• Graded • The Guardian of Orimar

[Gangui]

As Crowley and the two Turkeys argued with each other, Peleus leaned up against the base of the six-armed statue in dismay. He couldn’t understand why or how, but he was beginning to realize just how different Niv’s retainers viewed the world compared to Pat’s. He sighed. What they needed was a natural champion, like Gangui, to lead this motley crew. Pacing both hands on his face, he tried to drown out the noise of their venomous words.

This quickly changed though as Crowley pointed up at the shortest tower -- the one Patrick climbed up-- for a magical beam of light descended from the top of the tower and pointed directly at one of the statue’s six hands.

Peleus jumped to his feet in terror, as if the statue itself was on fire.

“Is it a lighthouse?” The veteran turkey screamed, pointing a grubby finger at the laser.

A bit passed as the Turkey men squabbled among themselves. No one knew what to do now that they were ignoring Niv. Their conversation was cut short when the tower in front the statue -- Finn’s tower -- lit up too and a beam of light fell upon the second arm of the statue.

Peleus drew his sword now, terrified of the magic. He had never seen it before.

“The Guardian of Orimar is going to be reanimated!” The veteran turkey screamed again, even more riled up.

Crowley laughed at the simpleton mercenary and pushed him aside, eager to communicate with Patrick, "I don't know what's goin' on kid, but it looks like the other towers are lining up as well!"

Trills later the second tower -- Ellen and Niv’s tower -- began to shine now too, its light--beam down upon the third hand of the statue.

Finally it all made sense to Peleus, who was a step behind Crowley at deciphering the puzzle, connecting the four towers with the for crystals, “Guys! The crystal objects are the keys, there is one left to be turned!”

The turkey retainers nodded, finally grasping what was going on. Motioning to the boy, they began to get into formation, locking shields together. Before Peleus entered the defensive formation -- a tactic to defend against the statue should it come to life -- he hollered at the two girls --specifically Niv-- from deep within, attempting to be as loud as possible.

“Niv!!! The statue is coming alive! Three crystals shine now! Niv!!!!” The fact was self evident, but he warned his leader regardless. He was a good kid after-all.

Not knowing whether the Tunawa commander had heard him, he took up his place in the shield wall, musing his own impending doom by the statue of Orimar coming alive now.

He really wished he had that whiskey now.

[Niv]

The Tunawa’s large glassy eyes rolled in their sockets at Oberon’s foolish comment. “What an Ass.” she muttered as he arrogantly strutted ower to the bottom of the highest cliff. She mentally added him to her her short list of people she didn’t much care for. She’d probably play a trick on him to teach him a lesson if he didn’t already injure himself on the climb.

The men Gangui sent with her weren’t much better at following her suggestions but Niv didn’t object to them staying behind. Having been blessed by Ashan the immortal of freedom, she respected their decision to do as they saw fit. If she had more confidence in her leadership skills she probably would have done more to regain their confidence. For now she was happy to have them out of her vines.

Niv did as Ellen told her, In fact she held on to her feathered friend like her life depended on it after the little mishap on the ship ride. So when Ellen stumbled, Niv was for the most part prepared. She still ended up dangling from Ellen’s braid but her firm grip didn’t budge.
“You’re doing this on purpose now aren’t you?” Niv grumbled in a half serious half jovial manner. The tunawa wondered what Ellen would look like if she had a saddle hat that Niv could ride on, it would certainly make for a safer ride.

“Yes yes again.” Niv nodded, hoping that the second time would be the charm. It thankfully was after Ellen took a bit more time to run and put more strength behind her wing flaps.

“Easy my foot.” Niv poked Ellen in the cheek and pursed her lips to fight back a smile.

“oh that does smell terrible…” Niv said after deeply inhaling it into her nostrils. “wait..Why can’t I touch it?” Niv frowned and probably disobeyed, jumping off her friends shoulder to collect a small sample. As a chemist who dabbled in Alchemy Niv simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity. After landing on the smelly blue substance, she quickly scooped up a tiny chunk into her hands before Ellen could pry her off and take her to a safe distance.
“Fine, ruin my fun.” Niv Huffed with her arms crossed as she was placed down in the snow. When Ellen wasn’t looking she gave the blue chunk a closer look to determine it’s properties. It seemed like common hardened sap but why was it blue, cobalt perhaps? She stuck out her tongue and licked it, it tasted much better than it smelled but was still too hard to eat.

