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Maissen: Shades of Grey [UPDATE 12/12, post 199]
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<blockquote data-quote="Beale Knight" data-source="post: 2156269" data-attributes="member: 7033"><p><strong>06 01 Sunlight, Stars, and following a poem</strong></p><p></p><p>Deep in the home of the dwarves, the Heroes of Vaunth-on-the-Lake began to prepare for a descent into the depths of the world as they waited for Killian’s wand to be crafted. Word of their plans to cross under the Ghost Dragon mountains had spread and they were approached by an entrepreneur dwarf selling Ultimate Spelunker Kits. It was a well packaged set of equipment, with chalk and waterskins, seeds that would grow instant caltrops from rocks, oil and whistles and ropes and special hooks, but the group was low on the hard coin the dwarf wanted. After some discussion, they decided to take another dwarf up on his offer to buy a magic box acquired from Hilltopple House – a box that anyone could reach into and pullout a silk shirt of perfect fit. With the funds from that and the sale of another of the Hilltopple servant figurines, there was enough to buy five of the kits. </p><p></p><p>The days were also spent casting about for a guide through the underworld. After some efforts word came back to them of a family that often served as professional guides, and that they had a guide available, but with severe conditions. Firstly the price – it was simply out of the party’s reach. The family was willing to work a deal, but it involved a two day detour to collect more special underground fungi. Though there was plenty of time left on the Heroes’ deadline, any delay was a potential disaster. Furthermore, a second condition was that, should the guide die before returning, the party would owe his family a year of service – if they themselves survived. The conditions demanded the party give the deal long consideration. </p><p></p><p>The point of meeting death in the wild depths beyond the dwarven influence was getting brought up more and more by almost everyone the party spoke with. No one seemed to think the group would survive the trek through such dangerous territory, deep below ground and into the realm of monsters. Doubt began to creep into the minds of some of the Heroes.</p><p></p><p>“This is nothing different than what we heard before leaving Maissen,” Madge said.</p><p></p><p>Ren shook his head. “There’s one real important difference, Madge. The most dangerous wild lands we’ll ever see are more familiar to us than anyplace underground.”</p><p></p><p>“We also have space to move above ground,” Aneirin added. “We can move, go around a threat or obstacle if need be. Underground is a labyrinth. We might travel for days only to hit a dead end, or run into a flooded chamber.”</p><p></p><p>“That’s what the guide is for,” countered Killian. “So we don’t haf’ta worry about such things.”</p><p></p><p>“For so long as he stays alive, Killian,” Ren said. “Which is something a whole lot of your kin, and his, don’t seem to think is going to be all that long. Without a guide, it’d be real easy for us to get lost for the rest of our lives.”</p><p></p><p>“Exaggeration is only going to make you worry more,” Madge said.</p><p></p><p>“I don’t think he’s exaggerating, Madge,” Aneirin answered. “Just from that day trip we took we saw how many twists and turns these cave tunnels take, and how many options we might face at once. Above ground direction is simple to determine. Not here; there’s no clues even to hint if we’re going the right direction or not. A wrong turn and our journey north could turn into a endless western trek under the breadth of the mountains. We’d never know until it was too late.”</p><p></p><p>Killian shook his head. “There’s plenty of clues if you know what to look for,” he said. “And I do. We can do this, I say we go underground.”</p><p></p><p>“I’m with him,” Madge said. </p><p></p><p>Aneirin shook his head. “I think it’s a bad idea and too much of a risk. We’d also have to see to the stabling of our horses, spreading our limited wealth even thinner.”</p><p></p><p>“That makes us split so far then,” Ren said, “because I’m with Aneirin.</p><p></p><p>All eyes turned to Bessie, who had been silent through the entire exchange. The druid felt the weight of their stares and sighed. “Both have their merits and drawbacks. If all goes well, underground will be much faster than going around. But if anything goes wrong, I believe I’d rather it go wrong above ground.”</p><p></p><p>Madge and Killian nodded. “Above it is then,” the dwarf said. “I have a bad feeling about it, but would rather we keep together.”