Acqua Alta Finale Discussion

[Palpatim]

Ithelryn, what did you have in mind? The party funds are pretty low, although Rogur could probably be persuaded to contribute 5 or 8 staters to a general contribution.

--T

[Umiushi]

This is the seventy-fifth and final Acqua Alta Finale main post. Players' posts in either this thread or the intermission thread are due by 11 pm, Saturday, December 15th. The narrative and discussion threads for the new adventure will open by 11 am, Monday, December 17th. The current threads will close when the new threads open.

I cannot give the new adventure quite the grand and robust sendoff that I would like, due to my schedule for the next two weeks. Fortunately, things will definitely lighten up by the 14th, unlike the continuously extending project deadline I was facing in summer.

It may be necessary to call for a hiatus during that time, especially around the period of this weekend. I do hope that I will not have to do that, and can continue with somewhat brief postings, instead. (Edit 12/6/12 - Unfortunately there will be a hiatus until after the 14th. See the update to post #75, later on this thread.)

So the main point right now is that it's decided, as far as I can tell, that the party will seek after Cresta at the monastery of Saint Ioun All-Seeing, in the northern wilds of Beil Valley.

The funeral is held on the day after the summer solstice, two weeks after your return from Faerie. It is the last day of the three day midsummer holiday, but those festivities have been superseded by the ceremonies of the funeral and vigil.

You should decide when to set out. If there's no clear decision by Thursday, you will set out in three days' time after the funeral. The earliest you can set out is the morning after the funeral. That is not strange: Iniusy's death was not a surprise, and this location is on the way to the monastery. Departing after the vigil would be in keeping with the symbolic parting of ways that is part of the ritual. From the day after the funeral to three days after the funeral, the weather will be hot and clear.

A very rough, overgrown track is known to lead between the north bank and the monastery. It is considered to be a two day trip on foot. One or more guides may be retained to escort you there and back. Due to various problems with the trip right now, the starting price is 20 staters a day per guide, subject to some negotiation, probably. One Streetwise check plus any number of Aid Another checks will be made for a negotiation. Aid Another checks may substitute Nature (one check only) or Diplomacy for Streetwise. A maximum of two negotiations can be conducted, due to the limited pool of guides.

A number of considerations of wilderness travel should be taken care of, as well:

• marching order
• time of travel (Travel is generally considered to be in two five hour blocks divided by a brief rest, and then by a rather significant period of resting and camp preparation.)
• camp preparations (which usually include locating a source of fresh water; a waterskin is good for at most one day's worth of water)
• camp location in relation to the track
• turns at watch and at rest, if desired

Traveling in heavy armor in hot weather and any armor besides regular clothing in very hot weather may have a negative influence on a character's stamina.

[Palpatim]

I don't think our funds will allow us to hire a guide, especially if we're planning on assisting Duvek as Ithelryn & Yrisz suggested. It might be worth buying a guide a drink at one of the local watering holes to find out about "various problems with the trip" though.

As far as the other particulars:

• Rogur would be fairly eager to set out, so he's up for packing up and leaving the morning after the funeral. He would definitely not want to stay past three days after.
• We should each purchase additional trail rations and make sure we have plenty of water--perhaps an extra water skin per PC? Also, I don't think trail rations spoil, right?
• I assumed we would be traveling "normally", 10 hours per day, broken up into two 5 hour blocks, as Umiushi explained.
• I recommend we keep the squishier characters in the middle or rear of the marching order. Rogur is in the unusual position of being the party's only melee fighter, so he should take point.
• Rogur would normally travel in his leather armor (you can't imagine the smell), but if it's so hot that he'll be forced to make endurance checks, then he'll remove it for travel.
• I don't have any thoughts on the rest, but what we've done in other games is: camp off the trail, but within a reasonable distance (100 yards, maybe?) of it, and within reasonable distance of a source of water. Fires at night if we're not trying to be stealthy (which I don't think we are), 2-on/6-off rotating watches. Rogur is happy to take whatever watch shift works best.

I'm looking forward to the next bit! From the sounds of it, we're going from flood to fire. Or at least, flood to dry. Or at least, really hot.

--T

[Malk0lm]

Tim's plan is good. I would suggest pushing on through 6-7 hours followed by a longer break. EDIT: This way we can do it in 3 longer legs rather than 4 shorter ones.

Nox will always take the first watch unless someone else is very interested in that.

[yukonhorror]

I WANT to participate .

Here is MY situation.

Finals is next week. I am grading 30 papers and 12 project reports and 30 finals. I have a presentation to get going before January 6th. I am heading to Denver for xmas. The wife is being induced on Tuesday. I have to prepare stuff for the classes starting next semester. I am trying to get my toys working (big servers).

Sooooooo.... I will leave it up to the group.

I want to participate, but if my craziness becomes a hindrance to the group, I would understand if you want me to bow out.

