Game 2, the "Iron Fjord"

[Frosty]

Let the game begin. The party will be arriving in Anchorage over the morning, met at the airport and shuttled to Whittier. 

The contest organizers have done a pretty decent job of coordinating flights from around the lower 48 and Canada. You all arrive in Anchorage within about 2 hrs. of each other. You as players may not think that's such a big deal but if you've ever flown into or out of Alaska you'd know how much more likely you are to have either a red eye departure or arrival time, usually both. Just a little RPG magic for you.

Starting around 6:45am Anchorage time you start rolling in, you're met at baggage claim and taken to breakfast till everybody arrives. Your luggage is taken care of and will ride with you in the limo. You have your carry on unless you'd like your hosts to handle it with the rest of your luggage. No, sidearms are NOT allowed in your possession in the airport they're in your checked luggage with: knives, axes, machetes, flame throwers, and such anyway. You will of course carry your coats, it IS October in Alaska after all. 

Have your Characters get acquainted over breakfast and coffee. The limo will be leaving after the last of the luggage from the latest arrival has been claimed and loaded in the limo. The limo ride is a short 2 hr. ride including the tunnel into Whittier. The driver will maintain a running commentary about scenery, history, etc. There is a 6th person riding with you in the limo, he is Aaron, one of your guides. He'll line you out of the camp, types of hunt and answer questions.

Aaron is a NPC I'll be running. His character is intimately familiar with hunting regs, conditions in the area, etc. However Aaron is NOT me and can only answer questions his character would know.

The Chauffeur, tour guide, Jennifer would answer questions but she's driving and October on the Seward Highway on Turnagain Arm requires focus. Aaron is 6'1" 210lbs. and lean if powerfully built and moves with athletic grace. His voice is a mid tenor and he speaks with a bit of a Yeager drawl like an airline pilot or tower comptroller. Once you're you're under way Aaron asks,

" Who brought a 9mm auto for a back up piece" Aaron watches your reactions and in his easy Yeager drawl says, "That's a personal defense weapon you aren't going to run into anything that'll notice being shot by a 9mm or most pistol rounds for that matter. This is bear country, sure they're just blackies but a bear is a bear and a couple clips of 9mm is just gong to make one mad." Aaron reaches under his seat and retrieves a pistol case. "This is what I carry," He opens the case and removes a double action Stainless steel revolver and presents it to the person sitting across from him.

Darious, you're sitting across from Aaron, what do you do?

Oh, I forgot to mention this is the typical lodge limo, a nicely appointed late model 4x4 Chevy Suburban liberally festooned with lodge and fishing charter magnetic stickers. There is more than enough room for everybody to stretch out. The seats have been rearranged so it's not a typical 3 row cabin. The driver side side doors are disabled and a bench seat is anchored sideways to make a conversation pit. There is a drop down DVD screen above the passenger side doors playing videos of this lodge's island camp, scenery and multiple shots of happy hunters and their kills.

The game is ON. From now on if I address you 1st person like the paragraph directly above it's me the GM talking. However I'll be doing my best to stay in character and speak in the 1st. person once removed or a clear narrative to describe "natural" situations, for instance, (A giant walrus chases all you off the beach.)

This round will be the limo ride to Whittier so get acquainted, state what you're doing and I'll talk to you later.

Frostig Den Arbitus.

 

 

[Daswulf]

Max looks around the group after having a large breakfast after a miserable "anxiety ridden" long plane ride.He is trying to see who looks personable to be able to talk to since he isnt the biggest "people person." still enjoying the time off work tho, he is pretty relaxed now and taking in the strangers and time off the "usual" routine.  He keeps thinking about carrying his leatherman instead of the regular locking blade since he might just have to do some field work to his rifle even if the hunt is furnished. he realizes he is probably too self reliant and should just let the guides do the work but is stubborn and just thinks he should be prepared. "What about my hatchet, do you even need a machete in alaska? dont think they have any overgrowth like in PA."  oh, the silly things that run through his mind all the time.......

wanting to double check what he has read Max talks with Aaron about what the regulations are on either of our prey, trying to note the details. every once in a while glancing up to see how Jennifer is driving. Max prefers to drive himself and when riding in a car he cant help but try to watch the road as well. after a rundown about the hunting regs. Max asks Aaron about what the camp/cabin situation will be and tries to make small talk about liking the out doors and what kind of plant life there is and what is edible and or poisonous, or what berries are ready. should I carry a hatchet or machete? after the conversation seemingly getting boring to Aaron, max backs off and tries to enjoy the ride. at one point along the ride Aaron seeming to be kidding around asks "who brought the 9mm auto for a back up piece" and i laugh. after he said something about making bears mad and holding the case with it over to Darious I tell him "mine is the Glock 20 10mm. , where you hiding It at? I prefer to have it on my hip. you know we are in bear country right?"

