The Astley & Co. Legation
1. Choose a route: The young knights voted 3 to 1 in favor of the western route through Midvale.
The western road exits on the stinking heap of Widdershins Way and on to Eagle Valley, a cold fortress manned by infamous louts and rejected knights, and out of the kingdom into Midvale. Out there brigands, mutants, lawlessness, and few comforts lie in wait among the driving rains that pour year-round. A knight who has dishonored themselves is customarily stripped of their rank and sent west, to die among the wild men in whatever manner they think best, and some of them haunt that land as outlaws. The best days on that road, you will be greeted by highwaymen. If your luck should worsen, you could be overtaken by Beastman, or worse, the progeny of the alchymist. Always be ready to die, but if you head west, be ready for worse.
2. Hire an entourage/traveling cohort. If nobody is suffering because you left, why leave at all? The current fashion for knights on errantry is to make their absence felt, by hiring travel companions that will be missed. Nothing too egregious, but enough to make oneself a rakish nuisance.
- A huntsman was hired from the grocer at Canberra, Ariadne Brae.
- Sir Bastian Winterstar hired a journeyman smith from Clinkers and Clamors at Southwall Quarter, to attend to any necessary repairs.
- Hired muscle was sought at Deosil Quarter. Fredric Withers and Burr Priest were retained for services.
- Squires: Lily Daft, a housecarl from Daleview, was retained by Sir Bastian Winterstar.
- A good minstrel will keep spirits high and write songs of your deeds. On the recommendation of no less than Max Cambreadth, Yakko Gwendog was saved from torture to join them.
3. Buy any necessary provisions for the road. It is intelligent to take your time in setting out, as an unseemly haste would indicate fear or weakness. The Demon Moon will not wax full until 7th Morningstar, so as long as you set out before then, it will be a dignified and auspicious undertaking.
It is 3rd Morningstar, and the Demon Moon has begun to wax...
Dan Ragsdale politely submits a bill of goods he will need in order to do smithing on the road. He has his own anvil and tools already, but the anvil weighs 200lbs and his tools weigh 80. He also requests 200lbs of coal and various ingots to be purchased for the journey, estimated to cost 40 crowns, so that he can repair or replace their gear.
Alyn Warburton brings along a 50lb bag of clay, two large chests of iron cookware, and a backpack of salts, spices, tinctures, and oddments of his trade. Altogether, 400lbs of gear.