• Graded • [Hopetoun] Helter-Skelter, Seeking Shelter

[Darius Baer]

Arc 721, 17th of Cylus

"The sky looks angry."

Lars' voice cut through the still, dawn air.

"Aye," Darius nodded, a grim expression on his face as he squinted at the horizon.

"Really, really angry."

"Aye."

The two men stood atop the crest of a small hill not far beyond the outskirts of Hopetoun. They were both looking to the east, where the sun would rise, were it any season other than Cylus.

Staring back at them was a redness that attempted to penetrate the gloom; a silent rage that on the one hand, looked beautiful, but on the other, struck terror into the two men.

"I reckon there's a storm coming," Lars added, and once again Darius agreed.

As soon as he'd seen the foreboding sky, the bearded blond had been reminded of an old mariner's saying:

Red sky at night, sailors' delight.
Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

He turned, so that the morning glimmer of light was upon his back, and stared down at the collection of tents that made up most of the homes in Hopetoun.

Cylus was a cold season. Nobody had ever disputed that. Limited sunlight and snow in abundance meant there was little room for error when it came to the outdoors. To the settlers of Hopetoun, the elements were just par for the course. Their existence as a settlement was largely dependent on the weather - at least until they had established an effective means of resisting it. For the fledgling community, that meant building permanent structures to replace the canvas tents that had been their homes. To stay warm, they had taken to keeping lining their beds with Faldrass sand. But warm granules would be no match for a storm.

"How long do we have, do you think?" Darius asked.

"Hard to say," Lars admitted. "Less than a trial. Breaks at the most."

Darius nodded silently, his grim expression still across his features.

"The tents won't hold up to a storm," Darius added. "We need to find shelter."

"I'll look for something," Lars responded. "There might be somewhere in the mountains. The leeward side might offer some protection."

"Aye," Darius acknowledged. "Move swiftly, but don't endanger yourself. In the meantime, I'll ready the people."

Lars nodded, and the two men immediately began to descend the hill as the angry red sky watched on.

[Darius Baer]

It took three breaks for the settlers to break camp. Darius imagined that a nomadic group, like the people of Harvardr - or those of the desert, like Demda - would be ready to be on the move much more quickly, but the residents of Hopetoun had never established the settlement with the intention to leave it.

A wind had begun to blow by then, but it was not yet strong enough

But tents could not withstand a storm, and their only permanent structure - a granary - was not designed to store anything other than food.

And so they understood the need to move, no matter how difficult that might be. Personal items were packed into bags, tents were pulled down, and everything that that could be carried was put into a pack or slung over a shoulder.

A small supply of freshly caught fish and recently harvested potatoes were also loaded onto the back of a horse-drawn cart, while sacks of grain were placed upon the back of a mule.

Permanent homes - or, at the very least, a meeting hall to house the population in times of crisis - would be high on the agenda once the storm passed.

The settlement was almost ready to move when Lars returned. The wilderness man's steps were weary, but steady and determined.

"I've found a cave," he reported back to Darius. "It's on the leeward side of one of the nearby mountains."

"A cave?" Darius echoed, before casting his eyes over the size of the gathering that was grouped around them.

The leader of Hopetoun's unspoken question was clear. Could a cave be big enough to accommodate everyone?

"It's the biggest cave I've seen on Faldrass," Lars responded, "and I've only explored a small portion of it. It'll fit all of us. Even the animals and the cart can fit."

The huntsman nodded towards the horse and the mule, both of whom seemed decidedly nonchalant by the fortuitous turn of events.

Darius nodded, then addressed his fellow Hopetounians, and passed on the good news. As he did, he made sure to credit Lars with his discovery, before encouraging them on their journey. He vowed to walk at the back of the group to ensure no stragglers were left behind, while Lars would take the lead.

And then, just as they began to leave their new home in search of shelter, the wind picked up and the first snowflakes began to fall.

[Darius Baer]

Lars had assured Darius that the cave was only a break's walk away, but the founder of Hopetoun was taking no risks.

"For one man, perhaps," the bearded blond had responded, "but not for forty-one men, women and children, carrying their lives on their backs."

Lars had conceded the point, and both men knew that there were other factors to consider. The huntsman was one of the fittest of the settlers, frequently walking miles each trial as he explored the area surrounding zhoptepun and became ever more familiar with the new landscape. And he didn't have a mule or a horse-drawn cart to deal with.

Before they all set off, Darius cast his gaze over the Hopetounians. They were hardy folk - they wouldn't be attempting to establish a new life in a wasteland like a volcanic island less than an arc after it had erupted if they weren't tough - but that didn't mean that packing up all of their belongings and evacuating the settlement wasn't having an impact on their morale.

