2. The Ruins of Arden Vul

The Long Stair eventually leads you to a gateway that provides entry to the city of Arden Vul. The gate itself has long since disappeared, allowing any visitor to pass unimpeded through a 40-wide gaping passageway between two looming towers. The city walls were once 20’ tall and some 15’ thick. However, many sections have collapsed and those that remain are rickety. Ahead of you, a 50’ wide boulevard, paved with large cobblestones that are buckled and cracked with age, leads into the city.

What immediately strikes you is that the city is largely a ruin. To your right (east), barely any structures still stand; it is as if some great cataclysmic force has flattened this area of the city. To your left (west) many of the remaining foundations appear to have been charred by an enormous heat. However, these events clearly happened many centuries ago as vegetation has since reclaimed much of what was once a thriving city.

Of the structures still standing, your eyes are drawn to a great pyramid, directly in front of you away to the north, and a tall obelisk, about 50 yards ahead of you in the middle of the cobbled boulevard.

I will add two maps to the "GM Maps" thread - a plan view that gives you an accurate impression of the layout of the city, and a more illustrative perspective that better captures the flavour of your surroundings. You are currently at the gate at the top of the Long Stair. You won’t be able to see everything that is shown on the maps from your current location, but everything depicted will become clear to you shortly.

You reckon you have a couple of hours of daylight still remaining.

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5:50 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’

Ellagel was eager to remove the ropes tying the ragtag group together, and she helped to cool the ropes so their storage and future use would be made easier. She looked about, with an unhidden degree of awe at the setting.

This was a young town in elven eyes, but its anchoring in time was powerfully demonstrated by the layers of history that came up to meet them: the natural topography, mastered by Archontan architecture, brought low by extreme heat and massive desolation, and then the traces of nature reclaiming its rights.

"To the tower then? We should have a better view… maybe find that inn, or the ‘easy entrance’ we’ve heard about."

Fine with me, Lady Elmer Fudd, I could use a strong drink myself.

As usual, Ella did not react to Zacharias’ inability to remember her proper name; on the way to Arden Vul, she had come to understand the man’s behaviour as some kind of cognitive impairment. It actually endeared him to her: she found Zacharias’ company and manner of speaking heart-warming, and she was sure that the warrior would be deadly serious when it came to his professional skills.

"I wish I could afford a drink!" she commented. Her six coppers would not take her far.

"Oh! Pointy house is easy way in! Thrudmarr remember now." He taps his head, proud of recalling this information.
"Ella lady have no coins for drink? Thrudmarr share if we find any. Friends share good things!"

Jacky whistles as he takes in the destruction that must have befell the city. "What happened here? Did an earthquake visit the city?" The halfling is vaguely aware such things happened in human lands, though he's certainly not seen one himself. At least, not yet!

The granite obelisk is 10' square at its base and it rises 35' in the air. You can also see that it carries various inscriptions, although you are currently too far away to discern the details.

You can see no obvious reason why this structure has survived amidst the wider devastation.

The obelisk could be climbed by a thief. Other classes would need some sort of assistance.

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5:50 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’

Jacky taps the tallest from the group's elbow. "Well? Do you see the inn?"

Ella motioned with her head at the Pyramid rising up from the vegetation some 150 yards further.

"Bet we'll have a better view from there."

She too, was quite small — towering at 4'4" — and couldn't see much from where she stood.

Jacky claps his hands together. "A fine idea, Ella!" He waves Zacharias over next to the obelisk. "Give me a boost so I can shimmy up, would you?"

"Be careful, friend Jacky! Stone look slippery." Thrudd stands under the obelisk and holds his hands out as Jacky tries to climb, as if ready to catch Jacky if he falls.

You approach the obelisk that stands in the centre of the cobbled boulevard just ahead of you. Whilst Jacky makes friends with the structure, the rest of the party has a chance to inspect it.

Although weatherbeaten, it still stands proudly amid the utter ruin around it. Up close, you can see that it is incised with bands of inscriptions and images. The former are in Mithric and contain references to the "Twelve" (the major imperial deities of antiquity - see the Lore thread), as well as a long list of Archontean names. For the first 8’ feet of its height, the images are largely of humans interacting with large lizards, of humans riding on the lizards, of humans putting various creatures to the sword, and so forth. Above this level, the images turn to a single theme: the sun.

An exception to this artistic program is found in a wide band of stone on the south face of the obelisk at about 5’ in height; this band is completely clear save for a deeply incised image of an ankh (about 1’ tall). Running above the ankh-shape is the following inscription in Mithric:

The Beacon shall be revealed to those who bring midday life to the Sun, the Moon and the Stars.

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Jacky may, of course, make another attempt to scale the obelisk. Just bear in mind that a roll is required for each 10’ of climbing, and that falling damage increases rapidly with height (OSRIC page 124). Even a fall from 10’ could knock Jacky unconscious. Each attempt will also take a turn.



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6:10 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’

Vasco looked around the ruined city observing and noting all the broken buildings ahead. He was bit taken aback by the scale of the structures and stopped moving to take in the scenery. When he heard that there was an inn somewhere here, he looked around trying to notice any settlement with people. An inn will be nice but he didn't had any money to spare anyways.

As Jacky pointed at the obelisk and attempted to climb up the structure he went close and gave him a hand. Next, he took out his own rope and tied it around the obelisk and his waist to secure himself when he will try climbing up. After Jacky, he tried to climb the obelisk trying to reach up and probably tie the rope to create a foothold.

"Look! People riding big lizards!" Thrudmarr grins, clearly impressed by the idea. He can't read any of the writing though.

As Vasco prepares to climb after Jacky, Thrudmarr watches with concern. "Be careful, friend! Little Jacky easier for Thurdmarr to catch, not so sure about catching you."

Grim lends kind dwarven help. Tying rope and stationing himself to catch potentially-falling comrades!
Eh, why’re ya climbin’, exactly? It’s just a monument, n’ we know what the script all says. Do ya think dere’s a hidden way to get inside it, r’ some-such?! Just seems an awful unnecessary risk, ta me.

Yes, friend Thrustmore, I see people on lizards to, together with the funny scratchings. Does anyone know what language they are?

"Oh, that'll be Mithric," Jacky says, patting his rumpled clothes from the tumble earlier. He translates the text for the group.

How did you know that, Jason? Are there letters in Mithric that sound like Archontean?

"Why, I can read it, friend Zorbo," Jacky says, picking up on the warrior's game of names. "Plenty of time on the Big Ship to study a new language."