of the others to sleep, then changes into his softest and darkest clothes. He sharpens and blackens his daggers, slips his bird watching notepad into his pocket, and slips out the back of his tent.

If challenged he will say he is merely documenting the nocturnal fauna.

He steals towards the base of the tree with the tree house, checking for traps as best he can, and observes from the base.

After several minutes of 'casing the joint', he slowly works his way up the stairs......

(GM may make rolls as appropriate)
https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1238841

[cecil1994]

The good doctor vanishes into the night. Everyone else is basking in the warmth of the campfire, asleep or swapping tales. They do not notice his passing.

The whitebark isn't far from camp. From the base, Raptor cannot see anything but the steps- swirling far above. He begins the climb.

And stops, seventy feet up. There's movement within the foliage. His dagger is halfway drawn when

"Stop, stop, it's me!"

The voice is an angry whisper. It belongs to the archeologist, Khali.

[jakarta]

In a not angry whisper..."Find anything interesting?

[cecil1994]

"No. I'm on the way up, not the way down."

She pauses.

"I wasn't going to steal anything, either. But I'll be damned if I let some halfwit swimmer get my glory."

[jakarta]

"Swimmer?"

[cecil1994]

"Abriana. Our beloved captain is leading the search of this tree tomorrow, despite the fact that I'm the archeologist. Would I tell her how to steer her boat?"

She grumbles something unintelligible.

"Whatever. Let's see what this whitebark's got."

[jakarta]

Leaning close to her ear. More beloved than halfwit,
and this is more current than ancient...but then, I'm just here looking for owls. he finishes in a self-sarcastic tone. Stay behind me. Without giving her time to respond, he passes and begins creeping upward again.

[cecil1994]

The doctor climbs further up the tree. Khali follows behind, glaring daggers into his back.

The moons are well overhead by the time the staircase ends. The view is incredible- endless, glimmering oceans, and the mountains of the north. From here, the campfire is a fallen star.

A thatched hut sits in a junction of the trunk. The door is firmly closed, but you can hear it shudder at the wind's touch.

[jakarta]

How old does this look? Signs of recent activity?

After giving a "Stop. Wait." hand signal, and making eye contact so she can't pretend she didn't see it, Raptor starts to gingerly search for traps/trip lines/creaky boards on the landing before the door.

[cecil1994]

Khali rolls her eyes, and pulls a thin monocle from a pocket. She holds it up to her eye.

As for Raptor, all he can tell is that it is very, very old. In stable condition- it doesn't appear to be in any risk of collapsing- but weathered. The boards will creak. This is inevitable.

But the landing appears perfectly clean. Aside from the thick layer of dust coating what the wind couldn't scour.

[jakarta]

Raptor looks back and gives a smile and an exaggerated "be my guest" gesture to wave her past if she wants.

[cecil1994]

Khali rolls her eyes again. She slides a gilded crossbow from her back, and crosses the landing- wincing at the creaks.

The door inches open at a push. The interior is cozy, with a bedraggled cot in one corner and a telescope in another. It stares out an open window, peering at the mountains to the north.

A desk takes up the southern wall. There's an inkpen on it, next to an elderly map.

[jakarta]

Anything in the cot?

[cecil1994]

Anything in the cot?

A torn quilt, with the motif of a stepped pyramid stitched into it.

"No signs of life or magic... this place has been long abandoned."

She's peering through the telescope. It's quite ornate.

[jakarta]

We should see what it is aimed at in the morning.
Let's check the desk.

[Sønderjye]

Violet goes over to study the map.

is getting an actual map a possibility?

[cecil1994]

The inkwell has long since dried. The map, though, grabs both of your attentions- as does the set of thieves' tools in a drawer beneath it.

http://i.imgur.com/iY7rIKt.png

[cecil1994]

Violet goes over to study the map.

is getting an actual map a possibility?

Yes! I made one this morning, and it should make timeskipping scouting much easier. But (unfotunately) only Raptor and Khali are in the treehouse. Other events will be forced to have more players, I just wanted to get the ball rolling.

[jakarta]

No danger, glory, nor owls here. Let's leave these to be discovered by us all in the morning.