In response, Darius rummaged through his own possessions, before he produced a small purple box that had been tied closed with a white ribbon. Beckoning Lars with a nod of his head, the bearded blond lifted the lid to reveal a collection of chocolates.

"What are these?" the huntsman asked.

"Just something to keep our energy levels up during the walk," Darius replied.

His answer received a sceptical look from Lars, and he chuckled quietly, before dropping his voice to a quieter volume.

"They're from Saiore."

Lars nodded at that. Despite the Immortal's request that news of her involvement with Hopetoun be kept to a minimum, it was public knowledge that she had gifted Darius and others with helpful items. That understanding seemed to be enough to satisfy the man's curiosity, and he took one of the offered chocolates and ate it before assuming his position at the front of the line. Darius did likewise, biting down on the sweet treat and offering a silent prayer to Saiore, then retreated to the very back of the group, where the slowest walkers could be found.

Almost instantly - and were it not for the chocolates, it would have been quite inexplicably - the morale of the settlers appeared to improve. Heads that had dropped began to lift up, and grim frowns became expressions of optimism. Along with this improved mood came a boost to their energy levels, and for the entire journey, the Hopetounians were able to maintain an upbeat, spirited attitude. Darius was quite amazed to hear singing among some of the settlers, and laughter from many of the others. Even the persistent snow was unable to dampen their spirits, as they all pressed on and refused to let it

By the time they reached their destination, they had lost track of time and it felt as though the journey had passed in a handful of bits, even though it had in fact taken more than a break to get there.

Everyone but Lars marvelled at the sight. A cave with an entrance larger than most of them had ever seen beckoned them away from the snowfall, and the Hopetounians were only too happy to oblige, brushing the snow from their clothing as they began their descent. The horse was released from its harness and guided down into the bowels of the cave alongside the mule, while Darius helped a handful of settlers to guide the cart by hand.

For a time, the further they walked, the larger the cave grew, until they found themselves in a giant cavern, where an underwater river flowed. Beyond, other tunnels could be seen going in different directions.

"Do you think these caves were hidden until the eruption?" Darius asked, his voice echoing off the cave walls.

Lars shook his head.

"I've been around these mountains since I was a lad," came the reply. "I reckon these were made by the eruption."

They were interrupted by an excited murmur that began to grow among the settlers who were furthest inside the cave, and the pair of men craned their necks, before making their way towards the sound. They moved carefully in the dim light, the other Hopetounians watching on as they followed the echoes into a nearby tunnel. They turned a corner, and then...

"...wow."

Darius said it, but he spoke for everyone who had made their way into that part of the cavern. Clinging to the roof were what initially looked like small, orange lights, glowing in the otherwise dark space. It was only after a few trills that those present realised the lights were moving, ever so slowly, across the roof of the cave.

As the snow continued to fall outside, the settlers were safe, dry, and making yet another discovery about what Faldrass had to offer.

[Pig Boy]

Player Name: Darius the Hopetounish Explorer

Points awarded: 10 xp
Magic xp: none

Knowledge:

Detection: Identifying a familiar warning sign.
Field Craft: Reading the weather and heeding its warning.
Field Craft: Caves can provide refuge from a storm.
Logistics: Managing the possessions of many people at once is a challenge.
Navigation: Using sound as a guide to help you find your way.
Persuasion: Highlighting a crisis can be effective to persuade someone.

Non-Skill Knowledge:
Location: Hopetoun Hole
Fauna: Faldrass Fire Worm


Renown: 10
Loot: none
Injuries/Overstepping: none
Wealth Points: n/a
Consequences: none

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriately to PC's level

Notes: The opening post set the tone nicely for the rest of the thread, with one of Darius' guys telling him a storm was coming, strategizing about how to deal with it.

I was really thrilled when you mentioned one of my characters yours happened to meet, that was nice of you to remember them, and immortalize them in your story. I like that you have a name for the Hopetounians already... I wonder if how they're referred to will vary depending on who's talking about them? I prefer Hopetounish myself.

In the end, them finding a hollowed out cave, which seemed to arrive from the eruption was an interesting spin on survival, when before during the whole Faldrass event, they had been trying to find ways out of those caverns! I could just imagine the wonder of the explorers, as they saw the lights coming from the fire worms, on the ceiling of the cave! Well done all in all. It was a nice way to introduce a newly discovered fauna into the lore.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this review, feel free to PM. Enjoy your rewards!