Making a gesture of faith of his own inclination, being thankful for his apparent luck, Eitleog took two deep breaths to calm the adrenaline. “Let us look to Coldtree before we continue upward to discover the cause of this unnatural fog. I also have a feeling that some part of that animal will hold mystical potential, not to mention the value of its hide. We should have the time prepare it while our friend recovers.”
Terry will see to removing the "Yeti's" claws and teeth, the obvious parts that might have proclivities. He will also shave off a measure of its fur, just in case it might prove useful as well. If not, it will still make a good souvenir of the fierce battle.
Kite decides to assist Terrendale; after all, the original purpose for traveling to the newly discovered island was to asses and acquire resources. Even though the meat is likely to be inedible, the hide should be quite valuable. While Terrendale is the more skilled, the instincts of Kite prove invaluable and the entire hide is acquired. Each of the front claws, of which there are ten, can augment overall wellness, physical stature, and the impetus for resilience and vitality for any member of the party (Fitness, Strength, Confluence + 4). The remainder of the day is required to properly prepare the animal and dispose of the remains. The hide is packed with snow and rolled.
It is difficult to gage time with the constant fog; but after the true darkness of night, the false light of the morning is enough to wake everyone. All is quiet. It seems to always be eerily quiet on this island. Continuing to climb, the party soon finds itself above the treeline, a height never achieved on the other islands of the archipelago. It requires another full day of switching back and forth to comfortable make the ascent. It is cold, but everyone is mystically resilient to changes in the ambient temperature. While olfaction or clairaudience are of little use during the journey, the psionic talent of tuning finally results in the discovery of some rather useful information. Astarte feels compelled to move some snow and finds a rather large deposit of iron. Terrendale later discovers what should be an even far larger quantity well worth mining.
As the light of day begins to fade and the party is considering a stopping to rest, they come upon something astoundingly unexpected. There in front of them carved into the mountain itself is an enormous columned facade. An opening like a doorway is in its center, spanning some 6 strides in height and 3 strides in width. The columns that support the immaculate facade are another stride taller, and they are all 2 strides in diameter. No one has ever seen anything so large. Everything is silent and dark on the inside.
Coldtree: full wellness
tunic: 59
Astarte: full wellness
stone arrows: 28
Kite: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 = 57
Terrendale: full wellness
Linstahl: Leader, Lighted Sentinel: Laurel, twin sister
Oshanti: Leader, The Zoo.
Tetsukwai: Leader The Verdant Garden
GM:
Each character receives 9 DP. Astarte improved her mental aptitude for physical combat (Prowess). Eitleog improved in mental fortitude (Discipline). Terrendale improved in overall cognitive ability (Mind).
OOC:
State actions and intentions. Provide 2 random rolls (d10) or reprint any previous rolls, if they were not used.
Terry is amazed at the size of both the facade and the opening. He picks up a stone from nearby, and uses his "talents" to light it. However, he does not yet throw it into the darkness of the opening. Instead, he looks to the others, one by one, saying nothing, his eyes holding a questioning look, as if he is seeking the group's permission.
Eitleog pumps his hand toward Terry, indicating to give him a moment. Next, with his appearance masked by camouflage, he moves up beside the enormous opening to take a peek inside. If he sees no living thing, he will pull back from the doorway, drop his alteration for a second, and motion for Terry to throw his stone. As the illuminated glow goes by him he will turn, again, to watch its progress.
Seeing Kite come into view and reading his gesture, Terrendale tosses his lightstone. The rock sails through the opening and bounces along a bit further. The fact that this giant opening used to be blocked by twin doors is an immediate curiosity, as soon as the stone bounces by. The wooden doors, now a bit shriveled and somewhat petrified, are overlaid around the edges with metal. The metal has withstood the test of time. The wood has succumbed. The metal looks to be actual gold and a lot of it. Whoever or whatever knocked these doors from their mounts had been here long ago, probably centuries before.
Literally carved from the top of the mountain itself, the structure had once been an immense palace. Things that one would expect to find in any residence are still present, though covered in thick dust. Items made of anything other than stone have long since become less than recognizable, except for the metal. There seems to be an excess of decorative and functional items made from the various precious metals. Whoever originally broke down the doors was obviously not some mere bandits. Nothing seems to be disturbed.
After satisfying themselves of the contents and absence of life, the members of the party realize that it is even colder inside the palace that it was outside. Everyone can see his own breath, though it blends with the fine fog that permeates. The only other thing of note is a set of stairs leading down and a different set of stairs leading up. Evidently there are more floors to this incredible work of architecture.
Coldtree: full wellness
tunic: 59
Astarte: full wellness
stone arrows: 28
Kite: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 = 57
Terrendale: full wellness
Linstahl: Leader, Lighted Sentinel: Laurel, twin sister
Oshanti: Leader, The Zoo.
Tetsukwai: Leader The Verdant Garden
GM:
Each character receives 9 DP. Astarte improved her archery skill (Fired). Eitleog improved in mental fortitude (Discipline). Terrendale improved in overall cognitive ability (Mind).
OOC:
State actions and intentions. Provide 2 random rolls (d10) or reprint any previous rolls, if they were not used.
Astarte will explore the chamber hoping not only to find something interesting and useful here, but also learn something new about both mysterious giants that were living here long ago, why they left or what happened with them and the weird island itself.
Also she added a yeti's claw into her necklace and removed her leghorn feather bracelet, but still kept the ring with burnstone, planning to sell it when necessary, but not now.
2D10 = [4, 5]
Eitleog scratches his head and looks around in bewilderment. “I do not know who lived here or when, but, I agree, they must have been giants. I have never even heard of giants.” He pauses for a minute, gathering more thoughts. “It seems really strange that someone would break in here then take nothing. I think whoever came here was looking for a who, not a what. So what say you, do we try up or down, next?”