</p><p></p><p>Decision made, there remained the problem of getting around the mountain above ground. The party only knew that there was a settlement of humans somewhere to the northeast. How to get there was still a mystery. It took another day to learn of a loremaster that was willing to present the old directions for a price. The directions were in the form of poetry (which translated perfectly into Maissen’s tongue), and the group paid to hear it plenty of times. Writing it down, at least in the loremaster’s presence, was against his conditions.</p><p></p><p>What he recited was: </p><p></p><p><em>Begin at the breeches, stout, iron and true,</em></p><p><em>Through brushland and hill to the rope bridges two.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>The bridge gives way to a valley of fair,</em></p><p><em>With green and tall pines and sodden wet air.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>From there to the steppes, rising this way and that,</em></p><p><em>Come up towards the top and follow the bats.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Past them is sunlight and downward again.</em></p><p><em>To desertland, walking north three days in.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Follow the river that's never quite there</em></p><p><em>It leads to the ocean, a beach white and rare.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>The ocean has surf that breaks and you follow</em></p><p><em>to look for the land that breaks in a hollow.</em></p><p></p><p>With the directions memorized, the group said their goodbyes to the dwarves they’d met, and made a final stop to pick up Killian’s newly crafted wand. Then it was a long march up to outside. After five days underground the sun felt like a lover’s kiss. Seventeen days since leaving Maissen, and the Heroes from Vaunth-on-the-Lake were on the move again. They now had four horses. Killian, whose appearance returned to the familiar human once the Heroes were above ground, rode with Bessie.</p><p></p><p>That first day out of the dwarven underground was a joy. The weather was sunny and pleasant, and even having to walk their mounts through the mountainous terrain they made fine progress. They made their way alongside the mountain’s south side, and by afternoon were riding through a temperate forest. </p><p></p><p>“Breeches, stout, iron and true,” Bessie quoted. Her memory of the poem was the finest of the five, and it soon served them well again. As the sun began to wane, the group found themselves at a three way fork in the path. The druid looked over the ground in each direction and determined the leftmost led to brush land. They followed that a little ways before finding a place to camp.</p><p></p><p>The night under the stars was quiet. It seemed as though the sky was as happy to see the Heroes as they were to be out under it. The morning of day eighteen out of Maissen was cool and refreshing as the Heroes set out on their way. The forest began to thin and the hills grow as they made their way north, and the sun was at its zenith when they came to a great chasm spanned by a rope bridge.</p><p></p><p>“Through brushland and hill to the rope bridges two,” Bessie said. And as the poem indicated, there were actually two bridges. Each was made of three primary ropes and secured planks to walk on. The first section ran about sixty feet to a rock island that grew like a tower from the valley below. The second span ran from the island about one hundred forty feet to the chasm’s far side. </p><p></p><p>“How far is it down?” Killian asked. </p><p></p><p>Ren lay flat at the chasm’s edge and stuck his head over. “About eighty feet I’d say. A lot further than I’d want to fall.”</p><p></p><p>“One at a time then,” Madge said. “Let’s see how sturdy this thing is first. Then each after the first leads a horse.”</p><p></p><p>“I’m willing to go first,” Aneirin said, “but I’m going to go ahead and bring Avarshan with me.” </p><p></p><p>And so Aneirin stepped out first onto the bridge. It swayed with his weight, but didn’t give. He and Avarshan made it about halfway when Ren stepped on it, leading a second horse. Though everyone’s face was etched with worry at the beginning, when the bridge didn’t fall apart under the weight of two people and two horses, everyone began to relax. Soon Aneirin and Avarshan were at the island, and then Bessie stepped onto the bridge with a horse behind her. When Ren was on the island with his horse, Madge and Killian stepped onto the bridge with the last one. </p><p></p><p>“We have a problem,” Ren called out to Madge. “We won’t all fit here on the island with the horses.”</p><p></p><p>“You and Aneirin go on then. We’ll keep the horses on the island until you’re safely across.”</p><p></p><p>Aneirin frowned. “Let’s keep to the same pattern we’ve just used. We may need mounts right away on the far side.”</p><p></p><p>Madge shook her head. “They’d be too vulnerable if you did. Let the Avarshan go with Bessie. We’ll bring the rest.”