Travels amongst the Border Princes II (WFRP 2e) IC

[Haval]

Gabriele sighs at the size of the river, 'Well, we're not getting over there. Not unless we want to try swimming. You think the Duke is just going to have to wait for the weather to turn?'

[rax]

"It's beginning to look like it, I agree. Can't cross this canyon unless the Duke's got men that can build a bridge or something. Otherwise, I reckon his best bet would be to march down to the Igerang, try and ship his men over to the other side, then march along the river until he can find a spot where they can be ferried across again and march to the Inselberg. Either way, it's not going to happen by following this path," Severin agrees.

"Let's get some rest and then start heading back."

[Haval]

'Seems like a big coincidence to me. Like Tollares knows how to make it rain or something.' Gabriele chooses not to dwell on the implications too much.

[dojango]

By pushing yourself and the horses you retrace your steps to where the army has camped out; the smoke from their campfires a beacon in the distance. It is past sunset when you arrive. They haven't moved very far since when you left, the road still a path of churned mud and debris. The sentries report that the Duke has taken to his bed and that you can deliver your report to him in the morning. With that you are left to find shelter for yourself that night. The next morning you are asked to attend to the Duke as he takes his morning meal; you are invited to sit with him at a camp table and are served fresh hot food a far cut above the rations that the rest of the soldiers are eating. "So. You have returned. What are the road conditions ahead? Do things improve once we get out of the woods?"

[rax]

Severin glances over at Gabriele before speaking.

"M'lud, I'm afraid conditions are grim all over. We followed the road out of the woods and up into the hills until we came upon a ravine. It looked like it might have been possible to ford, except that the rains have turned what was probably a trickle of a stream into a raging torrent, so we decided to head south and look for a better place to cross. There was a very narrow path which brought us to a spot where a couple of local goatherders were trying to move their flock across - them goats weren't too enthusiastic about the idea though."

"We spoke to the goatherds an' they reckoned there weren't any better places to cross further south. We checked, an' they were right. The ravine narrows the further south you go an' the path pretty much disappears. It all ends in a waterfall a hundred feet above the Igerang," Severin reports.

"The way I see it, there's only two choices. Try and move the wagons to the ford the goatherders were using and cross there, or go south from here to the Igerang, find a way to ship this army over to the other side, and march along the south bank until you get to a spot where you can ferry back across and march for the Inselberg."


OOC: We never actually checked, but what was Gabriele and Severin's impression of the ford the goatherders were using and the path leading to it. Would it be possible to move the Duke's wagon train along the path and did the ford look like it would allow wagons to cross?

[Haval]

Given they weren't exactly bringing good news Gabriele looks uncomfortable. She'll add, 'It'd be easy enough to get across on foot, your grace. Maybe even with the horses if you're careful, but you'll have a hell of a time with the wagons. Not without someone to build you a ramp anyway.'

On the matter of crossing the Igerang, 'Maybe there's locals in this army who can better speak on a likely place to cross.'

[dojango]

The problem with the ford, as far as you can tell, is that while the wagons might be able to cross it there, there is no path for the wagons to and from the ford, so they will have to be manhandled up and down the hills to get there. After describing the situation to the Duke, he merely nods and seems lost in thought. Not so his sons; Sir Laurens says, eagerly, "If horses can get across, why not simply leave the wagons until the waters die down? A small force... maybe fifty horsemen moving quickly and quietly can try to seize the fortress in a coup de main and wait for reinforcements to arrive later!"

Sir Denis snorts and says, "And what will you do for supplies? Those brave horsemen will be eating their horses before long."

"We can forage, or requisition from the locals..." Sir Laurens replies.

"And see their knives at our throats as well? There's timber aplenty in the woods and we can call the corvee at Stralwald for labor. It shouldn't take more then a few weeks to get a workable bridge across the torrent and we'll want one anyways if we are to rule this land as part of our own duchy."

The Duke listens and says, "Turning back is admitting defeat. If we wait until the spring it will be too late. The only bridge across the river is at Castle Bremcote and even if we hired all the boats on the river to use as ferries and managed to bring them south it would not be enough to perform a crossing in a timely fashion. Stay in the camp for now, I may summon you later." The Duke turns to one of his aides and says, "Tell the men we will remain camped here for at least one more day. And call a war council."

The two of you are shown out of the tent. Sir Laurens follows and says eagerly, "What do you think of my plan? Do you think it will work?"

[Haval]

'And get Tollares before he knows whats happening? Maybe if you have the right bunch of men. I think Sir Denis is right about the food thing though.'

[dojango]

Sir Laurens tells Gabriele, "A dozen knights and some mounted retainers ought to do the trick. If you can lead us to Inselberg we will do the rest. Without their leader the ruffians will flee like rabbits."

[Haval]

Gabriele isn't discounting the idea out of hand. 'Do any of these retainers know how to hunt? It might be a lot easier if we don't have to carry all our food with us.'

[rax]

"It was about a four day trip from here when we were working for Lorenzo and his caravan. Better weather, more wagons. How much food d'you reckon each of your riders can carry, young Sir?" Severin adds.

[dojango]

"Hunting for game, eh? I know a few of the lads can bring down a bird if they see one... I will talk to the quartermaster and find out if we can get enough rations to carry. Hold that thought, Severin; we're having a war council in a few hours... I need to see who's willing to go and I have to talk to quartermaster... that Barnaby ought to be around here..." Sir Laurens is seized with energy and good humor and spends a moment trying to race in three different directions before siding on one. "Be at the council meeting!" he shouts over his shoulder at you as he strides off.

[Haval]

After Sir Laurens has gone, 'I get the feeling he's going regardless of anything we say about it. What do you think?'