The Tunawa was so fascinated by the stinky resin that she was oblivious to what Ellen was attempting. At least until a blue flame irrupted in the mixed breeds face breaking Niv's attention with its startling noise. Niv froze in terror at the sight before her, her eyes wide and staring at the flickering horror. Thankfully the fear spirit Moop was there to rest on her head and feast on the strong emotions until Niv could snap out of her daze.

“What..oh um they're still there.” Niv was still hypnotized by the blue flame but shook herself free and responded with a quick look at the state of Ellen's eyebrows. She made a silent prayer to her immortals that she hadn’t eaten the blue resin, petrified at what affects it could have had on her.

While Ellen went to work tugging at the pulleys, Niv heard some hollering from down below. She made her way through the puffy snow to the edge of the cliff and saw one of her men hollering up at her. He mentioned something about a statue coming to life and three shinning crystals. It didn’t make much sense to Niv but she understood that something important was happening.

“Thank you Sir!” Niv hollered down a response to one of the turkey mens warning. “be dere in a moment.”

She turned to Ellen, and shared the info with her incase she hadn’t heard herself. “We should probably make our way down to see what’s going on.” Niv suggested.









Art credit to koyamori

[Patrick]

The pulley system Pat worked definitely seemed beyond a little weathered when he pushed the stone pegs of the wheel forward, slowly but surely he turned the top of his tower as the beam of light casually swung around to the statue. He could hear the men near Crowley talk in the distance but their voices were way too low, to far off to even determine what actual words were being said during his turning of the gear. Between the difficult workout with his biceps, and the vividly warm heat of the eerily blue fire brilliantly alight in his brazier; Patrick found himself with quite a sheen of sweat over his forehead.

From the bowels of his tower a small ball of flame rose and soared in the air, to the tower where Finnegan had climbed up to on his own. So he made it. Patrick couldn't help but smile as he continually groaned with each push, his upper arms already worn out from constant turning of the pulley gear. "Is it a lighthouse?" One of Gangui's men seemed to inquire loudly as the beam reached it's mark and fell upon the highest hand on the Guardian's left side. Sure enough Crowley confirmed that something happened with the statue, that some reaction occurred as the light of Pat's tower rested on one of the crystalline objects. Patrick twisted around to assure them and, hopefully if they could hear, the rest that each tower had to be treated as the same.

They would all have to light their towers and turn their beams towards the statue, however the only oddball being the tower located on the cliff above the Guardian. Oberan still seemed to be climbing the dangerous edges when Pat started to move, and by the time Patrick arrived back at the pedestal Finn's tower as well as Ellen's soon fell in their needed alignment as well. That was three. "Have fun?" Crowley greeted with an arm thrown over Patrick's shoulder, while the drunkard himself huffed a few times to catch his breath after the trip back over.

"Yeah right, looks like we're getting close though!" He retorted with a pat on the old man's back, his eyebrows furrowed as he cast a narrowed look to the other men nearby. Were they really that daft? Did they actually believe that the Guardian would come to life? It was just a statue after all, how could something like that even move? "You're idiots if you think the Guardian's gonna reanimate!" Pat couldn't help but remark aloud as he looked up to the tower above the Guardian, by now Oberan hopefully had realized what it was he had to do with his tower as well... but where to direct the light? From that high up it looked as though the beam angled downward towards them, so what on Idalos did it need to hit in order to meet the final lock?