Honestly, the duke (or whatever) seemed more viable, but let's head to the monastery. We can go under the pretense that poor Erszkebet (whatever) has passed away and we may need a new representative at the library. We had "heard" a women matching cresta's description came to the other monastery. We know Cresta and Erskebet were "close" and we are trying to find someone to send her belongings to.

Etc....

[Malk0lm]

I WANT to participate .

Here is MY situation.

Finals is next week. I am grading 30 papers and 12 project reports and 30 finals. I have a presentation to get going before January 6th. I am heading to Denver for xmas. The wife is being induced on Tuesday. I have to prepare stuff for the classes starting next semester. I am trying to get my toys working (big servers).

Sooooooo.... I will leave it up to the group.

I want to participate, but if my craziness becomes a hindrance to the group, I would understand if you want me to bow out.

Honestly, the duke (or whatever) seemed more viable, but let's head to the monastery. We can go under the pretense that poor Erszkebet (whatever) has passed away and we may need a new representative at the library. We had "heard" a women matching cresta's description came to the other monastery. We know Cresta and Erskebet were "close" and we are trying to find someone to send her belongings to.

Etc....

IMO think you should designate a proxy and send your character sheet to that person. Then we can give you something like 2 days to make a post and if you don't then that person can do it for you.

Honestly, I think we need Zeph to be our tank otherwise we are a pretty squishy bunch.

I hope I speak for all of us when I say that we want you to participate too but sometimes realife™ gets in the way.

[Ithelryn]

Sorry, work/life is back to crazy again.

So Yrisz would very muchly like to help Duvek, but must concede that if we are going to travel out immediately, we will need as much coin as we can rub together just to survive. That said, Yrisz will give 10 Stater to Duvek to help offset his problems.

For Yrisz part, as she sees herself as a somewhat junior member of the group, she will be OK leaving on her elder's time tables. She will stay to the middle of the party, not wear her armor, prefer last watch, and pray a lot.

Tim, you said that you were the only melee character left in the party, but isn't Zepher as well?

As for a guide, yeah, 40 staters is a little much for party to digest agreeably. Do you want to see what we can get for a price before we give up entirely? Yrisz has a 10 Diplomacy, so she can offer some manor of aid to the roller.

Good luck all!

[Ithelryn]

p.s. Yrisz does wear her armor while on watch of course...

p.p.s. I've just read my first mention of an Acqua Alta outside this game. Gunslinger Girls Comic chapters 60 through 64 Venice is suffering from an Acqua Alta which limits the approaches on the Bell Tower that the terrorists take over, and makes quite a dramatic mess...according to the story Venice can suffer minor Acqua Altas several times a year....

[Umiushi]

Reviewing my current obligations, I have unfortunately determined that it is necessary to declare a one week hiatus.

I will be editing the dates mentioned in the previous post to reflect the current reality: everything is going to have to wait until after the 13th. I think I will need a day or two to recover, so I will make the start of the new adventure by Monday morning, December 17th.

As such, the current two threads will not be locked until the new threads are up, which will be sometime around the 14th-16th.

Normally, I can afford to spend some time at least checking the progress of the threads during these breaks, but I think this may not be the case this time. It is quite likely I won't be able to check back here until December 14th-15th.

I apologize for this delay. Things will be moving again by mid-month.

[Ithelryn]

No worries, December tends to be rather busy for all, beginning to end! Good luck with your adventures.

[Malk0lm]

Reviewing my current obligations, I have unfortunately determined that it is necessary to declare a one week hiatus.

I will be editing the dates mentioned in the previous post to reflect the current reality: everything is going to have to wait until after the 13th. I think I will need a day or two to recover, so I will make the start of the new adventure by Monday morning, December 17th.

As such, the current two threads will not be locked until the new threads are up, which will be sometime around the 14th-16th.

Normally, I can afford to spend some time at least checking the progress of the threads during these breaks, but I think this may not be the case this time. It is quite likely I won't be able to check back here until December 14th-15th.

I apologize for this delay. Things will be moving again by mid-month.

I would be content playing this whole month by ear. We could then all return seriously in the new year. Perhaps a more casual obligation this month would not be out of line?

[Umiushi]

I know many people are busy in late December, but that's when I'm at my most free. However, I will be understanding if people are planning vacations and such. We can always make allowances for that sort of thing, but let me know, so that I can leverage my own free time most effectively.

I might have an opportunity to look in on the threads again around December 12.

[Palpatim]

My late December schedule is kind of up in the air right now, pending decisions about my family's work schedule. Regardless of that, though, I would not be out of pocket for more than one or two days, and likely over a weekend, so I'm game to kick off the next adventure in late December if that's convenient for rest of the group.

--T

[Ithelryn]

I'll have a continuous house guest from mid-December to mid-January. That said I'll do my best to keep up if everybody else is running...

[Umiushi]

To all the players of Acqua Alta: thank you for playing!