Chiaroscuro lies on the ground, dressed in a slightly tattered robe. He shakes his head vigorously as he awakens…

A chill wind whips through the trees momentarily, and the earth feels cold beneath the prostrate mongoose. He is upon a bed of brown pine needles, leaves, plants and dirt.

Chiaroscuro stands up slowly… . o (What happened? Where am… *urrrrgh*… my head's on fire… )

The daylight is dominated by dull gray. It is hard to tell exactly what time of day it might be, but it is not dark, at least. For a moment, a bit of light filters through a break in the clouds, and something sparkles in the distance, on a mountain slope across the mist-filled valley.

Chiaroscuro looks around, twitching slightly… . o (Looks like the Western reaches… or maybe Cambria… The spell must have backlashed… *ungh*)

A loud "Eep!" echoes through the valley, sounding like the distress cry of some small beast or bird. Shortly thereafter, there is a loud *pop* that sounds almost like a distant clap of thunder, though there are no hints of storm clouds to be seen.

Chiaroscuro puases for a moment, and begins to sense the area for magic… and winces heavily. . o (By Rik's teeth! It's so thick… can't sense a thing… )

Chiaroscuro tries to stop sensing, taking in a deep breath… and can't. (The Ether is too thick! I can't even focus… and it pounds in my head like the hiss of a thousand vipers.)

The wind dies down entirely, at least to a point where the mongoose cannot feel any breeze within the trees. He can still see mists moving through the valley below, however, and the clouds moving slightly faster overhead. As the sound of the wind stops, it is replaced by the faint burble of a nearby stream – Through the trees, faint sparkles can be seen as the muted sunlight reflects off of the dancing waters and the polished stones that are glossed by their dampness.

Chiaroscuro looks around, trying to focus past the buzzing… "Rik'Tik'Tav, Protector, where hast thou sent me?"

Chiaroscuro walks slowly around, over by the stream. He glances carefully about, and notices some of the pebbles. He bends down to look…

Chiaroscuro takes a few select pebbles, and places them in a small cloth pouch on his belt. He dips his hand into the river, lifting it up to taste the water…

There is nothing particularly noteworthy about the pebbles, as the clear mountain water skips over them, on rare occasion dislodging one of them to tumble a little further down the slope. The water is cool and refreshing.

A bird cries out, and flutters overhead – a big, black bird, about the size of a housecat – caw-cawing in a low pitch as it flees.

Chiaroscuro drinks the water down, refreshed, and looks about. .o(Well, I cannot stay here forever. I must find where I am, and how to return home… )

Birds chirp and twitter in the trees about, though no sounds of familiar insects can be heard. Perhaps it is too cold here.

Chiaroscuro turns to track the bird with sharp brown eyes. .o(*large* bird. This must be Cambria. I've heard how large creatures grow there… )

The black bird is not hard to track. Its wings beat with deliberate, slow strokes, and it stills them to drift on the air, circling down into the valley, disappearing into the mists … and then breaking out again, rising upward and to a far mountain slope on the other side.

Closer by, there is some rustling amongst the bushes, a strong man's stone throw away and uphill. It does not sound like the work of the wind, especially since the air is yet still here.

Chiaroscuro turns back to look at the stream. .o(I will head downstream… with luck, I shall reach a coast city… Rik's Teeth, I wish I could speak Cambrian.) *wince* (Not that with this infernal buzzing, I would be much for talk… )

Chiaroscuro hmmms? and turns to look at the bushes… ears perked.

The bushes move slightly, low to the ground. Whatever is moving in them, it must be short. And now it must be moving away, for the rustling can still be heard, but no evidence of movement can be seen in the undergrowth on this side any longer.

Chiaroscuro calls out, in Kitellian. "Hello! Hello! Is one there?"

The mongoose's cry is answered by some chittering – much like an angry squirrel, though more tinny in sound – from the bushes.

Chiaroscuro tilts his head to the side, and steps closer, slowly. His ears are perked…

Chiaroscuro says, "Hello?"

The chittering gets louder, and the bushes shake some more, hard enough that a few leaves (though they're already dead) fall free and glide to the ground.

Chiaroscuro thinks for a few moments… or tries to, as he focuses through the buzzing in his skull. After about a minute, he pushes his way slowly, carefully, into the bushes…

There's a shriek that sounds like fingernails scraping on slate, and then it's evident that something is moving through the bushes and TOWARD Chiaroscuro, scuffing up bits of dirt as it goes.

