IC. Broken Valley Chapter 1: It's all there for the taking

[sirravd]

"Hiding might be better than trying to flee as fast as we can," says Mirwydd.

[tibbius]

"Leaving now would be better than hiding and waiting for it to come back out," Egbald replied insistently.

[The_Wanderer]

Month 1, Days 17
Hex 12.15

The party carefully withdraws from the re-occupied temple to Tev and manage to avoid drawing the beast's attention...either that or the party are beneath its notice.

[1d6] = 2; Hex done

After another day of camping in the swamp and sweeping through the area, the party finds nothing else of interest and eventually push east and south again across Sybilla's Stream into an area with firmer ground.

Month 1, Days 18-22
Hex 12.15

[1d6] = 6
[1d6] = 3
[1d6] = 2
[1d6] = 4
[1d4] = 2

The forests northeast of Bitterpan supposedly stretch far to the east and north into the heart of the valley itself. The party finds itself picking its way through the trees, finding little of note. Eventually you come across a well trod road which appears to be that which the locals affectionately call the Cheese Trail. It is late in the morning of your fifth day in these parts as you make your way up the Cheese Trail that Quellax notices something just off the trail in the brush. You gather around and see a well-worn statue almost buried amongst the branches of a bush. It looks to be hundreds of years old at least. The statue is of a stout robed male figure, its face downcast as it stares toward the bend in the nearby road. One arm is raised slightly, angled into the nearby wood. Its eyes seem to have been set with a pair of red stones.

[tibbius]

"Hey, Magrin," says Egbald. "Do you think it's a figure of Araskawhatsis? They say he has ruby eyes." Since my dim-witted cleric used to be a chaos follower, he should be hip to the pantheon's portrayals.

[sirravd]

Mirwydd begins wondering whether prying the eyes out would be worth the risk. Perhaps one of his henchmen would do it...ah, well, he'd better ask the party's permission first.

[ybn1197]

Nymandus tries to see what the statue is pointing at or into what general direction.

[The_Wanderer]

Nymandus tries to see what the statue is pointing at or into what general direction.

The statue itself sits near a bend about 50' to the north of the road, surrounded by overgrown shrubs and at least the pedestal upon which it stands is covered in leafy vines. The head is intentionally angled southward toward the road while the statues right arm is raised slightly pointing north, away from the road and into the forest. Nymandus takes a few steps that way, moving some of the brush out of the way. The trees in that direction are densely packed, lending a heavy gloom to the area. If there was ever a path, it has now been overgrown and reclaimed by nature. Despite nature's heavy presence however, it is strangely quiet.

[MonsterMash]

"Hey, Magrin," says Egbald. "Do you think it's a figure of Araskawhatsis? They say he has ruby eyes." Since my dim-witted cleric used to be a chaos follower, he should be hip to the pantheon's portrayals.

Magrin looks at the statue closely before replying "it could be him, though I choose not to say the name of a spirit of evil in case it calls its attention to us. Hopefully this does not mean many followers of chaos around us."

[thirdkingdom]

Brignum Mai

Mai searches the base of the statue. "There are often hidden compartments in these things," she says. After the examination she tries to move the arm, to see if it is a lever.

[The_Wanderer]

Brignum Mai

Mai searches the base of the statue. "There are often hidden compartments in these things," she says. After the examination she tries to move the arm, to see if it is a lever.

The statue appears to be just a statue. Mai does not find any compartments nor does the arm move. When she moves the vines away though, she finds an ornate inscription in the base:

Araskocos sees. We all go there someday, but only the loyal come out again to serve him.

[tibbius]

"We used to say that," Egbald said knowingly. "We all go there in the end, we'd say when a comrade fell. Never heard of any coming back."

[thirdkingdom]

"We used to say that," Egbald said knowingly. "We all go there in the end, we'd say when a comrade fell. Never heard of any coming back."

Brignum Mai

"Hmm. Anyone interested in following the direction the statue is pointing, at least for a mile or so? Could find something interesting, or maybe it's nothing, but I think it is worthwhile to try."

[ybn1197]

Brignum Mai

"Hmm. Anyone interested in following the direction the statue is pointing, at least for a mile or so? Could find something interesting, or maybe it's nothing, but I think it is worthwhile to try."

Nymandus shakes his head. "Just what I was thinking."

[The_Wanderer]

Nymandus and Brignum Mai begin heading away from the road. The lighting dims from the tree cover and silence enfolds the two as they scout the wood. Looking about, the two realize that all of a sudden they have entered into an area where the trees stand like toothpicks in the earth, bone white and devoid of foliage. Ahead, the ground descends slightly into a slight depression, almost crater like in shape. In the middle of which is a small stone building, no more than 10'x10'. There is no door in the entryway and you can see stairs descending into darkness.

Picture yourselves on a ridge, maybe 50' away from and 30' above the buliding. You are maybe 1/4 mile from the road, if that. Obviously the rest of the party can also be with you.

[ybn1197]

If the group IS NOT with us, Nymandus goes back to the road and says "We've found something. Looks like a covered stairway leading down into a crater."

If the group IS with us, Nymandus tells his pack bearer to stay here and then looks to the others, "No better time than the present," as he heads down the ridge slowly and cautiously.

[tibbius]

Egbald tags along with Nymandus and Brignum Mai. What he lacks in wit he substitutes with curiosity. At the sight of the bone white trees and the little building with the dark stairs, he sucks in his breath. "Some kind of tomb?" he whines. "Or a shrine?"

"Who will carry the torch when we enter?" he asked.

[MonsterMash]

Magrin, Cleric

"We can ask one of the porters to carry a light, they are safer coming in with us than staying out on their own."

[tibbius]

Egbald goes back and gets Luthwick, telling him, "There's a place to be explored, we'll need you to hold a torch, and don't forget you're up for another twenty gold coins in two days."

[thirdkingdom]

What time of day is it?

[The_Wanderer]

What time of day is it?

About noon