in between conversation in the awesome suburban limo that he would love to have one day and commentary of the scenery Max feels like he is unprepared for this wilderness and starts thinking of all the things that could go wrong, just like on the airplane, but on that he had no solutions. always thinking, always worried, always paranoid that something would go wrong. Max thinks "Man...I need a smoke.. these long rides are killing me. first the airplane now this limo suburban. not much good came of the chain smoking fit after the plane ride before breakfast. now I'm trapped again. " He focuses on the amazing scenery to forget his issues. He tries to pay attention to the conversations going on while taking in the beauty they are passing through, while here and there making some small talk with the other strangers around him. Max notes who knows what and who has some knowledge on the wild wilderness they are heading into. Max thinks " Man, it would be awesome to get a big bear. I'd have it made into a rug with the head still on it . what does bear meat even taste like? I'd settle for a deer. least i know i could make awesome jerky and steaks from that. let alone all the other parts. hope i see a big one. my friend wants some antler for knife handle material."

Max calms down with other seemingly good people around and thinks "This is great" laughing to himself. " what could go wrong"

 

 

 

[Darious]

The long plane ride to the Ted Stevens international gave Brandon the perfect start to his much needed vacation. The sounds of the 747 were comforting and allowed him to easily settle into his book: Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction (The 14^th century) by: Brian R. Price.

                The plane ride ended shortly after 0700 hours with a slight amount of turbulence and clean landing followed by a taxi to the south terminal. After disembarking Brandon retrieved his luggage and worked his way to the diner where breakfast was being served and they were to await their guide. Originally he was going to take an unguided trip but after thinking it through Brandon figured a fully guided hunt would be more relaxing.

                While helping himself to a large plate of scrambled eggs, Bacon, Hash browns, Sausage, and a huge mug of 3 cream 4 Sugar; Brandon took out his pocket notebook and opened to his ballistic charts. It was a perfect time for him to reset his watch to local time and ensure his point of impact solutions were placed inside his watches internal memory.

                As the Limo pulled up Brandon got up and hoisted his packs in. He placed his Gerber and his side into his backpack along with the ammunition to take into the main area with him. The rest was stored with the luggage.

                Brandon Hopped into the Limo and stretched out a bit. Everyone else was starting to load up as well so he figured it best to wait before starting his introduction. Finally everyone was loaded and the guide stepped in.

Brandon knew pretty quickly he was going to get along well with Aaron. He had the bearing of a man who had seen it all and knew how to handle himself in most situations you could face up here.

"Who brought a 9mm auto for a backup piece?" Brandon knew the question was directed at him and reached into his pack for it. After ensuring the safety and chamber was cleared he reversed his grip on it and passed it over to Aaron. The revolver he received in turn was a beautiful piece. Without a closer look Brandon figured it to be a S&W piece but he would have to look into the trademarks to be sure.

“The heft is nice and the double action is always reliable in a pinch. What Calibre is the chamber? .357?” Brandon reached into his bag and took out the silver box of Hornady Critical Duty Flexlock ammunition. “They may not be much for size but they pack a punch when needed.” He passed over the box as well. “Although for anything as large as a bear I would much prefer my TT3. Hopefully I’m never in the situation I’m without either, I’m good with a knife but not that good. I’m sure a bear will be much better!” Brandon let out a laugh and glanced over at the other people in the limo to break the tension and invite them to join into the conversation.

[odblacksmith]

During the entire flight/breakfast/limo Bruno is fairly quiet as usual,although after breakfast he went outside to grab a smoke and met an interesting guy named Max,They briefly discussed the trip and managed to make it to the fact that they both forge in their spare time.During the limo trip the only sound from Bruno is a small chuckle about the 9mm question,and when the question arises about what bear taste like he just replies Delicious... 

[MrDarkNebulah]

Ben arrives and spends the limo ride listening. He knows that most of these people know more about this subject then him. He feels a little out of his league. But he listens closely and takes in all the information. He stores them away to figure out what else he needs to pick up. He has his knife in his pocket and his whistle around his neck. He is wearing work pants, boots, long socks, a wool shirt, and his coat. Everything else he has in his bag. He doesn't start many conversations, but adds input into one every once in a while.

[Frosty]

All your hardware is checked or you'd be bidding on it at the next airport security auction at home. Rat finks have an Old Timer I'd been carrying for 20 years, just because I forgot it in my pocket and the person who'd dropped me at the airport was gone so I couldn't give it to him. . . Oh nevermind. All your hardware is checked. And NO you aren't unpacking it on the ramp at the airport, security is just plain touchy. This is Anchorage, Alaska. Not 1880s Tombstone Arizona.

