Travel

In Feudal Europe most of the populace live an insular existence, working the land for their local lords, occasionally making the trip to the nearest town to buy tools and sell what little excess produce they make. Often the boundary of their lives is marked by a scarce few days of travel, or - if they are bold and pious - the nearest of the great holy sites of their faith. But for those with the will and gold to travel, there is most certainly a way. Merchants ply the roads in long caravans, Soldiers march to distant battlefields - accompanied by mercenaries seeking a quick coin - and Lords' long trains are often glimpsed clattering down the remnants of the roman roads, on their way to festivities and councils. The seas are full of sturdy (and not so sturdy) ships, and almost anyone capable of pulling their weight aboard such a vessel is able to gain passage to lands across Western Europe.

OOC: You are able to travel by yourself (and with a small group of friends/limited number of possessions) anywhere in Europe without using a major action. If you wish to try to get any further, this will require actions for the travel alone, as the routes are unmapped and the journeys long and difficult. Once you have successfully made a long journey, we will not ask you to put another action into purely making that journey in subsequent turnsheets.

Although moving yourself about the British isles and Europe is a relatively simple business, moving goods, cargo, or large groups (namely armies) is far more difficult. If you want to transport yourself and some larger items, you will need a horse at minimum. Anything in sizable quantities will require multiple horses and wagons(otherwise only a part of what you move will reach its intended destination). If you are moving an army, a large and well-maintained baggage train is the minimum requirement for any sort of extended march. Better still is sea transport, which is cheaper and more efficient for moving large quantities of goods and persons. Be aware that agreements to ship armies must be made in the advance of actual invasions, lest your force flounder on the shore.

Tales filter throughout Europe of the wonders of the Orient. The stories of strange beasts, mighty empires and bizarre customs are more often than not dismissed; but there is no shortage of explorers willing to journey into the unknown themselves. An even more forbidding challenge to such men comes from the West, in the form of the untamed Atlantic, where even the sturdiest ships fear to voyage. Who knows what beauties and horrors might await those able to make the passage? One thing is certain, that any such voyage will be a matter of incredible difficulty…
OOC: You may explore outside of western Europe. However this will require at least one major action to be undertaken, and significant preparations or experience to be successful.