Ambience.

---

As the night, so went the day. Out here there was nothing. No small civilization, no Reghed camp, not even the sporadic wild animal, and it became increasingly likely the very last signs of life had been the diminished herd of Reindeer from yesterday. Only a light snow and the barren, frozen tundra remained. The grueling hours blended together in what took a turn for the monotonous. Rocks, snow, and more rocks. Sparse light could be enjoyed from Elsun to Thulsun, after which the lanterns had to light every foot ahead. Wifni pressed on stalwartly even as the winds picked up and it began to snow more fiercely.

Cresting Eventide, Rhydd could conclude their destination was but over the next hill — still out of view.

---

A couple of things as you approach:

1. Marching order? Disregard if you're all approaching in the sled.
   
2. I want Perception Checks at Advantage from at most two of you.

I am still working on a battlemap, so we'll keep it Theater of the Mind for the time being.

Khulekanik knew the value of keeping her eyes open in unfamiliar places, but the monotony and empty expanse was draining to everyone's spirit, she knew. And despite not being gifted in the arts of the minstrel, she tried to better the mood of all present by singing a cadence from her training days when they would march all the aspirants in parade-ground formation. Still, despite the music, she did not let her attentions slip too much.

"Hear the call for all and the chosen ones
Far away, but all like one
Come together, we've just begun
Chant till the House of the Triad
Chanting till the House of the Triad

Arise
Into the final battle
There's a fire in my blood
Let's fight
Trough the shadowland
There is light to lead us all

Charging into my destiny
Hear the thunder in my heart
Fight me well and I'll be free
Defenders heeding my call

Come with me, through the fire
Burning so real
And tonight, we rise higher
Sworn to the steel

See the light, break free
In the darkest of night
Just keep on
Fighting 'til the break of dawn
'Till the House of the Triad

We strike
Out on the battlefield
There's a fire in your eyes
Ignite
Burning for your life
And the will that never dies

Charging into my destiny
Hear a thunder in my heart
Fight me well and I'll be free
Defenders heeding my call

Come with me, through the fire
Burning so real
And tonight, we rise higher
Sworn to the steel

The light, breaks free
In the darkest of night
Just keep on
Fighting 'till the break of dawn

Come with me, through the fire
Burning so real
And tonight, we rise higher
Sworn to the steel

See the light, break free
In the darkest of night
Just keep on
Riding 'til the break of dawn, fighting on!"

OOC Mechanics
16:37, Today: Khulekani Kumalo rolled 23 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only. Perception with Advantage.

In one sense, Rhydd had been impressed by Khulekani's singing, but in another, he wished that she had not done it. The archer was not blessed with a good singing voice. Nor even close to it. His was the sort that others meant when they said "I wish that one would shut up! in truth, he can't carry a tune in a bucket!" So he was always impressed by those who did have a talent in such things. Were they sitting near a roaring fire in the common room of some tavern, he would have enjoyed Khulekani's efforts immensely.

But here and now, out in the frozen Wastes, he much preferred silence. Unwarranted noise -- especially that which was not a sound common to Nature -- did naught but attract attention. Which was a thing that Rhydd preferred to avoid, given the present circumstances . . .

However, just now there was something of greater import that needed mentioning. The outdoorsman pointed to a snow-covered mound. "We are close, now. The spire should be visible just on the far side of yon hill."

---

OOC: I think that up to this point, the party would most likely have been traveling by sled. Now, however, I think that Rhydd would want to disembark and move up to the hill that he has pointed out, where he will drop down on his belly and  carefully peer over the crest to see what he can see.

12:50, Today: Rhydd Maldhon rolled 24 using 2d20+5, dropping the lowest dice only.  Peekin' Over the Hill (w/ Advantage).

Comments: Yay (!) for Advantage. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:59, Fri 21 Oct 2022.

Idri wore a little smile all through Khulekani's song, briefly falling backwards into a memory from her long life. A young man who wore similar heraldry to Khulekani, brave and bold, just a dozen or so years before the worst conflict Idrianthe had ever been a part of. She had often wished she stayed in those warmer climes instead of heading north. No use in dwelling, though; that time was long since decided.

