f115 - Hyggelik’s Tomb

Suddenly, [NAME] stops and excitedly points across the Bodir.
“Hey, wait! Look, that tree over there. Isn’t that…? Let’s see that map!”
You get out the map fragments you have gathered during these last months.

“You mean, that’s the dragon oak!?” you all stare across to the opposite bank: yes, if you look closely, you can see the branches of the mighty oak are burned black in places. It is quite obvious that a tree dragon lived there once, and might even still be doing so today.

“There must be a ford around here somewhere!” [NAME] says and points at the map.
Do you

• Search the bank for a place to cross the river?
• March on?
• Go back?

“Bah, humbug! You’re dreaming. The Bodir’s running much too fast for a ford here, and there are loads of trees that look just the same.” You are convinced that you must have been mistaken and continue onward.

“Bah, humbug! You’re dreaming. The Bodir’s running much too fast for a ford here, and there are loads of trees that look just the same.” You are convinced that you must have been mistaken.
Do you

You’ve been searching the river bank for one full hour now, without finding any ford.
Do you

• Give up and continue onward?
• Try to swim across?
• Keep looking just a bit longer?

Once again, you search the bank quite thoroughly. Still, you find no ford.
Do you

“This could be it!” [NAME] cries out.
You all gather at the spot, [NAME] is indicating. You couldn’t really call it shallow, but it is possible to cross the river on foot here.
“Let’s go!” [NAME] says and gets into the water — you start out for the opposite bank.

[NAME] reaches the opposite bank safely and without trouble.

[NAME] can only just keep above water and reaches the opposite bank coughing and choking.

You’ve finally made it to the opposite bank.
Do you

• Examine the tree closer?
• Or start looking for a path right away?

There was definitely a tree dragon living in this oak, but it must have been a long time ago as the burned branches are covered in moss now. [NAME] climbs up the tree to take a closer look. From up there, [NAME] can see the whole surrounding countryside and notices a path through the brush.
Do you

• Hack your way through the bushes to the path?
• Go look for an easier road?

You search the overgrown bank for some time, but there doesn’t seem to be any other path.
Do you

• Look further?

You hack away at the brush. [NAME] keeps heading straight for the path seen from the dragon oak.

[NAME] doesn’t find the right path straight away. You break through the undergrowth this way and that until you finally hit upon the path.

[NAME] doesn’t find the right path straight away. While you struggle through the undergrowth, fighting this way and that, [NAME] steps on a rotten branch and falls down into a thorn bush. You run over right away to help [NAME] out of the thorns. [NAME]’s face is covered in scratches and the thorns have torn numerous little holes in what clothes they could reach. Discouraged, you hack away to the left and right until you finally hit upon the path.

The path is just wide enough for one person at a time, so you have to proceed in single file and the way is often covered with moss and overgrown with ferns and brush. Here and there, overhanging branches slow your progress even more, and sometimes the path seems to disappear completely in the heavy undergrowth. You manage to stay on course, but you can advance only slowly.

You have been on the path for about three hours.
Now, you can clearly hear water running: somewhere to your left, there must be a river. The ground gets marshy and every step is an effort.
Do you

• Keep on the path?
• Or try and find a dryer way?

The noise of the water gets louder — you’re getting closer to the river and your feet begin to sink into the ground up to your ankles. Suddenly, [NAME] sinks down almost to both knees and the rest of you run to help.

Only with a tremendous effort can you free [NAME] from the mud. To advance with anything that even remotely resembles safety will mean that you have to turn back and try to find a way around the marsh.
Do you

• Go on?
• Look for a better path?

You were able to continue on solid ground for quite a while, but then the path disappears into a swamp. It’s no use! You must turn back and find a different route.

After hacking and slashing a way through the brush for some time, you are finally able to progress somewhat easier. You go the long way around the marshlands.

Two hours later, you’ve done it. You reach the bank of the river. The ground is solid here.

You stumble through brush and woods for a long time until you finally reach the riverbank again. The ground is still soft here, but at least you’re in no danger of sinking.
After you struggle onward for another half hour, the ground turns solid again.

It’s easy going up the river. It isn’t long until you pass a strange mound of earth and rocks.
Do you

• Examine the mound?
• Walk past it?

You notice a rotten reed-weave more or less like half a cartwheel. There is a rock beside it, with something carved on it. The first three letters have been obliterated by weathering, but the rest “…gar” is still readable.
Do you

• Weave a new boron wheel and put it down?
• Just keep marching up the river.
• Dig for a while?