[cecil1994]

Khali taps the monocle against her chin, looking thoughtful.

"Wise. But one thing-"

She pulls up a loose floorboard and slides the map into the crevice.

"Best to let them think I'm perceptive."

She heads back down the tree.

[jakarta]

Raptor takes his turn at eye rolling, then follows her down.

[cecil1994]

Morning comes.

As bleary-eyed colonists stumble out of their tents, they're met with a welcome sight- coffee! Abriana has a kettle boiling over the fire. She doles it out to the sound of grateful murmurs (and the vague coughing of "reciprocal negotiation"), and then morning begins.

"Alright. We need to get the lay of the land- both to find a suitable building site and to ward off and any ambushes. Which includes scaling that.

She jabs a thumb at the whitebark.

"Any suggestions?"

[HappyMerecat]

Kyth

Kyth looks up at the whitebark.
"I recommend you start at the bottom and work your way up."
"Unless of course, you can fly."

He whispers something to the thrush on his shoulder who begins to fly towards the crown of the tree, stay close to the foliage in case of danger.

Flyt's perception [roll0]

[cecil1994]

The songbird departs. It returns shortly, spouting a few quiet clicks and gurgles.

"Astronomical equipment! A way to see the stars!

The hut is deserted. Nothing to fear, and nothing to fear the others getting their hands on."

No one else pays the bird much attention. Charn speaks up.

"I, for one, find this a terrible spot for the new colony. Easy access to the waterfront, sure, but so exposed! Surely there is a more defensible locale."

Lucasinho smirks. The man hasn't said much this trip, except to argue with Charn.

"Feel free to climb the whitebark and look for yourself. Which I will be doing, in fact."

[jakarta]

The brew is much appreciated Captain.

[Othniel]

Meredith

"Good morning, my hearties." Meredith was as buoyant as ever that morning, having rousted a slothful and yawning Gareth with the dawn to break her fast early. She settled down upon the ground with her cup of coffee and a nod of thanks to the captain. "We're to be exploring today then?"

Survival to predict the weather: [roll0]
(Predict the weather up to 24 hours in advance. For every 5 points by which your Survival check result exceeds 15, you can predict the weather for one additional day in advance.)

Aaand that's a fail. :smalltongue:

[cecil1994]

The brew is much appreciated Captain.

She nods. It's quite good for free coffee.


Meredith

"Good morning, my hearties." Meredith was as buoyant as ever that morning, having rousted a slothful and yawning Gareth with the dawn to break her fast early. She settled down upon the ground with her cup of coffee and a nod of thanks to the captain. "We're to be exploring today then?"

Survival to predict the weather: [roll0]
(Predict the weather up to 24 hours in advance. For every 5 points by which your Survival check result exceeds 15, you can predict the weather for one additional day in advance.)

Aaand that's a fail. :smalltongue:

"Yes. We have- about 2 months of stored food?"

One of the dwarven twins pipes up.

"56 days. We can stretch it to 70 with proper foraging."

"Mm. Right. Best to scour the area and set up a few temporary farms before that can happen."

With hexes being 12 miles, there is a lot of terrain to explore. You're currently in the meadow hex above the first whitebark- after searching the treehouse, where to next?

[Obscurejones]

"Wherever we establish a base camp I'd like to set up a clinic. I can treat most injuries in the field, but I'd prefer not to. I have a certain selfish desire to keep my patient survival rate high. Terribly vain of me, I know."
As her father speaks his daughter peers at the tiny talking Bird delightedly. Burbles a nonsensical stream of melodic sounds at it, not dissimilar from birdsong.
Sorry I wasn't about this weekend. Birthday celebrations.

[jakarta]

Perhaps within sight of the river first, and follow each tributary stream for a couple miles. We can set snares and trout lines on the way out, and collect the catch and berries on the way back.

[cecil1994]

"Wherever we establish a base camp I'd like to set up a clinic. I can treat most injuries in the field, but I'd prefer not to. I have a certain selfish desire to keep my patient survival rate high. Terribly vain of me, I know."
As her father speaks his daughter peers at the tiny talking Bird delightedly. Burbles a nonsensical stream of melodic sounds at it, not dissimilar from birdsong.
Sorry I wasn't about this weekend. Birthday celebrations.

