At the Top of the World
In late spring, the multitudes flock up the slopes to the base of the summit for the Feast of Orrey, the first and only Pontiff of Courage. There at the summit base camp, swarms with spectators, pilgrims, peddlers, amateur hopefuls and seasoned mountaineers gather, many seeking to reach the summit at the height of the summer solstice. Only a lucky few are expected to return and those that do are transformed - though one can never be quite sure if its for the better or worse.
Deeper: Of all the mountains in Corrhéo, the enormous wind-swept summit of Aethyrion is most feared and revered. High above the cloud-line, unstable terrain, scorching sun-light and fickle weather constantly reshapes tranquil slopes and snowfields into chaotic landscapes of jagged cliffs and avalanches. It is considered a deadly expedition in the best of conditions by veteran mountaineers.
The Feast of Orrey commemorates Pontiff Orrey's own ascent to the summit where he presumably froze to death in a snowstorm. The reason why he undertook this expedition remains a mystery, however this did nothing to dissuade the faithful in following in his footsteps. He was awarded the title of Pontiff of Courage posthumously.
The feast begins a week before the summer solstice and ends at sunset to day after. Those participating seek to overcome the hazards of summit slopes to stand on the highest point of the summit at the moment of the solstice where Orrey will grant the pilgrim a boon.
Those participating must choose a path [D666 per PC, Summit Path Event Table] up the summit, and secure hirelings and specialists, source supplies and equipment at base camp before embarking up the summit slopes.
1 Nephew: A delicate, shimmering band that appears to be woven from threads of silvery light providing a wide band of shade. Staring into the shimmering band there is a sense of magic and interconnectedness in the patterns and shapes they form. The vision quickly fades as the sun resumes its path across the sky leaving a sense of correspondence and community.
2 Pilot: A radiant golden ring leads with speed and light, leaving a trail of sparkling guidance dust. The trail seems to be the outermost and fastest moving of all the lines illuminated. There is something divine in the course it charts and how the others almost seem to congregate toward it as if it were a guide. The vision quickly fades as the sun resumes its path across the sky leaving a sense of guidance and foresight.
3 House: An organic band, easily the thickest, twinkles with motion, color and light. It would easily shield Yurth from the suns hardest light, softening it with diffused opalescence, but for this rare moment of clarity. The vision quickly fades as the sun resumes its path across the sky leaving a sense of protection and convalescence.
4 Hold: An aquamarine marbled ring with a white ribbons and helixes, giving it something of a marbled center. The thick band has a peculiar pattern and regularity of geometry giving a sense of structure in form. The vision quickly fades as the sun resumes its path across the sky leaving a sense of structure and industry.
5 Engine: From the silt sea to the north, a glinting silt-salt storm threatens, but from this vantage point atop Aethyrion, the storm is cut by some invisible force in the shape of a hidden ring. It expands outward from the center for a moment before retreating back beneath the ochre silt-salt sea almost as if it had understood that it had been observed. The vision quickly fades as the sun resumes its path across the sky leaving a sense of sentience and power.
6 GM's choice or Roll once and once again.
666 - Rival Saboteurs: A rival mountaineering party triggers an avalanche in an attempt to bury the PCs, forcing them to find shelter or outrun the cascading snow. PCs that fail
665 - Treacherous Thieves: Saboteurs have cut climbing ropes and damaged equipment, leaving the PCs to improvise repairs or find replacements quickly. Delay by 1d4 turns.
664 - Trapmasters' Ambush: Opponent NPCs set up traps along the path, including hidden snares and pitfalls, designed to injure or delay the PCs. Each turn, PCs will need to roll D2, on 1 the encounter a trap. Roll an additionals event.
663 - Sniper's Nest: Enemy scouts ambush the PCs from high ground, launching a barrage of projectiles and using the terrain to their advantage. Treat this as a arrow trap, where archers harass PCs that are not under cover with arrows.
662 - Supply Snatchers: The PCs' supplies are stolen by a rival group, leaving them without essential gear and food, forcing them to either negotiate or raid the opponents' camp. At every rest, have the PCs select one item and remove it from their inventory.
661 - Misinformation Moguls: Opponents spread false rumors and misinformation at the base camp, leading the PCs to take a more dangerous and misleading route. PCs roll each event twice and takes the higher of the two.
655 - Sorcerous Snowstorm: A rival party uses magic to conjure a blinding snowstorm, making navigation extremely difficult and hazardous. Each turn, PCs need to make a [Navigation (Hard)] roll, or roll another event and append it to the end of the PCs path.
654 - Gatekeepers' Challenge: Enemy climbers block a critical pass, demanding a toll or challenging the PCs to a dangerous contest of strength and skill.
