Navigators

The crooked path that time traces through the shattered realm of Abeir, and the sinister wizening that it wreaks on those that stray off the webway, is a terror unknown to those new to the world. For caravans to arrive on time, or indeed, within lifetimes, they must find their way with the help of those studied in the arts of chronomancy.

The path of the chronomancer can lead to an eerie mastery of the twisted nature of Abeir that can empower one versed in the art. But every novice begins the same way--learning on one of the many 'timefeel' devices that allow one to begin mastering chronomancy.

The most developed, and indeed even precise 'rig that one can posess is that of the watch-rig. Called by its nickname 'ticking sun,' this device is a long metal pole, with a spoked starburst shape at one end. On the points of the star, Small timepieces are mounted. A navigator can tell the direction of the webway by observing the subtle variance in their ticking hands, and more adept chronomancers can navigate simply by the feel of the watch-rig.

However, contraptions like the watch-rig can cost the wealth of an entire small town to construct, are fragile, and beyond the means of the poor villages that are often cut off from civilization as the webway shifts in the wake of the terrasque.

Simpler rigs, however, follow the same principle: the passage of time is sighted by separating items that would behave identically when having the same chronocharge. The simplest 'rig,' if it can even be called that, is merely tiny plant sprouts arrayed in a circle, either mounted for easy carrying--or not.

The most common compromise of cost and ease of use in rigs is the whistletube rig. On a bamboo-spoked wheel of lightweight wood, are mounted a set of bamboo tubes with small copper windmills inside. on each spoke, a small metal rod leads down to a glove. The metal rods, turbulent with the shaking of the whistletubes to which they are attached, each attach to a a fingertip of a glove or gauntlet. Depending on the desired level of precision, a navigator can place either one or both hands in the gloves.

This rig has the advantage of being compact, but the high-pitched whistles of the copper windmills sometimes carry on the wind, awakening ravenous creatures of the wild...

A still cheaper compromise is the 'whirling folly,' another wind-driven rig that utilizes horizontal windmills, whose rotation varies within the webway. This ten-foot wide folly of bamboo has to be seen to be believed, and unfortunately its user can be seen for many miles.

...and then there are the drums.

Someone practiced at timekeeping, (5+ ranks in perform: percusssion), when, with the help of others playing drums, navigate the webway. This is by far the preferred method of humanoids, and the coming of their hordes is never a harbinger of goodwill.

Particulars
Rigs: Watch-Rig, Craft(timepiece) DC 30, 5,000 GP Whistletube Rig, Craft (timepiece) DC 20, 1,000 GP Whirling Rig: Craft (timepiece DC 15, 300 GP Masterwork component +10 DC/2,000 GP.

Navigation: Check 1/day if DC <15, 1/hour <25, 1/10min otherwise. DC 10 strong webway DC 15 Weak Webway DC 20 Off Webway DC 25 Deep Wild Mods: +2 Navigation by chart (rutter unknown) +4 Navigation by timepiece only (not cumulative w/above) +6 No Timepiece (not cumulative (not cumulative w/above) +4 Webway unmarked (no treemarks/cairns)

Visibility: +1 Light Rain or haze/mirage (only take greater of unmarked or this) +3 Heavy rain (only take greater of unmarked or this) +5 Night (do not also apply unmarked webway mod) +7 Whiteout/other (do not also apply unmarked webway mod)

Speed: Careful, 20ft or less, -4 Normal, 40ft or less, +0 Rushed, 60ft or less, +4 Ludicrous speed, greater than 60ft, +8.

Mods to check: Watch rig, +4 Whistletube rig +2 Other rig +0 MW rig +1 5+ ranks in knowledge (geography) +2 5+ ranks in knowledge (local area) +2

Success: stay on webway. Failure by 5 or less: make no headway. Failure by 5-10, check again or become lost. Failure by more, lost.

Others aid by 'calling out:' (this is loud and will take them off the webway) aid another check, max 2 help.

Example: The party is leaving the village to find the lost webway to the city. DC 15, weak webway, +4 timepiece only (charts are worthless due to terrasque passage). The trail is unmarked, +4. Thus, the DC is 23. The party takes its time, moving carefully, so the DC becomes 19.

For the check, the navigator has wisdom 14, and four ranks in profession (navigator), for a +6 bonus. Two party members 'call out,' attempting to aid, and one of them is successful, for a +8. The party has a 45% chance of making headway, and only a little less than 15% chnance of becoming lost (45%*30%).

It's a rough place out there....