Patrick looked around and noticed between the two towers Finn and Elen investigated, a column of a sort that rose earlier with a mirror located at it's top. That had to be it! "Hey!" He called with hands cupped to his mouth once more, hopefully Oberan would be able to hear him from down here. "Direct the light in our direction, there's a mirror down below here that should catch it!" It sounded like Oberan intended to respond but being as high up as he was, not even echoes seemed to resound throughout the valley which they were located in. Even so it seemed like the man was catching on, as the light of the highest tower slowly turned until the beam of light finally hit that mirror. What came next would be the long awaited result of their teamwork, as the last piece of the puzzle fell in place to solve the riddle of the Guardian.

Come and seek us, the faithful, hidden within our bastion. The light from the mirror reflected onto the final hand of the Guardian, and just as the other three had before, one final loud thumb boomed underneath their feet from the Guardian's position. Search for the Guardian who hides our entrance. The statue shook all over as they felt the ground quake underneath their feet, the small tremors a signal that something big was moving beneath them. And look to the sky to light the way beyond. With all towers still directed on their target the base of the statue started to scoot backwards into the alcove, while snow seemed to fall down into a gap that slowly widened before the Guardian. For only the light shall reveal our way home. Within the space before the Guardian rested a stairwell no longer hidden, the elaborately carved stone now covered with loose snow as it led down below the Guardian. The entrance. They found it.

"ALRIGHT!!" Crowley called out as Patrick celebrated loudly with a "Woohoo" screamed within the valley. "We actually did it! The Guardian's revealed the entrance!"

Patrick looked to the two towers where Finn and Ellen were, determined to see that they were able to make it down. Ellen wouldn't have so much trouble, and could probably help out Finn even if he needed it. Oberan though... Patrick's eyes went up to the tower as he considered that maybe the man would need help, since he did manage to climb up there and manage to live to tell the tale. "Hey Oberan!" He called out to the man with a smile. "Just hang on, I'll get you down in just a few trills!" As he said this his eyes turned a bright violet hue and the air around him hummed, an open hand gesture to the space of his left generated the first of two Compression portals. Patrick looked from where his first anchored portal was up to the base of the tower, his eyes squinted as he heavily focused on the space where Oberan should've been located.

He looked so tiny from down here that it took a few extra trills, before he finally created another portal linked to the first one at the crane of his head. When he looked from the tower to his portal he could see that, admittedly, he was definitely several yards off from the man's location. However! He did open a portal for the man to cross through, and that saved Oberan a trip back down the cliff side. If Finn still seemed to need a faster way down, Patrick would then close the second portal after Oberan crossed over to rejoin them. "Finn! If you need it I can open a portal for you, the gates opened now so we can head on into Orimar!"

Whether or not the offer was taken would be up to Finn, and Patrick would just as well oblige the boy with whatever choice he made. Once all the others were finally returned back to the pedestal, Patrick would grip the hilt of the dagger and retrieve it from the slot it rested within. It had made a loud scraping noise against the stone, but when it finally rested back on his belt he looked towards the entrance to the ruins beyond. The Guardian eerily watched them with eyes now glowing the same eerie blue, his crystalline objects also glowing from the light caught from the towers. It made his hairs stand on end to see such the eerie sight, but at the same time eagerness and anticipation filled his being also.

Slowly he took the first few steps forward to lead the group onward, his pack brought around from his shoulder as he took the lantern off of it. With it likely being dark they'd need some kind of light, and with the help of Crowley he found lighting the lantern an easy feat. When they arrived at the base of the stairs he moved onward, the lantern held high to light their way down as the group would head into a damp chasm that led them deep within the mountainside.

[Oberan]

Hands and body sufficiently warmed, Oberan focused his attention on the pulley system, eyeing the wooden wheels and the rusty chains connecting the whole bunch. Evidently, the Orimarsupials had been good at engineering if they could develop towers that rose up from the floor, altars that were hidden in bedrock, as well as secret entrances to a city that probably was located underground. Not to mention the city itself, which was bound to be some sort of architectural marvel.

The Mortalborn couldn’t wait to find out what sort of boobytraps they had designed to keep intruders out of their territory.

First he needed to turn the wheel so the pulley would do something else, and something would happen. He didn’t know what, but it didn’t really matter, did it? He’d know the moment he set the gears in motion. So he tried doing just that, grabbing one of the levers with both hands, and applying as much strength he could muster. Yet, his arms were tired of climbing, and the ancient machine had been rusting for many arcs, and he couldn’t get it to budge.

