07.04: Shadow of the Mountain

[Joshua]

Ht'gon An-rit (again, try shouting it with a klingon accent...) is about a 2 mile walk away from Castle Amber. You take the main road towards city Amber, and then break from it to head around the side of the mountain Amber is built on. Ht'gon is set into a place where the forest meets a steep cliff (the fort is set into the cliff, facing south.) A series of herb and other gardens ring the outside, several of them growing even amid the winter.

The fort itself, at night seems like a large wooden wall with spikes on the top to repel invaders. Two large orcs (the green skinned 7' tall kind) stand guard and salute as the group approaches. "Morgana! Glad to see your safe return."

[Wyvern]

Alys looks around curiously, particularly to see which herbs are currently in season and what sorts of magics are (or aren't) reinforcing the walls.

She seemed about to comment on at least one of those topics, but pauses long enough to let Morgana respond to the guards, first.

[Joshua]

"For the last time Narkt, we're not at war. They're not going to kill me." She shakes her head. "I think you know Asai.." Morgana wlll look around. "Wherever she ended up..." then will gesture to the other two, "This is our court's newest member, Lady Alystrakos; and a visitor, Osmund."

Narkt gives Alys a look, clearly sizing up the competition. The eyes give him pause.

[Veyska]

Asai drops down from the trees onto the wall top, right above the orc who had spoken. "I told you I wouldn't eat her... For one thing, she's far too big for an appetizer and once that's been eaten it would just be rude..." A sharp (but good-humored) grin accompanies this "statement".

[Joshua]

"She can take you." Narkt says, "In fact she'd finish you with one bite!"

"Enough Narkt!" Morgana bellows, her ogre heritage showing through for a moment. "No one's eating anyone else tonight." She turns back to her guests, "Sorry, long story."

[Wyvern]

Alys raises an eyebrow at the qualifier "tonight". "This sounds like a story that might be worth sharing, though."

[Joshua]

Morgana raises an eyebrow at Osmund. "Perhaps another time Alys." She says to Narkt, "Let the rest of the orcs know, Probably best to announce Alys tonight."

She then opens the gate herself. "Let's see who else is about, and meet up in the throne-room shortly."

[Wyvern]

Alys nods and follows Morgana into the fort, though her expression clearly indicates she's going to pick up the topic again - albeit later, once Osmund (and probably also Asai) aren't around.

[Joshua]

The tour is relatively short, perhaps 45 minutes, and most of that is walking. The "outer" fort is an immense wooden building built to withstand siege after siege. It is inhabited mostly by orcs, who are heading towards the grand chamber that Morgana explains is the throne room and arena. Most of the fort, however, is built directly into the mountain with deep tunnels carved by dwarves and gnomes. They seem to tollerate the orcs, but there's a distinct shift in power and society when you enter the mountain proper. Morgana apologizes and skips the antechamber of the pattern, which isn't visible anyway.

[Wyvern]

Alys nods at the apology, but comments "Later, then, definitely - I'd be interested to see how it's secured against the possibility of attacks from above." She shrugs, and adds, "Not that castle Amber seemed to offer better defenses against that, but at least there you could fall back to the tunnels without losing something vital."