Prologue
Astarte’s Quest took her far away from Desolation Peak into the most desolate place her eyes had yet laid upon. A deep and forboding canyon lay before her, stretch out for as far as she could see. It’s barren walls seemed to guide her deep into the earth, a serpentine pit from which she hoped she would one day arise. She was well aware that this would be her darkest time, when all the forces of Winter would lay themselves bare against her, beckoning her to join them in a shivering dance of eternity. Her confidence waned as she clung only to the hope that she could weather the storm that even now was brewing into a rich, ashen hue upon the horizon…
The Quest
There was little to go on save for a stern warning from Desolation Peak, which told her simply the following:
- ”If you can find a four legged steed for this part of your journey, do so for the Canyon in which Winter dwells can be traversed most easily in that case, save for a few short parts on which you will need to proceed on foot. Should you be forced to rely on only a two-legged means of travel, you may wish to leave your steed at the top of the canyon and proceed on foot. But be warned; such a journey will be a long one.
- You should also know that the Canyon will hold five stops for you on your way and that each one may present to you puzzling situations of different sizes and shapes. Whatever you should do, please return them to their place of hiding so that others may follow in your footsteps.”
The Misty Crags
The storm grew more intense, battering Astarte’s frail body as she fought vainly against the forces that compelled her to continue her descent into Winter’s frosty clutches. Even as her vision grew dimmer, blinded by the relentless onslaught, she saw a rocky outcropping, a shelter from her trek. Perhaps here she could find a brief solace from her quest or indeed lead her to where she needed to go next. In fact, it was clear that the rocks of this place would do just that, the green ones guiding her to the North and the brown ones to the West. Indeed as she finally found the place she would find solace, she reached deep within a crevice at her feet find she sought. She knew that this would guide her to both her second, third, and final stops. Now if only this storm would abate…
To Stem the Tide
How could this storm continue, asked Astarte to herself, the rain turning into a slushy mush of snow. She knew she would need to stop soon and settled on the presence of an old levee that kept the elements from cascading deep into the valley below. She also knew that this place would contain the next piece to the puzzle, again near her ankle, where the top would be North and 19 would change to 20 while the bottom would be West…
The Denuded Forest
The storm had clearly taken its toll on the land beyond the levee, where a forest of sickly, spindly trees greeted her progress through the slog of mud and slush. Once again, she dragged herself away fromt this wretched place, seeking solace in a rocky escarpment that lay beyond the muck. But the rocks held terrors of there own as her place of hiding was also home to a serpent, that rattled its warning to her as she sought her solace. "Sssss... Ignore my text child and gaze upon my numbersssss only, for I sssssay to read the wessssst from high to low..."
Surmounting Wonder
At last! The storm began to abate! Astarte grew stronger in the hope of the storm dissipating, taking the opportunity to seek a high point from which she could view the whole canyon. And the views did not disappoint. She marveled at how this home of Winter could stretch on for so long. Her hope did not last long, however, as she gazed straight into the eyes of Winter himself and knew, That is where I must now go, Ng6g & Wb79, the last place on my journey in this dreaded land. She also knew that West would rise to 55 and leave 54 behind forever…
Echoing Cries
It was with no small relief that Astarte could see her journey was near an end in this accursed place. The cries of Winter’s victims even now chilled her to the bones. Now all she needed to do was find the home of Winter and the clues to where her journey would take her next, both of which dwelled within the tunnels of frozen rock...