1. The Gates of Hell

"The girl speaks sense," Druin agrees. "There won't be much of value of here on the surface, I imagine everything will have been long picked over. We just want to ensure there's no one here that will be able to get behind us and leave us without a clear exit."

You scan your new surroundings, looking for any potential sources of trouble.

Three of the nearby buildings (6, 7, 8) are completely ruined, with low, collapsed walls containing plenty of gaps. You can be fairly confident that there’s nothing substantial waiting to ambush you from within.

The fourth building (9) is much better preserved. Although fallen in places, the walls still rise up to support the cracked arches that hold the roof aloft. It’s entirely possible that there could be someone or something inside this building that you cannot see.

The nearby trees are all mature and in leaf, but the foliage is not sufficiently dense to conceal someone. However, there is a much larger copse away to the southwest (beyond building 8) that would make a good place to hide.

The opening due south of you in the southern canyon wall is clearly man-made. It is a neat rectangular opening of dressed stone. The adjacent cave is natural. Both are too distant and dark to give any clue as to their contents.

The nearby entrance (G) to the gatehouse is similarly gloomy. Studying the gatehouse structure you notice a series of upper-storey arrow slits, four on each side of the central gate, covering the canyon. Broken battlements protrude from the gatehouse roof. Although there are no signs of life, you cannot be certain that the gatehouse is unoccupied, or that you aren’t being watched.

The sounds of the waterfall are not particularly loud; nothing out of the ordinary from what you might expect in such a location.

Your overall impression is, strangely enough, one of tranquillity. Apart from the distant sound of falling water and the occasional birdsong, everything is calm and still. The noon sun bathes the canyon in a warm light, and there’s the merest hint of a breeze.

The rabbit on the tree stump (F) continues to watch you.

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Day 1, 12:10
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Swan says "I give up. What's with the rabbit."

With some energy she strides over to the rabbit and not expecting it to even flinch. She says as she approaches it, "You see enough."

"Wait, I'm not sure that's such a good..." mumbles Druin at Swan's back as she strides off across the canyon.

Not quick enough to catch her, he moves 30' south from the wall to take up Swan's prior position. Sighing, he watches from there with his weapons readied to see what transpires.

He's less concerned with the rabbit itself than whether something might be watching her from the gatehouse doors or the other structure still in decent repair as she crosses the wide-open space between them.

"It's a rabbit, what of it?" Ricard pays no heed to the bunny and instead keeps his attention on the un-ruined building nearby. He "slices the pie" across the doorway to get as much of a view inside without actually sticking his head in...

Just so I'm clear, Ricard is heading over to building (9) on the map to check it out?

Gabbro follows 10' behind Swan, ready to sling a rock the moment something jumps out of the tunnel behind the rabbit. He's a little puzzled. "Who do you think was here, cutting down trees recently?"

Swan and Gabbro stride towards the rabbit. It remains, unflinching, atop its tree stump until Swan is about 15’ away, at which point it dashes off towards the ruins at (7).

Meanwhile, Ricard walks over to the less ruined building (9) and peers inside. Enough light passes through the various holes in the ceiling for him to get a good look. A tessellated stone floor is visible beneath the moss and dead leaves that cover much of its surface. A statue of white granite depicting a human male dressed in archaic plate mail stands at the centre of the north wall. The figure kneels upon one knee, his head bowed, and a simple helm placed upon the ground beside him. Although the statue shows nicks and gouges, and a patina of lichen has grown upon its surface, it is generally in excellent condition.

Ricard - please make a Wisdom ability check to see if you recognise the figure depicted in the statue.

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Day 1, 12:10
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Ricard - you recognise the figure in the statue as St. Ras, the patron saint of duty and fidelity.

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Day 1, 12:10
Druin: 5/5
Gabbro: 7/7
Ricard: 7/7
Swan: 6/6
Tess: 3/3

Ricard cautiously enters the shrine and drops to one knee in reverence. He makes the sign of Saint Ras and offers a prayer to the patron. If this anointed saint watches over this canyon in any way then he deserves to be honored in the mind of the soldier.

Swan chuckles as the rabbit makes a fast race away. "Pesky beast." Swan moves between the "6" and "7" leaving the front area per say.

Druin is glad to see that no movement beyond that of the fleeing rabbit. He returns to the northern canyon wall to inspect the closest opening.

Tess approaches the northern canyon wall with Druin to see if she can hear anything moving beyond the closest opening.

Gabbro follows Swan to the west, looking to see if there's any sign of Ricard, and he'll wave an "all-clear" sign to Druin and Tess over the crumbling stones of the ruins between them (6).

After paying his respects to the idol, Ricard walks out of the shrine to rejoin his companions.

"An old temple to St. Ras. Let's push on towards the prison, the day grows long."

Is there anything specific in the wording of Ricard's prayer?

Whilst Swan and Gabbro advance between the ruins (there’s no sign of that rabbit), Druin and Tess inspect the first opening in the canyon's northern wall. Without entering, they can see that an outer stone archway leads to an initial 10' passageway, which in turn opens out into a chamber beyond. At the far side of that chamber, immediately opposite the entrance, is a closed door. The opening, passageway and chamber are all man-made (i.e. it's not a natural cavern), although the floor is littered with dirt and debris blown in by the wind. From the north-west of the chamber comes a very faint red glow. It's not possible to discern any further detail without entering with a light source (or Druin's infravision). Tess can't hear any sounds coming from within.


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Day 1, 12:10
Druin, Dwarf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 7/7
Ricard, Fighter 1: 7/7
Swan, Fighter 1: 6/6
Tess, Thief 1: 3/3

Swan seeing that Druin and Tess seems to be sidetracked with that spot on the northern wall, she calls over, "Anything of interest over there." as she moves to close distance to them.