The current Delve game we're playing will be at a good stopping spot shortly (and we've been playing it for several months now - quite a bit of leveling up!) We either takeback the city of Calion from the Hobgoblins or die trying. I may have mentioned my character: a grumpy Goblin who is now king of the Goblins (no, not THAT Goblin King, just king of the local group in this section of the world). The Hobgoblins (Grendle in this world, and the goblins are the Gren. I'll admit to getting the two names confused at times). It has been a tad uncomfortable for me as I play to get away from responsibilities, not take on more!
Which keeps bringing to my mind how different people play and how they want to play. There is a discussion over on COTI on Space Opera vs hard SF in Traveller. And as my readers know, I prefer the every man being thrust into an extraordinary situation mostly. Low level games that, while still a fantasy or SF world, I can wrap my head around and the consequences are there. Of course, I also like playing superhero games though I tend to the underpowered in that genre as well! And as for responsibility, in the real world I've been thrust into that as well: being a parent (well, he did just graduate college) was a choice but also the biggest responsibility I've ever had. And work, well, somehow, I am in charge of more than I want to be. I told my last job I just wanted to write code, no management. Sadly, now I am sort of managing. But I digress from the topic of this post: game prep!
Looking back at my notes as this has been a long-simmering process as we're having a lot of fun in the current game, our group will have met on the caravan coming into Windemere Crossing. To remind myself, as well as my readers and my players assuming they read my notes, we have the following characters:
Enokli Matsutake (mushroom warrior)
Danny: Human Druid
Halfling Thief: Quinby Glimmertouch
They each have a secret I've passed on to them via emails so that they have their secrets that they may or may not want to share. Though I may redo one secret as it can link to a low-level adventure from one of the Delve magazines (which I've stopped backing, but I am on his Patreon so he is effectively getting more money from me. Heck, just backed the Oracle for a 6-month physical and PDF subscription - expensive but I think worth it as those are a good source as well. In fact, the salt miles of Crevice Creek a few miles up the mountains from Windemere is from their mining issue).
I'll have a precursor to their entrance to Windemere Crossing, so below is my rough draft for that:
The Western Ocean Trade route is a well-travelled trading route, bordered on the north by the Kalor Desert, and the mountains of various kingdoms to the south. Caravans travel 20-30 miles a day and stay at various small trade towns, established camps, or small trade villages such as Windemere Crossing. The small caravan you are in is heading east, coming from the Kingdom of Ismekia and currently in the Respeth Kingdom ruled from the Thuluhun Dwarven fortress by King Khermumi Axechest. During this trip you have gotten to know each other as well as others in the caravan: 5 other people using the caravan to get further east more safely in a group rather than by alone, the dozen guards and the caravan master. Talking with the guards, there are a couple from the Feathered Guild based out of Windemere Crossing. There are also about ten large bison, but fortunately your horses are in front of those lumbering beasts and what they leave behind. There was one small Orc raid about two days before getting to Windemere Crossing (one of the reasons you are level 2 instead of 1) and you may have helped out with that incursion. The winds from the north are dry and very prevalent in the late summer you are travelling. Though in the mornings, before the sun rises, there are cool mountain breezes from the south. The caravan route is a well-worn path, wide enough for two large groups to pass each other, with trees widely scattered to the south and nothing but soft rolling hills to the north. Glimpses of the bright desert are common as the road borders the burning sands. There was talk of the Silent Ones, large, rough humans that occasionally strike at caravans, but are not usually this far south. There is some political talk: Axechest is greedy for the gold that lies in the mountains bordering the Respeth and Ismekia kingdoms, and there may be heavier taxes. Windemere is slowly building up forces, working on replacing the western gate and a small cadre of spearmen have recently been added to the new barracks. Though Tara Serk, one of the caravan guards, snorts at the new barracks: "Windemere is almost 500 years old, part of the old Tuvano reach. Used to be an outpost but with the king going crazy for his dead wife, things fell apart. The caravans started using Windemere Crossing maybe 50, 60 years ago and just used what is there. Though the new Burgermiester seems to have plans for making it a better place. We'll see."
When asking about the caravan, you are told it is carrying magic crystals, herbs, hardwoods, magical contraptions, crystals, Dwarven tools, armor plating. "And cigars for Zesp. Loves those stinking things." There are 12 wagons behind horses, though one is pulled by a larger beast pulling one of the larger wagons (from De Architecture).
Anyway, I need to refresh my memory on the rules and the various rumors I want to have about. I've a single sheet with most of this information in place. I also need to go back over my Organic Town posts for Windemere Crossing so I can have those rumors and notes ready. And I need some fun random caravan passengers and names if they ask, as well as the other guards. In fact, I'll use the book that just showed up as it has a lot of interesting tables and things. Got it primarily as another monster book for OSE, but it is really so much more than that. The author wanted something that could be a good resource at the table, and I think he succeeded in that. I may have to do something of a review for the Monster Overhaul. Not that I've really done any reviews here - not sure there is any real interest. And this is a Traveller blog mostly so reviewing an OSE book, well, you could use parts of it for Traveller as there is a SF section to it.
I don't want to overwhelm the players too much: there was a lot of information in our current game, and most of it has been organically gathered. But it is a lot and sadly, while I take notes, I'm not going back over those so forget some of the people we meet. Though the other players are really good about it. And I was good for a while - I had Fughs's journey and notes on the people but sadly have neglected keeping that up to date. I blame laziness on my side, and the stress of getting laid off and a new job (and I've noted that I do NOT do well with stress!). It is about 3 months out of date! Maybe I could add what we've done the last couple of sessions later...
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