Back into the Storm...
It takes the combined effort of most of the party to push open the heavy doors of the Lyceum against the strength of the wind. Even Lowduke gives you a hand, but stays behind at the school given his inability to suffer the extreme winds. Outside the skies are almost black and rippling lightning draws blinding streaks against dark clouds fat with rain. The roofs of buildings in the city are buckling under the wind and clay roof tiles are flown into the air and smashed against rocks, walls and trees. Wagons tumble to their side and are pushed up against buildings and loose debris smashes glass windows.
Thanks to the boon of Indomitability you are unhindered in your movements - though it is a surreal experience to move with ease through an almost full blown hurricane. The wind still pulls at your cloaks and the rain soaks you through but it is a small price to pay.
You walk out of the North Harbour and head towards the Eastern tip of the peninsula (
ruins on the map). Beyond the chaos of the city the storm ravages the landscape: trees are ripped from the ground, old barns and ruined stone walls tumble over and farmer's fields are devastated. You easily pick up the old road that leads to the east and you push along through cold ankle deep mud and splattering and wind-tossed puddles. After about an hour of walking, the constant thunder has rendered you almost deaf and you're forced to scream at eachother in order to be heard.
You enter the old stone ruins which consist of nothing more than moss-covered foundations of buildings, weathered columns, lonely arches and piles of ancient masonry. The old stone roads here are surprisingly still in relatively good shape and you navigate them through what were once city-blocks as you press on towards the absolute tip of land.
Finally, soaking wet, hoarse from calling out to one another and tired, you suddenly step through into an area of complete calm. Looking up you can see clear evening skies, with the first of the stars beginning to appear. Dark clouds swirl on the perimeter of this 'eye' in the storm and you can see the curtain of wind and rain and the sounds of thunder are somewhat isolated. The path you are on ends at a rusty gate that stands motionless, half open. An embossed metal placard beside the gate reads, “Carcer Tevensum,” the ancient name for “Teven’s Prison.”
Beyond the gate is what looks like a narrow courtyard, a high cliff on the west, north, and southern sides, and rusty guard railings – broken and useless
in places – line the eastern side. Beyond the railings the ground drops, via an old stone stairwell, to the surface of the sea, which is still choppy despite the clear skies. A hundred feet away to the east, the sky is dark again, and lightning crackles nearly constantly over craggy islands, ruins of the old sunken city, which stretch away from the coast until the storm swallows them. Along the easten edge of the courtyard, nine stone pillars rise ten feet, and are capped by gargoyles that leer down at the sea.