Chiaroscuro jumps backwards a few meters, into safer ground with running and dodging area. .o(Whomever or whatever it is, I have its attention… )

Chiaroscuro says, "Hello? I mean no harm!"

At first, a glint of something shiny can be seen within the bushes, and then something moves forward and into better light – It looks much like a horseshoe crab, with a chitinous, glossy black shell, with sharp bony ridges, forming spikes, some of which thrust forward. (Assuming that the side approaching the mongoose is the front… ) Behind it trails a barbed, segmented tail, equally glossy black, and whipping from side to side. It scoots along the ground, through the fallen leaves, with no immediately apparent means of propulsion, about the size of a discus, not counting the tail.

Chiaroscuro blinks. "Nakh's Venom! What manner of creature is this?"

The creature stops just outside the bushes, and shakes from side to side a few times, making scraping noises against the dirt, and knocking a few crumbling leaves to each side. Then it stops, pointing directly at the mongoose.

Another break in the clouds lasts just long enough to allow sunlight to glisten off of those nasty, shiny, sharp points on that chitinous shell.

Chiaroscuro peers at the creature, not making any moves. He sniffs and perks his ears as best he can, to listen…

Chiaroscuro .o(I have never seen a creature like this before. Cambria is full of wonders… )

The creature's barbed tail whips back and forth, impaling several dead leaves and ripping them in the process. The shell begins to emit another one of those teeth-grating shrieks, slowly building in intensity.

Chiaroscuro winces at the sounds, his headache compounding. "You're a noisy one… "

The creature obligingly stops shrieking, as it, without further warning, snaps forward like an arrow shot from a bow, actually leaping off the ground!

Chiaroscuro dodges quickly leftward, scrambling out of its flight path.

The creature shrieks again as it sails past, its extended tail whipping, and a multitude of little claws waving about from its underside. Its arc continues, as it crashes into some bushes behind the mongoose.

The other bush begins shaking violently, and clods of dirt and bits of dead leaves get tossed out.

Chiaroscuro shakes a bit with nerve. "Blood and Bone! I shall remain here no longer… "

The shrieking stops. That shiny black thing shuffles out of the bush, and turns from one side to the other, as if seeking out the mongoose.

Chiaroscuro moves at a quick walk towards the stream's bank, keeping an eye on the creature.

The creature's "eyes" cannot be seen, but its fore aligns on the mongoose yet again. Its tail whips violently, and it begins to repeat the sequence as before – that terrible nail-scraping squeal, building in intensity …

… and then the shriek stops, as the little critter kicks up a storm of dead leaves and dirt clods, blazing a trail along the ground this time, and coming very quickly after the mongoose! That thing can MOVE!

Chiaroscuro jumps over the stream, backing quickly away from the creature. .o(I hope it hates water… Rik'Tik'Tav, protect your child… )

The critter keeps coming … and then it comes to an abrupt halt at the little stream's edge. It scuffs and digs, turning one way, then the other, as if looking for a way around. Its tail lashes around violently.

Chiaroscuro breathes a quick sigh of relief, and starts to jog downstream, turning his head every few seconds to gaze at the creature.

The creature stops, turning to bear on Chiaroscuro. Its tail is coiling up behind it again.

The trees soon obscure the view of the short creature. However, the mongoose can hear a loud shriek, followed by a *whip* and the sound of something crashing into bushes again … perhaps this time on this side of the stream?

Chiaroscuro keeps moving, jogging as quickly as he can with his attention distracted by noises, and this Nakh-spawned ether noise in his mind. He checks behind him a bit less often now, to gain speed…

There are a few more crashes and shrieks … but after a while, it seems he must have left the wretched little nasty far behind … at least for now. He is getting now down to the level of the fog that fills the valley like the waters of a secluded lake. The mists break and swirl as his feet reach them.

Chiaroscuro pauses. .o(Fog… best slow down, and save energy. Especially if there are more of those… creatures.) He slows to a quick walk, staying by streamside.

The mountain peaks seem to almost form a ring around this valley, though breaks can be seen that suggest that this is only a bend in a longer ridge. Before the mongoose's view of the peaks is mostly obscured by the peaks, there is another flash of light reflected off something shiny on the mountain slope opposite this valley. And then, the cottony mists close in again, progressively thicker, especially with the overcast sky letting little sunlight through to combat its effects.

The stream still tumbles over stones nearby, occasionally joined by other trickling tributaries in its downward trek. Further ahead, rushing water can be heard, though the source of the sound cannot be seen.