Brandon looks more than a little surprised when he sees Aaron's backup pistol is a S&W .22 mag. revolver. He's even more surprised when he notices the isolator won't retract from the firing pin. "Nope Brandon, that one isn't my carry piece though that is what I carry. We don't allow fire arms in limo or airplane cabins and we're about to ban bear sprays completely."

Aaron does a slow survey of the party with a smile, "Nothing personal guys but we never know who's going to travel with us and you would NOT believe the antics. We just don't allow problems to arise. I asked about automatic pistols for a couple reasons. First they're much more likely to jam at an unfortunate time than a revolver.

"Even if you're Marine Corps, Force Recon anal about keeping your weapons in order." Jennifer commented over the intercom.

"It didn't get away Jennypooh but . . . I had to work the action . . . Twice." When she rolled her eyes at him in the rear view, even though he was facing backwards he retorted. "Next time you can eat canned chili." She snorted and rolled her eyes even more expressively. Aaron let a slow grin spread his dimples and winked at the party. "Truth is she can out shoot most folk I know with a hand gun and she carries an auto."

Anyway, you aren't going to need a pistol, not really, especially for bear back up. That's what we're along for, bear backup and to keep you from running afoul of State and Fed game regs. Our guides are pretty heavily up to the minute on regs. and we have a Fin and Feather officer on imprecise.  We'll do the paper work and any mistakes made are on our lawyers shoulders. Don't worry about regs, just don't go off on your own and take anything.

"The problem with most pistol loads is they're WAY too small to protect you and WAY too big to leave anything to eat. A lousy .32 virtually vaporizes a rabbit let alone a Spruce Hen." Aaron replaces the SS pistol in the soft case after doing a quick cylinder check and slips it under the seat. "Wolves aren't a problem, you aren't likely to see any even if there were any on Montague, nor coyote, fox, linx, bobcat, or such. If you see a wolverine, believe you me you'll be wishing for a 12ga. auto loader BIG TIME."

I carry a .375 Win Mag with a 4-9 scope the .22mag is for small game and putting wounded animals out of their misery.

In response to Max's question about "camp." Aaron smiles and says. "Missed the part about the Montague Hilton in the brochures?"

"They really shortened that part except for special clients like presidents and such." Jennifer said.

"Oh really? Well okay. Camp is a 3,000 sq/ft. lodge with staff. Who's Chef right now Jen?" He asked.

"Chef Randolph." Jennifer replied.

"Ah, Dandy Randy, you're going to love the food! Even his packed lunches are legendary. President Regan tried to hire him away from us but Chef Randolph likes his game meat fresh and frankly hates DC."

"Private room or cabin, heat, full bath, satellite TV, there's a huge DVD library, even room service. The common room has the obligatory HUGE field stone, fire place, comfy furniture, computer games galore, bar, tall tales and old timer bull shooters. There is nothing half way about Prince William Sound Ventures, Montague Island Lodge."

"Wifi Aaron, you keep forgetting Wifi. The whole lodge is connected broad band and our Wifi is good to 1/4 mile from the lodge. Oh and you have four bar cell coverage within 2 miles. The help all have satellite phones just in case." Jennifer almost crooned the help remark.

"This is a two species hunt Max, black bear and deer." Aaron flicks the remote and the video screen changes to show the results of various hunts and trophies in a slide show. "We hunt each in different terrain and conditions so we charters by species. It's well past fawning season so the bear don't hang out near the deer and deer don't eat the same thing as bear. Deer will be on higher ground while bear will be down on the streams fattening up on the salmon runs even though it's peak berry season." He gives everybody a big grin, "I hope you like berries, Chef Randolph is famous for his berry dishes from syrups, preserves, compotes, baked goods, Oh man you guys are in for a treat."

"Shut up Aaron, you're making me hungry!" Jennifer interrupted, then went on to say, "We're coming up on Beluga Point and with the salmon runs as strong as they are this season you might see some hunting the incoming tide. The channel right along shore and they follow the salmon. Watch for big rice white humps, dorsal fins and flukes. We can stop at the point if it looks good."

While it's a nice day no Belugas are visible and they continue on to Portage and on to the Whittier access tunnel. Up till now the almost silent Clinton asks pointing, "Is that a glacier?"

"Yes, that's Explorer Glacier," Jennifer said, "more will be visible as we travel up Portage Glacier road though Portage Glacier has retreated significantly in the past 100 years it's still quite the sight across Portage Lake. I'll point them out as we pass."

Everybody kicks back while Jennifer does her thing for the last 45 minutes of very excellently cool scenery, gold rush history and tales of the railroad.

