On the subject of travel.

On the subject of travel.

On the subject of travel.

How often do people get attacked by spirits outside of the lightning barriers? We’ve gotten hints of Scovlan refugees, we know there was (is?) a war, we’re to presume the empire is still held together as a whole and that means trade, travel and bureaucratic measures to ensure all this is controlled.

If it’s insanely risky to step out of the barrier – how does anything get done – how does trade happen, how do messages get about and how to wars get fought?

“Don’t expect realism here” aside, a gang of smugglers are all about circumventing and profiteering of the above problems. So how does it work in your world?

6 thoughts on “On the subject of travel.”

  2. In my game, trade happens on ships (which go out on the sea, which thirsts, so the ghosts dare not flow out over it.) Also by massive trains, which are projected with energy projectors and their own specialists.

    For going out beyond the walls, I treat the ghosts like weather. There are times they swarm, and times the ghosts are elsewhere in masses blown by ethereal currents in the Ghost Field. Sometimes it’s death to step out, other times, it’s reasonably safe if you have the right equipment.

    Tech for charms and such gets upgraded to wagon sized repellants. Expensive ingredients plus lore knowledge means you can ward a campsite against intrusion or detection by ghosts. The settlements outside the walls around Doskvol are in key points that either swim with energy to be repurposed, like spirit wells, or are in the middle of empty stretches where the ghosts don’t usually bother going. Underground is an option too.

  3. That feels right to me Andrew. I love the visual of the ships meeting at fixed points in the ocean – the equivalent of maritime caravanserai. Did you have any scenes with your players in such trades?

    I’m a bit worried about the word “expensive” as a prefix to equipment (Nathan suggested “hefty fee”) – because travel is already risky – could adding massive expenses at the outset would make the trip unprofitable?

    Admittedly the very rich would have fleets of such wagons just like 17th century merchant navies would have vessels clustered together and protected by military assigns. Perhaps the small time traders would buy a slot on a single wagon escort, or find a whisper sherpa.

  4. My players didn’t get into the maritime game, aside from boarding a docked leviathan hunter once. They did get involved in Carrow, a village outside the lightning wall that survived through use of blood magic and standing stones.

    They discovered a concealed exit tunnel from inside a mausoleum crypt that led a couple miles, outside the lightning wall, exiting within the standing stones that protect the village. Its inhabitants were deeply inbred with powerful Whisper bloodlines, because they were limmers and that gets the whispers going.

    Carrow used old limmer magic and blood to shield against the ghosts, making the bones of the earth hungry for ghosts so they were wary of the standing stones. Having lots of whispers and access to leviathan blood, bone, hide, and parts meant they could also work some powerful ritual and make some powerful charms to keep the village safe.

Comments are closed.