TerrisH
Mischief?
Yellow line: the path of the convoy
Green dots: position during various incedents
Day One: Outset
Today, the first Great Tin Expedition set out. For several generation, we, the Atyrian, have been expanding in a northwest. Desperate for tin, and finding none in our own lands, we have pressed forth..
But none has been found, nor contact has been made. So a different tack we shall try. Today, under the benevolent guidance of Merchant Hampton, and with the protection of almost three hundred and fifty troops, we shall set out on a caravan to the north. With supplies for six months, we shall explore. Hopefully, we will stumble upon a source. We might never return, but we will try. And I, Hamial Kortin, the quartermaster of the caravan, will keep this log of our quest.
Hopefully, it will survive and find it's way back if we fail to return.
Day 5: Embarkation
After 4 days of marching upon the wonderful road system, we have arrived the Shayrin River. Here, we are to embark of a small portion of the Atyrian naval fleet. Though only a few of our ships have a low enough draft to properly sail the river, those that can have met us. Even a few dozen of the newly commissioned Merchant Marines have joined us temporally. They regularly sail on merchent craft headed up river to Outpost Kurin. None of the uncivilized barbarians attack our merchent craft anymore, for they are no more then fodder for the excellent archery of the Marines. No matter how rough the river, they can hit a target 200 yards away.
We shall be safe until we reach land again. After that, who knows.
Day 12: Outpost Horin
Outpost Horin. The last stop in Atyrian lands proper. Built on the border of the barbarian lands to the north, it marks the end of the lands where one is safe (mostly), and the lands where anything goes. A small, bustling town, it is the center point of the trade along the river Shayrin River. Every week, a ship arrives from Outpost Korin up river, loaded with good gathered in trade. Native artifact that will sell for a good price in the lands to the south. Meat from the hundreds of hunter. Few households in Atyrian go without having meat for dinner at least once a month. Some of the wealthier households even have meat daily. And the outpost is growing. Within a few generations, it will be a city unto itself.
Day 15: Outpost Kurin
We arrive at the furthest point the the Atyrian military normally travels along the Shayrin River. While some merchant ships will travel even further upriver, and the occasional expedition is launched to take care of an upstart village that has been preying upon our merchants. But for the most part, here this is the limit of Atyrian trade. It is here most of the meat the hunters gather is salted and stored for transport. while up to now our rations have been light on meat, here we traded the excess vegetable and grains we carried with us up river for the meat we will take on our trek. I was able to get some very good deals here.
On another note, this is the last point of contact we will have with our families for quite some time. From here on, it shall be an purely overland trek, and deep beyond the realms where any traders have gone. Off into the unknown.
Excuse me. I wish to write a final letter to my mother. I hope I get to write here again sometime.
Day 37: The Raid
I have never been more frightened in my life then today. After 22 days trekking from Outpost Kurin, we have passed mostly unharnessed by the locals. Other then a the occasional curiosity seekers (Who were remarkably uninformed about the value of some objects), we have had no trouble.
But that changed. An entire tribe ambushed the caravan. We were passing between two hills, the one to the north forested. We really should have been more aware, but after so little trouble for so long, we had relaxed our guard. Over a hundred of them suddenly emerged from the wood right into the center of the caravan. A few of us were killed, but the majority of us merchants managed to scatter.
The raiders were not so lucky. The rear guard, almost a third of the forces sent to guard us, got to the raiders first. And the forward gaurd was not far behind us.
Their training quickly made up for surprise. The raiders lasted then five minutes before they were driven back, over half their number dead. And with almost a weeks Worth of supplies.
The dead. 23 merchants, 44 mules, 22 archers, 16 axemen, and a single spearmen. They will be missed, and our carrying capacity greatly reduced. Those mules construed almost a fourth of mules. We may not be able to return with enough tin to make this trip worth while if we do find a source. Still, if we can do this once, we can do it again, with a larger, more protected caravan. Possibly with several outpost along the way.
Day 54: The Empty Land
Kura, Harintur Krin.
The Edge, I Have Met You.
Today we entered the empty lands, as the nearby tribe call it. We never planed to encounter an area like this. An area beyond any trace of civilization. Beyond here, there are no towns, no villages. Simply small tribe eacking out an existence on the land. Living only to live another day. No more, no less.
It is places like this that make you appreciate civilization truly. But this area dose not bode well for out expedition. Perhaps there is a civilized land beyond these empty plains. Perhaphs not. Still, we must go on. We must try.
Day 70: Heavens Fall
Last night, a sign appeared in the sky. Perhaps to us, perhaps to somebody else. A great comet sailed across the sky. With our supplies almost to the point where we will have to turn back, Merchant Hampton has taken it as a sign from the gods. We will follow it, even though it's course went perpendicular to our current path. I can only hope it leads us true.
Day 85: Greetings
Hope! Today, we encountered a small outpost upon a river. They call themselves the Noricum. Truly, that comet was a sign of the heavens. Had we continued on, we would have missed them entirely. With but 2 days before we would have had to turn back, this is fortuitous luck. While communications have been spotty so far, Merchant Hampton has been making progress with their language and already some interest in our trade goods have been shown. We shall press on tomorrow to Noricum proper to make true contact. While no shortage of bronze or tin have been shown yet, we will not truly know until we can communicate properly.
Day 87: Contact
Merchent Hampton has shown remarkable progress in learning their language. He has confirmed that they do have contact with the mythical tin source. While there is still much to learn about them, it appears we will have plenty of time to hammer out a proper deal an learn much more.
For it appear winter comes a bit earlyer here then in Atyrian. It will be almost 6 month before it is safe to set out again. Until then, we have set up a camp just outside the border of Noricum proper. Here we will stay while we talk to them.
To Noricum
Greetings from the south. We hope plenty trade happens between. Tin we desire for trade, with the many goods we bing. You might open to trade? (Greetings from the south, we hope there will be plenty of trade between our nations. We seek the metal tin, and have brought many goods from the south to trade for it. Might you be open to such a trade?
Note to Mod: Smiley in Noricum's stats. Might want to fix.
And if the expedition fails, well, then they simply don't make it back.
the first part of the diplo is to simulate the imperfect attempt to bridge the Launges barrier, the second the meaning.
