One fateful day in the magical land Before Cities, a mysterious man falls from the sky. He awakens with no knowledge of his past, and quickly learns that he is far from ordinary. Granted otherworldly powers and seemingly cursed by The Brand that ado...
I trek towards The Forgotten Grove, the next step to Owlhil. I try my hardest not to look back and become homesick. The hardest part of moving on is leaving what I know and love. I must be strong and remind myself this is an opportunity to grow and learn. I can't force myself to stay in Minceville and miss out on this new experience. Doing this adventure on my own isn't something I'm excited about, either. Perhaps I'll meet new people along the way. Each step I take leads me toward my future, after all. I find myself at the edge of Giant's Country, in the shadow of a ruined castle relinquished centuries ago. I'm unsure how I'll find my way inside the mighty fort, but I'm determined to find the answers I seek. There is no way I can turn back now.
The Castle Ruins
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"Damn," I say, looking at the castle's once-brooding design. "Who would want to live in this dump"? I look up, taking in the view. The walls of the castle reach high into the sky. It's hard to believe that they left such a place like this. The immense walls look unreal as if they were the work of one of Ron's tales. I continue looking around, taking in the scenery. One of the few parts of the castle left is the courtyard. The rest of the place is basically in ruins. The broken statue in the middle of the square is all that remains of the old owner who once ruled this place. I walk over to the closest piece of furniture and crouch down, running my fingers over the rough wood. I stand up and survey the courtyard, trying to imagine what it would have looked like in its prime. Likewise, I can picture the beautiful tapestries that would have hung on the walls, the rich carpets that would have covered the floor, and the arrangement of their luxurious furniture. I can also imagine the people who inhabited this space, the nobility and the royalty who would have walked these halls. I wonder what their lives were like and what they would think of this place now. The archway I had entered collapsed behind me as I turned back around. "Figures," I say aloud. "I'll check around and see if I can find any sweet loot before the rest of the place falls into pieces." After searching the large courtyard while filling my pockets with all the golden Lem I could find, I finally entered what remains of the Great Hall of this mysterious decayed structure. I stand in wonder at what they left of the beautiful architecture. Despite everything looking over three centuries old, the interior is in far better condition than the outside. At the end of the great hall, a throne made from the bones of giants sits, seemingly untouched by whatever happened here. Sitting on the throne is a suit of golden armor, intimidating yet unmoving. The armor has a long lance impaled through its chest; it has a similar design to the armor in question. In front of the throne is an altar, as golden as the suit. I take a step forward and feel a rumbling coming deep beneath me. The ground and walls shake violently as bricks fall from the ceiling. I look down and see I have activated a pressure plate trap that was set long ago. A large hole opens up in the wall. When the shaking stops, I try to gather my balance. "That was close." Through the hole in the wall, it fired a sizable oak log. Before I have time to react, I am hit square in the chest and get sent flying backward into the opposite wall. It feels like being kicked by a horse. I hit the ground with a thud and lay in a dazed heap, trying to regain my bearings. With great effort, I get to my feet, but I am still dazed and unsteady. I take a few seconds to compose myself, during which I can feel the effects of the impact dissipating. I cautiously walk forward to avoid further traps. Trying carefully to avoid them, even though I know they are everywhere. Stepping around the traps one by one, each time trying more creative ways to get around them. My last step has me standing before the golden altar. I look upon a weapon embedded in the slab's gold. "Now what do we have here"?