Joel smirks at the blatant sass, but the older explorers sag in relief. Proper medical attention could make a world of difference.


Perhaps within sight of the river first, and follow each tributary stream for a couple miles. We can set snares and trout lines on the way out, and collect the catch and berries on the way back.

Garavel smiles at you.

"A good idea. You have my bow."

"AND MY AXE!"

[jakarta]

Raptor whistles the mating call of the eastern upland blue warbler.

And my Eagle! ... I'll bring him along to catch rabbits and grouse for us.


Edit:
Anybody know anything about these poppies? They could be edible or medicinal.

[Obscurejones]

"I can check them for analgesic qualities most common in wild plants."
The daughter attempts to mimic further bird calls.

[cecil1994]

Raptor whistles the mating call of the eastern upland blue warbler.

And my Eagle! ... I'll bring him along to catch rabbits and grouse for us.

"You sure you can keep that thing from just eating the rabbits? Forgive the presumption, but you don't smell enough to be a Druid.



Anybody know anything about these poppies? They could be edible or medicinal.


"I can check them for analgesic qualities most common in wild plants."

Ilia raises an eyebrow.

"I'm... not sure I'm comfortable heading down that road. Opioids are very, very illegal."

The dwarven twins exchange looks.

[Othniel]

Meredith

Sipping her coffee, the Elf watched the others discuss possibilities. "I still think we'd be better off moving further up the river. A more-sheltered location for base camp and closer proximity to what I hope would be our place of breaking ground might do us more good than simply starting on the edge and working our way inward. For one thing, we're far to exposed to storms here."

"I'm... not sure I'm comfortable heading down that road. Opioids are very, very illegal."

"You're no fun at all," Meredith piped up, her eyes twinkling.



Anybody know anything about these poppies? They could be edible or medicinal.
Poppies, poppies! (https://youtu.be/lSiJbhoA8zw?t=30)

[jakarta]

-Eagle/rabbits:
He's trained. After such a long time at sea he may require some retraining, but what ever bits he eats would supplement his rations anyway.

-Birdsong medley: Gives the female territorial call of the Jaded Oriole.


-Poppies: We are the law here. With so few of us I think we can manage. If they are medicinal, sooner or later one of us will need them. If not, then they are grain. We are better knowing, and have nothing to regulate until we know which.


-scouting/ship: After so long on the ship, I don't want to get back on it for a while. But the captain can sail up and down the river for a day or two while we get our land legs back, graze the cattle, pick berries and scout locally. So, shall we see what what we can see from the tree?

[Obscurejones]

"I can run some tests® on them. If they actually have opioid properties... I mean, I'm still going to harvest them. We'd need to regulate them accordingly, as I'm not certain recreational use is a good idea... But it would still be useful. And cultivation is possible without making use of those aspects of the plant."
He makes a shooing notion to the daughter and she scurries off to gather some flowers for testing.
I'm going to speed this up as best I can. :smalltongue:
Know Nature [roll0]
Or, if you think it's more of a chemistry issue
Craft Alchemy [roll1]
Oh, and if I'm wrong about anything my character says... Please, do not tell me in more then 15 words. :smalleek:

[cecil1994]

-Poppies: We are the law here. With so few of us I think we can manage. If they are medicinal, sooner or later one of us will need them. If not, then they are grain. We are better knowing, and have nothing to regulate until we know which.


"You're no fun at all," Meredith piped up, her eyes twinkling.


Poppies, poppies! (https://youtu.be/lSiJbhoA8zw?t=30)


"I can run some tests® on them. If they actually have opioid properties... I mean, I'm still going to harvest them. We'd need to regulate them accordingly, as I'm not certain recreational use is a good idea... But it would still be useful. And cultivation is possible without making use of those aspects of the plant."
He makes a shooing notion to the daughter and she scurries off to gather some flowers for testing.
I'm going to speed this up as best I can. :smalltongue:
Know Nature [roll0]
Or, if you think it's more of a chemistry issue
Craft Alchemy [roll1]
Oh, and if I'm wrong about anything my character says... Please, do not tell me in more then 15 words. :smalleek:


Ilia drums her fingers on the table. She opens her mouth... and closes it, looking pensive. No one else seems ready to object.