Chiaroscuro walks at a regular pace, following the river. .o()I hope I reach a town soon. But how will I convince a Cambrian to give me passage home? Maybe one will speak Kitellian… )

Chiaroscuro .o(It is a long trip, far even by boat, however… and I have no money… and this Nakhing skull-buzz leaves me unable to think well enough to cast a single spell.)

The ground, which has been dropping at a steep and sometimes hard-to-follow slope, abruptly levels out. The mongoose can feel solid rock under his feet. The sound of rushing water is much louder now, though a good distance below yet.

The fog is extremely thick now, to the point where he can only make out his feet, and not the best at that, for it has gotten dark here.

Chiaroscuro hmmms… pausing to think. .o(The water is louder… that must mean the river is rougher. and this fog is too thick to see ahead. I might step in the river and be pulled under… )

Chiaroscuro raises his eyes upwards, and prays aloud. "Lord Rik'Tik'Tav, I hath always been thine faithful servant. Since my eyes cannot lead me, grant me a sign, so I may know my path."

Unseen birds twitter and sing merrily, though at a fair walk away. The air doesn't seem quite so still here – the trees do not seem quite so close to this rocky surface.

Chiaroscuro listens, hearing the sounds of birds. He walks towards them slowly. very slowly, hoping this will be the sign…

A small stone dislodges from the mongoose's step, and skitters away, then abruptly the noise is silent. There is a pause. A few seconds later, there is a sharp *klick* of a stone hitting stone a great distance below.

Chiaroscuro stops. He places a pebble from his pouch on the ground below, and kicks it in the same direction.

The effect is similar. The pebble bounces down a downward-sloping stone surface, then the sounds are silent … followed seconds later by a *SPLOOSH* some distance below.

Chiaroscuro listens…

In terms of judging bearing, a good guess would be that the pebble and stone rolled along a path perpendicular to the direction the mongoose was just now heading, toward the birds.

Chiaroscuro hmmms… .o(Perhaps a cliff… and the river runs over the edge… Well, until I can stop this buzzing, I have no use for my pebbles… ) He takes several more pebbles from his pouch, and tosses each one around him, in compass-like directions.

Chiaroscuro listens at each one in turn…

The pebble thrown toward the birds returns the sound of a light *POK* as it hits wood. The one thrown to the left of this path is silent for a long time – longer than the mongoose's throw should account for – and then rewarded by a klick of stone on stone, and a light splash. A pebble thrown to the right hits some dirt, and dislodges a few more pebbles which go sliding down, some dirt rolling over the mongoose's feet. One thrown behind just skips on the stone surface, which is fairly flat there.

Chiaroscuro walks a few slow steps towards the birds, dropping to all four feet for best balance. After every few meters, he picks a stone from the ground and tosses it forward, and down, to test the ground ahead.

The ground ahead, by these tests, seems fairly safe. But too far to one side … and there must be a sharp drop off that way! At last, however, the ground feels even more firm – more solid stone, though cracked in places. The trouble is, some of these cracks seem to follow perfectly straight lines – and intersect with others running at perpendicular angles.

Another pebble test to the left doesn't result in a *sploosh* or *klick* far below this time. It results in the sound of a pebble skipping and bouncing across level stone a few times, and finally coming to a stop.

Chiaroscuro feels the cracks… noticing the straightness. .o(These must be carved… Could someone have built a town, in this fog and on the very edge of this cliff? Even Cambrians would not be so daft… )

No voices call out to answer the mongoose's questions.

Chiaroscuro crawls back a few feet, filling his pouch to the brim with pebbles, then crawls back to the stone area. he tests it quite often, turning left where the stone seems to run left…

As the mongoose continues, the sound of rushing water grows ever more faint. So do the sounds of the singing birds. More often, a breeze bushes past him, stirring the mists, but not breaking them. When he skips a pebble to one side of his path … he discovers that there is a short wall of blocks on each side of this stone pathway, the walls coming up to about the hips.

Chiaroscuro touches the wall… testing its sureness. He pauses, trying to think… "A bridge!", he exclaims, realizing. He tosses a pebble over the edge of the wall to check…

The wall is very solid – cracked in many places, but solid. A pebble tossed over the side results in no sound … until several seconds later. *plunk* – a sound as faint as the rushing water a good distance below.

Chiaroscuro moves forward across the bridge more confidently now, testing less often, and throwing the pebbles only directly in front of him.

