Abandoned Arctic Arboretum

After defeating the dragon and collecting the spoils of battle, we decided to rest in the abandoned boat. With the ice storm outside, and us being rather weary from the day’s travels, it was much needed. The following morning we summoned horses, took our bearings, and rode north.

After an hour of riding we found a spot in the snow where there had been an obvious scuffle. With blood on the ground, the smell of burnt hair in the air, and much disturbed snow, we noticed there were no footprints leading to or from the spot. We found a bloody bit of garment, which I realized I could give us some information, using a ritual I had recently learned. Three images came to me.

The first image that came to me, was one of a busted-up haggard dwarf riding a phantom steed that was flying throw the air. The dwarf was throwing a rock at my brother that was on another steed.

The second image that came to me was of them wrestling on the ground, with the dwarf (Marsh) tearing at my brothers clothes.

The third image was of Marsh holding the scrap of clothing in his hands, as my brother lit him on fire with a barrage of magic.

Marsh’s fate was unclear, so we mounted up and rode on. After riding for another 2 or 3 hours, we arrive at what we believe to be our destination. Without seeing any people, we catch site of an obelisk sticking out of the tundra. As we approach, we realize it is surrounded by a translucent layer of ice instead of snowy tundra. The obelisk is covered in magic runes.

Hoping for more information, I cast the Object Reading ritual again.

The first image was obviously from long ago, with the obelisk sitting there in the ice, not doing anything.

The second image, through which the terrain made obvious that hundreds of years had passed, with the obelisk still unattended and unused.

The third image was still more time passed, the obelisk standing alone in the wasteland around us.

Finally, the fourth image showed something useful. A young Genasi, hard to identify, was grabbing hold of the obelisk, with fire coming out of his body, and steam rising from the ice.

And a fifth image, once again a Genasi, (this time obviously my brother), fire coming out of his body, with Marsh laying battered on the ground next to him.

After much consideration, I used a barrage of flame attacks to activate the pillar and melt a tunnel to a chamber that lay below. When we reached the bottom, we descended from the opening 20 feet to the floor below, finding ourselves in a long-abandoned magical greenhouse. Dim light was being provided by a nearly drained magical stone, which illuminated a large layout of planters filled with long-dead plants. At the far end of the chamber we saw a withered bristlecone tree. We were going to make our way towards it when Dresorth fiddled with some dead plants and activated some sort of security system. We were immediately attacked by previously inanimate statues.

After battling and defeating the statues, we took a closer look at the tree. The tree had been dead for somewhere around the neighborhood of 500 years. As we took further note of our surroundings, we knew the greenhouse itself was at least 1000 years old. My brother, as vandalous as a street ruffian, left an arcane message on the trunk of the dead tree. “Looks like there is only one left. Maybe you can come back another ttime…”

He was correct, of course. A lone black bristlecone hung from the long-dead tree. His repeat of the consonant at the beginning of the word ‘time’ was rather disturbing to me. From prolonged study of his journal, I knew this was his way of quietly embedding further information. It was disturbing because I felt as if he knew… knew ideas of mine that I dare not share with my closest friends… and was taunting me.

Bothered by the possibility of a one-way trip to the Elemental Chaos ahead of us, and knowing we were ill-equipped, we voted to return to Ironwale. I took extra time to calculate portal differentials so that if we decide to make a planar portal from Ironwale, it shouldn’t offset the result as if we had portaled from this abandoned greenhouse. I was quite proud of my calculations, and I’m sure they’ll be faithful to us.

We geared up thoroughly. But mentally, we were unprepared for the decision ahead of us. The Elemental Chaos may kill my companions. It is unforgiving.

There were wrongs to be righted, though, so thus must be us. Unforgiving.