Shortly after exiting the last tunnel they come into sight of something they didn't expect in the "pristine" Alaskan "wilderness" a big tank farm a good dozen large bulk storage tanks. Then the road angles along between a near vertical mountainside and deep blue green ocean water. Whittier, a tiny town of about 400 people is wedged in a little flat spot between Passage Canal and a nearly vertical mountain and glacier. Maybe the most incongruous thing any of the party expected to see are two huge concrete buildings, one a good 12 stories the other about 6 stories but a good 200' long by 75' wide.

Jennifer gives the party a little time to digest what they're looking at before she starts telling them Whittier's history. "At one time," she says, Portage pass was the only path between Cook Inlet and a year round ice free ocean access. Used by native Alaskans for centuries it was quickly adopted as a shipping port with pack trains carrying freight over the pass. During the gold rush a railroad was proposed but it wasn't till WWII Whittier really boomed.

Whittier's weather runs to about 250 rainy days a year. Passage Canal averages nearly 2,000' deep clear to the Pacific ocean. 50' off the shore Whittier harbor is more than 100' deep. Being in a narrow, ice free, deep water, fjord in high mountains, socked in hard pre-radar, most of the time it became America's #1 Pacific submarine base during WWII. At least it sounded good at the time. The big concrete buildings were military housing and offices. The tall one Begich Towers was converted to apartments, condominiums and City offices. The other is abandoned with little chance of rehab, Begich Towers is more than enough to house the entire City's population already.

As they pull into the harbor there are multiple deep sea adventure services in evidence. Jennifer pulls into a parking place in front of a modest harbor side building with a sign reading, "Prince William Sound Ventures" Whittier Headquarters. "Here we are Gentlemen, welcome to our Whittier headquarters. Who wants to stretch their legs? The air today is fresh and chill 37 Fahrenheit according to the city tie and temp sign," Jennifer said with a twinkle in her eye.

While your luggage is unloaded you sign in with the office and are given warm welcome, a city map with, local spots and keys to your stateroom Floatel accommodations for the night. "Good morning, my name is Taylor, I'm the Prince William Sound Ventures coordinator for Whittier harbor. Don't worry, my job isn't as serious as it sounds I get you acquainted with our facilities, your night's rooms and make sure everything goes smoothly for you. I'm a dockside concierge so to speak. Your luggage is being unloaded and the dock rats will carry it to your rooms for you. If you'd like to go with them they'll introduce you to our floatel and you can keep an eye on your gear." Taylor motions to the young men transferring their luggage to a cart under the eyes of Jennifer and Aaron.

Aaron nods to them and says, "Lets take a look at your hunting gear and if I have any suggestions you'd like to take one of the dock rats will be happy to take you to the local outfitters. I'm only interested in making sure you have the minimum for a safe experience, except for tracking in the bush on the hunts this isn't about roughing it."

The walk to the Floatel is a short one and your accommodations are hopefully adequate. (the GM will roll a saving die against "failure to please" if you wish) You're shown the restaurant and lounge. While not crowded there are quite a few people making use of the facilities. A quick review i private and Aaron suggests better rain gear to several of you. Admires Daron's rifle with professional interest. He suggests a core lock high shock bullet rather than what amount to sniper grade bullets. If anybody needs to take a shot longer than 100yds then the guides aren't doing their jobs right.

No actual flaws are found in the equipment though boot waterproofing is suggested as are hollow fill vests for their high insulation values when wet. Basically just minor tweaks that work well in the local conditions.

You have the rest of the day to mingle with other guests, do a LITTLE shopping, get to know each other better check out the docks, etc. The restaurant in the floatel is open 24/7 though true dinner service ends at 11:00pm. breakfast and snacks are available any time.

(The GM is behind the curve there was a real world meeting of the Alaskan Association of Blacksmiths today and the silly knucklehead had to square his gear away and get it loaded last night. We have a 2 day Mark Aspery clinic coming up and we're getting a jump on the tools and such. We've had Mr. Aspery booked for a 2 years and we want to make as much of his time as we can. Metalmangler, turned out little gathering into a tong factory and we must've turned out 30-40. The GM says He's sorry and won't slack on the game again.)

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[odblacksmith]

Upon arrival Bruno has his gear inspected and is recommended to get a more rain-proof coat, beyond that he thinks he has packed well and asks anyone if they would like to join him for gear shopping,maybe some beers and dinner???He knows he needs a better suited coat but the thought had occurred to him he might try to find a water proof case to keep his cigarettes/lighter in as well as anything "fire" related he purchases while he is out.