He growled in frustration, jerking at the lever as if it would help, violently trying to shake it up and down, but to no avail. He was only tiring himself out, and frustration soon settled in. Maybe if he had some oil or grease on him, he could make an attempt to get everything back in working order, but there was a teensy tiny problem. Well, two problems, actually. Firstly, he didn’t have oil with him, and secondly, he didn’t know where the gears were located.

He guessed they were hidden inside the tower, that the structure itself was merely a husk for the entire system and mechanical aspects, but he couldn’t find a way to get in. Even after going around it several times, paying close attention to the brickwork and layout, he didn’t find it. Not even when trying to locate a door through touch, or when knocking on the stones in hopes to catch a difference in sound. Nothing.

What he did hear though was Patrick’s voice, though the sound was faint, and he couldn’t make out the words.

”WHAT?! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” he called back, though he received no further responses.

He sighed, shook his head, and went back to the pulley system, giving it the stink eye before giving it another shot. He pulled at it, tried pushing it in the opposite direction, as well as putting one foot on the wall while he tugged, hoping to get more leverage. In the end, all that he accomplished was that his supporting foot slipped away. He grasped the lever tighter, curling his body up into a ball in an effort not to fall. The gears groaned and moaned, and with a shudder and a metallic screech, Oberan found himself slowly being lowered onto the ground, the wheel turning and the chain cluttering.

The tower turned with all the agency of a snail trying to escape a bird, but it mattered not. Now that the gears had been set in motion, it didn’t take as much effort to keep it that way, and Oberan noted a beam of blue light sweeping over the landscape as he worked the pulley. It fell onto some mirror thingy and reflected towards the statue, which probably was the point of this whole puzzle.

Oberan heard a loud booming noise, and tremors could be felt even up the cliff where he stood. He could see and hear parts of the face crumbling off and falling into the deep, where they shattered on the rocks below. Admittedly, Oberan hadn’t been thinking too much about how he’d get back down, but it seemed that he wouldn’t be leaving using the way he came.

Fortunately, a portal popped open before him, though it hung over the precipice, a couple meters away. If he jumped, he could definitely make it, but if he miscalculated… Best not to think about it. He really didn’t have a choice, and considering his Domains, he wasn’t passing up the opportunity.

Taking a couple steps back to gain momentum, the Mortalborn took a running start, and jumped at the very last moment, feeling butterflies swarm in his stomach as he took a leap of faith. The ground below him was far away, so small, but he knew that could change in just a couple moments. His arms swung wildly at his side, his legs kicking the air, as if he was trying to simultaneously walk on the air and fly like a bird. The moment seemed to last forever, pure elation on his face, and laughter bubbling forth from his lungs. That too was subject to change within the mere blink of an eye, but for now the high remained, and it didn’t seem like he’d be falling to his death today.

He hit the portal, felt as if he was being flung from one spot to another, his organs seemingly making a desperate attempt to becoming one with his back. And then he smacked down on the stones, his laughter stopping as he took the hit. ”I bit my fucking tongue,” he complained, his grin almost wider than his face as he gave Patrick a thumbs up.

The entrance was revealed, the first puzzle had been cleared, he was still alive, and he could still feel the adrenaline buzzing in his body. He couldn’t wait for the next challenge, and eagerly followed Patrick into the chasm.

[Ellen'wyn]

With her tower in place, Ellen took a moment to catch her breath. She panted quietly, steam puffing from her lips like in a white cloud. She looked out across the canyon where the others were finishing, feeling the mounting anticipation all mixed together with relief. Patrick and Crowley really seemed to know what they were doing. The mixed-blood hadn't always been so sure, but it seemed she'd been wrong to ever doubt them.

"We'll go back down in just a moment," she assured her little companion. "I need to take a short break." Her smile was a little apologetic. "I won't be long, I promise."

