07.03: Shadow of the Mountain

[Joshua]

Ht'gon An-rit 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."

Morgana will roll her eyes. "For the last time Narkt, we're not at war. They're not going to kill me." She shakes her head and turns toward those who came with her.

[Wyvern]

Alys speaks up from the back of the group*, "I think he knows that. Or at least, the fort doesn't appear to be on a war footing…"

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* Assuming that there is a group, i.e. that at least one of Aibne or Cameron decided to go along. Alys must have caught up at some point, but it's hard to pin down exactly when…

[khadjair]

Cameron hurriedly excused himself from his previous engagement and has takent o following. He eyes the fortifications, some things have not changed, it seems, since he was last here.

"Just because war hasn't been declared doesn't mean there isn't -someone- out there trying to kill you, m'lady," Cameron says quietly, looking about. The brisk walk cleared his head of any alcohol fog that may have developed over the course of dinner, and he is glad to have collected his coat.

[Wyvern]

"Oh, of course not." Alys laughs cheerfully. "And that sounds like the sort of advice I'd give; good to know I won't be the only one around trying to teach people the value of a bit of healthy paranoia."

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Inbetween scenes, Alys has managed to change clothes - dropping the formal gown in favor of durable leather garments (dull black with red stitching) and a heavy cloak (dark red with gold stitching). It's not armor, exactly, but it's the sort of outfit that would survive a few months of wilderness travel with minimal damage. She's also swapped the very decorative blade she was wearing at the dinner for a purely functional longsword, and added a few more visible throwing daggers tucked into her belt.

[Joshua]

Narkt will call down, "Cameron? I've heard about you, nice to know we have some real orcs in charge." He will call down behind the wall and the gate will swing open.

Morgana will start explainin g the basics of the fort. The tour is relatively short, perhaps 90 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 also have a large encampment outside the walls. Word starts to spread for everyone to meet at 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 at night anyway. There's a large dwarven and goblin library, separate workshops for both (the goblin's is filled with more explosions), with only minor areas for the two current dark elves ("don't you mean drow?" "Shh! do you wanna be sued?!") and others.

Not sure what conversation will occur during that. So, am going to leave that open just in case.
(BTW: If Aibne wants to be here, that's fine, he just didn't speak up at the entrance.)

[khadjair]

Cameron chuckles and nods. "I feel better knowing a brother is working to keep me from sprouting knives in the night." He smiles and walks along, taking note of the architecture and as much of the power dynamics as possible. When the opportunity presents itself, he will excuse himself for a moment to dash to his quarters here, to change into something a little more comfortable - leggings, a broken-in pair of travelling boots, his long coat and a loose grey shirt, and will have his satchel with him upon his return. (hopefully he won't be detained by a guest yet)

"I realize this may be.. indelicate, m'lady Morgana, but the implicit racial segregation fo the various facilities - is this simply preference or is there some force of rule to it? I understand either way, I just would rather not ruffle any more feathers than necessary. I apologize for missing the tour last time I was here."

Even moderate Psyche will see him shy unconsciously away from the Pattern chamber.

[Joshua]

Morgana will say to Cameron, "I managed to get them to live together, working together is a bit beyond my ability." She will sigh. "They absolutely refused to use one workroom. The goblins are a lot less careful and their ignorance of safety measures upsets the dwarven precision."

[khadjair]

Cameron shakes his head with a rueful grin.

"You can go this far from home, and still it more or less feels the same. I'm guessing neither of them would care for an orc puttering around in their spaces?"

He considers for a moment. "But say what they will I fully intend to spend time in the libraries.

[Joshua]

"well, if I recall, you're a good tinkerer. I think the dwarves would find it tolerable. It really is a difference of design philosophy." Morgana offers. "I mean, the goblins get along with the gnomes, I think... which is strange. At least in the lab."

[Wyvern]

"That sounds about right to me," comments Alys. "I'd expect them to work fairly well with traumwicht - dream wights - too, if we've got any of those around."

Turning to Cameron, she adds, "The library in Castle Amber is quite good, if a bit oddly organized; I'll be quite interested to see what libraries we have here in Ht'gon, and how their focus differs from Asai's domain."