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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Plane Sailing" data-source="post: 823106" data-attributes="member: 114">They are now standing before huge, ornate iron doors. They are apparently covered with runes and there is a faint eldritch glow about them. Kazrak talks into a speaking tube in his harsh, barking language, and shortly after the doors glide soundlessly open – or rather, any sound which they might have made is drowned out in a complicated music of hammering, beating chimes overlaid on a thunder of water!The doors open into a vast chamber, lit all around with glowing stones and torches, paved with stone smoothed by years of use. Huge building frontages are carved into the circumference of the chamber and in the centre a huge cataract of water tumbles from up above, turning scores of waterwheels of all manner of sizes. Many of the waterwheels are connected via belts or pulleys to other devices, or transmission systems which disappear into the cluster of buildings that reach up around the base of the waterfall. There are huge, slow turning wheels as well as small wheels that seem to serve no purpose other than to add musical ringing sounds at appropriate places within the overall rhythm of the sound.Kazrak takes several paces into the chamber before realising he is alone – he turns to see the awestruck faces of the company, marvelling not just at the feat of engineering, but also the care that went into crafting the sounds it created too – something that seems to blend together the march of an army, the sound of industry and the laughter of small children into one coherent whole.Settling them in a stone Circle of Contemplation (“other dwarves won’t try to challenge you to test their mettle if you are here”), Kazrak leaves them to see if it is possible to make an arrangement to see the king. While he is gone, Arilyn reminds them of her desire to get up into the mountain tops, because the fabled Door in the Air is supposed to be somewhere near here – the semi-permanent gate into the plane of elemental air which would lead to the dwelling place of Arkon the Stormlord, who lost his life in there mountains many, many years ago. The others agree that they will pursue this possibility with the king, especially in the light of those arrowhawks which were terrorising Moradin’s Call when they arrived.An audience with King Grishnak is arranged for the following day. Kazrak informs them of some of the niceties of the meeting – they will be expected to leave their weapons with the door guard, don’t take umbrage at being treated with suspicion, and really, really don’t offend the king. He is nowhere near as easy going as “good ‘ole Kazrak”, because he never gets to meet many people who aren’t dwarves.The audience goes well, especially with the presentation of the statuettes made in Bridlerest. Seeing the king, Dala can’t help but notice the strong family resemblance between the figurines and the present King. At one point Anne-Marie offers a helpful observation in the conversation and the king turns frosty eyes on Trajan.“You’re property seems out of control. Would you like its tongue removed?”“No sire” Trajan replies quickly “I’ll beat her myself later”. He grimaces at Anne-Marie and Arilyn who take the hint and don’t say anything else for the duration of the audience. Suddenly the meaning of Kazrak always talking to the menfolk in the company becomes clearer – and he hadn’t thought to mention this basic social structure to them! Males!The king closes their audience with a summary note of thanks for delivery of the statuettes, and grants them permission to venture up the stairwell of fear to reach the mountain peaks.“Perhaps you can solve the mystery which has kept the stairwell closed to our race for so many centuries. Kazrak can guide you there”.There is an almost imperceptible twitch in Kazraks expression of honourable devotion to his liege, and those more perceptive than the company would have noticed a sudden bead of sweat trickle down by his ear.</blockquote>

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