Ellen stooped down to offer Niv a lift back up to her shoulder. The snow drifts looked like they were about the swallow her, and the wind was beginning to blow a little harder. She didn't want her pint-sized companion to get carried off right over the edge of the cliff. Ellen ignored the little bit of blue she glanced on Niv's tiny lips. She never expected the curious little creature to listen. She was even more stubborn than the redhead was, and she had to respect that independent fire.

There were sudden shouts from Patrick and Crowley as Oberan finished the last of his puzzle. The mixed-blood peered down toward the multi-armed statue, head cocked intently. The statue shifted and slid back, revealing a dark hole leading into stone depths. Her already fast pulse began to flutter harder.

"Niv! Do you see that?" Ellen pointed. Her wings unfolded and she prepared to take flight until a familiar distant ripping sound stopped her short.
She balked briefly, searching for the source of the sound. There were now two portals linking Oberan to the ground. She heard Patrick's shouts, saw the intense focus of his posture. Her breath faltered. "Patrick is a Rupturer? Did you know that?" He and Niv were friends, after all.

The mixed-blood had only ever met one other, and he'd tried to kill her. Gangui's strange and magical sword had absorbed the magic and used it against the mage, snuffing him out before he could finish her off. Ellen hadn't thought she would see such a thing used so casually, or for anything other than nefarious dealings. She saw Oberan make the jump and disappear. She held her breath. He was spat out unceremoniously into the snow but seemed altogether unharmed. The redhead could even see his smile from her perch on the cliff.

She shook herself visibly. Now wasn't the time to be caught up in surprise. They had more important things to worry about. Orimar had appeared to them. Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she opened her wings and jumped into the empty air. The mixed-blood was suspended, and she flapped once to balance herself on the cold winds. They filled the bellies of her wings, pushing against them and running over their backs.

The redhead glided quickly down to the canyon floor, flapping again and backpedaling once the ground rushed up to meet them. Her feet hit and she landed in a run, slipping and sliding on ice, almost managing to stay up but ultimately felt her legs flip out from underneath her. She hit the snow on her rear, feeling the cold and wet soak her linen pants.

"Ƙarami!" Ellen cursed briefly, leaping back to her feet and wiping the snow from her body.

Her face was flushed and twisted in a small grimace when she finally rejoined the others, and she'd finally began to shiver. The group seemed eager to be moving forward, and they followed Patrick readily into the belly of the earth. But the mixed-blood hesitated at the threshold of the stairs. Patrick's lantern lit the way, but its warm glow quickly disappeared into the unknown. Ellen chewed her lip, feet shuffling, feeling the claustrophobia already begin to grip her belly with its cold claws. She sighed heavily. There was no avoiding it. Of course the lost mysterious ruins were underground. Of course they were. She'd mentally prepared for this.

"Here we go," she muttered to Niv, grateful that her friend was burrowed in the heavy fur around her shoulders. Ellen drew her wings in tight and followed the others down into the darkness.

[Gangui]

Young Peleus

The Turkey warriors stared at the entrance to Orimar.

Grimacing looks coupled with disgruntled mumbles as they talk to each other. The men didn't like magic. Already disgruntled with the leadership of the outfit and fearful of their lives, the two remaining guards agreed that they did not need follow the crew into Orimar. Instead they made silent sentinel vows to guard the entrance and watch the supplies. It seemed that no one cared anyways. Who were they but simple tools to the likes of Patrick? This was the attitude that kept them behind. This was the attitude that brewed the venom in their hearts and stopped them from truly rising up as heroes. They couldn't wait to get back to home base and report these criminals to Gangui (no doubt telling their leader Patrick was a rupture mage as well) and oust their "leader" Niv for ruining the whole expedition by turning cloak (whatever happened to loyalty to Raimeus?)

Peleus on the other hand, had the blood of nobles running through his veins and would heed the call to enter the abyss. Albeit no son of a champion, he was at least a twice removed bastard child of a strong man... or something. He wished not only to uphold his honor (modelling himself after the most heroic of leaders: Gangui), but also see the quest through.

Running towards the winged beauty Ellen and the sassy fairy Niv, Peleus' change of heart seemed almost instant.

