[CONAN] Icy Waters?

[Supplement Four]

I've been thinking of incorporating the Saami into my campaign. I'm just starting to dream about this, and I was thinking that the PCs, instead of the treacherous overland route, would make their way from Cimmeria to the Western Ocean, find passage on a ship, then skirt the Vanaheim coast, northwards.

How far, do you think, the PCs can get by boat before sea passage is no longer possible? Is the season important?

 

[Mach5RR]

Yes. Yes it is. Think of those Arctic/Antarctic explorers of the 18th and 19th century, who were trapped and had to wait for the ice to recede in warmer months. Heck, they do that now. If they go prepared, they can bring supplies to convert from traveling by sea to traveling by ice.

 

[Supplement Four]

I know it's all opinion and guesstimate, but how far north do you think they can get before the ice prevents farther travel?

 

[Jeffreywns]

It's Conan!
They get as far as the story dictates, of course. To the ice encased ruins (of Frost Giant size), to the strangers fleeing the Gnoph-Keh, to the eerily naked woman on the ice flow who dives into the icy waters.
Asking for a specific longitude and latitude and if the season is a factor seems... out of my GM waters. I can't offer any more advice than what I stated above.
I do look foreward as to what your players will find there.

 

[Spectator]

Wow, what a journey!
If they could find a captain who would risk his boat to travel that far north then venture through hostile terrain of cold, vanir raiders, cannibalistic eigliophian neanderthal-men, all to get to the northern reaches of Cimmeria?!?!

Try reading a book by John Robert Maddox: Conan the Valorous
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Valorous
one of favorite pastiches because it compares to ways to get to northern cimmeria; by foot from the south and from boat to Vanaheim, and across the overland route.

Just what you were thinking about!
It's a great story too!

 

[Supplement Four]

@Jeffreywns

You're right, of course. I was just trying to get an idea of how far north by boat.

Wow, what a journey!
If they could find a captain who would risk his boat to travel that far north then venture through hostile terrain of cold, vanir raiders, cannibalistic eigliophian neanderthal-men, all to get to the northern reaches of Cimmeria?!?!

I was thinking along those lines, too. It may be the adventure before the adventure.

I'm just brainstorming about all this. I've not fully decided to go this route.

Try reading a book by John Robert Maddox: Conan the Valorous
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Valorous
one of favorite pastiches because it compares to ways to get to northern cimmeria; by foot from the south and from boat to Vanaheim, and across the overland route.

I've read it a couple of times--the most recent not so long ago. Good book. Strange structure with the whole Bull thing, but a good book nonetheless.

I absolutely love the beginning when Conan buys the sword. JRM made something as simple as buying the sword interesting.

 

[Spectator]

Yeah JRM does a great job when he writes Roman Historical Fiction as well.

 

[Supplement Four]

I spoken with JRM a couple of times on the Conan.com forum. He said that the reason Valorous seemed to take a right turn in the middle then come back to the story was because he, indeed, did write a shorter tale. When he turned it in, the publisher asked for him to fatten it up to a larget page count. Thus, the bull side-story was added after the original story was completed.

 

[Spectator]

I heard that before (about pumping up the page count) but I still liked the sub story as well. After all the Conan travelled from Koth to Cimmeria and in that long of a journey he's bound to get involved with something, so it kind of made sense.

I think Hathor-Ka was one of my favorite villains, ever.
I loved the concept of this Sensuous Stygian Noble Sorceress and the double cross by Thoth-Amon.
Then you had the crazed Khitan and the obese Vendhyan.
The weakest point of the story was the ending when the avatar of Crom steps on the Sorceror, Jaganath, arrrgghhh!!!