[PbF] Funnel World!

Half a day's hike up the west face of Hvitr's Horn lies the Forsaken Fell, a desolate mile-long stretch of rock where once stood the hamlet of Kaldhammar ("Cold Cliff"). The hamlet had grown up around a monastery, populated by warrior-monks who studied and trained in contemplation of Hvitr, the Storm of Justice. But this peaceful retreat did not last, for there came a time when the earth shuddered and black smoke billowed from the Horn -- portents of an imminent doom. Even before the people of Kaldhammar could gather their belongings, a great flame burst forth from the summit, the sun was swallowed by a cloud of ash, and a river of fire poured down from above. The hamlet, the monastery, and all who lived within were consumed in hellfire from the heart of the mountain.

And there it lies before you now: A scattering of stone foundations and half-drowned walls, locked in a flood of black rock. An ancient lava floe, frozen in place since before anyone can remember, imprisoning the ruins in a centuries-old embrace. A broken archway, a heap of rubble that may have once been a tower, a line of stone columns with their tops shorn, as if by a giant's scythe.

Tufts of yellow grass grow up through the cracks of the Fell, twitching in a cold breeze. The shoulder of the Horn stretches above you into the low-hanging clouds. Below you, sparse fir trees cover the lower slopes and foothills, leading down to your village, your home, in the middle distance. Meervold huddles on the shore of the Baldesmere, as if on its death bed.

Constable Arkif led you here, and now all eyes turn to him. He clears his throat.

Arkif, what do you say?

Everyone else, wait for Arkif to speak; then, what do you do?

Arkif

I clear my throat and rub my temples with the thumb and forefinger of one hand. Heave a sigh and look up to address the small mob.

"Citizens, listen up please. Despite my advice for you to remain in the village while I investigated up here, you have chosen to follow. Well, so be it. No law against it.

I think we are of one mind that whatever has been happening down in the village, this place is the source. Keep you're eyes open and look for anything out of the ordinary up here. Signs of our missing friends and relations.

We aren't soldiers. Most of you have never even held a spear let alone a sword. But what we do have is numbers. Try not to wander off and if you spot something, yell so we can hear you."

Valga:
This is my first time to being so close to "The Cradle", I bow my head in reverence and offer thanks to my goddess Nyajba for bringing me this far. I then grasp Her symbol tightly to my breast and humbly pray to Her to guide and protect us on this mission.

Fride
"Well said, Arkif!

I know many of you are wonderin' why Ol' Fride decided to come along and not stay at home with her knittin' like the other ol' folk. Well, bollocks to that *spits* I don' know one end of a knitting needle from 'nuther. But if there be haulin', diggin or liftin'? Me and Yamir (pat my ox) will do you right. What better way to celebrate my 75th year, yea?

Solvi:

I obey orders and hang close, but glance all about this place and see if anything of value, or potential value, remains in the vicinity. I've come along on this trip partly for curiousity's sake, partly to find anything that may have been left behind that I can sell to city folk

Jorda:

I roll may eyes at the attempted inspirational speech and step almost imperceptibly back from the group. The only reason I'm with these clowns is because my grandmother has disappeared and the best way to get her back is with some suckers, er, backup, to help.

Gunnva:

GUNNVA NEED FIND PEOPLE SO GUNNVA TRADE FISH!



Thorgana:

(swigs Dwarven whiskey to maintain the buzz)
Alright, ladies! Let's get on with it! Something is wrong here and we need to figure it out. The sooner we get finished, the sooner we drink!

Brother Thunke

"The morning has blessed us Fodar, now keep us strong through the work of this afternoon."

- Grips his staff and moves toward the front of the group.

Ligri

- keeps quiet, follows

Illaudga:

Curious of this haughty outsider, I sidle up near him. His attitude towards my adoptive home concerns me. I nod my head in greeting towards him.

Hafle:

*cough*"I share your sentiments, Thorganna. This evil has been allowed to perch above the town for far too long. I may not ha' been a soldier, but I's seen mah share of scrapes. Now I intend to cleanse this place in the name of *cough* Aegis. I just hope it isn't my last voyage."
I walk past Thorganna and slap her on her back. "I would be happy to have your hammer guarding my back, Thorganna." I continue to make my way to the front of the knot of people. "Now let's get t'huntin', Arkif."*cough*

Steini: Bemused by the soldier comment I salute, “Aye”. Surveying the rag tag group that has assembled I can’t help but think to myself that the wild has much to teach these folks and it will be of great interest how they take to her lessons. I make sure to catch Brother Thunke’s gaze and grumble under my breath, “This one I’ll keep watching.”