(please dont kick me from the game for this but thats awesome to have aspery demoing,and i think we all get a little busy so nothing to apologize over.I just got done repainting a steel door that is 30+years old and the owner wanted it treated like a panel from a ferrari)

[Frosty]

The suggestion for rain gear is rain pants and heavier material, the brush can snag and poke holes in light weight rain gear. If you're familiar with Helly Hansons or Grundens those will last years in the harsh in yellow or international orange. You can find "water proof" almost anything at one of the outfitters, as well as cold weather gear. You won't find much for the hard core cold weather gear like you can find in Anchorage or almost anywhere else away from the ocean, it just doesn't get very cold in the Sound. Low 20's is considered an "arctic blast" cold spell. The outfitters are familiar with conditions you're likely to find, happy to make recommendations and won't sell you Gucciwear, they have a rep to maintain with the lodges and charter services.

If you asked one of the dock rats will be more than happy to go along. Prince William Sound Ventures has rifles to loan if yours aren't appropriate and you don't wish to buy new. The loaner rifles and gear is all in professionally maintained conditions.

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[MrDarkNebulah]

(sorry for being out of it, my internet has been down. Are we still on the same day as what was talked about, timezones are weird.)

Ben decides that it would be a perfect chance to get to know some of the guys better and tags along with bruno to get a better rain jacket and one of the vests that Aaron recommended. He also picks up some  ziploc bags to store some of his things in as waterproofing, such as his journal and other things. Ben and bruno get to talking and discover that both of them are interested and have been pursuing blacksmithing.

[Darious]

Brandon takes Aarons cue and digs out his cold weather gear; A trusty UF Pro Delta Zero Jacket with Monsoon pants and LOFT Ice Box gloves. The only thing they lacked was a healthy layer of reflectivity to remain visible in the bush.

After taking a quick look around the facility Brandon decides to join the others on the trip to the market. He needs to stock up on Mink oil for his boots and a nice dark coffee would offset the slight chill. Also on his list were a few reflective pieces and a decent quality hat to keep the rain out of his eyes. A waterproof rifle sleeve would also come in handy as well.

While everyone was wandering and talking Brandon kept his eyes open for the telltale signs of old metal works. Moor fastenings that haven’t been used in years and such. Maybe an old anchor laying up on the wharf. It was always fascinating to see what materials they were made and what kinds of detail were put into their design.

[odblacksmith]

After gearing up with all the recommended clothing and supplies Bruno and Ben return and Bruno inquires about the loaned rifles,he has handled firearms before and knows the ins and outs of saftey but he is no hunter...he is walked through his options and feels he will be in good hands.

[Frosty]

I'm a day behind in the game so I'm resolving day one in Whittier.

Brandon's gear is more than adequate and Aaron recommends he just use one of the orange work vests the service maintains for visibility: Guys working the boat ramp, flagging traffic in the lot, on the gun range, etc. including expedient high visibility clothing in hunting areas. However international orange wind breaker weight over jackets are available at the outfitters. Brandon's looking well equipped.

Brandon spends several hours wandering around Whittier looking at various steel debris from before the 98 gold rush, WWII, the 64 quake and things generally discarded. He's a bit dismayed to discover Whittier doesn't have much for a dump and until the mid '70s junk and garbage was just hauled out a couple miles and dumped in 3,000' of water.

Bruno and Ben both inquire about the lodge hunting rifles and are taken to the gun range to see what they like from a selection of appropriate rifles. What do Bruno and Ben plan on hunting? Deer in SE Alaska are pretty small compared to most lower 48 breeds. However even a black bear needs good penetration or an excellent shot. Caliber can make a real difference. Ben's 30 06 will do nicely but as it's a borrowed rifle we'll go out to the range and get him and the rifle zero'd in.

If you guys do any shooting with high powered rifles what kid of group can you hold at 100yds?

**********************************************************

Frostig speaking. Ben has NO reason to think he needs to be prepared to be stranded in the woods. This is a guided trip at a 4 star rated hunting lodge, you not only won't need to "survive" you won't need to cook, make your bed or do your laundry. The only "survival" gear you bring is an extra Bic lighter and waterproof matches in a match case with a compass on one end. You are taken by a magnesium Meeshe metal fire started and pick one up.

Bruno: Why in the world are you bringing a 3lb. hammer on a wilderness excursion to a 4 star hunting lodge, would he take one to the beach too? That's disallowed.  Aaron says you can take the machete if you really want to but the double bitted axe is more hazard than it's worth and stays at the Whittier office. The guide will carry a cleaver for splitting the breast of any kills, firewood is cut with chain saws and split with a wood splitter by camp rats.

None of you guys has any reason to expect calamity. Guys who spend lots of time in the bush will carry more survival gear in their Sunday go to meeting pants than city folk take camping. You guys don't expect to even pack your own game meat so you aren't planning on carrying more than a change of clothes, lunch and minimal gear in a day bag.

