Post by reefwood on Mar 30, 2011 20:55:00 GMT -5
Day 59
A tense night gives way to the relief of dawn. Prayers and breakfast are completed in preparation for a day of hard labor. The dwarves split up into two groups. Some lay the groundwork for the mine while the rest chop down a tree for lumber. Aside from these efforts, the day passes with calm and ease. Later, as the sun sets, the sound of insects rise, but this next night is also uneventful.
Day 60
The work on the actual mine begins. Its width is 15 ft x 15 ft with a slope that extends an additional 10 ft around most of the entrance, and a short wooden fence surrounds the entire workspace. As the dwarves dig, they stop every 5 ft down and place wooden support slats around the mine. By the day's end, the mine is over 20 ft deep.
This night, however, reveals the presence of much more than insects in the vicinity. No danger comes to the camp, but faint growls and snarls are heard in the distance soon after the dusk, and past midnight, those with keen ears pick up on the rustling of underbrush or a disturbance in the water every couple hours, but always well beyond the reach of the campfire light or darkvision.
Day 61
The work of the miners is now somewhat muffled by their depth. This makes it easier to hear the occasional low howl or guttoral bellow. Not quite as distant as the vicious sounds of last night but still considerably further than whatever dared to approach near.
The pace of the work does not lessen, but it takes more time and effort to haul soil and sediment out of the mine as the dwarves delves deeper. They pile it all onto a sturdy tarp with rope affixed at each corner and lift it to the surface. Another 15 ft into the earth, and the expedition leader - Orthur Faldak - suddenly orders everyone out of the mine. And an orderly exit it is. The experienced miners were ready for this. Orthur is the last to make his way up the rope ladder and announces they have nearly reached the tunnels. His sharp nose detected a trace of foul air that burned his nostrils. A sure sign of the noxious fumes that emit from pools and rivers of acid below the surface. Poisoning the air which flows through the seemingly endless network tunnels until it can find an escape. Best to let it seep out slowly overnight through the thin layer of earth and up the mine. This won't clear the tunnels entirely of noxious fumes but should significantly reduce the danger for when the mine is completed in the morning.
Meanwhile, Hunter and Paulson spend the day scouting. Never venturing too far from the camp but well out of sight from any untrained observer. They move into position at a snail's pace, stay low to the ground, and wait for over an hour in each spot. Watching, listening, and piecing together clues hidden in the swamp. They return just before dark and feel confident in their findings. It seems the dracolisks were the dominant predator in this area. Hence the overall lack of activity over the first couple nights and days. However, with their daunting presence removed, other creatures have taken notice. Prodding into this previously forbidden territory and vying with each other for their piece of it. They were unable to find any fresh tracks that correlated with the ruslting last night, but it won't be long before the prodding reaches this camp.
Once the miners have laid down in their tents for a much deserved rest, the expedition leader confers with the Nemedoran officers, “My workers are loyal and brave. They would not be here otherwise. But their work is complete. There is no need for them to join us in the tunnels or be subject to the peril within. Of course, remaining on the surface holds its fair share of danger, so they cannot be left unguarded. Therefore, I would like Sgt. Sweetwater to stay with them. His versatility could prove vital should the need arise to fight or flee.” Orthur then goes on to explain the next leg of the mission...
[OOC: This sums up what has happened during Time Off. The next post will have the details presented by Orthur, but first, I want to see if anyone (even Sahme) has questions about the above info. The basic gist is that danger is drawing nearer in the swamp, but the weaker miners are still better off staying on the surface than going down below, and this gives a good reason for Sahme (and Paulson) to stay behind.
Also, this mission is expected to be complete before the day ends, so it's not like Sahme and the miners will be left alone at night... at least not if everything goes according to plan
Finally, this mission will begin at midnight at the start of Day 62. Anyone who is able to get a full night's rest on this night, will receive an additional (4th) night of natural healing, but this will be handled at the table. And you can choose to begin your rest at anytime, so you can start out at midnight fully rested, somewhere into your sleep, or still needing to lay down.]