</p><p></p><p>Aneirin frowned again, but nodded. He patted Avarshan and stepped onto the longer length of bridge. Once he was a ways out on it, Ren followed. When the hunter was well out there, Bessie stepped onto the bridge with Avarshan. </p><p></p><p>That was when a malevolent figure stepped out from behind a tall rock on the far side. </p><p></p><p>Next: The Bridge - Post 89</p><p>Soon: Elves and Maisseners</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Beale Knight, post: 2156269, member: 7033"] [b]06 01 Sunlight, Stars, and following a poem[/b] Deep in the home of the dwarves, the Heroes of Vaunth-on-the-Lake began to prepare for a descent into the depths of the world as they waited for Killian’s wand to be crafted. Word of their plans to cross under the Ghost Dragon mountains had spread and they were approached by an entrepreneur dwarf selling Ultimate Spelunker Kits. It was a well packaged set of equipment, with chalk and waterskins, seeds that would grow instant caltrops from rocks, oil and whistles and ropes and special hooks, but the group was low on the hard coin the dwarf wanted. After some discussion, they decided to take another dwarf up on his offer to buy a magic box acquired from Hilltopple House – a box that anyone could reach into and pullout a silk shirt of perfect fit. With the funds from that and the sale of another of the Hilltopple servant figurines, there was enough to buy five of the kits. The days were also spent casting about for a guide through the underworld. After some efforts word came back to them of a family that often served as professional guides, and that they had a guide available, but with severe conditions. Firstly the price – it was simply out of the party’s reach. The family was willing to work a deal, but it involved a two day detour to collect more special underground fungi. Though there was plenty of time left on the Heroes’ deadline, any delay was a potential disaster. Furthermore, a second condition was that, should the guide die before returning, the party would owe his family a year of service – if they themselves survived. The conditions demanded the party give the deal long consideration. The point of meeting death in the wild depths beyond the dwarven influence was getting brought up more and more by almost everyone the party spoke with. No one seemed to think the group would survive the trek through such dangerous territory, deep below ground and into the realm of monsters. Doubt began to creep into the minds of some of the Heroes. “This is nothing different than what we heard before leaving Maissen,” Madge said. Ren shook his head. “There’s one real important difference, Madge. The most dangerous wild lands we’ll ever see are more familiar to us than anyplace underground.” “We also have space to move above ground,” Aneirin added. “We can move, go around a threat or obstacle if need be. Underground is a labyrinth. We might travel for days only to hit a dead end, or run into a flooded chamber.” “That’s what the guide is for,” countered Killian. “So we don’t haf’ta worry about such things.” “For so long as he stays alive, Killian,” Ren said. “Which is something a whole lot of your kin, and his, don’t seem to think is going to be all that long. Without a guide, it’d be real easy for us to get lost for the rest of our lives.” “Exaggeration is only going to make you worry more,” Madge said. “I don’t think he’s exaggerating, Madge,” Aneirin answered. “Just from that day trip we took we saw how many twists and turns these cave tunnels take, and how many options we might face at once. Above ground direction is simple to determine. Not here; there’s no clues even to hint if we’re going the right direction or not. A wrong turn and our journey north could turn into a endless western trek under the breadth of the mountains. We’d never know until it was too late.” Killian shook his head. “There’s plenty of clues if you know what to look for,” he said. “And I do. We can do this, I say we go underground.” “I’m with him,” Madge said. Aneirin shook his head. “I think it’s a bad idea and too much of a risk. We’d also have to see to the stabling of our horses, spreading our limited wealth even thinner.” “That makes us split so far then,” Ren said, “because I’m with Aneirin. All eyes turned to Bessie, who had been silent through the entire exchange. The druid felt the weight of their stares and sighed. “Both have their merits and drawbacks. If all goes well, underground will be much faster than going around. But if anything goes wrong, I believe I’d rather it go wrong above ground.” Madge and Killian nodded. “Above it is then,” the dwarf said. “I have a bad feeling about it, but would rather we keep together.” Decision made, there remained the