Almost all of what you're calling "EDC" is disallowed except for Brandon as he's currently military and lives in generally rural woodlands so he naturally carries more tools on him. Being as you're coming to ALASKA!! You do bring sort of traditional lower 48er. tourist essentials. Your pistols, 4x more ammunition than you'd need to take on the Hell's Angles, BIG knives, etc. The axe and machete are tourista classics.

(No fooling once I met a friend at the airport and he was wearing buckskins and the stewardess handed him the biggest Bowie knife I'd ever seen. His 30 06 and dbl. bbl. 12 ga. were checked. We took Tom shopping for normal clothes. This doesn't happen as much anymore but seriously folk in the lower 48 thought Alaska was a foreign country.)

Next turn will be breakfast tomorrow and departure for the lodge on the 43' cabin cruiser Dahlia B. under Captain Harden Lee. The Dahlia B. returns late this afternoon and is being cleaned, serviced and replenished for tomorrow's 9:00am departure. You should dine in the Floatel restaurant, your meals are paid for and the shore side eateries are 2 diners one calls itself a restaurant for some reason.

Brandon is pleased to discover there are several espresso stand around the marina, both diners offer espresso as does the Floatel. Alaskans LOVE their coffee, it's everywhere.

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[odblacksmith]

Bruno did think to himself about which 3 items he wouldn't go into the woods without something to chop,something to clear brush with,and something to hit things with.But apologizes...no hammer it is,And hopefully no hard feelings

[Daswulf]

(Guess I'm late to respond today. Sorry it was hectic. Barely got to poke on here and there. ) 

Max would have headed with the rest of the group for final outfitting. Talked with the group that went. Taking the advice he gets the vest and one of the Orange rain suits. Double checked with the rest of his clothing.  After getting some food and drinks. 

Max sets himself up ready to go in the morning with his usual. Old boyscout pocket knife that has the blade, can opener, beer opener/flathead screwdriver, and awl. Chap stick, bic lighter, few packs of smokes, fixed blade with the ferro rod fire starter attached with a bit of bank line coiled, and his leatherman. Also has his stainless water bottle with the purifier in the pouch.  And a handkerchief. Double checks that he has his other cloths and a change of cloths set.  The group checked his 30-06 with the stupid powered 4-16x50 scope he just mounted and sighted in on it and said ? ..... He also asked Aaron if he was allowed to carry his glock 20 10mmAnd he said?   

( feel free to ok or disallow whatever. Again sorry I responded late today  life... Ugh. ) 

[Frosty]

Think nothing of it Bruno, you're new to RPGs and truth be known if PCs aren't trying to lip something in now and they then the player isn't really Gaming. Instead of taking the axe, Aaron offers the use of a hatchet that'll chop and hammer.

Don't sweat it Das, I'm a day behind myself, now into character.

All four of you went shopping after lunch and having your gear looked over. Brandon didn't stick with the group too long as his gear was good to go with the addition of an orange safety vest.

Max, Ben and Bruno pick up the items on their lists and what other goodies strike their fancy.

They then pack up and head to the shooting range on the outskirts of town. If you've looked at a Sat map of Whittier you'd know the "outskirts" are maybe a 10 minute walk from almost anywhere in Whittier. Aaron is working on the boat and is having you fitted with rifles and doing a little target shooting with Chuck the hunting guide that came back in with the Dahlia B. Brandon was asked if he'd like to hit the range and double check to see if his sights got knocked in the baggage compartment.

Chuck answers Max's question about his Glock in general to everybody at the range. "You guys can carry your sidearms if you wish so long as you observe proper gun safety rules. Do something stupid and we take them from you on the spot and you don't get them back till you unpack your luggage at home, That clause is in the contract and it's not even mice type." Chuck squints through his spotting scope and nods to himself. "Aaron has good points about automatics as back up guns in the bush, not a whole lot of good but you brought them and he won't tell you to leave them at the office if you want to pack the weight." Chuck has the habit of looking people i the eye when he talks to them and has the look of taking a person's measure with every word. "I've hung four different color targets at the 100yd. mark, this ain't for points just pick one, call your color, aim for the bull and give me three rounds. No need to try for rapid fire just give me three good shots. When you're ready, fire."

A GM aside to the players. What kind of group can you hold at 100yds, or 20yds. with a .22 and iron sights? Or do I roll the dice?

Frostig Den Arbitus.

