Winter cruise

[Lee]

Discussion thread for Winter cruise (http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Winter cruise). If you would like to add a comment, click the Post Reply button.

This is something I used in my last seafaring game. It's a way to a) get characters to explore the world, and b) maximizes use of Brecht shipping.

[AndrewTall]

A great idea, although I think only the boldest would travel around Vosgaard - though of course that leaves all the more profit for the daring...

[Rey]

Perhaps they make a big detour round Vosgaard peninsulas.

This is an interesting article. So, it takes 6 months to sail around Cerilia?

[Lee]

Perhaps they make a big detour round Vosgaard peninsulas.

This is an interesting article. So, it takes 6 months to sail around Cerilia?

I think it takes a lot less, if one were to race, but I am assuming the individual ships of the Fleet would stop a lot for a few weeks here and there for trading and tourism. Also, since the Great Bay (especially its mouth) freezes, they need to leave before it freezes, and cannot come back until it is open. It might be closer to 4 months than 6, but that's largely up to the DM, isn't it?

[Rey]

It might be closer to 4 months than 6, but that's largely up to the DM, isn't it?
And a bag of dice. :)
The reason I'm asking is if you have calculated somehow, depending on the weather, the type of the ship and so on, etc., to say that it takes this much or that much. Perhaps even by a particular route. Maybe Khinasi have favorable winds, or Vos pirates make the fleet sail faster or further from the coast. Even so, how do they pass Leviathan and where do they resupply on the east... things like that.

[AndrewTall]

I'd expect that the White Witch is very happy to trade, as is Halskapa, most Anuirean nations, the khinasi, etc. Basically you have ships full of traders and rich people, everyone likes to see them...

Which way around Cerilia the ships go will depend on winds and currents, as for how long, young nobles might well go on one years winter cruise, and go back on the next spending a year and a half away, I can well see fostering arrangements being common, attendance at universities, etc - and of course long boisterous parties safely away from the wagging tongues of Brecht society...

It works both ways, a young Anuirean noble who would benefit from a period of 'reflection' might travel back with the Brecht for a while - for example a young noble who gets pregnant might leave before she shows and come back after the babe is weaned thus avoided scandal...

[Rey]

LOL, like it. This gives a whole new perspective on life in Cerilia, cultural exchange, sharing of knowledge, ...

[Rowan]

I like it a lot, too. Although I would place the timespan at 2-4 months. 6 months just seems way too long; I don't think you'd have a culture care nearly so much about seafaring if their bay was iced over for half the year. In fact, despite the seemingly-convenient access to each other's coasts across the bay, it wouldn't be worth the huge investment in shipbuilding, developing ship technology, having trade so disrupted, and all that.

After all, it took people a long time to master the Mediterranean, and that sea only has rough seas and storms at times during the year, not ice flows, iced-up coastlines, and ports. The Vikings went a-viking during the Medieval Warm Period when their lands were verdant and the British Isles had vineyards up north. I don't think even the Dutch had to deal with 4-6 months of ice when they were expanding their empire by sea.

[Lee]

It works both ways, a young Anuirean noble who would benefit from a period of 'reflection' might travel back with the Brecht for a while - for example a young noble who gets pregnant might leave before she shows and come back after the babe is weaned thus avoided scandal...

The game for which I created this, had something in reverse. One of the PCs was a Brecht nobleman, being sent away for embarassing the family (not studying, breaking off a useful engagement). At game's/voyage's end, he was romancing a non-blooded 1/2-elf sorceress (fellow PC). The musings about how THAT's going to go over with Mom & Dad have been fun. Someday soon, I will work that into a sequel to that campaign.

[AndrewTall]

All families where etiquette is important occasionally need to pack inconvenient relatives off somewhere far away every now and then ;)

You might even have fostering between the wealthiest families...