Castle of Hope - prelude |
"Under Hopes Shadow" - turn 5Near the end of the fourth day, you round one of the foothills that are reminding you more and more of mountains. Beyond the shoulder of this hill, the mountain range itself comes clearly into view. It no longer looms in the distance, but now stands in sharp contrast to the sky. Snowstorms swirl visibly in the most hostile natural enviroment on the Shard, bar - perhaps - its trackless, infinite ocean. A moraine or long gully runs away from your current vantage point, the old Northern Road skimming along the sides, hugging the ridge like a lover. Progressively the road has been deteriorating and by now what once was a road fit to carry armies is little more than a ravaged dirt track. Hilsen never told you how depressing the north of the county was. You all shift your packs on your shoulders and carry on. The going is very tough now, and your progress slows to a crawl as you spend more time picking your way around ruined stretches of road than making good forward headway. Then, you sight the castle. Standing tall and rugged, if not quite complete, the very audacity of the castle's construction takes your breath away. Several towers, linked by a curtain wall stretching across a narrow valley, dominate the easiest passage south from the old empire of Kravesh. Two massive keeps, one just barely in view around the corner of the mountainside, one in plain view from where you are standing, stare out over every inch of terrain for miles in every direction. It is a testament to the power and wealth of the old empire of Kurnull, and also the legacy of the last emperor's folly. Within its walls dwell riches and power beyond your wildest dreams. This window of opportunity that Hilsen has shown you means the Orc tribes living here are away, their lair abandoned. The entire scene is silent beyond the calls of scavanger birds and predatory animals. Bar the road, any approach would be difficult weary mountaineering. Worse yet lies on the Northern horizon. Violent, bruised storm clouds are rearing their heads, just barely visible to you through the pass. By tomorrow, the storm will hit hard. Even now, wispy grey clouds over your heads are unleashing tiny drops that trickle through the mountain road all around you. When you reach the Castle of Hope, it will be within the arms of the storm. |