[Daswulf]

(irl I'd say a plate size with a 22 at 100 yards with open sights on a 10-22. being liberal. honestly i'm not the best shot. Honestly better with my ak 47 which is sad.) Roll your dice lol. Max bought a big bad scope to be a better shot. I practice here and there when time and money permit. Max sighted his rifle at 200 yards, which was the most his gun club had distance wise. roll dice to see if he is on.Max sais to Chuck that he'd feel better with his Glock and dosnt mind a lil extra weight with the pistol and an extra mag. (30 shots total) He is intimately used to the pistol and safety there of and is worried about startling a bear after hearing about friends black bear hunting experiences in the mountains of PA..... (lol, cant see it making a difference in this at all just the way max is.) Max already brought Core Lokt 30-06 bullets in 150 grain which is what he sighted in with at home. Max isnt the best shot but Usually is on, and with his new scope can make a quarter in 100 yards and a silver dollar in 200 yards.(changed from a better shot which isnt me anyway and to make it better maybe.) Roll dice if you like.  

At the shooting range with whatever scope he has he hits consistently(possibly) enough for the instructor to accept it as good enough. the instructor gives him pointers and Max takes them seriously and improves.

[Charles R. Stevens]

My old bolt action Remington and I hold sub 1" groups, but I spent a lot of time with a dime balanced on the barrel. 

Fraid, Clinton falls in the "more gear in his Sunday go to meeting cloths"

(sorry I have been out of action, pmd a rough gear out line, Jerry)

Clinton will "liberate" some coffee and tea in the little bags.

being ofthe general mind mind set that "Harold's law" applies, Harold's law is real simple, it states that Murphy was an optimest. He dose carry a bit of extra tack. Remembering to check your pockets and put ctuff in your checked luggage is a pain in the behind. 

A trip to the range, to check the scope after baggage handling seems in order. 

Arizona gets rain, it's just that it all comes in about 3 storms a year, lol. This constant drizzle is a bit much. Acualy the climate is a bit vetoed, as up around big lake is considerd a rain forest.

anyway, I'm back in the saddle so to speak.

[Darious]

(Generally shooting iron sights on the old .22 Cooey I can get 3” groupings at 100 yards. Most commonly either upper or lower right side.)

Brandon was grateful for the chance to hit the range before he started out on the trip. While his US Optics piece was built rugged and could take a beating without losing accuracy; it was always nice to hair-tune it right before shooting. After making sure everything was oiled properly and running smooth he loaded up a magazine with five rounds of Federal Premium Gold Hollow points.

As soon as the line was clear and checked Brandon advanced to his designated position and waited for the Line to open again. He concentrated on his breathing while waiting to fire. Just like in his Canadian Forces weapon proficiency training, only this time it wasn’t with a C7.

The breathing was rhythmic. As the line opened up he began to fire. Making zeroing adjustments as needed to the scope. Inhale..hold…… exhale….. hold…fire…. Inhale again and repeat the process. Firing in that second between heartbeats when everything is still. Making sure his finger was placed just perfectly on the trigger so there was no hesitation or delay in the smooth trigger pull from start to finish.  Finally ensuring that he followed through with the recoil to prevent as much muzzle lift as possible.

Brandon fired until the magazine was empty then shook his head to clear the trancelike state that sinks in every time he fired. With a deep breath to fill his lungs again he sat up and waited for the others to finish so he could go check his placement.

[MrDarkNebulah]

IRL i dont shoot much at all, so i really couldn't answer.

Ben went to the range and listened very carefully to everything the instructors were saying. He saw how into everything brandon was, and was impresed. He tried his hand at shooting, which he did do frequently, but his dad took him out often enough for him to know his way around. Roll for how well he worked out.

[odblacksmith]

Bruno is no marksmen or hunter he is at the will of the staff/guides as to rifle caliber,scope,ammo etc;(he will need a roll)

[Frosty]

You hear Chuck muttering under his breath as you show your shooting skills. Brandon is more than a good enough marksman and Clinton shows himself to be a no nonsense good shot. "Did you not understand me when I said shoot the high powered rifles at the 100yd. targets and the .22s at the 20 yd. targets?" He's smiling but under arched eyebrows, "We're not interested in whether or not you can loft a .22 foolish far accurately only if you can hold a good sight picture. high power high velocity rounds have flatter trajectories making 100 yds. a fair test. .22s are relatively low velocity and being 40 grain bullets they slow down more quickly so they shoot close to the same at 20 yds."

"All you need is some coaching and a little practice Bruno and you'll be fine, it's our job to get you within a distance to make a comfortable shot. We're very good at that." Chuck's smile is reassuring but a little knowing. "I'm not guiding you guys so I haven't looked at your package, what are you hunting Bruno? The rifle you carry will depend on what you're hunting." Chuck flips his cell open and texts someone quickly. "Who wants to punch some more targets? Brandon Clinton why don't you coach Ben and Max, I'll work with Bruno."

