Season 24: Winter Launching an Expedition
[x] Send someone to bring supplies
-[x] Olivia
Sitting at a table with Olivia and Leo you lay out your plans.
"We can't wait here. We simply won't survive until normal travel resumes, and I don't think Father will send anyone. He has no idea we need the help," you explain.
"Your father is a bit more insightful than you perhaps give him credit for. He did provide an emergency fund for me to release to you, though he made it clear it was only to be used for things beyond your control so you would still learn from your mistakes." Leo having a chest of coins was still a bit strange to you. That combined with Mina's comment before makes you realize that Leo was probably an agent of your father sent along to keep you from screwing things up too badly. Overall that's not something you can worry about right now though.
"I won't count on that chance though, and I doubt he'd be pleased if I relied on him coming to my rescue anyway," you conclude. Leo nods at that. "To that end, to maximize odds of success I'm going to split our forces. I'm going to take Leo and most of the troops into the forest to try and gather food, maybe some intel while we're at it. Olivia, you'll be heading for the nearest town with some money to try to buy supplies to see us through. The rest of the camp will remain here to stay warm, no point risking them."
"Risky splitting the forces like that," Leo comments. "I'm not too sure Olivia will do all that well either." He nods to her to show he means no offense.
Olivia from her bundle of blankets smiles nervously. "I'll try."
You give her a comforting smile. "I'm sure you'll manage, you can just plow through the snowdrifts and move fast. Others would just slow you down."
She's still rather skeptical about it, but you have faith in her beyond her own.
"Well things are only going to get worse the longer we wait, let's move," you say in dismissal.
Preparations proceed rather quickly at that point. You and Leo get the men ready to march while a vaguely humanoid bundle of furs heads south.
[x] Forest Expedition
-[x] Prioritize food gathering
-[x] Skirmishers, Hunters x2, Footmen, You, Leo
roll 1d100 = 2 + 38+10 -40
Your decision to head into the forest to seek enough food to survive until supplies could be brought in wasn't met with much cheer. The men as a whole were rather hesitant about the whole idea of leaving the shelter of their barracks where they could at least keep the temperature above freezing.
Still the spectre of starvation was enough to get them all moving. Surely the forest would be rather weakened as well.
You marched most of the forces at your disposal out through the snow towards the Overgrowth. While there wasn't any new snow falling it wasn't melting yet either, and movement across the surface was near impossible. You practically had to dig a path just to reach the treeline. Anyone that tried to climb across just sunk into it, nearly vanishing beneath the white powder.
Once your trench managed to reach the cover of the trees things were marginally easier. The depth here was significantly less than in the open, and you could begin to march through it without excavation, though it was a slow pace even then. Frostbite accumulated rather rapidly in the biting cold as snow melted with your passage and seeped through even thick winter clothes.
Finding animals seemed near impossible. You couldn't excavate the snow over a wide enough area to search for the hidden burrows of hibernating animals, and few indeed were willing or able to forage in these conditions.
You did know at least three places you could find food though. The great boar that had settled in your original barracks site was still there going by previous scouting missions. The bees you had found could also provide you with honey. Last, and to Leo's estimate suicidal, you could go to where you knew a bear den to be.
Not having any particular desire to die you decided to head for the beehive. While in normal circumstances they'd be possibly an even greater threat to you than the others, with winter the bees should be pretty heavily suppressed, and you'd brought along the wardstones that would theoretically let you start a fire. You had some firewood as well, though you weren't sure you could start a fire in these conditions even with those aids. Freezing cold and ice were not conducive to starting fire to begin with.
Contemplation of that was halted as the alarm was raised by your outlying sentries, though their shouts were almost rendered irrelevant as bone chilling howls followed them.
The wolves came in upon your group, dashing across the surface, sinking in only a little.
"Footmen form a ring! Hold together men or they'll only run you down!" Leo shouted over the rising din of men and wolves.
You were near the center of the scattered formation, but drew your sword just in case.
Your light forces managed only a few arrows before abandoning their bows to draw knives as they retreated, though knives could do little against beasts this size. Your footmen pressed outward while your scouting forces tried to pull back. Despite the cold, despite their hunger, most of your men moved in good order.
However the battered hunter unit broke under the stress, each man running for safety in a chain reaction. The appearance of weakness only made the pack hunters focus on them more. Those that tried to run back through the troughs in the snow they carved getting here suffered the worse, each being tackled under claws and teeth.
