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Lord Nemes
Seeker
Canada
58 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Feb 2006 : 03:35:23
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My PC will have to leave Mulmaster in a hurry after getting in trouble with the Cloaks. Also they must reach Zhentil Keep as soon as possible. They are curently in the middle of the month of Hammer and they have talked to make the trip by sea.
We were at the end of the session and leave discussing if the Moonsea is supposed to be frozen or if the ice is thin enough for ship to sail through.
So my question is: is it some canon info on that? If not what do you think about it. My first thought was "it's frozen and no ship can sail" but I want to know what people here think of it.
Thanks in advance
Lord Nemes
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2006 : 03:58:16
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Hmm, Ice cutters might be needed.
In Real World wooden ice cutters powered by sail did not exist, ships traped in ice were stopped and had to hope hull would not be stove in.
FR tech of mundance ship building will be of simalar tech. A thin sheet of ice is not a problem to shiping and if the Moonsea only has a thin coat of ice, shiping lanes could be maintained and new ones opened. The problem of course is what is thin ice to a ship. 4 inches of ice should break up with no problem at all for any ship with minimun hull damage, under sail. The biggest problem of course is the need for wind. A one inch sheet of ice will stop a sailed ship if there is no wind at all.
Add magic, the use of fire magic should be able to cut a channel if the ice is too thick, other magics might be needed to provide wind on a calm day.
There also should be concerns about cross winds that could drive a ship into thicker ice. As far as it goes ice thickness can vary greatly even if following planed course. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2006 : 04:00:53
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| I have been looking all over the net and my own material. I have not found anything about the moonsea being impasable in the winter due to it freezing over. I would not think that it would ice over. anyone else have information pertainng to this. |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2006 : 04:39:52
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From http://www.candlekeep.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1901&whichpage=74
quote:
). All of these soaring, massive keeps housed armories and were topped with huge catapults. These weapons usually hurled loads of great boulders, and were mostly used to swiftly break Moonsea ice in winter if invading armies threatened to cross it from the shore to the southern tip of the island (though in later years, Northkeep’s defenders exhaustively practised aiming and firing the catapults, and became skilled enough to readily sink vessels in surrounding waters).
It clearly appears parts of the sea does ice over. I might be able to find a little more besides what Ed has said.
Edit: Have to remember if coping from two different pages the paste only remembers the last copy. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
Edited by - Kentinal on 13 Feb 2006 04:42:31 |
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Faramicos
Senior Scribe
Denmark
468 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2006 : 17:55:42
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| A small anecdote from my beloved north (Denmark, Sweden and Norway). A famous norwegian polar explorer and his crew, of different northern origin, took his ship and his crew on a voyage to discover the northern passage around the north pole in the beginning of the 20th century (optimistic). They were trapped by the ice and couldent move. Their ship endured, but they were trapped for 3 years before the ice melted and they could return to home. Talk about stamina and willpower. (probably difficult to roleplay 3 such years). |
"When dragons make war, worlds can only tremble in the shadow of angry wings" |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2006 : 23:04:50
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Wow. There's a reason it took a special person to be a polar explorer.
I just checked Ruins of Zhentil Keep, and it says that the Keep's harbor froze nearly solid during the city's siege (it was frozen by the month of Hammer). It also says that it was unseasonably cold, so I'd guess that at least some surface ice would be the norm, with shipping being either difficult or impossible, depending on the weather (easier when warm, harder when cold), with prices for shipping reflecting this. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Lord Nemes
Seeker
Canada
58 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2006 : 23:56:34
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Thanks for the answers
I see on news about one hour ago that they normaly use the Ice cutters form january to mid-march here in Quebec(this year we had no ice until last week ). If I suppose that the Moonsea is about the same latitude than the ice will make sea travel impossible except on warmer winters.
Think I will have a bunch of PC thak will not enjoy a trip by sea...
I keep the suggestions of the catapult and fire magic for a shorter run...good ideas!
Thanks
Lord Nemes |
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Lord Nemes
Seeker
Canada
58 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2006 : 00:15:05
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They may also be able to leave Mulmaster in ship and get caught in ice somewhere in the midle of the Moonsea... More I think and more it will not be a simple trip from point A to point B...
Lord Nemes |
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Travel by sea in winter