No one is going to criticize you but that’s only because there’s nobody around to see what you’re doing…
Still, as you start digging, the thought of Boron’s reaction to all this makes you a bit queasy. After all, you want to be remembered as heroes, not as grave-robbers!
Do you

• Weave a boron wheel as a sign of remorse?
• Walk on right away?

You gather some thin branches and a bit of reed to weave a boron wheel. After a few moments of respectful silence by the gravesite, you go on.

About a thousand steps on, or maybe 999, you didn’t count them that closely — the river gets shallow and you can see the river bed. The water is hardly up to your ankles.
Do you

Keep wandering along the bank?

Cross over right here?

The path stays solid. You walk for half an hour without noting anything at all remarkable.
Do you

• Keep going?
• Or turn around and cross the river?

The river gets markedly narrower and turns into a whitewater rapid. The ground is rising.
Do you

You have to turn around since there is no way on from here. On the opposite bank, you can see a path leading up to the mountains, but the rough, rocky banks make any attempt to cross the stream here impossible. There are steep rocks in front of you, and extremely thick underbrush to your right. It would be nonsense to waste energy looking for a path through the woods.

You get back to the spot where you can cross the river without any trouble. Apparently there is no other way, so you wade across to the opposite bank.

The ground is solid on this side, too. After soldiering on for about one-and-a-half hours, you can no longer go on along the waterside, as the bank dissolves into a steep rock face. The path turns to the left and goes up into the mountains.

The path winds up among the mountains, sometimes through a hollow, then across a pass.
After crossing the ridge of a mountain, you see some mighty ruins halfway up the neighboring mountain side.
“That must be it!”

You don’t have to look for a path, as the one you’re on leads straight up to the ruins. About one hour later, you’re standing in front of the remnants of the rampart walls. The castle is amazingly well preserved.
Do you

• Explore the building?
• Turn around after all?

You don’t know whether it’s inspiration or divine will, but your steps take you right up to the ruins. There is no turning back now!

“Let’s have a look at that map again,” [NAME] says. While [NAME] intensely studies the scraps you gathered these last few months, you look on impatiently.

“If I read this correctly, we could try and hack our way through that brush. We should be able to find this river then.”
You discuss your options — do you

• Look for a way west through the woods?
• Turn around?

After four hours you feel utterly lost. There is no sign of any water, and you didn’t notice anything else remarkable either.
Do you

You walked westward as well as you could for three hours, but there is no sign of any stream or river. You haven’t found anything else remotely remarkable either.
Do you

• Go on looking?
• Turn around?

You go back. It’s no problem finding the path again.
Do you

Another three hours on, you hear a soft gurgling: water!
The river must be very close! Let’s just hope, it’s not the Bodir.
You head for the sounds and reach the bank of a small river. There is a marsh downstream — no way along there. But the ground is hard in the other direction. Not far away, you see a strange mound of rocks and earth.
Do you

After five hours, you’re close to desperation. You appear to be hopelessly lost! You turn back.

You have been on the way back for some time, when [NAME] suddenly perks up.
“Shht, be quiet everybody — I heard something.” You listen.

Yes. The sound is very weak, but you think, you can hear water gurgling. You turn towards the source of that sound.

It doesn’t take long before you reach a very narrow path.
“After walking this far, we should be going to our right because the Bodir should be over to our left,” [NAME] says.
Do you

• Go right?
• Go left?

The gurgling gets weaker, you are going away from the river.
Do you

• Break through the bushes?

The sounds of water get stronger. Somewhere to your left, the river must be close — the path is a bit wider now, but the ground gets soft, and every step is an effort.
Do you

Finally, the path disappears among the bushes.

You walk back along the path. About two hours later, you’re back at the spot where you found it — now you can hear the water again. You walk on.

It’s not exactly easy going, but you manage to cross the area by hacking a path through the brush, sometimes to your right, sometimes to your left.
There is a mighty river before you — this can only be the Bodir.

“Look at that tree — couldn’t that be the dragon oak?” [NAME] calls out. Very close to your position stands a mighty oak with partially burned branches.

There was definitely a tree dragon living in this oak, but it must have been a long time ago as the burned branches are covered in moss now. [NAME] climbs up the tree to take a closer look. From up there, [NAME] can see the whole surrounding countryside: the path you just traveled is the only one far and wide. I guess, you’ll have to go back that way.