Still the distraction bought time for the rest of your forces to form up, and those few who retained their bows loosed more arrows upon any wolf that remained still. Small though each arrow wound was, they rapidly accumulated.
With your footmen now forming a proper shell around you, and arrows peppering them, you expected the opportunistic animals to retreat. Instead they pressed the attack, dozens of wolves bearing down on your formation.
"Hold your ground!" Leo shouted as the lines met.
Snapping teeth, growls, sharp claws, the sheen of polished steel, and blood dominated your vision as you stood almost frozen in the tranquil eye of the carnage. The smell of blood and cries of wounded men and beasts filled the air.
The beasts seemed almost possessed in their fury. Yet as the battle raged, your men were swiftly gaining the upper hand. The snow might hamper your movements severely, but it also reduced the area your men needed to protect significantly. The wolves also seemed a bit slower than you expected despite their ferocity.
After some interminable period the attack finally broke. Bodies littered the now bloodstained snow, both man and beast. The bodies explain their ferocity in attacking such a superior force. Their ribs show clearly despite their thick winter fur. They were starving as much as you. Their food sources likely depleted as well this winter. They had to win or die regardless.
Policing the field a number of human bodies have been dragged off into the forest. You clearly didn't get all the wolves. You can't imagine many survived though judging by the dozens of corpses left behind.
You were bloodied heavily as well though. Your second hunter unit is nearly obliterated. It had only three fifths its normal complement to begin with, and it suffered the worst casualties. After this it will be lucky if three in ten survive. The rest of your men suffered fewer casualties from the battle directly, but sickness and marching through the snow combine poorly, especially for those that were wounded. You'll be lucky if you only lose another ten percent, more likely you'll suffer more.
On a positive note though you could pull back now. The wolf corpses here should be enough food to last until help arrives, you hope. Though eating the meat of carrion feeders like wolves isn't very safe. It also strikes you that these wolves have eaten quite a few men, and perhaps that's a little macabre to eat them. On the other hand there's a certain poetry in eating them back.
Do you continue the expedition?
[] No, take the wolf corpses to eat and fall back to base.
[] Yes, head for the bees to collect honey.
[] Yes, head for the forest center, your curiosity must be sated.
AN: Short considering a 4 day gap, but much of that I was uncertain of what the consensus was and whether there was one at all. Seemed reasonable therefore to take another vote at this point.
-[x] Olivia
Sitting at a table with Olivia and Leo you lay out your plans.
"We can't wait here. We simply won't survive until normal travel resumes, and I don't think Father will send anyone. He has no idea we need the help," you explain.
"Your father is a bit more insightful than you perhaps give him credit for. He did provide an emergency fund for me to release to you, though he made it clear it was only to be used for things beyond your control so you would still learn from your mistakes." Leo having a chest of coins was still a bit strange to you. That combined with Mina's comment before makes you realize that Leo was probably an agent of your father sent along to keep you from screwing things up too badly. Overall that's not something you can worry about right now though.
"I won't count on that chance though, and I doubt he'd be pleased if I relied on him coming to my rescue anyway," you conclude. Leo nods at that. "To that end, to maximize odds of success I'm going to split our forces. I'm going to take Leo and most of the troops into the forest to try and gather food, maybe some intel while we're at it. Olivia, you'll be heading for the nearest town with some money to try to buy supplies to see us through. The rest of the camp will remain here to stay warm, no point risking them."
"Risky splitting the forces like that," Leo comments. "I'm not too sure Olivia will do all that well either." He nods to her to show he means no offense.
Olivia from her bundle of blankets smiles nervously. "I'll try."
You give her a comforting smile. "I'm sure you'll manage, you can just plow through the snowdrifts and move fast. Others would just slow you down."
She's still rather skeptical about it, but you have faith in her beyond her own.
"Well things are only going to get worse the longer we wait, let's move," you say in dismissal.
Preparations proceed rather quickly at that point. You and Leo get the men ready to march while a vaguely humanoid bundle of furs heads south.
[x] Forest Expedition
-[x] Prioritize food gathering
-[x] Skirmishers, Hunters x2, Footmen, You, Leo
roll 1d100 = 2 + 38+10 -40
Your decision to head into the forest to seek enough food to survive until supplies could be brought in wasn't met with much cheer. The men as a whole were rather hesitant about the whole idea of leaving the shelter of their barracks where they could at least keep the temperature above freezing.
Still the spectre of starvation was enough to get them all moving. Surely the forest would be rather weakened as well.