"The office sent us out here with both 300 win mags and 375 win mags. that tells me some of you are hunting deer and some are hunting bear. How about we break you in on both till I know who is which." 

You settle in to do a little target practice and get used to the difference between the sharp eye watering slap of a .300 mag and the hard shove you back a step recoil of the .375 win mag. Chuck's only suggestion to Brandon is to stop worrying about sniper scientific shooting, 100yds. is an average long shot on guided hunts, we're not hunting mountain goat. Clinton is holding solid groups, not competition level but a good old meat in the pot shooter.

Max begins to relax and enjoy himself and his groups tighten up nicely, he's holding 3" at 100 yds. and nary a flier. Chuck nods and who knows might say something nice even.

Ben's shooting well, he's paying close attention and his groups are getting to well within acceptable accuracy.

Chuck's cell beeps and he reads the test, replies and holds a brief conversation. "You're the contest winners so it's a two species hunt. Excellent, we'll show you guys a good time no matter what your skills at woodscraft or marksmanship." "Let's police up the range and pack the weapons, I've beat you guys up enough for one afternoon. Peter is at the lodge and he's good at teaching folk to shoot. You're doing find Bruno, You aren't going into a gun fight nor having to stop charging bears. You aren't going to become a crack shot in an afternoon and there's no point in exhausting yourself, the boat ride out to the lodge and some time on the range there will get you up to speed."

Chuck looks at the party and the guys are watching and listening to him while he's talking to Bruno. "Let's start unloading and wiping the weapons down, I'll put them in the cases, open bolts when you hand them to me please. Bruno, you and Max can go collect the targets. There isn't anyone else out here so you don't have to pucker up so tight working down range. Max, start picking up the brass please, there's a pail in back of the truck."

Just about sundown you guys sit down in the Floatel to clean and oil your rifles after which it's dinner time. The Dahlia B will depart at 9:00am tomorrow. Chuck smiles and says, "You'll do fine, Aaron is still replacing something on the Dahlia B, I won't be going with you, I'm off for two weeks. It's his two on. He'll take good care of you, enjoy the hunt, it's a good year." With that Chuck picks up his personal rifle and leaves the room. Don't worry, if you need anything or want to go somewhere there are dock rats on duty to help.

Frostig Den Arbitus.

 

 

 

[Darious]

Brandon does a quick wipe down of his rifle then removes the bolt and magazine and hands it over to Chuck. Afterwards he offers to help anyone who needs a hand with cleaning.

The trip back to the Floatel was refreshing and the coffee once he arrived even more so.  After a quick stretch and a bit of fresh air Brandon retrieves his rifle and sits down to start the relaxing strip down process on it. He takes his time doing a full strip and examining every piece to make sure everything was in perfect working order.

Brandon offers to help anyone who wants it with their firearms and generally tries to make small talk and swap stories with everyone in the party.

After a hearty dinner and some good company Brandon decides it’s time to bunk down. He sets his alarm for 7:00 am and settles in for the night. He’s expecting tomorrow to be an interesting and eventful day.

[MrDarkNebulah]

Ben takes brandon up on the offer for help with the rifle cleaning process, as he want to learn as much as possible about it. "You never know when you could possibly have to play an RPG about going on a hunting trip somewhere in Alaska and having to survive using blacksmithing, am I right?" He says to Ben while the talk. Once this is done Ben hangs out wiht the guiys for a while and then heads to bed.

[Daswulf]

Max has a good time at target practice and the tips and pointers he gets really help him improve. once Chuck calls it quits Max is asked to help Bruno collect target, and feeling more comfortable with his group  jokes with Bruno asking "So, Think we'll hit anything in the hunt?" and chuckles. Then does a Dirty Harry impression  being silly saying, "it'll blow your head clean off."  once back with the targets Max is asked to pick up the brass and jokes with a smile "Awe maw,.... do i have to?..."  then goes and gets the bucket Chuck mentioned and picks up all the brass and puts the bucket back in the truck. 

Max hands chuck the rifle with the bolt open like he asked.

back at the floatel, Max cleans and oils his rifle after having a coffee. Seeing Brandon being so meticulous about it he jokes with a smile quoting Full Metal Jacket "This is my rifle, There are many like it but this one is mine......." Afterward he pigs out on a good dinner. Then he hears Chuck mention he wont be around and has some time off and sais,"enjoy your time off, you deserve it after dealing with us haha. Thanks for the lessons." 

Later Max seeks around to see if theres a couple beers to be had.  Then he heads to bed wondering what kind of fun tomorrow will bring.

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Wipe down the loaner rifles and turn them in, bolt open as asked, saunter on down range and police up the targets. 

After wrangling dinner and 2 fingers of scotch, Clinton lays out his gear for the morning, cleans the old Henry and turns in early.