Disembarking the sled when Rhydd went up to scout, Idrianthe held her left hand out towards her pack and the mithril armor that she had rigged to its exterior, and made a pulling gesture. The plates leapt through the air, almost noiselessly binding to her body and unfolding in a complex dance of magic and artifice which quickly covered her first in flexible scales of silvery mithril. Then the plates rotated and slid into position and opened up their hidden panels, covering every inch of Idrianthe's body in solid armor except for essential points of articulation. When it settled into place, the armor was decorated in blue-glowing runes of jotun and elvish, which the learned might recognize as very bastardized from their original intent.

The last touch was the plates on the elf's right shoulder unfolding and descending, rapidly creating a mechanical facsimile of her lost arm. Idrianthe flexed her metal fingers experimentally, although they had never been anything but perfect. The furs of her collar had also been displaced into a sort of mantle around the gorget of her armor, and now Idri looked every bit the northern knight. The shield on her back even had heraldry, an alchemical sigil. She shouldered the shield and her pack of essentials from the sled.

"That was really lovely," Idri paid softly to Khulekani, before putting her hand to her face to signal a Y-visored full-helm to rise into place and clamshell around her head, leaving only the elf's lips, nose and eyes visible. "Would you, perhaps, teach me the tune? If there's time after all this, of course."

---

OOC:I agree with Rhydd's interpretation, most of us staying on the sled and only now moving up into a formation makes sense. Also, great rolls from Rhydd and Khule!

Climbing and peering over the hill, a singular jutting structure, distinct from the rest of the rocky terrain, could be seen standing proud in the distance. The terrain smoothed out, leaving it quite prominent. The apex, reaching twenty foot or so into the air, had accumulated snow, but the sharp vertical surface was left bare — it was one of utter blackness, with faint swirling patterns suffusing and climbing it.

---

Khulekani's Perception (w/ Advantage granted by Idri/FW) [23]: While any protruding terrain had been unmistakably gray and rocky, now, it was more blue. As if it had been first streaked by ice, then imperceptibly fully replaced. But now it was clear; the hill that greeted them comprised ice, not stone.

Rhydd's Perception (w/Advantage granted by Idri/FW) [24]: And the group was not alone. Though the recent snow had done its utmost to mask them, the tracks before him did not escape the huntsman. Several sets, just barely an indentation in the fresh snow. A few big ones larger than a Human's, and a singular set smaller than a Human's and reptilian in appearance. The large ones, all barefoot, seemed to travel in a collected pack of no less than three individuals. Regardless of size and shape, they all led toward the outcropping.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:09, Sat 22 Oct 2022.

“How ominously phallic.” Farwalker eyed the structure with amusement, having made her way up it herself. She wasn’t actually standing on top of it, instead having dropped down to peer over the top with just her head while she wasn’t exactly stealthy, that didn’t mean she had to stand on top of a hill and silhouette herself with her massive frame. “Is it occupied then? Hopefully we won’t have to fight anything. I hate fighting.” That hadn’t always been true. But that was another time.

Rhydd gave Farwalker a side-eyed glance when she spoke of the appearance of the spire. "Phallic" -- this was a word that he had never heard before, and he made a mental note to ask Mallory about it later. The wizardess knew lots of words.

The huntsman eased down the backslope of the hill that he had peered over, staying low until he returned to ground level. Then he walked back over to the group that waited by the sled and gave his report.

"The Spire is there, sure enough, just on the other side of that hill. It reaches some 20 feet above the ground, and is as black as an Orc raider's heart. It was difficult to see from this distance, but there seems to be some sort of swirls within the stone of the Spire."

"There is more. I spied some footprints in the snow. One set looks to be reptilian, and they are smaller than a Human's. There are also some three or more other sets, each of them larger than the size of a Human's -- and barefoot, for what that is worth. They all lead in the direction of the Spire."

Rhydd shrugged. "With the snow flurries coming and going, it is difficult to judge the age of the prints. Could be as old as six days, or as recent as one."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Sun 23 Oct 2022.

