1. The Long Falls

The tower's entrance is on its west side, facing the Imperial Road. The trapdoor is towards the northeast of the tower's floor. You have left the trapdoor open.

"Ghost gone now? Good! What 'Nyema' mean? Ghost friend?"

Thrud turns to look at the fleeing Zach and Vasco. "Yes, we find scared friends. They look different now, might get lost."

Grim helps round up lost companions. Otherwise biding his time, like a patient ol’ dwarf!
Aye, let’s regroup n’ get on ta de city i ‘spose. Nyema…de ghost’s lost love, perhaps? Once we get ta town, I’ll locate a proper library n’ do some r’search.

With renewed appreciation for the dwarves priest’s steadfastness in the face of horrors beyond death, Ellagel helped herd the party back together, taking care not to allow Billie to head off and graze too far from the group.

Seeing the devastating effects of time on her two companions greatly impressed the elf. Their species was known for its longevity and she was shocked to see what the apparition had done to the humans.


"We’ll be more careful in the future, yes?" Although it was worded as a question, Ella’s phrase was pronounced as a statement of fact.

It's not "disappeared". It's just retreated back into the darkness of the tower. If you wanted to try and rush in and close the trapdoor, it would require an initiative roll to see if you could achieve that before the ghost reacts.

You can't sense the cold from outside the tower; the trapdoor is 30-40' away from the entrance.

---
12:40 pm, Demmasday 1st Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’
Vasco, Thorcin Thief 1: 6/6, 120’
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’
—
Billie, Mule, 120’

"Yes, Ella right. We be very careful now. No more ghost houses! Ghost magic make Zach and Vasco look like fathers instead of brothers. Very strange magic."

Thrud turns to the dwarf. "Grim very brave though! Take on ghost with no axe! Thrudmarr impressed." He gives the dwarf a hearty pat on the back, perhaps a bit too forceful.

Thrudmarr looks up towards the top of the cliff and points at the buildings spotted on the ridge. "Maybe we find wise person up in city? They know how to make friends young again."

By half past one in the afternoon, Vasco and Zach have recovered sufficiently from their ordeal that they are able to continue.

What’s the plan?

---
1:30 pm, Demmasday 1st Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’
Vasco, Thorcin Thief 1: 6/6, 120’
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’
—
Billie, Mule, 120’

"Are we ready to climb the cliffs?" Jacky asks. "It's past time to have a midday meal, but I bet the view up there will make up for delaying our luncheons."

Aye, time fer us ta be gittin’ on up top, den!
Our dwarven fellow gazes brown bulging eyes around the area for path of least resistance!

Ella nodded at Grimidek's and Jacky's suggestion. She had assisted in recovering their comrades and had, in her own way, tried to help them return to a normal state.

By now she had abandoned the idea of attempting to run back into the tower to close the passage. Whichever party came after them would have to deal with the ghost as best they could.

She decided to look at the cliff to determine the most auspicious path.

"That one go alla way up." Thrudmarr points to the right side path immediately in front of them. "See caves too. Can stop and eat lunch there?"

Zacharias slowly climbs to his knees and then his feet. His joints ache and he feels twinges where before there were none. But what is there to do? The ghost was hungry and he was an enticing buffet. He stretches, hearing the cracking of many knuckles and joints. A physically older, and emotionally wiser Zach rejoins the party.

The elf listened to Thrudmarr’s analysis and nodded. She didn’t share what she thought about the notion of stopping at any cave entrances to eat. She looked to the sky to jauge how much daylight remained: she feared it might be tricky walking up those sinuous paths at dusk, or later.

"We must move," is all she volunteered.

Vasco had washed his face in the waters of the river to refresh himself as he was feeling older than usual. Once he recovered from the traumatic experience, he turned to the statue of Arden while listening to the others. "Are we taking the winding path on the right side of Arden's statue? It seems to go all the way up."

The elf nods. That is the path she would have taken as well.

Let’s get moving; I ache.

As suggested by Thrud, the switchbacked path that snakes up the cliff face between the two colossal statues is indeed the only obvious route to the plateau at the top of the falls.

Nevertheless, now that the prospect of ascent is an immediate reality, the endeavour is somewhat terrifying. Grim’s expert eye for stonework suggests that in its heyday, this path would have been quite a feat of construction … an excavated ramp, wide enough for two carts to pass, covered with large, mortared-together flagstones. However, today those flagstones are broken, rutted, and in places quite dangerous looking. Furthermore, sections of the path have eroded or fallen away, narrowing it to little more than 5’ in places. The unevenness of the surface, the restricted width, the slick layer of moisture from the falls, as well as the disorientation created by the all-pervasive mist and thunderous noise from the waterfall, all suggest that the ascent will be both hazardous and physically demanding.

I’ll assume, unless you tell me differently, that you’ll be adopting your "single file" marching order. Please let me know if there are any other specific arrangements you want to make for the ascent.

---
1:30 pm, Demmasday 1st Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’
Vasco, Thorcin Thief 1: 6/6, 120’
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’
—
Billie, Mule, 120’

"Oh dear, it might take us longer than I expect to reach a nice spot," Jacky says. The halfling looks around the rest of the group. "Any of you fine people have a length of good rope? We can tie ourselves to each other and good old Billie" - a pat on the nose for the mule here - "and save someone from a dreadful fall if they slip."

Vasco listened to Jacky and nodded. He was going to offer a similar proposition and from his pouch, he pulled up a tangled and knotted mass of a rope. "This one will do, I guess, but another one of these will strengthen the bonds too."

"Thrudmarr have rope! Good for tying. But..." He looks at the mule dubiously. "If Billie fall, we all fall? Looks heavy."