Chapter 20: The Forbidden City

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri, uncharacteristically, displays visible emotion - one of sudden shock, and then deep shame. He bows contritely in Zahra's direction and does not flinch when she seems about to strike him. He says nothing, knowing there are no words to correct what he has done in his pathetic weakness of mind, but gathers his lost helmet and meekly follows the party in their descent along the path. Grandfather glares up at him, sternly displeased.

[Inferno]

The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Sunset. 18th day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia
Partly cloudy, warm







By steel and shaft and flame, the adventurers have driven off the last of the beguiling vulture-hags.

Silence falls across the aching desolation of the timeless ruins.

Cruloc tends to the wounded as the sun begins to set.

Then the explorers descend the treacherous cliff-path down into distant antiquity.



They reach the canyon floor alive.

There sprawls before them the ghost of Thracia, lost colony of legendary Atlantis.


Actions?!


Map:

X marks the adventurers' position.





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 13/14, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 41/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/19
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Iago: Zingaran Southman Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 28/32
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 18/19, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 17/29
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 11/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri remains quiet as he gazes over the ruined cityscape trying to pick out important seeming structures they might investigate. He wonders what further dangers lurk in this lost place and if they could be worse than the mind addling vulture women.

Narrator: They are worse.

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

Assesses the ruins. "I thought I saw a domed building to the north when we traversed the cliff top. More likely temples and libraries will contain fragments of interest if that be one. Shall we head that way?"

He makes a suggestion.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The barbarian stands alert, sniffing the air. His throbbing shoulder wound still stripes his arm with blood.

"The sun sets, and the spoor of the winged hags hangs heavy in the evening air. Our presence here is no secret. Let us find a defensible position ere we are blinded by the dark."

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

The Zamoran rubs the tender bruise on the side of her head which reminds her to thank Cruloc > "It's good to know you barbarians can heal as well as kill," she says with a rueful smile. "You have my thanks."
She gives Iago a glare, not yet ready to make nice, and then shakes the images of the attacking harpies out of her head. The sun is setting and Cruloc is right. "We need to find shelter; one we can defend if necessary. Grigor, can we make the domed building before sunset?"

[ravenn4544]

Amethu also studies the layout of the city on the way down the trail. He considers Grigors observation. The logic is sound. Do any other building seem to be if prominence?

[Paladin]

Iago Vazquez de Quesada

The swarthy rogue cocks his head at Dahinna, sending her a slow grin. "I was bespelled, you know..." He shrugs and chuckles under his breath. "But given the glare you're sending me, I might take my chances with the harpy."

He shades his eyes and nods at Cruloc's suggestion. "Aye. Time to find a campsite."

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra says nothing, waiting for one of the others to lead the way.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc grunts at Dahinna's words of gratitude. "We Cimmerians do what is necessary to survive. You, thief, must do the same. Keep your eyes on our flanks and off Iago's."

"North then," he rumbles in answer to Grigor. "Libraries provide ample fuel for campfires."

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra shoots a scorching glare at Cruloc. By all means, let us risk burning the lore we came to find. She falls into the group near the front, as always.

[Inferno]

The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Sunset. 18th day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia
Partly cloudy, breezy







Spread before the adventurers lies the corpse of empire.

On the descent down the sheer cliff face, Amethu and Kiri surveyed the brooding ruins for architecture of eminence.

Nearby, to the southeast, they spied a temple to alien gods of a dead age.



In the distance, twin rows of broken columns lined a thoroughfare older than time imaginable.

Now, upon the canyon floor, beneath the switchback trail, an immense rockfall crouches at the base of the cliff, accumulated over the centuries. Perhaps the slaughtered vulture-women plunged somewhere among the gigantic pile.



Grigor remembers aloud a domed structure somewhere to the north.

A shroud of shadows consumes the silent city.


Actions?!


Map:

X marks the adventurers' position.





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 13/14, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 41/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/19
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Iago: Zingaran Southman Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 28/32
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 18/19, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 17/29
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 11/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra's head is on a swivel, trying to watch for trouble from the ruins and the cliffs at the same time.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

The Zamoran rogue is on edge now that she and her companions are at the base of the treacherous cliff path. She mourns the loss of her darts, momentarily looking around the rubble for the broken bodies of the sirens, perhaps to retrieve the one dart which found its mark. But her fear of what might be watching from the ancient ruins compels her to seek the shadows to which she is so familiar. "Grigor, lead us onward please. The faster the better," she whispers, scanning the ruins for movement or hints of danger.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Perhaps we do make for the temple or wherever. It's as good a place to start as any," says Kiri. "If we don't make it, we can always take shelter in some other ruin along the way."

He begins to ask Grandfather to be ready to weild a torch if darkness falls, but looking around realizes the old man has vanished. "Perhaps he knows something we don't," he murmurs.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu examines all the crumbled structures of a bygone age. Still caught up in disbelief that such a legend exists and that he finds himself walking in the footsteps of their memory. He nods at the suggestion, "Either is suitable. Let us, however, keep that temple, there, on our list of destinations to explore if we choose to bypass it for now.." His hands rests thoughtfully upon a column as he passes.

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

Ok. With the information about the surrounding area processed, he makes for the temple ruin that is south east of us.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc smiles at the thought that Grandfather has plunged to his long overdue death from the path above.

He wordlessly follows Grigor.

[Paladin]

Iago Vazquez de Quesada

The trailworn swashbuckler hitches his britches and strides after Cruloc and Grigor. He is uncharacteristically silent, seemingly awed by his surroundings.

[Inferno]

Cruloc

Cruloc smiles at the thought that Grandfather has plunged to his long overdue death from the path above.