Talien takes out his plate and utinsils and scrapes them together a few times for noise and hand them to Shake.
Shake plays with the items a little and manages to make out something of a tune. "Why thank you Talien. That is extremely thoughtful of you. Also, it is a very good reminder that music is all around us and comes from a myriad of sources, many of which we may overlook." He then puts the items in his bag.
"Do you hear that?" Arxius asks. She heads towards the noise.
Perception check: 11
Sure enough as you continue traveling you come to the top of a hill which reveals a river below. You believe you are about a days ride from this point to Mirabar now.
There's two ways to Mirabar now.. cross the river and take the Blackford Road or follow the river on this side and the outskirts of the Crags where you will meet tougher terrain and perhaps more monsters.
An icy river flowing through the Valley of Khendrun to Mirabar, then Luskan and out into the Sea of Swords.
Blackford Road
This trade trail runs east from Luskan to Mirabar. The road is named for a little-used ford across the River Mirar that allows travelers to avoid Luskan should they wish. Caravan masters have many other names for the road, none of them flattering: Auril’s Ride, the Stygian Road, Ol’ Frozenfinger, and the Dead Yeti Highway, to name a few. Where the road spans the Black Raven River, south of Raven Rock, stands a stone bridge with broken statues of rearing horses at each end.
How difficult does the crossing look here? What's entailed and what appears to be our risk/reward analysis?
If we continue on this side in the harsher land, will we still have to cross the river later (if we would even know)?
You are asking the right questions :)
"If we continue on this side in the harsher land, will we still have to cross the river later (if we would even know)?"
If you continue on through the outskirts of the crags you will eventually run into "The Long Road" which goes to Mirabar. There will be a bridge that crosses the river.
The Long Road, one of the North’s busiest trade routes, begins at the gates of Mirabar and continues for hundreds of miles southward through the Dessarin Valley, meeting the High Road just north of Waterdeep. Many towns and villages lie along the route and depend on the relative safety that the Long Road provides for caravans and other travelers. Unfortunately for those travelers, the road is far too long to be defended properly along its entire length, and attacks by bandits, barbarians, and monsters are all too frequent in some areas.
"How difficult does the crossing look here? What's entailed":
Mirar River:
An icy river flowing through the Valley of Khendrun to Mirabar, then Luskan and out into the Sea of Swords. The river travels down from the Spine of the World and through the Valley of Khedrun, until finally ending in Luskan.
The river here is wide and slow moving. You judge it to be about 900feet (300 yards) from bank to bank. The nearest bridges are to the south way out of your way or north near Mirabar. The river is glacial melt from the Spine of the World.. so it will be cold.
"What appears to be our risk/reward analysis?"
This ones on the group... you don't know what lives in the river... but you can guess what's going to be in the Crags lol.
I don't know about the rest of you, but swimming with all of our gear is something I would rather avoid. I vote for traveling along the river bank until we come to the road and the bridge.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
What's the weather/season? It's one thing if it's summer, another if it's winter.
It's currently the 11th of Summertide, 1495 DR. It was warmer in the south, but you've noticed the weather has become cooler the further north you have traveled.
You pick a decent looking campsite with a few trees just north of your location along the river bank. The night brings chill air down from the mountains and you wake (rested), but chilled. Your eyes stick a bit as they open to the sun peaking out from over the nearest peak.
You eat breakfast and pack up your gear and horses once again. You follow the river for a few miles when you spot a few deer drinking from the shore.
"Heading into colder territory, it would not be bad to have extra food or pelts," Arxius says quietly, watching the deer. "We could perhaps sell them too."
Take the shot if you want. We can always dump it as a distraction if we encounter more hungry beasts.
But I’m not sure we want to spend the days needed to preserve the hides and the meat. If we’re more than a couple of days out from civilization, then it’s probably better to eat what we need, save our rations, and leave the rest for scavengers.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
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Shake plays with the items a little and manages to make out something of a tune. "Why thank you Talien. That is extremely thoughtful of you. Also, it is a very good reminder that music is all around us and comes from a myriad of sources, many of which we may overlook." He then puts the items in his bag.
Shake - Fenris Worldsbane's Tales From the Yawning Portal: Sunless Citidal
Randy Doe - Water Deep: Dragon Heist
My Thingiverse Profile
"Do you hear that?" Arxius asks. She heads towards the noise.
Perception check: 4
Arxius, Elven Simic Hybrid Ranger in Tales from the Yawning Portal
Yeah. Mirabar is on the river. Hopefully we navigated well enough that we're not too far.
