Chapter 1: Landfall

[matt_s]

Spread out hissed Stavard. The beast will not want to risk an attack from the flank. It seems mighty but perhaps a few pinpricks and a withdrawal will convince it we are not worth the effort. We could be attacked as prey or as trespassers, and in either case bloodying its nose and make a swift retreat seems appropriate.

With those musings, Stavard backs towards the treeline, keeping javelin at the ready for when it comes within close range.

[TheWhitefire]

Harlan was many things-well, really only two things-but none of the things he was was a "hunter." Or "Dragonslayer." Or even "particularly good with a gun." In fact, Harlan had managed to go his whole life without having to handle a firearm on purpose, and he wasn't planning to change that any time soon. While he was relatively certain he could kill a deer with his bare hand, and probably do a good number on a bear before it gutted him, "flying lizard monster" was not on his list of animals he figured he could take in a fight. So, instead, he quickly cast a glance around looking for something he could hide under. Like a log, or perhaps a large rock.

 

OOC

Not really sure what I should roll here, if anything. Gimme a heads up!

 

[Powderhorn]

Day 3, Late Afternoon

     Oliver's rifle cracks, and startles a deer somewhat nearby.  The flying beast swoops in, and grows larger and larger as everyone scatters.  Jaws open wide to reveal large, dagger-like teeth, and it dives upon the deer.  With an audible crunch, you hear it bite into the deer, and a short scream from the animal is cut short as its body goes limp.
     Swinging back upwards, the same beast gains altitude high above.  Letting the deer go, those watching see in stunned silence as the same flying creature swoops low, and a gout of fire shoots out from its maw, instantly cooking the deer.  Before it hits the ground, the beast swoops under, catches the cooked dear in mid-air, and with great, leathery wings beating a wind down upon you all, flies off again, continuing on its journey and fading into the distance.

 

[TheWhitefire]

Harlan, having ducked low into the grass, watches in stunned silence as the thing flies off.

"Well now what in the actual hells was that!?" He shouts after the creature has disappeared into the distance. "Did that thing just shoot fire out of its mouth!? And fly off with a deer!?"

Brushing grass off his chest, he shakes his head. "What sort of hellish place is this, that a thing like that can just... exist here?" He mutters.

[SirLoganofGilead]

Oliver grabs his rifle, and immediately begins loading it as he continues to move toward the tree line.  "It's dangerous.  Extremely dangerous.  Let's not stay out in the open for now...and we should get to that shooting training quicker than we had hoped.  Does anyone have any reason to not go back?"  This is why I wanted our CAMP in the treeline. Oliver is a tough man, but he is clearer shaken a bit here.  His instincts are clearly still working, but he is not loading his rifle as quickly as he had done in the past.

[matt_s]

Stavard shrugs and adds to Oliver's ideas,

One bit of good news - if a beast like that can survive here, there must be plenty of game. And it has clearly decided that we are not prime game, yet at least. It will figure out where our camp is one way or another. Fires even under cover are hard to miss along with the other goods and sundry of settlement.

I will tell our quartermaster to be sure to station middens and other such facilities well outside of the main camp, for sanitation and to keep motive for the beast to trespass at a minimum.

Back to the camp I agree, unless anyone else has more they wish to do. I say we tell the truth, to steel the lads and lasses for the truth that they must come to face sooner or later.

[8w_gremlin]

Brother Koji

Back at camp, Koji and the other crafts-people continue to build the basic housing that is needed. unaware of the peril that the hunters have encountered.

[Powderhorn]

Day 4, Dawn

     Pushing through the night, the trio return back to share their story.  The sentries are alert, and thankfully do not shoot at you, however those with more seasoned military backgrounds might be wary of how trusting they are, with no real suspicion that you could be anyone but who you claim.

     Brother Koji has clearly been busy, and with the help of those not standing guard or otherwise occupied (about 25 people), a humble peasant cottage and about 100 feet of defensive trenching has been made.

 

[matt_s]

Business first, I suppose, grumbles Stavard after taking a swig of freshwater from a canteen. Being out in the woods was rough work. So was being part of a ship's complement, but aboard a ship, you'd receive two large meals and grog every day, with hell to pay if food was shortchanged or spoiled.

He takes a minute to collect the others and John Hurley, who has at least demonstrated a rough facsimile of competence, for a quiet conference. Unless there are objections, he fills in the others about the drake sighting, letting his compatriots supply any missing details from Stavard's account.

I think we ought to tell the lads but keep it grounded. A large flying beast is true and scary enough, no need to worry them with superstition or creatures wrought from the very fabric of mythology. Just keep careful guard, and have the lads on the perimeter challenge anyone who comes in and out. A log of comings and goings - and reasons why - may not be relevant to the issue of our winged friend, but just seems like proper discipline, I reckon.

Why, back on the ship, I can hardly remember making fast a line without it being recorded in the ship's log.

