Kartakass - the Gorge
The lower road would appear to be the safest bet if being effected by storms is the group concern and so it is the lower road taken by the heroes.
Entering the maw of this forsaken region, you notice hard nodes of rust red dirt. In fact, not a rock can be seen in this area of the gorge. Everything is made of sun baked, wind swept, brick-like mud. The canyons are quite square with sheer vertical walls of hardened adobe. Most are between 15' and 40' deep. The ridges between the canyons are only lightly rounded while the canyon floors are very square. At the bottom of the canyons are small, dried up streams that trace white patterns in the baked earth.
The very feeling of death seems to seep from the ground in this place. Even the hottest desert would seem more alive than these desolate canyons. High up in the sky you can see a great crow riding the wind currents in lazy, graceful circles. It seems to be the only other living thing in sight.
As you get deeper into the gorge along a beaut is a wooden post you assume somehow hammered into the earth. Hanging from it is a set of manacles that you from afar mistook as wretched vegetation but as you get closer you realize is a corpse with its tattared clothes buffeted by the winds making it look like wretched vegetation.
For at least a quarter of a mile these posts are placed at every beaut. A not so subtle warning that to enter this place is to die.
Nadima stares up in horror, "What is this place and who would do such a thing to these people? The Chelaxians are kinder to their foes..."
Carella follows along with interest until they get to Kartakass. She almost turns into a Raven, but decides against it. "I don't like this place. There's no light or joy here. It's like that has been scrubbed from the very earth." she shivers and looks around with dread as they head further into the horrible place.
onward into the valley of death...
Vasilios can't help but feel overwhelmed by the environment. "Oh, dear... Where have I put myself into?"
Kartakass - the Gorge
As you continue to walk deeper into the Gorge, you hear a distant booming sound. Perhaps thunder?
Ravens feast on the carcasses of what appear to be relatively fresh bodies hanging from the butte's.
They eye you with a stare that you mistake for hatred but can an animal foster such feelings for the living it has never seen before?
Still you press on, the last 100' of the cavern becomes darker still and more macabre. Here the walls are lined with countless dead hanging upon wooden stakes. The Gorge narrows as you near what is perhaps the end but to what will it lead?
The booming is louder still as you approach.
Carella looks more and more uncomfortable as they continue moving. She keeps glancing at the others as they continue. "Are we SURE we want to do this? It's a lot scarier that I thought it would be."
"Yeah..." Vasilios agrees, his voice trembling. "But I'd hate to go back once we're here."
Whatever is doing this really doesn't want us here. Therefore, we should continue on. It's a little backward, I know, but it's always worked out for me in the past.
Kartakass - the Gorge
The heroes proceed forward once more. The stake and skull marked path you have been following leads ahead and opens up to surround a large dark oak tree. You have a distinct feeling that something dark and sinister is watching you. Looking up, you can see the dark forms of giant crows circling high above you. Their haunting cries echo through the canyon like the spiteful laughter of a ghost.
To your right, is an opening in the Gorge which thereafter forks left and right once more.
To your left is situated the tree, what is past it is hard to see in the gloom.
Twang is on edge. His keen eyes spot the forms above almost immidiately.
There are dark skeletons above us. Stay together. They might not stay there.
He takes the lead and moves toward the clear exit, though something tells him getting there isn't going to be as simple as walking.
Kartakass - the Gorge
It occurs to all of you that the moment you were in sight of this area, the drumming ceased. It became such a background drone that its disappearance took a moment to register. Odd...
"I swear I'm not afraid, guys..." Vasilios points out, "but let's go find what we're here for, shall we?"
"I agree we should hurry." Carella moves close to the others and urges them to keep moving forward. "I don't like this place. Maybe we should have gone with the guy in the ally."
Twang doesn't speak and keeps scouting. The sooner they were gone the better.
Kartakass - the Gorge
Nadima shivers, "Do any of you have a spell to scout ahead or do any of you have skills to scout unseen?"
I got this. Hold here. Twang says as he silently slinks forward.
Nadima shivers, "Do any of you have a spell to scout ahead or do any of you have skills to scout unseen?"
Vasilios points out "I can make two of you invisible, if you want. Who's in for some scouting?"
Kartakass - the Gorge
Twang nearly disappears in the shadows of the Gorge allowing Vasilios to conserve his arcane energies.
To the right Twang enters the end of this box canyon, and sees a huge rib cage embedded into the clay canyon floor. The ribs stick some 15' out of the ground and they all arch up to a large bone plate. It looks as if the creature that these bones had come from had some sort of shell covering it.
Within the rib cage is a pile of men and women in various stages of decay and rot. Although even a large man could walk between the ribs, none of them are doing so. Around the rib cage are several decayed stumps that seem to be dangled in nets crafted from thick vines.
It is hard to tell if any of these souls are alive or whether all are undead, the only thing he knows for sure is that it is a scene of horror.
To the left Twang sees a four story ziggurat of adobe topped with a large raven statue rises some 50' upwards. The raven's head is even with the tops of the canyon walls. It is currently facing in his direction. Upon each of the landings below the raven are skeletal guards standing at motionless, silent attention. You can hear the wind moan as it blows through their bleached bones. Each is holding a spear tipped with a slender bone blade. Black raven feathers fluttering in the breeze adorn the spear shafts and head bands of these deadly guards.
Twang returns to the group, scouting complete but with only grim tidings...
Twang reports his findings.
Both ways are creepy as crap and both seem like they'll be the end of us, but, if I were to choose, I'd choose the bone cage.
"Let's go to the ziggurat first. It's the more likely place for a crown than a pile of bodies."
Kartakass - the Gorge - the Ziggurat
The group heads to the Ziggurat and they do indeed see what Twang described. With the lack of ability to hide as well as Twang did, the Raven headed statue begins to turn towards the group watching your approach!
Vasilios rises one of his eyebrows. "Eh... Guys... This is bad, right?"
He wishes he had paid more attention when studying arcane things, for this clearly seems a far beyond mundane statue.
Twang makes sure he's not the center of attention.