At long last, Mallory had emerged from under her defensive fortress of blankets and furs, seemingly reborn anew to the bitter colds as she faced the wind without a bit of apparent discomfort.  She breathed the icy breeze in and found it only to be bracing rather than feeling like she'd just inhaled shards of broken glass, like before.  It had taken long, focused hours of hurried enchanting by both her own and Idri's different schools of work but it all paid off!  The young noble felt ready to take on the world as she stepped down from the sled, fortified by the protective magics woven into her stylish boots.  Part of her genuinely worried that it would just keep getting colder to the point that even defensive spellwork wouldn't be able to keep up with it, but that was a fear for later!

Even though her intent was on finding the lost mercenaries, Mallory couldn't help but feel a self-indulgent thrill in the pit of her stomach.  An intact Netherese ruin was a potential treasure trove of wonder far beyond the mere monetary value they often held.  There were many remnants of that lost empire scattered throughout the landscape that had long since been delved, scavenged, inhabited by wandering monsters and vagabonds alike who did untold damage to its historical worth.  But the Spire was so far removed from civilization that it was bound to be almost entirely untouched!  The scholar in her spirit was downright giddy, though her more pragmatic side more than quashed it down for the sake of keeping focused on the matter at hand.

"Reptilian?  In this climate?  If it's that small... surely it couldn't be a Kobold?  They're cold-blooded!" Mallory kept both her voice and her posture low as she scooted to rejoin the others.  She'd have to find somewhere to stow Wifni once they decided to enter the Spire but, for the moment, left the sturdy bird and sled still tethered.  "Madam Harpell mentioned Bugbears before, so perhaps the larger footprints are them?  Did you see any way into the Spire, somehow?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:33, Sun 23 Oct 2022.

"Mayhap it had some good winter boots," Rhydd replied with a smile when Mallory expressed her doubts about a Kobold being able to tolerate the frigid northern weather.

"Bugbears? It's certainly possible," he said when the wizardess mentioned those monsters.

"No obvious way in that I saw from the line of sight that I had atop that hill," he replied.

Farwalker's comment made Idri sputter a little laugh on the way toward the scouting group, and she shook her head lightly. "Goodness, you don't appreciate how many ancient artifacts and dig sites evoke that imagery until someone says it aloud."

Joining Rhydd, Mallory, and the gang at their position scouting the spire, she tapped her chin through the base of her helmet. And immediately became annoyed with doing that, so the panels of the helmet quietly slid away from her face and disappeared into hidden recesses of the plate. "It would be deeply regrettable from the archaeological perspective, but we may need to make our own way in," Idri offered sadly, twisting idly at the artificial wrist composited from her armor. "If we can find any access above or below, though, I've enchanted a rope to assist everyone in safely navigating the vertical axis."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:11, Mon 24 Oct 2022.

The shifting nature of Idri's magical armor was one that drew Mallory's eye, though clearly with a gaze of intellectual curiosity rather than surprise over its existence.  Most folk would be agog at the very idea of armor being able to manifest and move so freely through unseen means.  But for her, it was more of a professional appreciation of technique and craftsmanship.

"I picked up extra rope, as well as climbing tools and a block-pulley system ahead of time as well.  No telling what sort of heights and depths we'll have to contend with, least of all stable ones." she added to the equipment list.  Between plenty of gear and gravity-defying spellcraft she had at her disposal, they were likely better equipped than most for such an endeavor.  "There surely must be a way in though, somewhere."

She cast her eyes skyward a moment where Astre slowly circled overhead.  A good thing too; the poor thing had grown quite bored of keeping an eye open over the bland, snow-laden landscape without any sort of event to break up the monotony for so long.  Silent communication bounced between the two before the Tressym shifted his angle and swooped down lower to fly about the peeking Spire to examine its area in greater detail.

"Astre's having a look now to see what he can confirm for us.  Madam Harpell had rather specific instructions for how we must approach the Spire, so best we keep to them.  We need to sweep around to the southwestern side." she rather didn't like how Velynne had both extremely precise information on the Spire yet presented herself as clueless in other aspects.  It wasn't as if a member of the Brotherhood keeping secrets was any surprise though...

---

Searching for sign of an entrance or any indication that others have forced their way inside.  Perception or Investigation?  If it's Investigation/requires active deduction, Astre would remain near enough for Mallory to be within vision-projection range so she can make the check.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:15, Mon 24 Oct 2022.

