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Message: <blockquote data-quote="der_kluge" data-source="post: 1215263" data-attributes="member: 945">Valgo continues, "This area nine* is where we're headed.  Alexander details something that is clearly not a natural formation.  Perhaps here we can also find some remnant of Gorian's lost expedition as well."  The party stops to consider what kinds of strange new things await them on this distant shore.  Nytor asks, "Do we know what kinds of civilization might have built such a thing?"  "No", replies Valgo, "we know very little of this continent, and most of the information we have comes only from what Alexander's research has provided."  Continuing, "I intend to take this party aboard as a landing party, while the crew remains aboard the ship.  We will secure the shoreline, and make sure there is no imminent dangers to the crew.  Once that is done, we will work to bring the crew and the supplies on land for our inland expedition."The party and the crew, led by Valgo spend the next 4 months uneventfully aboard the Celestial.  The party becomes familiar with the crew, and they find ways to assist in the day to day activities that help to fight the monotiny and boredom of ship life.  On a brisk morning, the crow's nest topsman shouts out "Land!  Land!".  There is a scurry of activity aboard the ship, and Valgo appears from beneath and extends his trusty spyglass.  "Yes, indeed.  This must be it!  Excellent!"  Valgo requests that the anchor be dropped, and a day is spent looking at the stars trying to ascertain exactly where they might be, in order to determine whether the ship should sail south to find the ziggurat at area 9, or to sail north.  With some degree of certainty Valgo orders the anchor raised, the ship sails south, along the coast for two days more before finally spotting the mysterious ziggurat.  "We shall drop anchor here, and myself and the adventurers will board the skiff to investigate the safety of the shore."  "Valgo, I see something in the water near the shore.  I can't make it out", says Bax.  "Let me look", Valgo replies, taking out his spyglass.  "Hmmm, it looks like the remains of a ship!  We shall have to take a closer look at it once we are on shore."It is about mid-day, the crew gathers their equipment, and readies their armor for any trouble that might occur.  The remaining crew remain aboard, and prepare to unload all the stores.  Once the adventurers are ready, they and Valgo board a skiff.  It is lowered onto the water's surface, and with Mournax and Ivo rowing, they make it to the shore quickly.In the water, they discover what appears to be the remains of the bow (front) of the ship.  It was turned upright, sitting in the water not more than some 20 feet from shore.  With a grim look on his face, Valgo states, "That could only be Gorian's ship.  We'll get a better look at it once we make our way ashore."Once on land, Mournax, with ease, pulls the skiff well out of the water.  Dzintra, Valgo, and Rath make their way out into the water and climb into the remains of the bow of the torn ship.  Valgo clicks his fingers, and utters a few arcane words, and the inside of the bow illuminates greatly.  Peering with keen eyes, Dzintra observes some words, written in the common tongue, etched into the inside of the bow as if with a dagger or knife.  Pointing out the words to Valgo, they read them simultaneously - "BEWARE TURN BACK".  "Curious", Valgo states.  Finding nothing more of interest inside the remains, they leave, and make their way back ashore.  On shore, Nytor, Valgo, and Dzintra have a discussion about the words, and their significance.  "Do you think it's possible that those words could have existed in that boat before it sank", asks Dzintra.  "It does not seem likely", responds Valgo, "I can only imagine that they were put there when it sank, or perhaps after it came up on shore, but I don't know why.  It seems safe enough " - "Valgo", Rath states, interrupting him.  I think I just saw something flying over by that mountain in the distance.  "Oh?", responds Valgo, "Let me take a look.  That mountain there?", he asks, pointing to a peak, and withdrawing his spyglass from his belt.  Valgo draws the spyglass up to his eye and examines the mountainside, when he suddenly drops the spyglass onto the small rocks that make up the shoreline.  Just then, everyone sees it - a huge Ice Dragon that has just made its way from behind a mountain peak, and seems to be headed straight for the Celestial.  "Into the woods!  Take cover!", shouts Valgo.  "The boat!  Get the boat", Bax suggests, pointing to the skiff.  "Not a problem", Mournax replies, hoisting the boat on top of his head, carrying it into the woods as if it weighed nothing.  Quickly, the party leaps into the confines of dense foliage, only to witness their greatest fear - the Ice Dragon swoops down onto the helpless ship, and instantly tears the great mast.  He lands on the vessel, and it heaves with the added weight.  The dragon tears and bites at the crew, and rips the vessel apart.  A terrible cone of ice and cold obliterates a large section of the top deck, and in an instant the ship tears apart in half, and begins sinking in the ocean.  A few crew members jump off, and barrels, supplies, and fragments of wood cascade into the water.  The dragon flies away as suddenly as he arrived.  As the party watches the dragon disappear, the ship does as well - beneath the now calm waters of the ocean.* - "My crow’s nest spots a strange construction just off the shore. A stone pyramid set amongst the dense vegetation. Though it is covered in vines, and apparently hasn’t seen use in a long time (probably a pre-Ice Age structure) it is obvious to be man-made, and not a natural occurring phenomenon. We do not observe any other structures like it, or other man-made structures in the surrounding areas, however. It appears to be alone in this regard."</blockquote>

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