"Those damn Turkey warriors are stupid," he said reaching out to give Ellen a reassuring pat on the wing, but realized he shouldn't be touching her now so he drew his hand back in, "I'm sticking to your side from now on," his voice not very confident, but his intention's pure. He looked at Niv now and checked to see if the creature was okay.

"I'll protect you with all my honor," Peleus told Ellen and Niv.

Once the time was right, he beckoned the two to follow behind his raised shield. Hopefully, a pragmatic gesture the two women would admire, or at least respect.

Oh and what about the wild kid and the weirdo man? The both could be damned for all Peleus cared, they hadn't once talked to him. Peleus' allegiance was with the women today.

Peleus was honest with his fear of entering Orimar. Regardless he braced his strong arm for any danger.

"Spirit of humanity, guide me... I hope you know what you are doing Patrick..."

[Niv]

Before Ellen had time to respond to Niv, it was clear by the half breeds body language that she needed some time to recuperate. Niv had taken the role of the observer, but was sure she’d be exhausted too if she had flown through the turbulent winds and tugging on that stubborn rope like Ellen had.
“No rush” Niv assured her friend with nonchalant swaying of the hand. “Dey can wait.”

To be perfectly honest, Niv didn’t feel bad about making them wait. Ellen had traveled much higher and did a bunch of work that the others didn’t, they could stand to wait a bit. There was also the factor of the pig headed Oberon who was probably not even a fraction of the way up the mountain. They would all be waiting for him regardless of how long Ellen took.

Tunawa didn’t feel the cold the same way that the tall folk did. She certainly felt the chill stiffen the sap within her bark casing but she wasn’t going to die of hyperthermia or freeze. Though it was very possible for her to become incased in a frozen snow drift. So Niv did her beast to push the snow out of her area, which was no easy task. The wind blew the snow about and the flustered tunawa had to practically flail her arms about like a windmill run amok.

“What..” Niv blinked as she stopped to look at what Ellen was pointing to. The tunawa barely had time to register the reveal of an opening under the statue when someone strange happened. There seemed to be a gaping wound in the air and Patrick had created it.

“A Rupturer…?” Niv muttered as her mouth hung a gape in bewilderment.

“No..I didn’t.” She didn’t even know what a Rupturer was let alone that Patrick was one.

A strange sound erupted near Oberon and another wound appeared which the ignorant man leapt into. She didn’t like him but her body tensed in dread at what could have happened to him. Niv was certain he was swallowed into oblivion until she spotted him down below with Patrick and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Niv flew down to the rest of the group on Ellen shoulder, while she tried to figure out what she had just saw. They were greeted by the others and prepared themselves to enter the dark ruins. The group of old buzzards in the turkey company made it clear they would stay behind to guard the supplies, Cowards. Though a young warrior named Peleus came forward to offer his protection.

“Thank you, We’ll protect you too.” Niv stated with a smile back at the man. Niv appreciated his sass and tenacity, and didn’t have the heart to tell him to bugger off.




Art credit to koyamori

[Finnegan O'Connor]

The Guardian of Orimar

10th of Cylus, 718

The whole climb would have been for naught had the pulley system atop his tower been as stiff and frozen as the ones the others seemed to be struggling with. Perhaps it was the heat of the fire, warming the oil between the gears and joints in the ancient mechanism, or perhaps it was just sheer luck that the pulley operated as new. Nevertheless, it still took his full, if inconsiderable, weight to set the wheels into motion, and his boots occasionally slipped in the fluffy snow as he pushed with all his strength. At least he was given the pleasure of watching the distant speck that was Oberan struggle at least as much with his tower.

Finn had already started his descent by the time Patrick’s offer reached his ears and even then he preferred the hazard of a slippery descent over the unnatural, gut-wrenching procedure that were portals. Face and fingers bitten with cold, Finn soon rejoined the others at the base of the entrance, a great deal more tired from the climb and descend then he cared to admit.

