1. The Long Falls

The Halls of Arden Vul lie within a massive rock plateau that looms over the valley of the Swift River. From the top of the plateau, the Swift River drops 1,500’ to the valley floor in an enormous waterfall.

The Long Falls are visible on a clear day from many miles away on the verdant and temperate valley floor, appearing as a thin stream of white against the grey and green of the cliff face. They are audible from three miles away as a dull buzzing sound in the distance. At two miles it becomes a sustained white noise, as loud as a person speaking. At one mile a white cloud of mist and moisture, roughly 200 yards in diameter, becomes evident, and the sound is loud enough to impede conversation. Beneath the falls conversation is almost impossible, and the sound is as loud as a freight train among the smell of the damp, mould, and mildew.

As one closes towards the falls, about a mile away, the Colossal Defenders become apparent. The one representing Arden is placed just to the right of the falls, on the east side of the river. The other, representing Vul, stands another 400 yards further to the east. The figures are carved out of the rock face and extend a good 1,000-1,100’ up the cliff face.

The Colossus of Arden is an enormous crouching warrior woman, helmed, with her right hand gripping a sword blade down. The left hand is extended outward, palm up; the palm is only about 100’ above the valley floor.

The Colossus of Vul is altogether different: slender, cowled, arms folded across its chest, with a stone staff in the crook of the left arm. It always appears to be looking at those who glance at it.

You are currently standing in front of the cliff face, to the east of the falls, having approached along the old Imperial Road from the town of Gosterwick to the south. Below is a picture of what you can see. I have also added a map of your surroundings to the "Maps" thread. Rather than bombarding you with a mass of information in this first post, have a look at these two images and ask if you’d like further details or explanation of anything you can see.

There is one additional feature that isn’t shown in either the picture or the map - a bridge spanning the river to the south of the pool at the foot of the waterfall.



Lore (common knowledge): Arden the Swordswoman was one of the Twenty Worthies of the ancient Archontean Empire, and the companion and lover of Vul the Sorcerer. With Vul, she founded the city that bears her name. She is famous for her Twelve Labours, which have become a ubiquitous part of Archontean culture.

Vul the Sorcerer was one of the Twenty Worthies of the ancient Archontean Empire. Along with his companion and lover, Arden, Vul located the hidden caverns below the plateau and founded the site that bears his (and Arden’s) name.

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Noon, Demmasday 1st Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
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’
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Billie, Mule, 120’

"Look at that view!" Jacky has to cup his hands around his mouth to make himself heard above the crashing of the falls. The halfling grins. "Now the tallfolk know what it's like to be in our shoes, hah!" He chortles, nudging Grimidek none too gently with his elbow.

The sheer size of the statues make it hard to look at anything else.

Vasco looked at the enormity of the structures with a wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression. His eyes scanning the structures trying to estimate the scale and possible entrances. After watching for sometime he gave up looking at the upper structure and concentrated at the base. For once, his eyes passed over the face of Arden and Vul as he wondered what manner of things and creatures must be residing inside the city. He had mostly skulked in the busy streets of cities and rooftops, delving into something this big was never in his mind. But, he needed money and so here he was. Amidst the crashing sound of the waterfall and the mist like haze of moisture, Vasco focused on lower base trying to find any entrance to this famous city.

Thrudmarr stares up at the statues, slack-jawed. "Whoa. Big sword..." He pauses, then grins widely. "Ha, big axe better!" He pats the shaft of his own axe slung over his shoulder.

Squinting at the cliff face, he points to what look like lines carved into the rock climbing up, turning to his companions and speaking loudly to be heard over the dull roar of the falls. "What those...climbey things on side?" His eyes follow the lines upward. "Stuff up top too. We go up?"

