CH. 3: Guardian Mountains

[JadedDM]

"I'm not sure," Hollidan admits. "I've never encountered either, thank Gonto. In any case, how are you holding up? I don't know about you, but that was the smallest bed I've ever had to sleep in. I think sleeping on the ground has proven more comfortable before," he says, placing his hands on his lower back and pushing in an attempt to pop it.

[HorizonsDream]

"It was kind of cramped," Echo admits with a small shrug. "My back and shoulders are paying for it. Though, I was starting to think you didn't really sleep. Since I sort of took over your tent, I never see you in there."

[JadedDM]

"Paladins don't need sleep," Hollidan says. "It's one of our many special powers, along with flight, super speed and the ability to accurately guess the date of any wine tasted. That last one doesn't come up too often, though."

[HorizonsDream]

Echo rolls her eyes before she pokes the paladin in the back. "You would think with all those super powers, you wouldn't be sore from sleeping in a tiny bed," she says. "I am almost tempted to give you a massage."

[JadedDM]

"Uh, maybe later," Hollidan says, blushing slightly. "In any case, you ready for what's next? I guess it's probably not as big a deal to you, since you just joined us and aren't a follower, but it's felt like a lifetime since we've started this pilgrimage. Hard to believe it might be over soon."

[HorizonsDream]

"Well, I'm ready to see what all of this is all about at least," Echo says. "I assume we are ready to go?"

[JadedDM]

Hollidan nods. "We should be there soon," he says as the crowd continues traveling through the tunnels, letting the gnomes lead the way.

[HorizonsDream]

"What's the plan once we get there?" Echo asks. "I'm not going to be standing around while the whole lot of you drop to your knees and start praying and worshiping the moment you set your eyes on this shield, am I?" she asks in slight amusement. She was only half serious about that statement.

[JadedDM]

"Um, probably," Hollidan says, a slight tightness in his voice. "It is a holy relic, blessed by Gonto herself. But I doubt it's just laying about in the open, either. It's probably locked up, surrounded by traps, guardians and who knows what else. Otherwise, it would have been found long before now."

[HorizonsDream]

"Well, I know we all have to get past the danger first," Echo admits. "But I wasn't actually serious about the whole worshiping thing," Echo says with a small groan.

[JadedDM]

Hollidan doesn't respond to that, and after a few more minutes of travel, the cave opens up onto the mountain's surface. The morning sunlight is quite harsh, especially after having been underground for a day. Numerous people cover their eyes upon stepping outside.

There's a trail nearby that leads further up the mountain. The gnomes point it out to the group and inform them that following it will take them to the temple.

[HorizonsDream]

Echo squints her eyes, and then shields them a bit with her hand as they start to get use to the sunlight again. "This is it," she says softly as she looks towards the path that leads to the temple.

[JadedDM]

It takes another hour or so of hiking before the temple entrance comes into view. It's built into the mountain itself, and the doors are massive--maybe 20, 30 feet high. A massive waterfall drowns out almost all noise right next to the entrance, filling a mountain stream in front of the entrance--a large and very old bridge crosses over it.

Flanking the doors are two massive statues built into the mountain wall. Once they were beautiful, but now they almost appear ghastly due to pieces of their faces and bodies that have broken off over the years.

Numerous pilgrims drop to their knees in prayer, holding hands, at the sight of the doors. The Pharise and Argis approach the doors and start looking them over quietly.

[HorizonsDream]

Echo looks down at Keet, now that they are standing in front of the temple. "So, this is where you get to prove yourself," she says. "Do you know anything about this place?" she asks as she looks around.

[JadedDM]

The kobold shakes his head. "Never knew about place. Is big! Temple for giants?" he asks, almost falling backward when he tries to look upward.