[Powderhorn]

John Hurley, Militia "Captain"

        Keeping his voice in that rough whisper that's loud enough to be heard, but still imagined to be quiet, John Hurley adds, "I don't know that it's good to lie to people about what's out there.  A large flying beast today, what next tomorrow?  Keep in mind, we don't have a way off this rock for a year, unless we start building a boat and deciding to sail back home - an option I rather like the sound of, frankly.  People will find out, either from us, or from seeing such beasts from nightmares themselves, with their own eyes.  I argue it's best to brace them for the eventuality."

        Changing gears, he adds other thoughts.  "Are we safe to be so out in the open?  A flying beast seen already - what of attacks from the water?  Or attacks from the ground?  If we are to build a settlement, we must be prepared to defend it, but we're still learning that there are new threats we have not even conceived of before today.  And there are other threats we still haven't conceived of out there.  How do we keep our people safe and build a home in such a place?"

 

[TheWhitefire]

McCuddy leaned back in his seat at the meeting. "Hurley has a point. At the very least, we need to rethink building wooden shelters. They're quick and easy to get up, but against a thing that can breath fire? I recommend we think about moving up to higher ground and building earthwork houses. At the very least, we should consider sod roofs."

He stroked his chin a bit and thought. "As for keeping our people safe, all threats are basically the same. They have to come from outside somehow, and I can't imagine how many winged fire-breathing monsters this land could possibly support. I don't imagine such things exactly hunt in packs, and guns pierce scales as well as armor I imagine. We'll just have to be careful to keep our eyes on the sky. As for ground threats? Well, you're a soldier. Earthworks and firearms should work just as well there."

Harlan gave a cocky grin and leaned in conspiratorially. "Now, what I'd really like to get is one of those flying things on my table. Perform a dissection and record everything. Bring back that thing's head as a gift to some local lord. It'd probably be worth a fortune!"

[8w_gremlin]

Brother Koji

"Better yet, tame the thing, can you imagine what the world would be like with an aerial cavalry unit mounted on those!" Koji's eyes are lit with the thought of the concept.

"But yes, you're all right, we need to consider how and what we build. We need shelter from the elements, our makeshift bivouacs, and tents will be little use against the elements let alone a fire-breathing monster when the weather turns bad"  he looks over the housing they have managed to produce in such a little time, wondering how he can improve the design to defend against aerial attacks and fire

"let's continue with what we have as a temporary base of operations, whilst scouting out better locations. This location would be perfect for a normal town, with fresh water, a lagoon, and a harbour, but with the information that we now have we should look at other alternatives, or at least a place to retreat to and fortify."  his thoughts wander a little to think how they could set up cisterns and wells.  

koji pauses "Did anyone come across any caves? When we start mining and stone quarries we will have better access to deep defendable areas, but until then, We'll do what we can. Any other thoughts"

Edited May 2, 2023 by 8w_gremlin (see edit history)

[matt_s]

Stavard winced at the idea of aerial cavalry,

Kid, war is already easy enough. Don't need any refinement.

But you are right, just give the basics of the thing to the lads - flying, dangerous, pointy teeth, nasty breath - but let's not make it out to be some horror from the depths of the abyss. We can think on how to kill it if need be - rig up a deer carcass with a few pounds of black powder and steel nails would be an idea, and the malevolence of man knows few bounds.

Yeah, striking out across the sea seems inadvisable. Our defense here is numbers and brute strength anyways. Secondary camps would be worthwhile for hunting, trapping, and scouting out locations for farming.

Caves I hesitate on - dark and soggy places, and downright nasty place to get burned out of I wager.

For now, let us keep everyone busy. Build up home base, get some fishing vessels up, and set up some secondary locations as well.

 

 

[SirLoganofGilead]

Oliver listened to the men talk about taming or dissecting the beasts.  His own hope was that the thing would stay away from them for as long as possible.  He thought about reminding the group that tree cover, as was his original idea, would at least give them some sort of line-of-sight protection.  He decided to move on.  

"We tell them what that thing can do, so the men with rifles know to start shooting early if they see the thing.  Not telling them it shoots fire, leaves the settlement at risk if they decide to try and wait for a closer shot.  We should maybe start training some more men on rifles.

Has any of our passive food collection been sorted out yet?  Fish?  Traps?  Hunting is going to be more dangerous now than we thought it would."

[TheWhitefire]

Harlan nods. "A forest would keep earthwork houses from flooding, and offer fertile soil for us to grow and forage in. Hunting in the open will be dangerous, should probably keep our hunters under tree cover as much as possible." Harlan rubbed his chin again as he thought for a few moments longer. He deeply wished there was some peoples already living here who could help them identify edible food.

"We'll have to be careful about forage, though. Make sure we test anything for poisons before we eat it. Who knows what sort of berries and mushrooms are in these woods? As for farming... we'll need to try and see if anything we brought can grow in the shade of these trees. That way we can operate our farms under cover in case another overgrown lizard decides it likes potatoes. Otherwise, we'll need to make sure gardens in cleared areas are well-guarded. Perhaps set up watch towers around them equipped with sharpshooters or cannons."