Zacharias, or Zach, had trouble processing what he was seeing. Although, to be fair, that was not uncommon for him. Wow. Big statues. What a sword! Zach loved swords. He looked at Thrudmarr. Yeah, axes are OK, but they aren't swords. Zach lovingly traced his hands up and down his claymore's haft. Not many of his fellow students could wield the bastard sword as well as he could. But that was in the past. Itching for something more, he joined up with yet another group braving the fabled halls of Arden Vul to gain both prowess and treasure. If only he knew what prowess meant…

He went back to stand next to, and pet, Billie. Zach liked animals; they were simple. What do we do now? he asked the group. He knew enough to know that things usually turned out better when others made the hard decisions and just pointed him at things to be poked with his sword. That's a BIIIIIIG sword. Would be nice to be able to wield that!.

Grim gazes brown-bulging eyes up the cliff.

Aye, Jacky! Er’yone has ta be looking straight up in de presence of our two biggest forebears. Carved fer-ever in stone, dose two bring er’ybody else low!

Well now, we can certainly go up if we want! But dere may just be a way through, if a passage be hidden somewhere r’ some-such hereabouts!

Waddling up closer to the stonework, our dwarven priestly fellow tries discerning the presence of hidden passageways.

Zacharias follows the waddling dwarf towards the cliff face and statues. I have a crowbar here somewhere if you need it, your most dwarfley holitude, or holidays, or however you are to be addressed, he says with a sheepish smile.

Ellagel, or Ella, as most non-elves called her after a while, had been her usual quiet self during the long morning trek. Reaching this point on the road, she smiled openly at the magnificent view. "Sublime," she said simply. She was a woman of few words, as her companions had realized since she had found herself mixed with this band of adventurers. She was agreeable and easy to deal with, despite her mostly silent attitude. She sported that inscrutable little smile: was it a smirk, or was she genuinely happy to see the falls?

She listened attentively to the exchanges among his adventuring companions.

"I'll follow you, if you want to poke at the cliff walls. But didn't you say, Zacharias — she tended to avoid contracting other people's names — that you heard that 'the safest entrance' was the Pyramid, up yonder?" she asked, pointing to the top of the cliff. "And I heard there's an Inn north of the ruins, where we might need to regroup after the days toil. Green dragon or not, we might as well ascend the pyramid and have a look from the top..."

That was probably more talk from the elf than the party had heard in the last four days.

Jacky glances at the elf, noticing her laden by her heavy load. "There's room in Billie's saddlebag to share some of that weight if you like. He won't mind. No charge for the pretty lady," the halfling adds impishly.

"We're meant to go all the way up?" he continues, craning his head up to look beyond the giant statues. The dismay in his voice is unfeigned. "Why, that'd take hours, if not more than a day."

Thrudmarr turns to Ella, his grin fading slighly. "You said something about a dragon up there? Thrudmarr not like dragons. Big and scaly, bad news!" Thrudmarr’s eyes widen as he scans the bottom of the cliff face and points towards a shape that looks like a building in the distance. "Hey! Look there! Maybe we visit, ask directions? No dragons in there I bet!"

Vasco squeezed his eyes and tried to notice any probable route they could use to get inside. He was silently listening to everyone's screaming conversation as his own voice was raspy and he kept to himself. In his line of work lying silent was paramount and it complemented him. However, now he was adventuring with a big party now and they need to communicate properly.

He spoke out to everyone, "We could hike the winding path on the right side of Arden's statue or we could check the structure Thrudmarr pointed."

Maybe, Lady Elmersglue, I mean Ellagel, I heard a lot of things. I even wrote it down! Zacharias fumbles in his pouch and pulls out a grease-stained napkin with something resembling Archontean script. Zacharias starts to read slowly: Big building Thoth is easiest and safest way into Halls. Big stairs lead to the first dungeon level and is very old with lots of graffeeztiny…groftni…writing. Some writing is good stuff!

Yes, lady Elspeth, you are right. You must be really smart and stuff! If you say there is an inn up there, there must be! But maybe we skip the dragon? Takes lots and lots of poking to make dragons stop breathing fire. At least that's what they said at school.

Hearing Vasco's comment, Zacharias shrugs. Doesn't matter to me, so long as we don't split up. We split up, it's much easier for nasty things to pick us off. Zach takes out a whetstone and lovingly sharpens his blade as he waits.