From above, a baleful light beamed down on them, radiating from the ember-like eyes of the statue. He vigorously hoped Patrick was right and that the stone giant wouldn’t suddenly stir and crush them into a puddle of strawberry jaw with its stone fists. Yet despite the man’s confidence, Finn was certain that the pale eyes followed them inside, and he was relieved to shake the prying sensation as they stepped through the entrance, guided only by frail, amber light.

It was not just the prying eyes of the statue that haunted him however. The grim men who accompanied the Tunawa and the halfbreed seemed to him the shadowy, conspiring kind of folk that usually lingered in the Etzos underground. Having reached that conclusion, he wasn’t remotely comforted that they were chosen to stand guard at the entrance. If anything he suspected they’d barricade the passage and run off with what few possessions the expedition hadn’t taken into the depths of the forgotten ruins. Out of all in their rag-tag group, he loathed their presence the most, save for their youthful leader who didn’t speak too highly of his own subordinates. Thankfully they were well out of hearing range.

As they proceeded into the unknown, he stuck closely to Patrick and Crowley while shooting the occasional curious stare at Ellen and Niv over his shoulder. He hadn’t yet mustered the courage to talk to either of them though he never ceased to wonder if the two were close friends and, if they were, how two such unlikely creatures had managed to become friends. For the time being however, he refrained from asking, opting instead to listen in on the quiet exchange between Peleus, Ellen and the small Tunawa.

[Alistair]

Patrick

Knowledge
Skill
Research: Solving Ancient Riddles
Research: Opening the Way to Orimar
Endurance: Walking Through Snow Drifts
Endurance: Enduring Frigid Conditions
Strength: Shoving Through Snow Piles
Strength: Operating Ancient Pulley Gears
Field Craft: Using Resin to Start Fire
Rupturing: Opening Compression Portals At Distances

Non-Skill
Personal: The Discovery of Orimar's Guardian
Personal: On the Verge of A Major Discovery
Personal: The Trial of Orimar's Guardian
Location: The Guardian of Orimar
Location: The Valley of Orimar

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Renown: Medium (+15)

Points 15 - Can be used for magic

Ellen'wyn

Knowledge
Skill
Flying: Taking off from a standstill
Flying: Searching for a safe place to land
Flying: Flapping during descent to slow the landing
Endurance: First degree burns aren’t that bad
Acrobatics: Balancing on ice
Acrobatics: Bend your knees to absorb heavy impact
Field Craft: Lighting a fire with flammable resins
Strength: Put your weight into it

Non-Skill
Personal: The Trial of Orimar's Guardian
Location: The Guardian of Orimar
Location: The Valley of Orimar
Patrick: Rupture mage
Rupturing: Can teleport people

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Renown: Medium (+15)

Points 15

Oberan

Knowledge
Skill
Acrobatics: recovering when stumbling
Climbing: cold fingers make for poor grip
Climbing: searching for handholds and footholds by touch
Climbing: the three out of four rule
Climbing: recognizing hand- and footholds
Climbing: climbing slippery stone
Climbing: keeping your hands and feet close to your body
Strength: grip strength

Non-Skill
Personal: The Trial of Orimar's Guardian
Location: The Guardian of Orimar
Location: The Valley of Orimar

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Renown: Medium (+15)

Points 15

Niv

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Renown: Medium (+15)

Points 15

Finn

Knowledge
Skill
Endurance: Frostbite.
Climbing: Snow-covered rock makes for uneasy footing.
Defiance: Making fire jump from one brazier to another.
Strength: Setting an ancient pulley into motion.
Climbing: Gravity-aided descent.
Stealth: Listening in on private conversation.

Non-Skill
Personal: The Trial of Orimar's Guardian
Location: The Guardian of Orimar
Location: The Valley of Orimar

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A
Renown: Medium (+15)

Points 15 - Can be used for magic

Comments: Made me kind of regretful that I wasn't here around this time! This thread has so many great characters and the scenario was pretty cool. My only ailment is that I think there could've been more opportunity for each person to shine in the thread. Other than that, it was gnarly.

!	Message from: Chronicle
	At his request; Gangui's faction "The Sons of Justice" also get 15 points in Renown for this thread.