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
Sure enough as you continue traveling you come to the top of a hill which reveals a river below. You believe you are about a days ride from this point to Mirabar now.
There's two ways to Mirabar now.. cross the river and take the Blackford Road or follow the river on this side and the outskirts of the Crags where you will meet tougher terrain and perhaps more monsters.
Mirar River
An icy river flowing through the Valley of Khendrun to Mirabar, then Luskan and out into the Sea of Swords.
Blackford Road
This trade trail runs east from Luskan to Mirabar. The road is named for a little-used ford across the River Mirar that allows travelers to avoid Luskan should they wish. Caravan masters have many other names for the road, none of them flattering: Auril’s Ride, the Stygian Road, Ol’ Frozenfinger, and the Dead Yeti Highway, to name a few. Where the road spans the Black Raven River, south of Raven Rock, stands a stone bridge with broken statues of rearing horses at each end.
How difficult does the crossing look here? What's entailed and what appears to be our risk/reward analysis?
If we continue on this side in the harsher land, will we still have to cross the river later (if we would even know)?
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
You are asking the right questions :)
"If we continue on this side in the harsher land, will we still have to cross the river later (if we would even know)?"
If you continue on through the outskirts of the crags you will eventually run into "The Long Road" which goes to Mirabar. There will be a bridge that crosses the river.
The Long Road, one of the North’s busiest trade routes, begins at the gates of Mirabar and continues for hundreds of miles southward through the Dessarin Valley, meeting the High Road just north of Waterdeep. Many towns and villages lie along the route and depend on the relative safety that the Long Road provides for caravans and other travelers. Unfortunately for those travelers, the road is far too long to be defended properly along its entire length, and attacks by bandits, barbarians, and monsters are all too frequent in some areas.
"How difficult does the crossing look here? What's entailed":
Mirar River:
An icy river flowing through the Valley of Khendrun to Mirabar, then Luskan and out into the Sea of Swords. The river travels down from the Spine of the World and through the Valley of Khedrun, until finally ending in Luskan.
The river here is wide and slow moving. You judge it to be about 900feet (300 yards) from bank to bank. The nearest bridges are to the south way out of your way or north near Mirabar. The river is glacial melt from the Spine of the World.. so it will be cold.
"What appears to be our risk/reward analysis?"
This ones on the group... you don't know what lives in the river... but you can guess what's going to be in the Crags lol.
What's the weather/season? It's one thing if it's summer, another if it's winter.
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
I don't know about the rest of you, but swimming with all of our gear is something I would rather avoid. I vote for traveling along the river bank until we come to the road and the bridge.
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
It's currently the 11th of Summertide, 1495 DR. It was warmer in the south, but you've noticed the weather has become cooler the further north you have traveled.
But not hypothermia cold if we did decide to cross?
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
Let's travel north along the river..
It's towards it destination and we can try and find a safe place to cross maybe even a bridge
Grombrindal "The White Dwarf" (Dwarf - Wizard) - Fenris_Worldsbane's Tales from the Yawning Portal
[I agree with going further north to a proper bridge]
Arxius, Elven Simic Hybrid Ranger in Tales from the Yawning Portal
It's glacial melt, like hypothermia educing even in the summer.
Sounds like we have enough votes with the comment in the private thread to continue along the river bank until you find the bridge.
Do you stop for the night and make camp? It's almost dark. It's relatively open here, but along the river is as good as place as any.
I think we're still stopping for the night to avoid exhaustion. Pick a good camp spot, set watches, and see what happens overnight.
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
You pick a decent looking campsite with a few trees just north of your location along the river bank. The night brings chill air down from the mountains and you wake (rested), but chilled. Your eyes stick a bit as they open to the sun peaking out from over the nearest peak.
You eat breakfast and pack up your gear and horses once again. You follow the river for a few miles when you spot a few deer drinking from the shore.
whispering:
How are our rations? Do we need meat?
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus
"Heading into colder territory, it would not be bad to have extra food or pelts," Arxius says quietly, watching the deer. "We could perhaps sell them too."
Arxius, Elven Simic Hybrid Ranger in Tales from the Yawning Portal
Take the shot if you want. We can always dump it as a distraction if we encounter more hungry beasts.
But I’m not sure we want to spend the days needed to preserve the hides and the meat. If we’re more than a couple of days out from civilization, then it’s probably better to eat what we need, save our rations, and leave the rest for scavengers.
"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth." A Camus