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Time to make a decision. Ruins on the Northeast Peninsula in the swamp? Ruins in the Northwest peninsula in the jungle? The central plateau and whatever is there?
They choose to head to the Central Plateau.
After a week of study and research into the book they found, and over things available to him, plus identify spells, Alzar now knows what the four gems from The Gauntlet will do:
The first gem allows 1 hp regen every ten minutes, but will not reattach limbs or bring back from death
The second gives the user an 18 charisma when dealing with creatures of own alignment
The third gem grants immunity to charm and suggestion spells.
The fourth gem is very evil and non-evil people seeing it will be instantly upset with the gem and its owner. If displayed, it will act as a jewel of attacks. When displayed it will double the chance of a wandering monster hitting the party – good in some circumstances.
Alzar has the first three attached to his Belt of Flying.
Fully healed and rested, they have the Sea Ghost drop them off at top of the eastern peninsula, the closest to the central plateau it gets.
It takes one day and night to get to the plateau. All quiet. They cross the bridge the following morning and enter the plateau.
The plateau is roughly 14 or 15 miles across. There is a river in the south east, and some trees and woods in some places. There is a huge ridge in the middle of the plateau and nothing more can be seen right now.
They explore east and find woods and plains, but nothing else. No jungle,s just woods. It is colder up here. They head north of that and there is a riverish creekish brook here. They find nothing else and push further north. They pass some ravines, nothing else of much note. West is clear open prairie. West of that is a few woods and another stream. South is a thick woods and they are told by several Treants to treat the plants nicely. It is almost dusk, and they have walked around the plateau. They camp out under the trees, and protected by Treants.
The following morning they move in and look at the ridge and cliffs that encircle whatever is at or near the center of the plateau. The note they got from the captain long ago said that there was something very impressive in here. What is it?
It will take about 10 hours of climbing to hit the top, and Alzar’s magical rope will ensure that no one falls. They arrive at the top of the cliff and look down.
The rocks up here are covered with ice and snow and the temperature is almost freezing. This is obviously once a volcano. Inside is a caldera lake about 1-1.5 miles across. On the edge is a village, on their side, with some houses and huts. In the lake itself is a small island, and something else on it, but it’s hard to make out from here.
It will take 8 more hours to descend, and that takes them to darkness. The Rope ensures their safety though.
They falls asleep at the base of the cliff-face.
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