Chiaroscuro moves forward across the bridge more confidently now, testing less often, and throwing the pebbles only directly in front of him.

For a while yet, the stones report flat stone. But then a pebble hits something. Another wall? The bridge comes to an end shortly thereafter. The birds are louder once more. The breeze isn't as strong. Also, it's darker here. There is a collection of dirt covering the stone here, but the bridge ends at what appears to be a stone stairway leading up a slope.

Chiaroscuro pauses for a moment, to offer a prayer of thanks to Rik'Tik'Tav for leading him across the bridge. He walks up the steps on all four paws, in case they suddenly end…

The steps are shallow and steep enough that they pretty much require using hands as well as feet in order to traverse them. In places, piles of pebbles, tangles of foliage and rain-washed dirt cover the stone, but it is still easy enough to follow. That, and the fog is getting lighter.

Chiaroscuro keeps climbing the steps, looking up and around.

Along the way, the sound of birds grows more quiet, until at last the mongoose breaks out of the fog once more. It is darker here because this slope is in the shadow of what sunlight filters through the overcast sky. Looking back, he can see the swirling mists below, and presumably one of those far slopes is the one he came down from. Further up this slope, though, the mongoose can hear some more birds again, these making light "eep" noises.

Chiaroscuro looks behind him… then decides not to do that anymore. He keeps climbing, using all concentration to ascend the steep stair. Looking upward, he wonders how far it continues…

Perched upon a branch that hangs over the stone stair path, Chiaroscuro can see perhaps the most absurd-looking avian he has laid eyes upon. A turquoise-feathered bird sits on the branch, eyes closed, beak pointed downward and tucked into its chestfluff. Its body is petite, though it has long deep blue and green tailfeathers that dangle far enough for the mongoose's head to easily brush against as he goes past, unless he goes to one side to avoid it. More noteworthy, though, is that the bird's EYES are huge to the point of being ridiculous. It also has disproportionately large feet clutching onto the branch.

The bulbous eyes are so large on this thing compared to the beak and the head in general as to faintly give a suggestion of something not unlike the head of a praying mantis. A couple of stringy feathers sticking straight up from the middle of the head serve for a crest.

Chiaroscuro looks at the bird curiously for a moment. .o(Some form of… owl? But colored like a Eastern swallow… Well, as the Writings say, no bird is a worry to the wise, but the foolish will disturb the very hawks in their nest. I will just move past it as best I can… )

Chiaroscuro moves to try and get past the bird without disturbing it. pressing his body close to the stair.

The nimble mongoose easily avoids the dangling tailfeathers, and continues upward. Beyond, the "eep" noises get louder, and he can see some colorful shapes. There are many more birds just like that one, nestled in the branches to each side of the stone path, calling out to each other, and hopping along the branches. Their wings are so puny that it seems they couldn't possibly fly.

On the ground to each side of the steps can be seen an assortment of shed feathers … and also a few bits that suggest that maybe there are predators in this area that have gotten at these birds even amongst so many.

Chiaroscuro watches the birds, as he climbs, smiling slightly. .o(Strange creatures, but they seem friendly, or at least harmless.)

A purplish one of the "eep"-ing birds hops along a branch overhead. It abruptly stops, leaning over to look at the mongoose with ridiculously wide eyes. It "eeps" in a wavering tone, and then begins to shiver rapidly on its perch.

More hop along, "eep"ing lightly. There must be hundreds of these absurd birds here! And a couple more spy the mongoose, abruptly halting, and doing the same – letting out a light "eep", then vibrating rapidly in place.

Chiaroscuro smiles gently at the birds and speaks in a soft tone, not really expecting them to understand. "Do not worry, friends. We are fellow good spirits, and I shall not harm you."

The purplish bird suddenly lets out a long, painful, "EEEEEEEEEEEEP!" and then –

*POW*!

The bird EXPLODES in a burst of feathers, flame and bony shrapnel!

Chiaroscuro *BLINKS*, then ducks the blast as best he can, while balancing onto the stair!

The two others that noticed the mongoose soon do the same – "EEEEEEEEEEEP!" *KAPOW KAPOW!* Fragments of bone, feathers, and less pleasant stuff go flying.

Chiaroscuro yucks as he is coated in bird particles. .o(Reyna's claws! what manner of birds *are* these?)