You marched most of the forces at your disposal out through the snow towards the Overgrowth. While there wasn't any new snow falling it wasn't melting yet either, and movement across the surface was near impossible. You practically had to dig a path just to reach the treeline. Anyone that tried to climb across just sunk into it, nearly vanishing beneath the white powder.
Once your trench managed to reach the cover of the trees things were marginally easier. The depth here was significantly less than in the open, and you could begin to march through it without excavation, though it was a slow pace even then. Frostbite accumulated rather rapidly in the biting cold as snow melted with your passage and seeped through even thick winter clothes.
Finding animals seemed near impossible. You couldn't excavate the snow over a wide enough area to search for the hidden burrows of hibernating animals, and few indeed were willing or able to forage in these conditions.
You did know at least three places you could find food though. The great boar that had settled in your original barracks site was still there going by previous scouting missions. The bees you had found could also provide you with honey. Last, and to Leo's estimate suicidal, you could go to where you knew a bear den to be.
Not having any particular desire to die you decided to head for the beehive. While in normal circumstances they'd be possibly an even greater threat to you than the others, with winter the bees should be pretty heavily suppressed, and you'd brought along the wardstones that would theoretically let you start a fire. You had some firewood as well, though you weren't sure you could start a fire in these conditions even with those aids. Freezing cold and ice were not conducive to starting fire to begin with.
Contemplation of that was halted as the alarm was raised by your outlying sentries, though their shouts were almost rendered irrelevant as bone chilling howls followed them.
The wolves came in upon your group, dashing across the surface, sinking in only a little.
"Footmen form a ring! Hold together men or they'll only run you down!" Leo shouted over the rising din of men and wolves.
You were near the center of the scattered formation, but drew your sword just in case.
Your light forces managed only a few arrows before abandoning their bows to draw knives as they retreated, though knives could do little against beasts this size. Your footmen pressed outward while your scouting forces tried to pull back. Despite the cold, despite their hunger, most of your men moved in good order.
However the battered hunter unit broke under the stress, each man running for safety in a chain reaction. The appearance of weakness only made the pack hunters focus on them more. Those that tried to run back through the troughs in the snow they carved getting here suffered the worse, each being tackled under claws and teeth.
Still the distraction bought time for the rest of your forces to form up, and those few who retained their bows loosed more arrows upon any wolf that remained still. Small though each arrow wound was, they rapidly accumulated.
With your footmen now forming a proper shell around you, and arrows peppering them, you expected the opportunistic animals to retreat. Instead they pressed the attack, dozens of wolves bearing down on your formation.
"Hold your ground!" Leo shouted as the lines met.
Snapping teeth, growls, sharp claws, the sheen of polished steel, and blood dominated your vision as you stood almost frozen in the tranquil eye of the carnage. The smell of blood and cries of wounded men and beasts filled the air.
The beasts seemed almost possessed in their fury. Yet as the battle raged, your men were swiftly gaining the upper hand. The snow might hamper your movements severely, but it also reduced the area your men needed to protect significantly. The wolves also seemed a bit slower than you expected despite their ferocity.
After some interminable period the attack finally broke. Bodies littered the now bloodstained snow, both man and beast. The bodies explain their ferocity in attacking such a superior force. Their ribs show clearly despite their thick winter fur. They were starving as much as you. Their food sources likely depleted as well this winter. They had to win or die regardless.
Policing the field a number of human bodies have been dragged off into the forest. You clearly didn't get all the wolves. You can't imagine many survived though judging by the dozens of corpses left behind.
You were bloodied heavily as well though. Your second hunter unit is nearly obliterated. It had only three fifths its normal complement to begin with, and it suffered the worst casualties. After this it will be lucky if three in ten survive. The rest of your men suffered fewer casualties from the battle directly, but sickness and marching through the snow combine poorly, especially for those that were wounded. You'll be lucky if you only lose another ten percent, more likely you'll suffer more.
On a positive note though you could pull back now. The wolf corpses here should be enough food to last until help arrives, you hope. Though eating the meat of carrion feeders like wolves isn't very safe. It also strikes you that these wolves have eaten quite a few men, and perhaps that's a little macabre to eat them. On the other hand there's a certain poetry in eating them back.
Do you continue the expedition?
[] No, take the wolf corpses to eat and fall back to base.
[] Yes, head for the bees to collect honey.
[] Yes, head for the forest center, your curiosity must be sated.
AN: Short considering a 4 day gap, but much of that I was uncertain of what the consensus was and whether there was one at all. Seemed reasonable therefore to take another vote at this point.
