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[Cheesecake]

You have fur armor, a spear with dire bear-claw tip, a rucksack containing meat and a waterskin. You could probably find all the things your looking for in the forest with a decent roll.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Hurrah! My plan would work!

...And I don't even need to improvise a moss-rather-than-cloth torch!

Improvise and light a torch, after finding a stick, a rag/moss, an animal for its fat (also keep the meat, hide, and other useful bits--waste not want not!) and a couple pieces of flint or somesuch to light it. Make a few such torches if possible/practical. Also keep an eye out for other useful stuff. Or Gnar.

[Cheesecake]

To answer micelus' questions:

Questions:

1.Crusades? Explain please.
2. Biomagic arms. What is the general technological levels of the setting?
3. Non-humans. How common?
4. Setting's view on slavery, genocide?

1. There have been three Crusades. The first is when humanity first invaded this world, which they have named over the years The Land. Humans are not native here, and hail from a far more advanced world. This was a thousand years ago, and through the course of a millennium, their technology has regressed. When they first arrived, they met two deity-like beings: the High Father and the Wild Mother. Humanity was split between the two, but the men who sided with the Wild Mother have gone into hiding.

The Second Crusade was the war against The Land's second invaders: the demons. The demons managed to invade The Land, looking for their lost gods, The Master and The Beast (who are actually just the High Father and Wild Mother) The war lasted for 500 years, ending only a hundred years before the start of this story. The demons were beaten and they fled, but some stayed and their magics have lingered and poisoned The Land.

This Third Crusade is one started to reclaim The Land and colonize and explore the continent of the Barrowlands. Humanity has suffered a hundred years of famine and plague, and their hope lies in the Crusaders and the settlers.

2. The technological level of the setting is mostly medieval fantasy, but with lots of strange tech left over from when humanity first arrived. The Monastery is searching for many of these old technologies, and the use of it is revered as magic. How it works has long been forgotten, but the techniques of utilising and using magic has been retained by the Church.

3. Many sentient non-human races have been wiped out or sent into hiding. The only other sentient race that remains relatively powerful are the Fey, which consists of elves (which Gnar is), fairies, and beastmen.

4. The settings views on slavery and genocide are generally looked down upon. The laws of the High father strictly uphold the unity of humanity, so civil war is basically heresy and slavery is blasphemy. There are, however, serfs and a caste system. Serfs are basically slaves with some rights sprinkled on top. Genocide is allowed as long as it is not against humans.

[Harry Baldman]

All this fanfare was quite upsetting for Hans. He did not entirely like being exposed like this. All the cheering and joy and whatnot, it was actually a little distressing. Fortunately, it did not last for too long (or it at least subsided a little after a moment), and now it was time for something he was more comfortable with - being actually useful.

Check up on the people I have with me. How many in total, how many are healthy and in fighting shape? What supplies are available?

Finally, what's a Plagueskipper? What do I know of its biology, habitat and other things?

[Cheesecake]

Chapter I: Betting Starts Now

Hans Weissman/Harry Baldman:

You start by checking on the settlers. You ask the foreman for the total amount of settlers. He tells you that the group consists of 50 working men, and 40 civilians, mostly their families and some serfs. They are all relatively healthy and strong, but none are well trained in fighting. The supplies are still in their crates and are being unpacked. You then ask him what a Plagueskipper is, but he doesn't know. He tells you to look for the Sage that came along; he's known to be magic-savvy and has a wide knowledge of creatures.

You walk along the camp, where you see the settlers hard at work unpacking the crates and setting up tents and shops. The children are either playing around or helping the men lift the crates. An old woman waves you over to her tent, and she greets you with a smile and a loaf of warm bread.

"Here, sonny. As a thank you."

"A thanks for what? I haven't done anything yet."

"You've given us hope. That's worth more than bread, but it's all I can offer."

You thank the lady and take the bread. Gained bread. You continue walking towards the hut where the Sage is resting at. You call into the tent and an old, raspy voice invites you inside.

"Morrow, Sage. I've come to ask for help with a beast known as a Plagueskipper."

The man's eyes are closed, but he raises an eyebrow. "Ah, a Plagueskipper eh? Been a while. I was part of te Elimination Party when te Crusade was over. Those buggers were 'ard ta kill, I tell ya. Their amphibious beasties, like frogs. They've got'em a nasty bite, but te real pain kicks in after te venom's in ya. They're as big as a cow, but don't let te size fool ya. They're as fast as an 'are being 'unted by 'ounds."

He also warns you that they are also surrounded by smaller venomleapers, which are basically the same but smaller and weaker. With that, you leave the tent and thank the Sage.
Jonathan Markson/GreatWyrmGold:

You decide to prepare for the cave, as the dark will not favor your eyes. You take a large stick from the ground and the moss from the trees. You look around for an animal, and you spot a rabbit. You impale it with your spear and skin it for the fat. Gained rabbit's fur, fat, meat, and bones. You can't find flint, but you manage to get a fire going by rubbing some sticks together. You now have a fire! Gained torch.

You try to make some more torches, and you manage to make another two torches. You keep an eye out for something useful, but nothing of note catches your eye. You do find some sharp stones, however, which you can use to throw. Gained two torches and 5 throwing stones. Gnar is gone, however.

You can now see the cave and the stream running down from it, which is a strange green. You also see the campfires and hear the commotion of loud talking and busywork.

"Humans..."

[Harry Baldman]

This Plagueskipper sounded like it was more trouble than it was worth, honestly. There was really only one thing for it, actually.

Have the people of the village band together and dig out a well to check if the groundwater is poisoned. Even if the Plagueskipper wasn't here, the river wouldn't be safe to drink from, anyway.

Once the order is given, take ten working men and instruct them in self-defense to the best of my ability - accentuate the ability to fight with improvised weapons and tools if cornered and the wisdom to run and hide from things you can't possibly defeat head-on.

[sjm9876]

((Do these bets go in the thread or via PM?))

[Cheesecake]

You can do it either way.

[Ghazkull]

Quôth leaned back watching his fellow Gamblers at the table. His face a mask he decides to put down the first wager.

I bet that the Crusader will lose at least 5 of his Settlers to the Plagueskipper

[GreatWyrmGold]

Have the people of the village band together and dig out a well to check if the groundwater is poisoned. Even if the Plagueskipper wasn't here, the river wouldn't be safe to drink from, anyway.

...Where does this logic come from? Running water is cleaner than just about any other natural source of water you're liable to find. Well, when there isn't a giant monster involved.


Enter the cave, cautiously and quietly, holding a torch in one hand and my spear in the other. Prepare to turn around and run if something too big and deadly to deal with is there.

[sjm9876]

'Only five? Pah. I raise you to ten.'

Feros grinned wolfishly.

[Harry Baldman]

...Where does this logic come from? Running water is cleaner than just about any other natural source of water you're liable to find. Well, when there isn't a giant monster involved.

Rivers are rich in fecal pollution. You can't trust river water, particularly since we are going to be using it for our sanitary needs anyway.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Isn't the town in question right by the source of the river, though? Just put the baths downstream of the places people get water.

(And yeah...that fact works better when people aren't dumping sewage into the running water...)

[Harry Baldman]

Isn't the town in question right by the source of the river, though? Just put the baths downstream of the places people get water.

(And yeah...that fact works better when people aren't dumping sewage into the running water...)

Besides, I suspect the aforementioned form of pollution is something the Plagueskipper practices as well, and the pollution probably won't disappear immediately after it dies, so we'll need the well anyway, provided the groundwater isn't poisoned, which is also important to ascertain.

[sjm9876]

(( Aren't you two meant to be competing ))