The daughter returns. She's filled a basket with the things, red and yellow and crimson.

The funny thing is, the fields of poppies from the Wizard of Oz are pretty much exactly how I pictured this place. Poppies, poppies!

Also, Obscurejones- this will take a while. You'll need your alchemist's lab, at least 20 minutes, and one more Craft: Alchemy check. But good idea.


-scouting/ship: After so long on the ship, I don't want to get back on it for a while. But the captain can sail up and down the river for a day or two while we get our land legs back, graze the cattle, pick berries and scout locally. So, shall we see what what we can see from the tree?


Meredith

Sipping her coffee, the Elf watched the others discuss possibilities. "I still think we'd be better off moving further up the river. A more-sheltered location for base camp and closer proximity to what I hope would be our place of breaking ground might do us more good than simply starting on the edge and working our way inward. For one thing, we're far to exposed to storms here."

"Agreed on all counts. Any who wish to explore the river, the Dreamer will be boarding soon.

But before that- we should scale that whitebark. We've waited long enough."

She draws a blade and walks off without another word. Joel, Khali, and Lucasinho all follow.

[jakarta]

Raptor silently, but not stealthily, joins the rear of the tree exploring party.

[Obscurejones]

Giovanni makes a shooing gesture at the exploratory party as he begins grinding up further poppies.
"Have fun storming the tree."
Craft Alchemy [roll0]

[cecil1994]

Giovanni makes a shooing gesture at the exploratory party as he begins grinding up further poppies.
"Have fun storming the tree."
Craft Alchemy [roll0]

mild timeskip

The treeclimbers have gone and returned by the time Petrillo's tests are done.

There's three distinct types of poppy. The red (most populous) the yellow (sweetest smelling) and the crimson, a rare bloom that glistens with dewdrops like dripping blood. Giovanni isn't sure how long he was staring into them- minutes, hours, days- before his daughter snapped him out of it.

The red is tame. The tests on the yellow were inconclusive. The crimson... returned results that were literally impossible for the tests to generate. He's not sure if alchemy can decipher something so obviously eldritch.

Anyone else who wants to scale the whitebark, speak now. We'll timeskip it for real if no one has something they want to do up there.

[jakarta]

Raptor makes sure to note the location that the telescope is pointing, and looks from the treehouse to see if any streams or landmarks can be made out.

[cecil1994]

The tree-raid passes uneventfully. Khali gets her "aha!" moment, Abriana studies and pockets the resulting map, Raptor eventually wrests away the telescope from the delighted star-priest. It was pointed- oddly- almost due east (with a southerly slant). Nothing that way besides the sea of red.

The only distinct feature he can find is a cove of sorts, tucked between mountains. If there are streams, they're not visible from here.

One by one, the explorers descend. Joel, with the thieves' tools jangling against his belt; Lucasinho, clutching the baroque telescope like his own child; Khali, with the tattered blanket over her shoulders and an expression of vague apathy; Abriana, mind already whirring through the possibilities the map provides. And Raptor. Wondering what the prior inhabitants were hoping to find in the east.

edited: because I don't know directions

[jakarta]

Just a dry inkwell? Nothing written anywhere except the map? What language is the map in?

Raptor points out the cove to the captain.

Any birds in the tree? nests? sleeping bats?

[cecil1994]

Just a dry inkwell? Nothing written anywhere except the map? What language is the map in?

Raptor points out the cove to the captain.

Any birds in the tree? nests? sleeping bats?

You've seen birds flitting between the protrusions of trees, but none of them have let you get close. The tree is entirely deserted.

There's a single nest in it, which you notice on the way down. It's oversized (and entirely abandoned).

The map is barely notated. What it does have, however, are little scripts of barred lines that bear utterly no resemblance to any language you know. Abriana seems as bemused by it as you... but quickly finds the cove on the map when you mention it.

