Forum Replies Created
-
Grey turns just a bit as he calls back to you all, and as he turns back, that’s when you all see him, like a wall of stone blocking the path that leads off of the Founders Watch and up the mountain. What is strange is, it’s not like he just appeared, it’s more like he was standing their the whole time, out in the open but somehow unseen…nor does his sudden appearance startle your senses…it’s as if you knew he was there the whole time, recognized by your senses, but not by your eyes. None of this makes sense, but this is Yunshan, and you are in the presence of a powerful spirit. It’s almost as if Grey’s last word just brought him to your senses.
In Truth, it is just his leg that blocks the path. He towers 40 ft. high, one stony foot and rocky calve blocking the narrow path forward. His other leg, and indeed the left half of his towering body is phased into the cliff face. His eyes are like cooling embers, black, with the slightest halo of orange, more a shadow or warm color than a light. His features are grey like the mist, but the massive vein of obsidian that runs across his body from shoulder to groin, shines with a dark reflective gleaming.
Look at the picture, imagine the obsidian stripe across the body. The tallest among you barely comes up to below his knee cap. One massive leg standing on the trail, the other lost in the sheer stone wall that shoots upward. His face looks down, head cocked like that of a curious animal, which seems like a curious kind of expression for such an imposing being to have.Meela Bows Deeply, and in a voice that seems too alive, too exasperated and wonder-struck to come from a ghost says
It seems the mountain has come to us.
The Broad stone ledge called Founders watch is set into the side of Old Black stripe, about 80 ft over the town. One side is rising natural stone walls of that massive rock dome,the other is dead-fall, looking north east out over the town of Fanlu. The edge is ringed by polished poles of dark hardwood, each foot of their heights carved like a different leering face, like a totem poles, and each topped with a long red flag. There is a graceful wooden archway, the style of this land, that frames the paths onto and away from Founders watch, whose ledge is like a look out point on the way up to the top of the mountain.
But all of this is just background, it’s the life sized statues that draw your attention, and hold it continuously as you approach,and finally pass under the gilded archway onto the Founders watch. Each is a master work, the years long project of a single master mason. The detail is stunning. Each seems to simmer with a subtle internal light, as if the stone were warmed from within, at first you’re not sure it’s there, the aura is so dim, but it is there.
These pictures are of the people who founded Fanlu decades ago. They are not exactly how the picture looks, but the pictures give an idea of what they looked like. They are arrayed in a semi-circle, as if embracing the view ahead of them, in order from closets to furthest:
Ryu Yoritomo: Fanlu’s Current Mayor.
Zhang Yoritomo: The Mayors Brother you think
Evon Threnodain: You have never heard him referred to by his last name, people just don’t call him by it around you..it is curiously similar to Threnody, if it were written in Ink you might think it a type O, but this is carved in stone, to be remembered as a part of him for all time. Here he is looking much younger, and generally more like an ass kicker than the laid back Evon of fine robes and tea you know.
Virith “Little Arrow” Threnody: You have no idea who this is, but he is obviously related to Grey…in fact, their is an eerie resemblance, not like a twin, but like that between two brothers who look alike one another.
Ryalli Threnody: Grey’s Mother… The sculptor gave her a regal look of calm, self assured focus, that reveals little else of the emotions that lie beneath. It could be mistaken as an aloof or vain expression, but is too sincere to be that…you have seen the same look on Grey’s face too many times…she does not look nearly as much like him as Virith, but the expression is all Grey…you find yourself in wonder at the mastery of this sculptor, that in stone, he caught an expression with such accuracy, that decades later, you can tie it to the same inherited personality of the living son. Some of you are also in awe of the power and relation of family. Ryalli, is no longer in this world.
Aelihir Threnody: Beside his wife, Grey’s father is captured in fine foreign attire, slight smile…hinting at warmth and happiness without looking obvious. The statues of heroes are usually given serious or determined expressions, that’s true of any statue in any land. He must have given the sculptor the liberty to show such emotion. He too is no longer alive.
Rythin Threnody: Older Brother to Grey’s Father, making him Grey’s Uncle. He is said to be an accomplished wizard, living somewhere in Yunshan to this day. Grey does not speak of him much, but then again, he generally has not spoken much about his family at all.
Loannah Leafborn: There is something familiar about this beautiful elf’s face, but you have no idea who she is. You’ve never heard her mentioned as a founder before, or seen someone around town who might have been her.
Kito Taishan: Beside Loannah, crouched in warrior stance meant to convey focused humility, is a much younger looking statue of Kito.
Asagi O Yimjo: You’ve heard the name before from both Grey and Evon, but you don’t anything about this warrior frozen in stone.
