The Peering Eye

Hostelries of the Mine Trail

The Left Bank (Bigany), The First Roadside Inn, The Prancing Boar, The Broken Oar, The Dancing Whore, Chimera's Rest, Safe Haven (Branch Hill)

The Left Bank
Milo Vec Rating *****
Quality: *****
Price: *****
Safety: *****
Facilities: *****
Landlord: Undisclosed
Notes: The left Bank is a quiet and respectable Tavern that caters mainly for merchants. It is clean, well kept and the food and drink is acceptable.

The First Roadside Inn
Milo Vec Rating *****
Quality: *****
Price: *****
Safety: *****
Facilities: *****
Landlord: Nedan Phelps
Notes: This Inn is a highly respectable establishment that has served the needs of merchants and noble travellers alike for three generations.Although the facilities could be more extensive, the prices more than compensate.

The Prancing Boar Inn
Milo Vec Rating *****
Quality: *****
Price: *****
Safety: *****
Facilities: *****
Landlord: Mara Vec
Notes: This Inn is an excellent establishment that has served the needs of merchants and noble travellers alike for as long as Branch Hill has been a popular destination. The facilities are extensive, and the prices surprisingly low. A small hamlet has grown up around the Prancing Boar and there is a constant presence of the kings own guard.

The Broken Oar
Milo Vec Rating *****
Quality: *****
Price: *****
Safety: *****
Facilities: *****
Landlord: Captain Seaweaver
Notes: The owner of this establishment spends more time at the bar than behind it. The smell of revelry and fish hangs thickly in the main hall and one wonders if the place is ever aired. The Captain seems to like the feel of the Bigany Docks and so the place is not the safest. Brawls and duels break out frequently due to the absence of the law. The Captain can quel the violence if he feels it's geting out of hand though. Luckily the food is good and the rooms are clean, if not quiet.

The Dancing Whore
Milo Vec Rating *****
Quality: *****
Price: *****
Safety: *****
Facilities: *****
Landlord: Fedley Grimwald
Notes: The name says it all. This place is lewd & crude. The music dancing and wenching goes on almost all night. I suppose everyone need to have a little fun every now and again and this place is far enough away from Bigany so people can get away with having more fun they should be having (if you take my meaning...).

Chimera's Rest
Milo Vec Rating *****
Quality: *****
Price: *****
Safety: *****
Facilities: *****
Landlord: George Heddington
Notes: The recent and appaling upsurge in violence at this Inn is something to take into consideration. The King has stationed a few of his men there so it should resume it's normal state soon enough. If rumours of the demise of Golthaca are true, then it's title should make it popular for a few years to come.

Safe Haven
Milo Vec Rating *****
Quality: *****
Price: *****
Safety: *****
Facilities: *****
Landlord: William Handor
Notes: This Inn is the cleanest and safest in all Branch Hill. If you have to stay in the town then there is no competition. The staff will buy anything you need in town (for a commission) and bring it to your room. Rumour has it that a Gnomish (yes Gnomish) chef of incredible talent occasionally cooks here. The meals he prepares range from the delicious to the magical. Who is this mysterious Thistlegem?

Bigany Region Trade Routes

Sailing Ships

Standard Ship Speed

A Standard Sailing ship moves at 2mph or 48 miles per day.
This assumes a gentle breeze of about 8mph and includes average tacking times and inefficient ships design.
 
A fast ship moves +1/3. A slow ship moves -1/3.
An expert crew increases ship speed +1/3 and a poor or insufficient crew slows it by -1/3.
A good navigator and helmsman can increase the speed of ship by taking advantage of local currents and winds by +1/3.
The speed of a ship is often altered through magic.
 

What to shout

 

Weigh anchor! All hands on deck!

Mains out, let's get moving!

Crowd on every inch of sail!

Topsails, gallants, royals, stuns!

Every last scrap of duck on the wind!

Clew up! Clew up!

Reef the mains, half-sail!

Loose the tops'ls, gallants, and royals!

 
The Seawolf
Captain Wycliffe "Stormcrow" Hunt
Daily Speed 72 mph.
Mome Design Ship 3mph.
Expert crew of sailors +1 mph.
Heavy Weapons -1 mph.

Mome Sailing Techniques

Advanced Mome Sailing Techniques

 

Mome Ships

The Mome shipyards in Stormhaven and Bywater, produce the most advanced ships in the Bigany Region and perhaps the world.

They are faster and tougher than other ships. They are bigger and carry more cargo without requiring more crew or scarificing speed.

 

Riding The Wind

Simplfied sailing rules approximate wind direction and many other factors, but Mome sailors are masters of wind and storm.

Riding the wind allows the ship to travel at the speed indicated on the wind table (in knots/mph) for one hour.

This is extremely fast but can be challenging or even deadly depending on the ship, the weather and the skill of the crew.

 

Wind Grade

The strength of the wind is determined by a 1d12-1 roll. Different regions have different wind strengths and modifiers.

 

Wind Grade Table

Wind Grade

Name

Speed

(Knots)

Crew

Damage

Land Effect

Sea Effect

Waves

(feet)

0

Calm

0

0

Smoke Rises Vertical

Flat Sea

0

1

Very light

1

1

The wind bends smoke

Small ripples no foam

0

2

Light Breeze

4

2

It can be felt on face

Small wavelets

1

3

Gentle Breeze

7

1d4

It shakes leaves

Small crests that break

2

4

Moderate Breeze

11

1d6

It lifts papers

Small waves

3

5

Fresh Breeze

17

1d8

It shakes branches

Moderate waves and spray

6

6

Strong Breeze

22

1d10

It shakes big branches

Big waves, white crests

9

7

Near Gale

28

2d6

It impedes walking

Sea swells and white foam

12

8

Gale

34

2d8

It shakes big trees

Medium waves, crest spray

16

9

Strong Gale

41

2d10

Slates removed

High waves, tight foam strips

21

10

Storm

48

3d8

It uproots trees

Violent waves, reduced visibility

27

11

Violent Storm

56

3d10

Serious devastation

Ship disappear briefly, poor visibility

34

12

Hurricane

64+

4d8

Very serious catastrophies

Spray fills air, sea white, little visibility

42+

 

Wind Direction

The direction of the wind is determined by a 1d8 roll. A result of 1 indicates a northerly wind, 2 is northwesterly, and so forth continuing clockwise. A perpendicular wind increases the DC by 2 and reduces the travel distance in an hour by a quarter. A headwind increases the DC by 4, requires tacking and reduces the travel distance in an hour by a half.

 

Difficulty

The DC for Ride The Wind checks is 10 + wind grade + wind direction. The Midshipman can use a lower wind grade to reduce the DC and speed.

 

Skill Challenge

The crew must make one successful ability checks in each sailing role. 5 failures means the skill changes is failed. For each failed check the ship takes damage equal to the wind speed, reduced by the ship damage threshold (usually 20). Crew take damage as listed on the table.

 

Sailing Roles

Sailing Skill

Alternative (needs to successes)

Damaged area

Charisma (Midshipman)

Charisma (Performance)

Crew (1 per 5 points failure)

Intelligence (Navigator)

Intelligence

Hull damage (waves, rocks)

Wisdom (Crew Boss)

Wisdom (Perception)

Rigging or crew

Dexterity (Helmsman)

Dexterity

Rudder or hull damage

Strength (Mastman)

Strength (Athlectics)

Yards, Masts or crew

Dexterity (Trimming)

Dexterity (Acrobatics)

Sails or crew

 

Leadership