Your companion pulls off his right glove, and brings the jade ring he wears up to his lips. Seeing it close up for the first time, you can now make out that it is carved to resemble a singing face. Denati’s cheeks bulge as he blows into the ring, as if it were a whistle, and you are a little surprised to hear no sound.
No sound coming from the ring, at least. Loud cracking noises issue from high up in the chamber beyond the archway, and countless icicles drop to the ground. Roll two dice; the result is an 8.
After about ten seconds the sound of falling icicles ceases, and Denati takes his hand from his mouth and puts his glove back on. “That’s dislodged the loosest of them. We should be able to get across safely now.”
You step through the archway, fragments of icicle crunching beneath your feet, and are immediately buffeted by a strong wind. You warn Denati to be careful. He braces himself before following you into the chamber.
As you make your way through the Chamber of the Four Winds, you will be blown to the sides.
You roll one die; the result is a 5.
Blasts of wind from your left drive you to the right even as you press on across the floor of the cavern. Roll one die and advance that many metres, but also move one metre to the right.
The result is a 6. You have moved 6 metres forward and 1 metre to the right.
You roll one die; the result is a 5.
Blasts of wind from your left drive you to the right even as you press on across the floor of the cavern. Roll one die and advance that many metres, but also move one metre to the right.
The result is a 2. You have moved 8 metres forward and 2 metres to the right.
You roll one die; the result is a 2.
A powerful headwind slows your progress, making every step a struggle. Roll one die, halve the number rolled (rounding fractions up) and advance that many metres.
The result is a 4. You have moved 10 metres forward and 2 metres to the right.
You roll one die; the result is a 5.
Blasts of wind from your left drive you to the right even as you press on across the floor of the cavern. Roll one die and advance that many metres, but also move one metre to the right.
The result is a 1. You have moved 11 metres forward and 3 metres to the right.
You are now pressed against the right wall of the cavern, and thus roll on a different table.
You roll one die; the result is a 4.
The wind from behind is so strong that you are too focused on staying upright to change direction. Roll one die, add two, and advance that many metres.
The result is a 1. You have moved 14 metres forward and 3 metres to the right.
You roll one die; the result is a 3.
The wind propels you left, away from the wall. Move left one metre, and roll one die to see how many metres you advance.
The result is a 4. You have moved 18 metres forward and 2 metres to the right.
You roll one die; the result is a 5.
Blasts of wind from your left drive you to the right even as you press on across the floor of the cavern. Roll one die and advance that many metres, but also move one metre to the right.
The result is a 5. You have moved 23 metres forward and 3 metres to the right. You are once again pressed against the right wall.
The result is a 6. You step over the fragments of one of the icicles brought down by Denati’s ring. Add 1 Luck point. Each of the next (7) times you roll a 6, ignore it.
You roll one die; the result is a 3.
The wind propels you left, away from the wall. Move left one metre, and roll one die to see how many metres you advance.
The result is a 5. You have moved 28 metres forward and 2 metres to the right.
You are now close enough to the exit from the chamber to be able to see it. You will need to move 2 metres forward and 2 metres left to reach the exit, and you roll on a different table.
You roll a 5. The wind impedes you; subtract one from your distance number, which is 1. You stay where you are.
You roll a 1. The wind neither helps your hurts. Your distance number is 5.
One last dash takes you into the mouth of the passage that leads out of the Chamber of the Four Winds. You pause to catch your breath, and may also eat a Meal if you wish. Once you set off again, you soon notice that this passage slopes downwards. After about fifty metres you reach what was once a T-junction, but at some point the roof of the tunnel directly ahead has collapsed, so you must turn right.
You continue along the gently sloping passageway, and gradually become aware that there is some kind of light source up ahead. Proceeding cautiously, you advance until you reach what was once a gateway, though the actual gate is long gone. Running across the top of the gateway is a short inscription in symbols similar to those which adorned the arch leading into the Chamber of the Four Winds.
Beyond the opening you see a massive circular chamber. Directly ahead of the entrance is a flight of worn stone steps leading down to a central space, and to either side of it are terraces, the upper ones bearing stone benches. Scattered across the ground in the middle of the chamber are what look like bones.
- Arena Top.PNG (136.16 KiB) Viewed 1252 times
- Arena Bottom.PNG (122.98 KiB) Viewed 1252 times
“The Arena of Contests!” gasps Denati. “Where Cyrantian gladiators fought to earn the favour of their god. And their patrons.”
You ask if that’s what the carvings above the entrance say, and he shakes his head. “No, anyone who knows anything about Cyrantis knows about the Arena. That’s just a warning.”
Biting back a criticism of his misguided priorities, you ask the scholar what the warning says.
“Oh, nothing to worry about nowadays. The seating up here must have been a gambling enclosure, and only people who had something to bet were allowed through. Hence the notice, ‘Turn back unless you have a disc.’ But the guards who’d penalise anyone who tried to sneak in here without the wherewithal have been dead for hundreds of years.
“If I’ve correctly understood what the Carsepolis remnants have to say about here, we need to go through the gladiatorial dwellings, which should be accessible from the central arena. After you...”
You step through the gateway, passing under the graven warning.
You do have a disc.
As you head down the steps, Denati continues to wax enthusiastic about the Arena. “It’s truly remarkable how many of the lighting crystals still work after all this time. Up there, see?”
You look up and behold a broken ring of glowing crystals set into the roof of the chamber. In places you can make out a blackened crystal midway between two shining ones, and you assume that the larger patches of darkness which break up the circle contain more of the broken crystals.
You are on one of seven stairways leading down to the centre, and at the top of each of the others you can make out an exit to some other part of this long-abandoned city. Perhaps after you have done what you came here to do, you will be able to explore the places to which they lead, and find out what treasures have survived down here over the centuries, but right now you have no time for any such distractions.
“I think we need to go through there.” Denati indicates a pair of studded gates set into the wall of the central arena between the two stairways to your left. One gate sags on a single hinge, and both show signs of considerable wear and tear. A thin layer of white sand crunches underfoot as you cross the arena towards them.
You drag open the more functional of the gates, which creaks loudly. The passageway beyond is not illuminated, so you must again rely on your lantern to light your way. You pass through several large rooms, and Denati comments on what must have been their function back when they were in use, based on the remnants of furniture or other items that they contain: one was an armoury, another a dining hall, a third a dormitory...
“And, if the account in the Vynheim remnant is correct, we should find our objective somewhere beyond here,” he tells you, indicating a low stone door with more Cyrantian symbols carved into its surface. “The Hall of Contenders, where all who had distinguished themselves in the Arena were laid to rest along with their treasured possessions after they died. Would you mind opening the door? It looks likely to be very stiff, and I’m not the man I once was.”
With some effort you manage to force it open, and descend a short flight of steps into a cold, echoey chamber containing rows of stone coffins, standing on end.
“I made some notes in case we found our way here. Would you mind letting me have that lantern while I check them?”
You are reluctant to hand over your only light source while in this mausoleum, and remind Denati that he has a lantern of his own. Once you have helped him light it, he pores over several sheets of paper, trying to work out where to go from this place. Impatient, yet unwilling to move too far away from him in case there is anyone – or anything – dangerous close by, you turn your attention to your immediate surroundings, and give a start as the radiance of your lantern reveals a scowling face close by.