Danjo Lo: A much younger depiction of the Keeper of Pacified Shadows, before he took that title or founded the House of Pacified Shadows. He is sitting in a position of meditation, looking slightly upwards with a look of self satisfied calm.Meela answers by nodding to Grog and Stern, and then walking on, in a moment she speaks
Just a caravan, not so different from what it might be on your side. That creature in the lead, the one who holds the chain, he was what they call a Grey Guide.
A little ways longer and she breaks off from the road heading out into the park like boulder field that sprawls along Fanlu’s south side, between Tradeway and the Sleeping Mountain. She moves around the boulders as if they are solid, not phasing through them. She continues as you go along.
This side would be an excellent place to travel, no walls, very little of anything at all in some places, if not for certain things. With the mists, no moon, no stars, no sun, no way to view things in context, it’s very easy to get lost, even if you do know the roads. Those Grey Guides know the ways. Anyone who can pay them can travel here safely, no one on this side messes with the Grey Guides and their charges. They are allowed to be here, you are not…he didn’t give us any trouble, perhaps, despite your current situation, you are lucky.
A bit of color comes into view, it’s as if the grass is taking on a dull green, the some of the rocks a muted brown, and the blossoms of a wild cherry tree ahead are allowed some of their pink hue. Then you see Red ahead, the red of flags, this is a place you’ve been before. A place you passed by weeks ago when you first went up to pay your respects to Fang Quiang. You realize you are all seeing much further than you could before. There is a trail that leads up the side of Old Black Strip, and near its base, a flat ledge large enough for a home, but left as a place to honor those who founded Fanlu. Grey statues dot the path, and stand in a line upon that rock ledge.
Founders Watch, we’re very close now
The axe wielder observers you with an iron stare, axe in one hand, chain in the other.
Meela speaks back to you in quite tones
“This is a caravan, they’re about to head down to the market below the city, I doubt they want any trouble from us”You can hear deep throaty shouts and guttural complaints from the mists as some unseen group does whatever it is they are doing for about a minute. All through out the rattle of chains, the shifting and securing of equipment, and deep, strangely chitinous sounds, then a call, the voice of that 2nd creature you think.
“Ready, lead on with no delay!”
With one last nod the axe wielder acknowledges your group, never taking his eyes off you. He slowly walks forward, but as he does, with each step, he also descends downward into the ground, as if treading down some unseen staircase. Then, lumbering from the mist come 6 behemoths, men with giant scorpian like lower bodies that creak as they shamble forward. Each bears arms, and a heavy load of sealed crates and chests upon it’s back, they are both caravan guard and beast of burden in one.
The axe wielder has now completely descended below the ground, in a moment he’ll be somewhere deep below and behind you, but the chain he held in his off hand stretches behind him and up out of the ground, and each of the beasts is connected to it by a clamp on it’s belt. They eye you with otherworldly suspicion, and a very recognizable, almost human kind of curiosity as they too descend into the earth before you. It’s probably obvious to them you’ve never seen anything like this, it’s obvious to you, some of them have never seen mortals this close and in the flesh. Last comes the merchant himself, the shifty, reptile bodied being. His darty nervous eyes seem to move between you all with spastic frequency until the very moment they vanish beneath the ground about 40ft ahead. You all stand in silence
A tall humanoid form, a massive pole ax in one hand, wielded presently like a walking staff, slowly approaches from out of the mist ahead, at about 60ft away you see him clearly, and get the impression there are other shapes behind him obscured in the mists, then you hear the creak of stiff leather, the rattle of gear confirming that impression
“Good day Lady”
He makes a quick, practiced observation of your group, bows just a little, then focuses on Meela, addressing her as the leaderMeela speaks with level authority, but there is a nervous edge in her voice
“We gladly yield the road to you and your charge, route finder, we wish no trouble”
With this she bows, not a deep respectful bow, but a courteous one of acknowledgement, then glaces back at you all as if to relay things are under control.”“Who would want to make trouble with all those mortal heroes….all that fine steel, strong muscle, proud sinew and defiant bone…I see no need to stain these grey lands red today, and you needn’t leave the road, this is about where we head down anyways lady”
A tall potbellied figure comes forward from behind the ax wielder. He is nearly 8 ft tall, and rotund, an impressive bestial form, yet he moves with a submissive, nervous, cowed nature. His greasy eyes dart across your group as he slinks up beside the axe wielder
“Is…is there trouble Tutsu?”
“Oh I don’t think the lady and her friends are looking for any more trouble than they’re already in friend, time to go down”
The axe wielder produces a heavy looking coil of shimmering black chain from beneath his cloak, a coil no normal being could so easily carry. Grasping one end in his off hand, he hands the rest of the coiled chain, it must be dozens of feet long and very heavy, to the 2nd figure, who struggles a bit with the weight and looks annoyed at having to take it.
“Roll it out and hook them all up merchant” He speaks the axe wielder firmly.
The other figure struggles with the chain, letting it un-spool loop by loop as he walks back out of view into the mists behind, not before giving one last nervous, critical look at your party.
