A Collection of Strangers on Walkabout

Khaguran reals under the sudden wave of nausea as the magical energies of the Border play havoc with his thoughts and senses. He collapses to the ground trying valiantly not to end up in a puddle of any sort of body fluids. As the pain subsides and he becomes increasingly aware of his surroundings again he takes stoke of things.

Other than the doorway and stairs there is a simple chest, table and two chairs. Outside the door is no longer the wooded hills he just came from but a distorted image of grey misty covered hills barely discernable through the now obvious and clearly dangerous Border. According to what Khaguran knows Border that are this strong can be dangerous but there are methods to cross them safely with careful observation and timing. Now is not a good time. He can try and leave now or watch and wait for a better time to leave. One other thing known about Borders is that repeated crossings will make individuals more resistant to their adverse affects but doing so while still suffering only compounds the suffering so he decides he had better wait at least until the headache dissipates.

Since he has time Khaguran heads to the stairs as he hears a sound coming from behind himself. Turning around he sees a human step, grimacing from the affects of the Border . . .Skeve had been watching the Duede (halfling/hobbit/goblin) for a few minutes before the figure entered the tower ruins. Skeve had come across the wagon trail earlier that day and though it was obviously not used often it had been used recently. Having wandered the Shattered lands for a while Skeve had lost track of the closest settlements due some unfortunate shifts in the Borders. As Skeve watched the Duende approach and enter the tower obviously preparing to settle down for the night he decides this looks to be a good opportunity to introduce himself.

As Skeve approaches the tower his magical senses give warning that the tower is within an oddly small border. Having watched the Duende enter the tower only a minute ago but not seeing him withing Skeve is certain this Border is not only odd in its size but nature as well. Taking a breath his steps through the doorway.

To Kharguran the newcomer seems to not suffer nearly as bad as he had.
To Skeeve this crossing seems worse, and affects him more that one has in quite some time.

As Skeeve stumbles and falls to his knees he look up at Kharguran with a faint smile and hold a hand out to wait a moment and allow him to collect himself.

Other than the chairs and basic table the first floor holds little of interest except the chest. The stone stairs now lead up to the 2nd floor. Cautiously opening the chest shows it to contain a small writing kit with paper, ink, and a pen, along with a jug, a couple of cups, flint and steel,, tinder for a fire, and a set of keys. A small stone fireplace sits empty under the stairs and though backend from previous fires is clean of any debris at this time.

As you ascend the stairs you note that there appears to be daylight coming from somewhere above. The bright yellow light of daylight fills the second story forcing you to blink as your head pass the 2nd story floor. Three window open and one of them is letting in the morning light. Another shows full day while the last has the dull reds of a setting sun. The stairs continue up on the far side of the room which has a simple table with 3 stools. Atop the table rest a spyglass, paper, and more writing implements. However the ink has been knocked over and has soaked into the pages. On the section of the tower without the stairs up or down is a cabinet Several doors to the cabinet are open and other shelves are open, all of which are empty. There is however a lock securing a larger door on the cabinet.

The key ring has four very distinct keys and you easily identify the key and unlock the cabinet. Inside you see 4 crossbows and a dirty dagger. One of the crossbows has no bow string and is set by itself to one side with the dagger.

Looking out the windows you see that the scene out the window at dusk appears to be where you came from with low rolling hills covered by heavily wooded forests. The other two windows show similar settings but the hills in the dawn scene are larger with smaller trees while the window showing mid day has hills about in between the dawn and dusk scenes and the trees are starting to fill in.

The dagger sheath is covered in oil and the handle is slightly tacky. Taking it out the bladed drops oil. Continuously. It seems to be generating it slowly.
The paper had long since absorbed the ink which had dried and there are no traces of writing to be found.
The spyglass is of good quality and made of brass. The view with the spyglass reveals details that you missed before. The scenes seem to flicker. What you took for wind moving the trees turns to be the trees growing and withering in an oddly disappointed and possibly cyclical manner. Watching to closely behind to give you a headache.

With the dagger, spyglass, and keys in hand you hear upstairs again. The third floor has 3 old and crumbling beds with small open top boxes underneath, small windows between them, and a ladder to a trap door on the ceiling. The storage under each bed holds a mismatch of ruined articles. The only thinks identifiable are a set of gaming bones (think very rough dice) and a few small and rusted metal items. Candle holder, Flint and steel, needles, a couple of tins that holds some sort of salve or powder.

The four windows show similar scenes though slightly different than the second floor. Finding nothing of interest you climb the ladder and carefully open the trap door by releasing the latch and shoving it up.

The area above the tower forms an odd done as the space just beyond is trusted and warped. With a pandemic view you more see the surrounding in a click like fashion. Standing in the middle and slowly turning your can chicken through a day outside the tower, dawn, morning, noon, afternoon, evening, sunset, and night before returning to dawn.