Tonight I wanted to capture something that is done poorly other times, or not done well when looking at the river Tanzee. Any journey by river can be treacherous when poorly prepared and in the case below it’s evident that the information that was given to the party was not quite accurate. Hazardous environments, dangerous wildlife and rough conditions could make it difficult for anyone to travel safely if this is what they can expect.
So sit back, perhaps grab a fishing rod and a hat as we coast down the river in tonight’s adventure!
The River Tanzee
511SaRiTa
The river was cloudy with silt, which according to the locals meant that the next spring would bring a good harvest. The river Tanzee was the life blood for the area as it provided not just the life-giving silt from the river but also the bounty of food from its murky waters.
Fish, crustaceans, reptiles and amphibians called these waters home and the people of the land and river made a great deal of use out of the bounty from it. But as the party plunged the large poles in deep into the silty water and pushed their raft further down the river they couldn’t help but edge further away from the rafts edge when they could afford to let the rudimentary vessel drift down along the current instead.
A few times they had plunged the deep poles into the water below only to feel it connect with something more solid than the thick mud and silt that formed a blanket on the river bottom. As the poles connected with the solid mass it would move off quickly as if disturbed from a slumber and a disturbance on the rivers surface was all that could be seen.
However, as disturbing as that tyle of encounter with creatures was it was nothing compared to when they had one of their poles ripped from their hand and dragged under the water. The shattered and chomped remains floated back to the surface revealing that there was more under the surface of the water than what they were led to believe when they agreed to this route.
As they moved further downstream large birds flew overhead the raft hoping they were a fishing vessel, or, waiting for them to be the next meal. Large fish could be seen moving beneath the surface of the river as they moved next the reeds which caused a flurry of motion from the smaller fish caused the birds to dart down to snatch up the smaller fish. As a large narrow beaked bird dove into the water to snap up a fish the snap of its jaws was overshadowed by the crunch of a second set of jaws that ruptured out of the water.
A large toothed reptile erupted from the water, snapping up the bird in its jaws causing it to release the fish and try to fly out of the mouth of the large creature. Unsurprisingly, it was of little use as the bird was dragged under water within seconds.
More aware of the creatures that called this river home the party withdrew further to the centre of the raft and waited for the feeding frenzy to die down.
Thanks for visiting for a free-style Saturday and for indulging in my whims. Don’t forget that tomorrow marks the end of the week and the production of a zine for this weeks adventure. So don’t forget to come back tomorrow to get a copy of the zine and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe
Brazen Wolfe Tabletop 