Fallout

[at]

Oct 2, 2015 1:30:30 GMT -5 sageaqua said:

We are nowhere near lizard valley. It will be days before we get there.

The group has already travelled for a couple of days. The detour to avoid the ibixian has added a few hours to the journey but you will still reach the valley today - if that affects your choice of spells.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion was going to search for Scar or summon a new companion or both - he had not planned to release Scar until the party reached the lake where the animals would have plunty of food. But if he summons a replacement he'd want a black bear, a ape, leoperd, or wolverine at this time.

[at]

Ka'lion knows which direction Scar ran in - eastwards. How far the wolf got is anyones guess given his speed and the broken mountain terrain.

To summon another companion would take a day of ritual. Bears and wolverines both exist in the steadlands, and while he has heard of both apes and leopards he has never encountered one in these lands.

(the ritual is to summon the animal as much as anything else, so if Ka'lion locates and tames a suitable companion he can forego the ritual - it will still take 24 hours for the bond to come into effect thoug)

[harknail]

So are we one day away from the entrance, or is that the other side of the valley? This does affect the spells Vadania picks. If she's not expecting to be at the entrance today, she'll wait on the earth moving spells.

Either way Vadania is amenable to looking to see what happened to Scar.

[at]

As long as the snow, or ghosts, do not slow the groups travel too much Vadania believes they will reach the mausoleum with a little daylight left in the day. The narrow chimney was on the west side above the valley not far from the spot that the group had originally lowered itself down to reach the main entry in the partially flooded valley, however to avoid the lizardmen Vadania considers an approach from the eastern edge to be safest.
While the outer door had shut being them the key should still be laying nearby, unless found and taken by others.

Vadania also remembers the pit that Ka'lion had fallen into on the east ridge that the group had not explored, and considers the ruined dwarven tower that they had sheltered in on the first night at the valley but it was probably too far north to reach before sundown and the lunatic pygmies that had been using it as a home might still be in the area.

Ka'lion thinks back to their original visit, recalling Madalines words and recounting them to Brennen - the battle of stars pass, one of the old lords from the time when both Merebas and Woldegard was ruled under a single banner had been trapped in the valley with his army and slaughtered, buried here in a number of tombs lining the valley.

Beneath this central mausoleum however the group had discovered a long abandoned dwarven structure.

[harknail]

Arriving near nightfall is perfect. Vadania could then work briefly to widen the passage enough for Orn and Ylva (perhaps reduced in size), then they can rest and actually enter the dwarven ruins the next day, fresh and with all spells refreshed.

But meanwhile, we have a wolf to try and find. Vadania will cast the pass without trace so that the group doesn't leave trails in the fresh snow.

[sageaqua]

we look for the wolf.

[at]

The group set out east in the direction Scar had fled, away from their original path. While the snow had covered the wolfs footsteps his size and speed left many other indications of his direction and the group track his route to a rocky crevice that turns northwards.

Vadania notes that some of the rock here seems to have been worked or cleared by tools, though long ago, to create a clear path and keeps here eyes up lest an ambush from higher ground awaits them. Recognising Vadanias concern Brennen gains a little altitude to survey the immediate area and while he sees no ambush he does catch sight of fortification hidden not far away at the end of the road. It appears to have been dug into the mountainside and he can see no evidence of habitation from here.

Both Vadania know that there are a number of old fortifications amongst these mountains, some known and others long lost, used by various sorcerous factions, smugglers, and less social individuals throughout the Steadlands long history. This particular one is not marked on the groups map.

[harknail]

Vadania suggests that Ka'lion mark this spot on his map so that they can come back to it later. It might be worth investigating. But first they needed to find what happened to Scar.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion updates the map and writes a few notes about what they can see as they look for Scar.

[at]

Scars trail led in this direction, unless the wolf had suddenly gained the ability to scale the steep rocky sides of the crevice or had found somewhere to hide that the group had not yet noticed.

[harknail]

If he had made it this far, perhaps Scar had outrun the ghost.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion whissles for Scar again

[at]

The whistle echoes around the crevice without response.

[sageaqua]

"I guess we need to start looking." says Ka'lion

[Jasmine]

"Can Ylva pick up a scent?" suggests Brennen.

[harknail]

"Let's find out," answered Vadania. She set Ylva to tracking.

Ylva tracking: uEUGoxIep_1-20+7=211-20

[at]

Fresh snow and firm ground underfoot make tracking difficult even for Ylvas keen nose, but she continues onwards up the trail seeking a scent and it is not long before the rest of the group can see the fortification that Brennen had spotted from the air. The walls look old but firm, dwarven craftsmanship, and the main iron gate is ajar.

Two things are out of place here, firstly the remnants of collapsed structures placed against the outside of the fortification and clearly not of dwarven make, and secondly the lightly falling snow that seems to be drawn through the open door as if pulled by a strong wind - indeed the group can feel the change in pressure as they approach.

[harknail]

"Looks like we've found another portal to elsewhere," commented Vadania, "With that wind, it might be hard to get back, if possible at all."

[at]

The flow of snow through the doorway is relatively gentle, nothing that would threaten the party though it may grow far stronger somewhere within. A portal seems likely though a vast chasm beneath the fortress might also create a similar pull.

If a portal is here, from what little the group know of the legends of the old dwarven civilization in the Steadlands, it is unlikely their work. Perhaps mages or some other faction took residence here though it seems now long deserted.