Chiaroscuro looks upwards along the stair, trying to see how many birds there might be. .o(I wish these creatures no harm, but upwards seems my only choice… )

More birds seem to notice Chiaroscuro. There's no dodging the spray of sharp bird-shrapnel. It goes everywhere. Oddly enough, it seems that some of the sleeping birds are unaffected by the explosions of their nearby kin.

Between screeches, loud "EEP"s, and explosions, it's getting pretty noisy here … plus rather smelly, too, and that shrapnel is no fun, either.

Chiaroscuro covers himself in his robe as best he can, waiting until the eep-splosions have stopped. He grumbles to himself noisily.

The "eeps" are growing more frequent. The mongoose's robe is getting very messy now, and some of the fragments stick through the fragment to jab at his hide. It's as if there's a chain reaction going on, and the mongoose is smack dab in the middle of it!

Smoke reaches the mongoose's nose. From the sound and smell, it would seem that some of the branches must have caught aflame.

Chiaroscuro winces at the pain, and starts scrambling down the stair, making slow progress because of the vast bird glop everywhere…

At last, the mongoose gets to a point where it seems he's safe. No more eeps. On a few more pops in the distance, uphill. It's much quieter here. The air is still thick with the smell of smoke and of worse things.

Chiaroscuro sighs. "What now? Forward, are creatures who would destroy themselves. Behind is the bridge… back to fog and creatures who would attack me. And to either side, a chasm, deep as inferno."

Chiaroscuro winces. "And this Nakhing buzz in my head will not leave."

The thick blanket of clouds still drifts slowly, high overhead, obscuring the peak of the mountain this stone stair leads up to. The colorful forms of the exploding birds can be seen higher up the path, along with licking flames. They're moving around quickly, hopping amongst the trees, and some down on the ground.

Chiaroscuro sighs, and climbs downward along the staircase, until he reaches the stair's end and the bridge's start. .o(Perhaps I will just rest tonight… and continue in the morning. Travellers may still use this bridge, and one might happen by to help… )

This point is presently lost in the fog. Considering how damp and misty it is, its value as a camping spot might be questionable … but then, perhaps to the desperate, it might offer some shield from the eyes of enemies, provided it remains.

Chiaroscuro scrapes bird junk off of himself, and explores the area around the base of the stairs a bit, tossing pebbles at what he cannot see.

At the base of the stairs, it seems that the bridge meets a stone platform that juts out from the steep slope a bit, bordered by a short stone wall in the same way as the bridge itself, presumably to protect against a fall … and verified with tests of more pebble drops.

Chiaroscuro decides to curl up on the ground, and wait until tomorrow. Perhaps the fog will pass…

As the mongoose curls down on the cold stone, he can hear some high-pitched squeals bouncing off the mountain slopes, their origins unknown. They seem to move around quickly – or else there are many sources here and there.

Chiaroscuro notices not the sounds, between his exhaustion and the buzzing sounds in his skull… he lingers for a time between sleep and wakefulness, before drifting off…

Sometime later – Is it the same day, or the next? – the mongoose wakes up as beams of sunlight prick at his eyelids. The fog has cleared. Below can be seen a canyon running through the middle of the valley, a river far below. A long, stone bridge spans across it, its supporting beams surrounded by curling vines and clutching mosses.

One oddity, though, is that there is something tucked under the mongoose's chin. Something shiny and round, about the size of a small melon. It's also very light.

In fact, it's rather soft, and feels very silky to the touch. It might make for a nice pillow, depending upon what it actually is.

Chiaroscuro blinks as he awakes… looking around… and noticing the object that has appeared. He lets go of it, setting it very carefully on the ground… intending to examine it carefully.

For all the world, this appears to be a ball of woven silk. Near as can be told, there's nothing inside it, except for air – and more silk. But there's something else the mongoose notices – He doesn't feel the weight of his necklace or the emblem suspended from it.

Chiaroscuro touches at where his necklace was… "No. Not my bar'itz Rikkorel… who would take it? Why?"

The mongoose's voice echoes nicely from this point. "Why? why? why. why… " The accoustics are pretty good here.

Chiaroscuro looks very intently all the ball of silk, wondering if there's a connection between its appearance, and the disappearance of his necklace. He prods it gently with a clawtip…

The ball of silk seems to be just that – a ball of silk, with a light silvery sheen to it, almost platinum.

Chiaroscuro hmmms… pressing the ball flat, until it fits in a pocket of his garments. .o(Perhaps someone's strange idea of a trade, though I know not how it will help me.)