"You can call me Ella, friends" the elf smiled gently, noting, once again, her comrades difficulty to pronounce her name. It was often so with the more short-lived species.

And turning to Jacky, she added "It is most kind, Jacky. If Billie can carry my bedroll and blankets, it'd be enough. Thank you."

Jacky gazes upwards, mesmerised by the sheer scale and magnificence of the two statues. Both are carved in a socialist-realist/art-nouveau style, i.e. all clean lines designed to suggest rather than provide actual details.

Arden’s statue depicts her kneeling on her right knee; her right hand holds a broadsword point down, while her left hand is extended, palm up, about 100’ off the valley floor. Her head is helmed in a hoplite-style helmet (with chin greaves); her eyes stare downward at her palm. Hair braids extend below the helmet, and she appears to be wearing a breastplate. Although soaking wet and moss-covered, no significant pieces have fallen off of the colossus. Water stains make it appear as if Arden is weeping.

Vul appears as a slender, cowled figure with arms folded across his chest. A stone staff with a large pommel rests in the crook of his left arm. The right arm has fallen away, as has most of the left leg. The cowl is deep, rendering the features invisible from below.
Vasco can see no obvious entrances at the base of the cliff. The only obvious way forward is upwards, along a ramp that climbs the entirety of the cliff face in a series of switchbacks. However, this route is in a very poor state of repair. Its flagstones are broken and rutted, and the path narrows to as little as 5’ in places. The surface also looks slippery due to the moisture from the Falls. Furthermore, there is no wall or guard rail to prevent a misstep from sending an unfortunate victim plummeting to the valley below.
Inspecting the stonework, the enormity of the task of searching for hidden passageways in a cliff face this vast dawns on Grimidek. He can see nothing obvious at ground level, and any sort of search would likely take hours or even days.

Each square on the map of the cliff face is 50’. So to search one such section, to a height of only 10’, would take someone an hour. It’s doable if you want to try. But it’s also potentially quite a time-sink.
You estimate it would take a few hours in an uninterrupted ascent, but not as long as a day.
There is indeed what looks to be a ruined watch tower just to the east of the old Imperial Road. All of the upper levels have collapsed leaving only the ground floor intact. However, even this is covered with moisture and slime due to its proximity to the Falls. A broken door barely covers an entrance that faces the road.

I think that covers all the main points mentioned in your posts above ... let me know if I've missed anything.

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Noon, Demmasday 1st Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
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’
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Billie, Mule, 120’

It might be a good idea for the party to start a separate sheet for Billie's inventory. Her movement will also be influenced by her encumbrance. And, say, just for example, if she's plucked from the party in the claws of a hungry dragon, we'll need an accurate record of exactly what you've lost!

Well now, I’m gonna propose we visit that ol’ ruinous watch tower just off’a da road a-way’s. If it’s gonna the us a lotta time fer ta ascend de cliff, well we may as well see what dere’s ta see hereabouts first!

Our dwarven fellow speaks in a tone of voice both gruff and exasperated. Which is nothing extraordinary, it’s just the way dwarves often are!

What is great Arden looking at, asks Zach. Vul always looks like he's staring at me. Why not Arden the same?

Having spoken far too much for her own taste already, Ella simply nodded in agreement at Grimideck's suggestion that the band explore the ruined watchtower. It seemed to be on their way, in any case, so it was good to have a look before moving onwards.

Thrudmarr looks at the stone statues, then to Zach. "Big stone lady look at hand. Maybe she dropped something?" He shrugs.
"Yes, yes! We go see little broken house. Maybe we find something good there? If any bad guys, Thrudmarr chop!" Thrudmarr feigns a chopping motion with his axe.

Chopping, poking, stabbing—finally something to do!. Zacharias puts away his whetstone, stands up, gazes along both edges of the rather extensive sword, and rescabbards it. So slimey tower first and long climb after? Fine with me.