[jakarta]

Can I reach the nest? any feathers? bones?

[cecil1994]

Can I reach the nest? any feathers? bones?

You can reach it, though you get odd looks for climbing after a birdnest.

It's long-forsaken. All that's left is dust and a single bone, which crumbles into more dust at the touch.

[HappyMerecat]

Kyth

"I can help you test the poppies if you like."

Knowledge(nature) [roll0]
Craft(Alchemy) [roll1]

[Othniel]

Meredith

Welcoming those who had done the initial exploring back to camp, Meredith clasped her hands and smiled. "Find anything interesting?" Whether informed or not, she moves to the next matter: What to do next. "As I mentioned before, we should head further up this river, or whatever it turns out to be, land on the north shore, and find an area that has potential: Trees for lumber, rich soil for farming, hills for mining. These are the kinds of things we need to seek out."

[cecil1994]

Kyth

"I can help you test the poppies if you like."

Knowledge(nature) [roll0]
Craft(Alchemy) [roll1]

The second round of testing- aided by a second pair of eyes- goes far smoother.

The yellow is definitely an opium poppy. It isn't as numerous as the red, but starting a farming operation wouldn't be too difficult. The crimson... has some psychoactive effect. It's almost tempting to refine the substance contained inside, just to see what it could do.


Meredith

Welcoming those who had done the initial exploring back to camp, Meredith clasped her hands and smiled. "Find anything interesting?" Whether informed or not, she moves to the next matter: What to do next. "As I mentioned before, we should head further up this river, or whatever it turns out to be, land on the north shore, and find an area that has potential: Trees for lumber, rich soil for farming, hills for mining. These are the kinds of things we need to seek out."

Abriana turns to you, and hands over the map.

"There might be a place that suits your needs. On the north shore, with forested mountains on both sides and easy access to the water. There are more defensible positions and more arable ones- but this is a nice compromise.
"

Her son raises an eyebrow.

"Do you truly wish to mine here? Stone and metal will be needed... but if you want to know what happens when you dig too deep, ask the twins. Their people have a long history of that.

This... won't stop me from exploring the other marked locations on the map, though. We found something useful in this one."

[Othniel]

Meredith

"Of course we should mine!" She almost gaped at the captain's son. "Mining provides revenue and resources we can use to expand the settlement we eventually build."

[jakarta]

So the red poppies are usable as grain? (not sure if this is more ic or ooc, so read it as both)

[cecil1994]

Meredith

"Of course we should mine!" She almost gaped at the captain's son. "Mining provides revenue and resources we can use to expand the settlement we eventually build."

He furrows his brow.

"Do we even have the manpower for that? There are sixteen of us. And quite a few of that number aren't even..."

Abriana cuts him off.

"Enough. Explore now, debate later."


Yep, red poppies would be usable as grain.

[Obscurejones]

The second round of testing- aided by a second pair of eyes- goes far smoother.

The yellow is definitely an opium poppy. It isn't as numerous as the red, but starting a farming operation wouldn't be too difficult. The crimson... has some psychoactive effect. It's almost tempting to refine the substance contained inside, just to see what it could do.



Heading out into the field around their makeshift camp Giovanni begins the process of gathering enough of the crimson poppies to make a proper distillation. His daughter helps, when not distracted chasing after the occasional bird or butterfly.
Not sure what the roll if any would be. If it's just a function of time that works too.

[jakarta]

Talking with the Dwarves: Do these red poppies all ripen at the same time, or will they be available though out the year?

To the Doctors/Chemists What about the sap?
You just looked at the seeds. Any 'milk of the poppy'?

Raptor stays out of settlement site and exploration discussion, having already given his input. He busies himself caring for the birds, documenting local birds, and foraging berries and red poppy seed cases.

[Obscurejones]

To the Doctors/Chemists What about the sap?
You just looked at the seeds. Any 'milk of the poppy'?

Giovanni looks up from his search long enough to answer.
"Certainly possible. At the moment I'm trying to find more of the more potent varietal. It seems... Well, beyond conventional."

