Leaving Ashmont

November 5th, in the year 670 by kingdom reckoning

The weather is turning cool and there is frost on the ground.

The air is practically buzzing with excitement as you break camp and pack up your belongings. Alis asks a thousand questions about where you're heading next and what the plan is. Rethas is no where to be found until right before you get ready to leave and he stumbles into camp with bloodshot eyes and a haggard look. He climbs into the wagon and meets any questions with harsh words and a glare.

You ride throughout the day and you meet many caravans of peasants moving in and out of the city. Everyone is cheerful enough except for one wagon, loaded down with cargo, that comes up behind you. The driver is a surly man who yells "hey, get that eyesore off the road you idiots! We're passing!" It's about 1 in the afternoon and you are on a bare stretch of ground. The road is wide enough for one wagon but you could pull off easily enough to let them by.

The Last Week in Ashmont

You settle into the routine of life and for a time, things are easy. You make a little coin, you spend it on ale and food, you put on a few pounds. But somewhere deep inside you, the need for adventure grows. It starts slowly as you inspect a weapon and imagine running it through a kobold. You find yourself growing jealous of those dirty, exhausted souls who stumble into the tavern late at night and holler for ale. When you practice with your weapons or contemplate using spells, you find a renewed desire to use them in the heat of battle: to release yourself to the wild and see where fate takes you.

It is during one of these sessions of contemplation that the scribe assigned to your guild, a small mousy man with a tuft of white hair on the top of his head, approaches you. Your scribes name is Wilfred Withers, but you've all taken to calling him Willy, to his great consternation.

"Sir, I posted the offer to transport goods or persons in the Guild Hall and have received several offers.

First, a caravan of animals and three wagons is requesting a guard from Ashmont to Bushwick. They are offering 1500 gold up front.

Second, a rather wealthy family wants you to transport their son to the military academy in Formby. I informed them that you might be looking for multiple jobs and they insisted that he be your only charge. They offered to pay 1000 gp in Ashmont and insure another 1000 gp when you reach your destination.

Third and finally, a merchant who wishes to remain nameless offered you 1500 gp to transport a wagon of goods to his associate outside of Bushwick. He would give no other information and insists that you provide the wagon. I fear his goods won't fit in your wagon, if you are to supply yourselves as well.

In addition, I regret to inform you that you have been censured by another adventuring guild called the Riptide Rangers. They have been telling anyone who will listen that you are "a no good crew of two-bit hustlers" and "the worst thing to happen to Ashmont since the ogre uprising." Their leader, a Lars Dran, holds himself in highest esteem and obviously wishes to steal business from you."

(I've moved us forward to the beginning of week 8. Feel free to post your activities from the past weeks and ask for any clarification.)

Ashmont, Week 2

September 18-24 by Kingdom Reckoning.

It's a busy week for the party and everyone gets a lot done. You find yourself slipping into a routine very quickly and it's nice to have some time to enjoy labor for the sake of labor. It's also nice to have a bit of time away from the harrowing life of an adventurer.

Kring sees a man he thinks was a former gladiator's trainer but he fades into the crowd before Kring can get a better look. Kring is sure the man didn't recognize him though.

Shade hears rumors of one of the town magistrates, a Lord Algais, is dying of an incurable infection. His wife is advertising a handsome reward for the doctor that cures the man.

Everyone else has an easy week.

What would you like to do?

The City of Ashmont, Week One

September 11-17 by Kingdom Reckoning.

You camp on the outskirts of the city, outside the walls and wake early in the morning to the bustle of a throng of people entering the city. Peddlers and peasants, traders and travelers, con-men, clergy and ordinary citizens are all making their way to the town's Southwest gate.

If you wish to enter, you must pay the gate toll.

If you are entering the city, tell me what you'd like to do and I'll reply. Same if you don't want to enter.

If you are spending a week doing something, let me know and we'll figure it out.

Again, a list of things to do in town:

You can buy supplies. All mundane items, potions and scrolls are available. Magical Items are also available so let me know what you're looking for and I'll tell you if you can get it. There are craftsmen who could be commissioned to make other magical or non-magical items for a price.

You can carouse for xp. Roll a d6 and pay the result times 100 gp for ale, food and pleasant company. Gain that as experience points and then make a Fort save to see if you made any enemies or got anyone pregnant in your inebriated state.

You can do magical research for xp. Roll a d6 and pay the result times 100 gp for supplies, books and lab rentals. Gain that amount as experience points and make a Will save to see if you accidentally summoned a demon or burnt yourself with acid.

You can look for rumors. Roll d20 and add 1 for every 10 gp you spend greasing palms. The better your roll, the better the info.

You can sightsee. 

You can recruit hirelings.

What do you give Rethas, do you have any specific instructions for him and do you wish to retain his services?
What do you give Alis, do you have any specific instructions for him and do you wish to retain his services?
What do you give Hamish, do you have any specific instructions for him and do you wish to retain his services?

Onward to Ashmont

September 6-10, in the year 670 by Kingdom reckoning.

You wake up in the morning to a sound you haven't heard in days; birds chirping happily. Before you open your eyes you half expect that the forest will be green again but you are disappointed to see that the landscape is still bleak. The camp rouses later than normal, obviously worn from the previous days' battles and Dolgi especially is impatient to get on the road.

The first day is rough going. Maneuvering the wagon around all the fallen trees and through the rough ground takes time but your horses are strong and eventually around evening you settle into a natural cove in between two hills that offers shelter and some protection from any lurking eyes.

The night of the first day passes without mishap and Thor especially is happy to get a night of uninterrupted sleep.

The second day goes much faster than the first. You make good time and everyone is cheering up at the prospect of a warm bed and something other than trail rations. It is midday before you cross the border into the less ravaged forest and it is a gift to see some green again.

On the second night you camp in a stand of live trees. The fog is diminished here and the fire seems cheerful and bright. On the second watch Kring thinks he sees a floating head again and spends 30 or 40 minutes crashing around in the brush before you settle him down and convince him he was seeing something.

The third day goes much as the second and in the late morning you pass out of the forest and into the plains proper. Draymun actually dismounts and rubs his face in the grass he's so relieved to be out of the blighted forest. The bear also seems happier and the daily training with Draymun is seeing some fruit: when you feed him he doesn't bite your hand any more. You still have to be careful not to walk behind him or he'll growl and bare his teeth.

The night of the third day is cooler, fall is coming. Again the night passes uneventfully and Khazad quietly considers the luck of having a bear accompany the party.

On the fourth day it is cooler still and a light rain begins to fall as you pack up camp. It's a miserable day of travel and you are soaked to the bone when you stumble upon a small Thorp. There is no Inn, but one of the farmers allows you to sleep in his barn, provided the bear stays far away from his livestock. 

The fifth day is also windy and cold, but the rain stops and the air is crisp and clear. You make good time on the road and by evening the open fields give way to cottages and smaller farms. 

The capital city of Ashmont is in sight.