problem of getting around the mountain above ground. The party only knew that there was a settlement of humans somewhere to the northeast. How to get there was still a mystery. It took another day to learn of a loremaster that was willing to present the old directions for a price. The directions were in the form of poetry (which translated perfectly into Maissen’s tongue), and the group paid to hear it plenty of times. Writing it down, at least in the loremaster’s presence, was against his conditions. What he recited was: [I]Begin at the breeches, stout, iron and true, Through brushland and hill to the rope bridges two. The bridge gives way to a valley of fair, With green and tall pines and sodden wet air. From there to the steppes, rising this way and that, Come up towards the top and follow the bats. Past them is sunlight and downward again. To desertland, walking north three days in. Follow the river that's never quite there It leads to the ocean, a beach white and rare. The ocean has surf that breaks and you follow to look for the land that breaks in a hollow.[/I] With the directions memorized, the group said their goodbyes to the dwarves they’d met, and made a final stop to pick up Killian’s newly crafted wand. Then it was a long march up to outside. After five days underground the sun felt like a lover’s kiss. Seventeen days since leaving Maissen, and the Heroes from Vaunth-on-the-Lake were on the move again. They now had four horses. Killian, whose appearance returned to the familiar human once the Heroes were above ground, rode with Bessie. That first day out of the dwarven underground was a joy. The weather was sunny and pleasant, and even having to walk their mounts through the mountainous terrain they made fine progress. They made their way alongside the mountain’s south side, and by afternoon were riding through a temperate forest. “Breeches, stout, iron and true,” Bessie quoted. Her memory of the poem was the finest of the five, and it soon served them well again. As the sun began to wane, the group found themselves at a three way fork in the path. The druid looked over the ground in each direction and determined the leftmost led to brush land. They followed that a little ways before finding a place to camp. The night under the stars was quiet. It seemed as though the sky was as happy to see the Heroes as they were to be out under it. The morning of day eighteen out of Maissen was cool and refreshing as the Heroes set out on their way. The forest began to thin and the hills grow as they made their way north, and the sun was at its zenith when they came to a great chasm spanned by a rope bridge. “Through brushland and hill to the rope bridges two,” Bessie said. And as the poem indicated, there were actually two bridges. Each was made of three primary ropes and secured planks to walk on. The first section ran about sixty feet to a rock island that grew like a tower from the valley below. The second span ran from the island about one hundred forty feet to the chasm’s far side. “How far is it down?” Killian asked. Ren lay flat at the chasm’s edge and stuck his head over. “About eighty feet I’d say. A lot further than I’d want to fall.” “One at a time then,” Madge said. “Let’s see how sturdy this thing is first. Then each after the first leads a horse.” “I’m willing to go first,” Aneirin said, “but I’m going to go ahead and bring Avarshan with me.” And so Aneirin stepped out first onto the bridge. It swayed with his weight, but didn’t give. He and Avarshan made it about halfway when Ren stepped on it, leading a second horse. Though everyone’s face was etched with worry at the beginning, when the bridge didn’t fall apart under the weight of two people and two horses, everyone began to relax. Soon Aneirin and Avarshan were at the island, and then Bessie stepped onto the bridge with a horse behind her. When Ren was on the island with his horse, Madge and Killian stepped onto the bridge with the last one. “We have a problem,” Ren called out to Madge. “We won’t all fit here on the island with the horses.” “You and Aneirin go on then. We’ll keep the horses on the island until you’re safely across.” Aneirin frowned. “Let’s keep to the same pattern we’ve just used. We may need mounts right away on the far side.” Madge shook her head. “They’d be too vulnerable if you did. Let the Avarshan go with Bessie. We’ll bring the rest.” Aneirin frowned again, but nodded. He patted Avarshan and stepped onto the longer length of bridge. Once he was a ways out on it, Ren followed. When the hunter was well out there, Bessie stepped onto the bridge with Avarshan. That was when a malevolent figure stepped out from behind a tall rock on the far side. Next: The Bridge - Post 89 Soon: Elves and Maisseners [/QUOTE]
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