Of all the ships you've been on, this may be the fanciest.  It's a Covalian carrack... big ship.  Three square masts, two lower decks, and a fore castle that's dressed out better than most real castles.  You can tell this is the ship of a successful merchant.  Probably a merchant king if this plan works out.  He has the genicks to commission a ship like this, you imagine he has the genicks to commission more.  At least that's the rumor.  This expedition is only one of five that the old dwarf has in motion.  That means somewhere out on the four seas are four other ships, each with a crew of dwarves and some hired 'professionals'.  Nine Hammers doesn't play the easy games.  The city of Forgen has hundreds of merchants.  Leasing plots of land, trading silver darians for ruby genicks, and creating a legacy for their families.  That's what being a Forgen father is all about... family legacy.  These merchants take the slow and steady approach though.  Safe, deep in the mountain, playing by the rules.  Not Nine Hammers though.  He lives as if it were measured in human years; moving fast and taking risks.  His current game could earn him the title of 'war profiteer'.  Not an honorable title, but nobody judges a 'profiteer' harshly when it works.  The cherry wood accents of the ship's forecastle suggest that it is working.  Hopefully it will work for your coin purse as well.

Your team of 'professionals' don't get to sleep in the forecastle, but the middle deck isn't bad.  You've surely slept in worse.  You look around at this team to be.  'To be' because you don't really know every one yet.  Forgen, Darian, and the three hounds.  Those three are an amusing lot.  Like a classic joke; the big one, the middle guy, and the midget.  Three dogs walk into a bar.  Up on the main deck are the swamp dwellers.  Srylian don't like being confined below deck.  Why would you when the water is your second home.  Basking in the sun and smiling toothy grins into the sea foam... yeah, the Srylian are loving it up there.  You get to sit on velvet pillows and smell wet dog.  Take the good with the bad; that's kinda the life of a 'professional'.

Borak Nine Hammers, the oldest son, has told you that you are heading to the 'Tears of Wrath'.  Just north of it actually, which is a bit of a relief as the tears are still flowing this time of year.  Rather not play with lava if you can avoid it.  They'll take the ship up the Flatland bay and anchor about 40 miles from your inland destination.  It's the Hammerfell mountains you'll be spending the next 6 months crawling around.  Since the Gistasch raid on Hammerfell, these mountains have been a hotbed of staked claims and territorial disputes.  Its sad really; the dwarves are refugees living in the slums of Coval and Traton.  Neither government is really doing much to help them, keeping the whole matter tied up in courts and military strategy discussions.  While that bureaucracy is keeping the Hammerfell leaders tied up, both governments steal the dwarves iron from the mountain sides.  That iron then goes to making weapons and arms so the two governments can efficiently argue with each other over who is the real Darian leadership.  All the while, the dwarves wait patiently for assistance.  It's the dwarven way... patient rule following.  Not Nine Hammers though.  Move fast, take risks.

Your risk:  Once the ship lands, Nine Hammer's crew will begin moving equipment from the carrack to the shore.  They'll set up a temporary camp while your team of professionals scout the mapped location.  40 miles east through forest up to the foot hills of the mountains.  Clear the 1 mile zone that Nine Hammers has circled on the map and report.  If you can't clear it, then report back and we'll come up with another plan.  If you encounter Traton or Covel military, stay low and report back.  Don't need the Merchant Kings knowing your here just yet.  If you encounter Flatlanders or more hounds, see if you can negotiate.  They may know something about the location.  If you encounter Gistasch... well best of luck to you.  Nine Hammers is expecting a report in 3 weeks.  If they don't hear back from you by then, we send in the second team and you take a significant pay cut. 

The ship lurches gently in the quiet sea.  The trip form Forgen to the mainland isle is never that rough in May.  Good weather, bit too much rain though.  You should be to the bay in a week.  Time to start getting to know your team.  Figure out your scouting plan and decide who is in charge of what.  Every team needs a leader, or least someone that gets blamed for failure.

GAME NOTE:

I know everyone is still working on PC builds, but I figured I would give you something to think about as you plan your characters and equipment.  There will be two to three NPCs traveling with you as you head up to the mountain (Hobok Ranger buddy to the created, Borak Nine Hammers right hand, and potentially the Forgen architect's servant).  I intend to use the email forum for role play until we find a Thursday to start this campaign.  No rush, just having fun with the online text game.  As you finish up your characters, use this email opportunity to get to know your NPCs and ask questions of the crew.  You have one more week on the boat.  It's a good chance to establish back story, fine your place in the world, and get to know the IoK setting and history.