3rd Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Hogar’s Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

3^rd Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain

Another half a day of mud streaked slog brought us to the base of Thunderspire Mountain.  The peak is aptly named.  Over the course of the day rain clouds gave way to a watery sun, its light scattered across the landscape by aqueous diamonds that clung to every fallen leaf, every plant and every stone.  This vision of autumnal sunshine did not extend to the mountain’s peak.  An ominous halo of dark clouds streaked by lightning frowned at the valley below and promised further watery torment before we reached our destination.

Sure enough as we climbed the mountain the weather turned on us again.  First a fine mist permeated every inch of kit and equipment.  Gradually this developed into a torrent of rain bringing further gloom to the grey mountain side.  As the temperature dropped with higher altitude so the rain became fist sized hail stones that sent Dief whimpering off to trot amongst rocky outcrops to avoid the worst of it.

Eventually we dragged ourselves to the summit where we encountered a pillared gateway.  At least fifty feet high it was not constructed of block but  had been carved into the side of the mountain itself.  The pillars either side of the open doorway were adorned with runes.  Minron recognised these as being of minotaur origin but could not translate them.  We passed through the gate and the  steady roar and whistle of the mountainside weather faded to a heavy silence punctuated by the echoes of our footsteps.  Shortly the tunnel branched off in four different directions.  Each tunnel was roughly the same size with nothing obvious to distinguish it from its neighbours.  A closer inspection showed that the tunnel on the far right-hand side showed more evidence of traffic having passed through it.  With nothing else to go by we headed in this direction.

We trudged on in the half light of the tunnels.  Minron and the mage Rodney struggled to see with so little light.  The minotaur placed a hand on my shoulder and the mage placed a hand on Glen’s so we could lead them onwards into the gloom.