[cecil1994]

Talking with the Dwarves: Do these red poppies all ripen at the same time, or will they be available though out the year?

Raptor stays out of settlement site and exploration discussion, having already given his input. He busies himself caring for the birds, documenting local birds, and foraging berries and red poppy seed cases.

The dwarves shrug.

"No idea. We had poppies back home, but none like these."

Raptor returns from his search with a basketful, along with some hastily sketched birds.

[jakarta]

So, who wants to try their hand at making poppy seed and berry muffins?

[Othniel]

Meredith

"Do we even have the manpower for that? There are sixteen of us. And quite a few of that number aren't even..."

"I didn't mean right this instant," Meredith muttered as Abriana cut off her own son. "But eventually."

"So, who wants to try their hand at making poppy seed and berry muffins?"

"That...that sounds mind-numbingly boring," the Elven woman managed. "I think I'm going to go find something to stab instead." She gave Abriana a pleading look. "Can we go now? I have a burning desire to be not here any longer."

[HappyMerecat]

Kyth

"I think we need to focus on the moment for now. Until we know more there is no real point of planning the future."
He looks around at the group.
"I suggest we find a reasonable spot for a base camp, then start to explore the nearby area. Once we have done that we should have a better grasp of what we are dealing with and hopefully found a good spot for our more permanent camp. I suggest for the moment we stick to groups until we get a feel of dangers the area hold for us."

[cecil1994]

Meredith
She gave Abriana a pleading look. "Can we go now? I have a burning desire to be not here any longer."


Kyth
He looks around at the group.
"I suggest we find a reasonable spot for a base camp, then start to explore the nearby area. Once we have done that we should have a better grasp of what we are dealing with and hopefully found a good spot for our more permanent camp. I suggest for the moment we stick to groups until we get a feel of dangers the area hold for us."

"Alright. North of the river, there's a spot with both shore and mountainous defense- if no one has a better idea we'll be sailing for there."

She looks at Raptor.

"Anyone who wishes to explore those lands, join me in the sloop. If they are as advantageous as they look (and the river proves deep enough for the Dreamer) we'll send back one of Raptor's birds. Everyone else, load up the ship, and sail downstream at our message."

[jakarta]

Raptor goes and packs a macaw and parrot rations, a pigeon harness, and writing pad. (a pigeon would just fly back to the mainland at this point. GM ruling pending).

He heads to the sloop.

[HappyMerecat]

Kyth

Kyth also heads to the sloop.

[Sønderjye]

Violet follows along, if possible bringing her two bosons.

[Obscurejones]

The doctor attempts to abstain and keep to his poppy picking, but after a few excited chirps from his beswaddled companion he reluctantly goes to join the exploratory force.

[cecil1994]

The ship's tender slides away from the shore, swaying ponderously under a full load. Oars churn against the current. It's evening before you arrive.

The river beneath you was placid- naught but a glimpse of anything swimming underneath. Still, the voyage is an unfriendly one. Few speak, either caught up in thought or afraid of what voices will bring.

The land before you is anything but.

[Othniel]

Meredith

The swashbuckler was first out of the boat as it touched shore, jumping out and sloshing forward before the boat had stopped moving. She stood peering into the ever-darkening evening and muttered about it being too late to set out. "Best camp here and start first thing in the morning," she told the others. "Don't want to explore unfamiliar lands in the night. I can take first watch."

[jakarta]

"I'll take second." volunteers Raptor, as he starts to gather firewood.

[cecil1994]

There's a slight hill not far from shore. In an hour it's speckled with tents, all surrounding a central fire.

Your rations taste better with the fire's warmth. People are reluctant to leave it- sketching out scouting plans, taking their watch, even sleeping close beside. It burns all through the night.

Second watch heard something odd. Third watch swears they saw eyes in the dark. But morning comes, and everyone slept soundly. Time to explore?

[jakarta]

How does Raptor describe the 'odd sound' to the party?

[cecil1994]

How does Raptor describe the 'odd sound' to the party?

A howling? A crooning? The mating call of some massive amphibian? You don't recognize it, and it dies down quickly.

[jakarta]

Looking around for birds and tracks.