A tense night gives way to the relief of dawn. Prayers and breakfast are completed in preparation for a day of hard labor. The dwarves split up into two groups. Some lay the groundwork for the mine while the rest chop down a tree for lumber. Aside from these efforts, the day passes with calm and ease. Later, as the sun sets, the sound of insects rise, but this next night is also uneventful.
Day 60
The work on the actual mine begins. Its width is 15 ft x 15 ft with a slope that extends an additional 10 ft around most of the entrance, and a short wooden fence surrounds the entire workspace. As the dwarves dig, they stop every 5 ft down and place wooden support slats around the mine. By the day's end, the mine is over 20 ft deep.
This night, however, reveals the presence of much more than insects in the vicinity. No danger comes to the camp, but faint growls and snarls are heard in the distance soon after the dusk, and past midnight, those with keen ears pick up on the rustling of underbrush or a disturbance in the water every couple hours, but always well beyond the reach of the campfire light or darkvision.
Day 61
The work of the miners is now somewhat muffled by their depth. This makes it easier to hear the occasional low howl or guttoral bellow. Not quite as distant as the vicious sounds of last night but still considerably further than whatever dared to approach near.
The pace of the work does not lessen, but it takes more time and effort to haul soil and sediment out of the mine as the dwarves delves deeper. They pile it all onto a sturdy tarp with rope affixed at each corner and lift it to the surface. Another 15 ft into the earth, and the expedition leader - Orthur Faldak - suddenly orders everyone out of the mine. And an orderly exit it is. The experienced miners were ready for this. Orthur is the last to make his way up the rope ladder and announces they have nearly reached the tunnels. His sharp nose detected a trace of foul air that burned his nostrils. A sure sign of the noxious fumes that emit from pools and rivers of acid below the surface. Poisoning the air which flows through the seemingly endless network tunnels until it can find an escape. Best to let it seep out slowly overnight through the thin layer of earth and up the mine. This won't clear the tunnels entirely of noxious fumes but should significantly reduce the danger for when the mine is completed in the morning.
Meanwhile, Hunter and Paulson spend the day scouting. Never venturing too far from the camp but well out of sight from any untrained observer. They move into position at a snail's pace, stay low to the ground, and wait for over an hour in each spot. Watching, listening, and piecing together clues hidden in the swamp. They return just before dark and feel confident in their findings. It seems the dracolisks were the dominant predator in this area. Hence the overall lack of activity over the first couple nights and days. However, with their daunting presence removed, other creatures have taken notice. Prodding into this previously forbidden territory and vying with each other for their piece of it. They were unable to find any fresh tracks that correlated with the ruslting last night, but it won't be long before the prodding reaches this camp.
Once the miners have laid down in their tents for a much deserved rest, the expedition leader confers with the Nemedoran officers, “My workers are loyal and brave. They would not be here otherwise. But their work is complete. There is no need for them to join us in the tunnels or be subject to the peril within. Of course, remaining on the surface holds its fair share of danger, so they cannot be left unguarded. Therefore, I would like Sgt. Sweetwater to stay with them. His versatility could prove vital should the need arise to fight or flee.” Orthur then goes on to explain the next leg of the mission...
[OOC: This sums up what has happened during Time Off. The next post will have the details presented by Orthur, but first, I want to see if anyone (even Sahme) has questions about the above info. The basic gist is that danger is drawing nearer in the swamp, but the weaker miners are still better off staying on the surface than going down below, and this gives a good reason for Sahme (and Paulson) to stay behind.
Also, this mission is expected to be complete before the day ends, so it's not like Sahme and the miners will be left alone at night... at least not if everything goes according to plan
Finally, this mission will begin at midnight at the start of Day 62. Anyone who is able to get a full night's rest on this night, will receive an additional (4th) night of natural healing, but this will be handled at the table. And you can choose to begin your rest at anytime, so you can start out at midnight fully rested, somewhere into your sleep, or still needing to lay down.]
