The Adventurer's Guild

[Harumph]

			Brothers (and Nicodemus) let us go to the floating tower and see if there is a way in.

 

[Nicodemous]

To the tower.

 

[bluesfella]

As you descend into the valley, you have a bit more time to study the area around you. The area is thick with floating debris. From any spot on the ground, you are within reach of several chunks of stone suspended in the air. Here, near the edge of the valley, the pieces are mostly small. They vary from pebble-sized all the way up to 3-4 feet wide. However, they grow larger the closer they are to the center of the valley, the largest being that floating tower.

Instinctively, you grab a small piece of floating rock and inspect it. Noticing nothing unusual (other than it being suspended in mid-air), you release it and it continues to float where you leave it.

Not all of the debris is floating in the air, though. Many larger chucks of fine stonework and architecture litter the ground, making your path to the center of the valley a winding trail instead of a straight line. Broken and crumbled buildings are scattered through the entire valley.

Stopping to investigate, Brocc tries to recall where he has seen this type of architecture before. [sblock=Brocc's History Check]

GM: Your History skill is so high, you know the following without having to roll.

• The designs and artwork etched into the marble and stonework is dragonborn in origin.
• The debris is ancient.
• The marble and stonework match the flying citadels built by dragonborn at the height of their now extinct empire. These citadels were foiled by tiefling wizards who unwove the magic that kept them aloft, killing thousands in the resulting crashes.

GM: Go ahead and roll another history check just to see if you recall anything else.

[/sblock]As you continue your descent into the valley, the valley floor starts to become more shallow. About halfway down, the geography forms a natural spur that juts out from the slope. On it stands an ancient statue of a dragonborn warrior, propped up rather than lying broken on the ground. Similar spurs ring the entire circumference of the valley at this elevation, one about every 40 feet, and a similar statue stands on each.

 

[Nicodemous]

Suffering from high fever, I try to intimidate the first statue.

"What, you want some of this? Oh, nothing to say, uh? That's what I thought."

 

[bennage]

Brocc rattles off a bit of Dragonborn history, almost talking to himself it seems (see note above). Then he walks over to one of the larger chunks, floating just a few inches above the ground, and begins tracing the etchings with his finger.

 

[bluesfella]

[sblock=Brocc's History Check]The debris belongs to Ustraternes (The City of Flying Stone), which crashed in an unknown region. This particular citadel housed and transported elite dragonborn soldiers. Its downfall was said to portend the end of Arkhosia.[/sblock]As Nicodemus shouts at the statue, a ghostly figure phases out of the sculpture. As its ghostly form starts to takes shape, you can see that it is a female dragonborn warrior in full battle gear, sword drawn.

"Turn back. This is no place for the still breathing. It is a sad tomb meant for the dead. My soldiers and I mean to do you no harm, but our preference will become meaningless if you persist here."

 

[Goel]

We have no desire to disturb the dead we look only for the living. Are there live drakes and dragonborn among these ruins?

 

[bennage]

Brocc turns toward the ghost.

			O most noble warrior, defender of Arkhosia and guardian of Ustraternes. We bid you peace and honor. We seek only those who would dishonor your memory. Permit us to pass, and guide us to our end.

 

[Nicodemous]

I stand there a little perplexed and remain silent.

 

[bluesfella]

"I cannot allow you enter these ruins. We are duty-bound to the last remaining scion of a once glorious house of warriors. While it pains us to siphon life form the living, we must carry out the will of our steward, even if doing so compromises our noble history. Leave while you can or forfeit your lives to our growing hunger. We can only stand idle for so long."

GM: An Insight check would be appropriate here, if one was so inclined.