[X] Continue onwards into the Wilderness. ("It is time to pull up stakes and continue into the wilderness of these lands. Eventually, we shall reach the coast, but until then, who knows what treasures these dark forests might hide?")
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The Wilderness
Captain's Log ; Entry 12
We've lost our first men this week.
It looked like just another patch of swampland at first. Less likely to eat someone then a tar pit, less smelly then another patch of stinkmarsh. And then the men saw the gold, laying around the giant bulbs in the middle of the clearing. If only they'd also taken in the bones, things might have gone differently.
Instead, the men who saw it shouted out in glee and ran over to collect it all. How quickly their cries of delight turned into screams when the bulbs opened up, revealing long stems, upon which rested great flowery maws. Maws which quickly turned to the task of ripping off the limbs of those who had gotten within lunging range.
Even now the surgeon labors to save the lives of several of the low lives I brought with us as expendable labor, but frankly, I would have chosen to expend them for more treasure if I had the choice. It was our Natural Philosopher who prevented the occasion from turning into a disaster, hurling flasks of acid at the hard pods within which the majority of the plant lived. Pods which were proving distressingly resistant to gunfire and honest steel.
Afterwards, searching through the debris of the plants older victims, we recovered the treasure that had attracted the men in the first place. It was an interesting collection of golden coins (Upon which an unknown face could be seen), a pair of large silver goblets, and a large gemstone, as big as my hand, which glowed with its own internal light.
Treasure of value indeed.
Next time, however, I'll have our Philosopher dispatch the plants at range instead of losing two men to their maws.
Captain's Log ; Entry 13
I can see Smoke ahead.
Not the smoke of a wildfire, but the long and consistent stream of a campfire. Have we already caught up with that miserable deviant Captain Johnny? Did some disaster force him to halt his forced march? It's likely that whatever the truth is, we'll soon see for ourselves.
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(Week 3, Month 1, Expedition 1)
[ ] Continue onwards into the Wilderness. ("That trail of smoke ahead is interesting. Should we continue onwards, we'll find the source sometime next week. I wonder what it will be?")
[ ] Divert around the smoke trail. ("There is no need to risk ourselves in investigating the smoke. Should something have happened to Captain Johnny, it can only be good news for all civilized men. We'll divert around it and continue on our trip to the riches of the coast.")
[ ] Explore the area for Treasure. ("We shall stop here for the week, and make a detailed search for treasure. We've already found one haul, and who knows if those plants are common around here? A week of burn and purge could be profitable enough.)
No forced march option because the captain is unwilling to charge blindly ahead when he knows something is out there.
(Two thugs eaten by Giant Mantrap Plants. Eight remain. Yes, each 'unit' of thugs is about five people. Usually.)