There was a discrepancy in what Astre saw from overhead and what Mallory saw from over the hill — to him, the Spire wasn't there. In its place were more of the monotonous, blanketed rocky landscape they had traversed thus far. Telepathic communication confirmed they were looking at the same place, but seeing different things.

A sense of unease settled on any and all who approached. As if a deep, inaudible rumbling shook the very world. It built slowly, evoking a mounting dizziness, an imbalance, like a collapsing spiral.

Once some distance was closed the feeling subsided. A subtle hole in the ice near the Spire, partly obscured by the large, jutting obsidian structure, made its appearance. The larger tracks Rhydd could see led directly to it, while the smaller ended in what was a slight, almost imperceptible bump in snow just short of the Spire itself.

---

Battlemap. Which is more just a map, I suppose. Wholly unnecessary, but I wanted to give a sense of scale. :)

Each of you must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution Saving Throw or suffer a -2 penalty to your Dexterity Score. This effect lasts until your next Short Rest.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:28, Wed 26 Oct 2022.

"Whatever shortcomings the architects may be overcoming, it is hard to deny that a tower is a difficult structure to assault. Especially with so few and no siege equipment. Especially in this environment. No cover, good sight lines, more able to withstand a siege than those outside...phallic or not, it works..." Khulekani murmured, absentmindedly joining the conversation as her soldier training assessed the situation.

She was more than happy to let the other magic their way in, or whatever they chose, for she had nothing in her skills or faith to aid them at the moment. So commentary was enough. At least until the winged cat got back.

Though Mallory waited patiently as Astre circled about overhead, her brow soon furrowed in consternation as she quirked her head aside as if she heard something nobody else could.

"What do you mean it's--?  No, I understand but--" she spoke to the open air, albeit in clipped remarks as if she were being interrupted mid-sentence.  Ultimately she huffed and gave a flippant wave of her hand.  "Oh, for the love of Pelor's pectorals, just let me have a look myself already."

With that, the young noble's dark eyes suddenly went glassy and pale as if taken by blindness.  Her frustrated expression shifted to one of confusion and then intrigued curiosity as she seemingly stared out into nothingness.  "Fascinating... a defensive illusion?  No, no, that wouldn't be the case, surely.  Planar folding?  That would certainly explain the necessary angle of approach..." Despite her wonderment, Mallory blinked rapidly to clear her vision as her eyes returned to their normal hue and her wits returned to her.  High up in the air above, Astre gave a quietly annoyed hiss at the strange, deceptive nature of the terrain before he simply poofed away out of reality for a bit at Mallory's urging.  He'd been scouting constantly since they'd left town and deserved a bit of a rest.

"There's a most curious phenomenon happening here; it seems the Spire is masked in some manner unless approached specifically from the degree we were instructed.  From other angles it simply doesn't appear to exist at all.  Speaking from an academic standing, this is delightfully intriguing.  Is the Spire exerting a dissonance field somehow, or perhaps it's only partially on the Prime Material Plane, or maybe it's a combination of effects caused by the environment?" she was off in scholar mode again before she even knew it and quickly had to reset herself back on task.  "No, no; questions for later.  For now, let's find our way inside and hope those mercenaries have been able to sustain themselves within all this time."

---

DC 14 Con Save
Mallory Bonheur rolled 18 using 1d20+2

Mallory continues her trend of being the tankiest noodle-armed Wizard in Ten-Towns.

"Hunh," Rhydd grunted when Mallory began speaking of the "curious phenomenon" that she had observed -- given her posture and the odd way her eyes turned opaque, the huntsman supposed that she was seeing things from Astre's point of view. He would have had no idea what was going on if he had not seen it happen before.

It was not that he was disinterested in Mallory's comments about magicks, 'twas more that he had little understanding of such things and nothing to offer on the subject.

When the talk turned to things such as a dissonance field and the Prime Material plane, Rhydd's previous "Hunh" became an "Unh-hunh" as he turned and examined the spots where the two sets of tracks disappeared: the hole in the snow-covered ground for the set of larger tracks, and the bump in the snow for the smaller.

---

OOC:
11:59, Today: Rhydd Maldhon rolled 20 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 18.  Constitution Saving Throw re: The Spire (DC 14). Success.

Bears, re: Rhydd's closer investigation of the hole in the ground and the bump in the snow, would you like a Perception Check or an Investigation Check?