Gera: Hearing my brother address “the group” it was not difficult to pick out the less than subtle tone and language used to show his displeasure in my being here. Does he imagine we are still children? His role as protector ended long ago, as I have had to remind him again and again. I quickly flash as large a smile as I can muster, knowing it will annoy him, and move along with the rest of the group.

Salbja

The Universal Music is strong here and flows through me. I dance. The others don't hear it. They need to open their ears and their hearts....

Oh, look at that flower. I stop the dance to pick the flower. The petals are amazing. Each one made of a million million tiny parts...and each of those parts a million more...and...oh wow...I'm freaking myself out...

Did "Johnny Law" say something? I hope it wasn't important.

Gudfu

Listens to Arkif impatiently, wishing they could get on with whatever they are going to do. Looks around at the top of the stone columns and tries to work out what could have cleaved the top off in this way. Smashes up a few bits of blackened lava that cover the tops of the nearby columns with her hammer.

Etirr

Gently strokes Essies head and whispers a few sweet nothings in her ear. Shouts out "Yes, let's find the monk" at an inappropriate time when everyone else is silent and contemplative. He thinks that everyone is on the same mission, to find a monk to give him the legal papers that proves marriage to Essie. Etirr is pretty dim.

Gerdga
I grip the shaft of my pickaxe nervously. I shift from side to side, anxious to look for my son. Eyes darting the landscape.

"Oi! Can we get started or what?!" I shout from the crowd.

Othilde
I nod my head to the constable's words, but for the most part their meaning is lost on me. I look around to the rest of the group for clues on how to react. I make non-committal grunts and miscue nodding my head several times.

Valga
Describe the holy symbol of your goddess, Nyajba.

Solvi
You scan the runs and the immediate surroundings for anything that might be of use. The group stands at the south edge of the lava field that drapes the Fell like a black cloak, flowing through the gaps in the network of rock walls and broken structures, in some places 4-5 feet deep. There may well be things of value within the ruins, but it will take closer investigation to find them.

Gerdga
You step to a nearby fallen column and whack the hard lava that surrounds it. A tiny bit of the porous rock breaks off. you take another, stronger whack and loosen a chunk of the crust about the size of a biscuit. This stuff pretty thick on the ground, but it's brittle. With enough time and effort, and the right tools, it could be removed.

You're not sure what took off the tops of the columns that are still standing. You suppose anything could happen over several hundred years of exposure on the mountainside

Everyone
Leading the crowd: Arkif
In the front of the crowd: Brother Thunke, Ligri, Illdauga, Hafle
In the middle of the crowd: Valga, Fride, Solvi, Gunnva, Thorgana, Steini, Gera, Gudfu, Etirr, Gerdga, Othilde
in the back of the crowd: Salbja, Jorda

The lava field and ruins lay stretched out before you.

What do you do?

Brother Thunke

"Very well then, lets get to this task, Fodar be with us."

Thunke sets off into the ruins, picking his way over the lava field. He moves cautiously poking the ground, and magma rock with his staff as he goes. He looks over the ground and the ruins trying to bring back older memories of monastery layout, where would the cloister have been? where was the chapter house? can he find an entrance to go deeper?


Ligri

Looks around nervously and then decides to stick close to Arkif, he looks like he knows what hes doing.

Hafle

This religious figure intrigues me. "Padre, tell me of this ...Fodder of yours. *cough* I have not heard of him in my travels." I stay close to Brother Thunke, hoping to engage him in conversation as we pick our way through the lava field.

Illaudga

I am fiercely glad that the horrible lava did not spread further into the trees. The destruction seems immense. I follow along behind our constable and look at the flow pattern to see if I can determine the source. That may indicate an opening of some sort.

Jason Lutes wrote: Valga
Describe the holy symbol of your goddess, Nyajba.
It is a round stone orb the size of a peach. Countless eyes are etched in rows into the stone. it is round to represent Nyabja's eternal journey and the eyes represent Her neverending search for Her twin brother. It is held in a leather pouch around Valga's neck.


What do you do?

Fride
(seeing a pile of rubble) "Well, mebbe there's some'in' useful we can find in that. Come Yamir!" (I head over to the pile of tower rubble and begin to search it for tools/weapons).


Valga
I slowly move with the crowd towards the ruins, holding my staff in one hand and my other still on my talisman. I scan the sky for anything odd.