Nakatura Valley game thread

[mfrench]

The smell of rain grows thick in the air on the river road between Katsuki Ford and Hiruma Watch. The wrath of the Thunder Prince, a powerful spirit who rules down south on the plateau, is an annual event in the valley, but this year it has been delayed. The terrible lightning storms are the precursor to the life-giving rains that make the valley livable, and mark the beginning of the travel season.

However, this year the valley people have become impatient, and the roads have already been in use for days when dark clouds roll in to greet the travelers. Bolts of lightning start jumping ominously from cloud to cloud, as if in wicked anticipation for harrying those on the roads below.

Master Chen headed steadily up the road, completely unperturbed – until the lightning inevitably started striking around the road. As the rain drove down about him, he started to realize that he wouldn’t make it all the way to Otaka Tower in this tumult. As his thoughts began to turn to finding a safe place to hole up for the night, a wave a déjà vu swept over him. A fierce cry came from the road ahead of him, and through the rain and mist, something burst forth towards him: a white horse, riderless, its hooves tearing the ground and echoing the thunder that raged up above.

 

[Lorthanoth]

Lost in grumblings about the inclement weather and his rumbling stomach, Master Chen is startled by the appearance of this seemingly spectral, but all too corporeal steed. With a great yelp, he tries to spring out of the beast's path!

OOC: Any kind of check needed?

 

[mfrench]

OOC: No check is necessary.

The old man's yelp startled the steed, which pulled up short of trampling him. The beast, wild-eyed and exhausted, shook off the rain that soaked its mane. The saddle and fine saddle-bags betray the wealth of the rider who should have been seated there. The stink of horse-sweat is hard to take as the animal approaces Chen.

 

[Lorthanoth]

Old Chen waddles up warily to the beast, "Whoa there, girl. Gave each other a mighty fright, there, didn't we, eh? Hmm?" he says to it.

Wary of being branded a thief, the old man does not inspect the saddle bags, and takes the bit and bridle of the horse, and attempts to lead it back the way it came. He will keep a close eye out for anyone who could be the missing rider.

 

[mfrench]

The storm lets up a bit, which allows Chen to bring the horse into submission: she seems to welcome a guiding hand again at this point. Still, Chen seeks out a shelter of some kind. Across the river to the south, the plateau is deep in shadow, looming over them during the intermittent lightning strikes. To the north, the hills approach to meet the road.

These hills, known as the Tors, are rumored to be full of dark spirits from ages past. They are shunned by the average traveler, except in times of great need. However, this appears to be one of those times. As he scans roadside and the hills for respite from the storm, a bolt of lightning silhouettes the broken figure of a tower upon one of the larger tors.

 

[Lorthanoth]

"C'mon, I've had enough of this, and I reckon you have as well." he murmurs, and leads the horse to the tower.

 

[mfrench]

As he approaches the tor, it becomes apparent that the hill is not completely natural, but rather is in part created with intention. There are steep white stone walls (see attachment), leading up to a huge, wide boulder with glyphs carved into it. To each side of the rock is a tall carved set of stairs that curves toward the middle.

 

[Lorthanoth]

With a quizzical eye, the elderly wizard leaves the horse in the best possible shelter and makes his way to investigate the glyphs on the boulder.

 

[mfrench]

The large rounded stone is about 12' across and 8' high. Bringing the horse around to the back, its thickness is at least 5'. Behind it is a U-shaped indentation into the hill. On each side, the rough-hewn stone stairs lead up and curve together in the middle. Directly below the place where they meet, an entrance into the hill itself has been constructed.

The symbols on the stone are only found on the front face. They represent some crude, primative language with which you are unfamiliar.

OOC: What skills will you use to try to figure out the symbols?

 

[Lorthanoth]

"Hmm, lemme see now," the old adventurer muses, "This is rather like the time we found the Cairn of Oochai the Horrific, or was it the Tomb of Kan-te the Magnificent? Anyway, girl, it's rather like that time."

Chen racks his brains, and squints at the carvings to try to make sense of them.

OOC: Well, would it be possible to Take 20 on Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (spirits), and via Jack of All Trades try Decipher Script and Knowledge (local), Know (history), Know (geography) - I realise if he checked all of these it would take 12 minutes of game time... but if he succeeds in a skill, he won't check against the others.