Chiaroscuro looks around the valley from here, seeking for any signs of movement of life… or signs that anyone has traveled.

No such signs are evident. However, during his scan, he notices something a bit different – The colorful spots that indicate the exploding birds are not to be seen – nor can their plaintive "eep"s be heard. There are still a few charred trees (and scattered messes) to attest to their previous presence, however.

Well – There IS something. Far above, there is a dark, shadowy shape, soaring along on bat-like wings. It's hard to gauge its size from here … but given the wingspan, that thing must be pretty large.

Chiaroscuro takes a few minutes for a morning prayer, thanking Rik'Tik'Tav for keeping him through the night, and asking him to bless his journey this day. He apologizes for loss of his Rikkorel, but knows Rik'Tik'Tav will forgive. Peering up intently, he notices the shape…

The shape ambles along, apparently aimlessly, in loose circles over the valley.

Chiaroscuro decides to climb back upwards. The hunger in his stomach is growing, and he figures there might be a habitat of some sort at or over the peak. He makes slow progress upwards, occasionally glancing at the flying… bird?

If it's a bird, it's an awfully big one. Far larger than that oversized raven that the mongoose saw earlier – and with leathery, spined wings, rather than a hint of feathers.

The way up the stairs is a little less eventful this time – so far. The exploding birds are indeed gone now – save for the remnants of their deceased kin. Further ahead, it looks like there is some sort of stone structure to one side of the stairway.

From here, it appears to be about the size of a wood shed, partially obscured by dirt and debris from a mudslide.

Chiaroscuro continues his climb upward, steadily. He keeps turning to peer at the flying thing, having never seen a bird of that size… or with those strange wings…

… Or, perhaps that's not from a mudslide after all. The clouds that obscured the top of this mountain break, revealing that the "wood shed" is very close to the peak.

Chiaroscuro keeps on his upward trek, heading for the structure. .o(Perhaps there will be food there, if nothing else… )

On top of the shed can be seen a few wiry protrusions which stick straight up. On one vertical rod can be seen four little arms, each holding a half-sphere cup, twirling around in the wind. Another rod nearby has a metal loop on top, and some sort of framework, occasionally shifting one way and then the other.

A heavy door is visible leading into the shed, on the face exposed away from the slope of the mountain.

Chiaroscuro reaches the top, panting a bit from the long climb. He pauses for rest a few moments, looking at the shed from the outside.

Chiaroscuro walks around it, looking at all four sides. he puzzles over the roof structure a bit.

"All four sides" aren't necessarily visible. There's mainly one side – with the door – fully exposed . The sides are partially buried into the mountain slope. The remaining side is completely hidden. The roof is angled away from the mountain.

Chiaroscuro walks up to the door… and wipes all possible dried bird junk off himself… then, knocks firmly on the door, twice. *KNOK* *KNOK*

Nobody answers. Further examination reveals a couple of dead vines that run across the front surface … and hint that this door may not have been opened for a very long time.

Chiaroscuro knocks again, waiting a few minutes… then tries to open the door.

Opening the door takes a bit of work, but the vines give way, and with a loud creak, the door pries open on rusty hinges, letting out a cloud of dust and a smell not unlike an ancient tomb.

Chiaroscuro sneezes at the dust-cloud, and looks in through the door, without entering…

The light that filters in through the open doorway resembles a small chamber, going into the face of the mountain, filled with debris, lots of dust, and strange instruments. There are symbols engraved on stone and metal surfaces – perhaps magical runes? It would seem that this may have served as some wizard's laboratory, long, long ago, abandoned for reasons unknown.

It seems that this structure has only one room. If nothing else, it should provide better shelter from the elements than sleeping out on an open bridge.

Chiaroscuro steps inside, cautiously…

On a table, there is an odd little bent needle that wiggles back and forth on a metal tray that contains a couple of small cylindrical drums which might have once turned, but which are now firmly rusted in place.

On the back wall are several small doors running along its length, with metal plates with runes engraved upon them.

A frame on one of the side walls looks as if it might have once held a picture … but whatever it was must have been removed or crumbled to dust long ago.

There's another sort of frame in one corner of the chamber which looks like it might have once supported a cot – except that the fabric and any mattress is nowhere to be seen, just leaving some corroded metal bars.

Chiaroscuro keeps peering about, touching nothing yet… "This is all so strange… even in the wildest tales I have heard of Cambria, I have heard nothing of this… perhaps I am someplace else entirely… "

to be continued…