653 - Poisoned Waters: Opponents poison a water source the PCs rely on, causing sickness and weakness unless they find an antidote. When resting, have PCs make save vs [Poison (Difficult)]
652 - Saboteur's Blaze: NPCs sabotage the PCs' camp, setting fires or destroying tents, leaving them exposed to the elements. When PCs rest, roll 1d2, on 1 the saboteurs strike; reroll and append it to the path.
651 - Misleading Guides: Rival guides mislead the PCs into a hazardous area known for frequent avalanches, hoping to eliminate the competition. Choose one event on the path, and replace it with an avalanch which will knock PCs back to the base camp if they make a number of save vs [Survival (Hard)] rolls equal to the number of events encountered so far.
644 - Sabotaged Bridge: Opponent NPCs have weakened a key ice bridge, forcing the PCs to quickly find a way to reinforce it or find another path.
643 - Collapsing Tunnel Trap: Enemy climbers set charges to collapse an ice tunnel, trapping the PCs inside and forcing a dangerous escape.
642 - Hidden Icefall Blockade: Rival NPCs trigger an icefall to block the route, making the PCs find an alternate path or clear the debris.
641 - Poisoned Air: Opponents release a toxin at high altitude, causing severe altitude sickness unless the PCs find a way to purify the air.
633 - Snow Drift Sabotage: Rival climbers create a deep snow drift to slow the PCs' progress, requiring extra effort to plow through.
632 - Artificial Ice Wall: Enemy NPCs erect a sheer ice wall to block the path, forcing the PCs to climb or find another route.
631 - Booby-Trapped River Crossing: Opponents booby-trap a frozen river crossing, making the ice unstable and dangerous to traverse.
622 - Ice Slide Ambush: Enemy climbers trigger an ice slide to send the PCs plummeting, requiring quick reflexes to avoid disaster.
621 - Engineered Cave Collapse: Rivals cause a snow cave to collapse, trapping the PCs inside and forcing them to dig out or find an escape route.
611 - Shard Field Trap: Opponents place sharp ice shards along the path, making it dangerous to pass without careful navigation and protection.
555 - Wyvern's Wrath: A fearsome ice wyvern attacks, using its icy breath to freeze and shatter rock, requiring the PCs to fend it off or find a way to scare it away.
554 - Troll Terror: A pack of frost trolls ambushes the group, using the cover of a snowstorm to launch a surprise attack.
553 - Elemental Fury: A giant snow elemental emerges, its form shifting with the wind and snow, forcing the PCs to find its weakness and defeat it.
552 - Stalking Predator: A massive snow leopard stalks the PCs, using stealth and the terrain to launch devastating surprise attacks.
551 - Bat Swarm: A swarm of ice bats descends on the PCs, their screeching and bites causing disorientation and injury.
544 - Lake Leviathan: A frozen lake monster breaks through the ice, dragging climbers into the icy depths unless they can outmaneuver or defeat it.
543 - Golem Uprising: An avalanche of snow golems blocks the path, animated by ancient magic and hostile to all intruders.
542 - Worm's Wrath: A giant ice worm erupts from beneath the snow, attempting to swallow climbers whole.
541 - Mad Goat Stampede: A herd of wild mountain goats, driven mad by the harsh conditions, charges at the PCs, causing chaos and potential injury.
533 - Yeti's Domain: A territorial yeti fiercely defends its domain, forcing the PCs to fight or flee.
532 - Spider's Web: A nest of ice spiders spins webs across the path, their venom causing paralysis if bitten.
531 - Giant's Challenge: A frost giant challenges the PCs, seeing them as trespassers in its icy realm.
522 - Owl Griffon Swoop: Snowy owl griffons swoop down from the cliffs, attacking climbers and attempting to carry them off.
521 - Wolf Pack Hunt: A pack of winter wolves, led by a particularly cunning alpha, stalks and harasses the PCs.
511 - Wraith's Chill: Ice wraiths haunt the upper slopes, their chilling touch draining warmth and life from all they encounter.
444 - Blizzard Barrage: A sudden blizzard engulfs the area, reducing visibility to zero and forcing the PCs to find immediate shelter.
443 - Cracking Ice Bridge: The path crosses an unstable ice bridge, which cracks and groans underfoot, threatening to collapse at any moment.
442 - Sheer Ice Wall: A treacherous ice wall requires expert climbing skills and specialized equipment to scale safely.
441 - Crevasse Minefield: A hidden crevasse field tests the PCs' ability to detect and navigate the treacherous ground.
433 - Rockfall Ravine: The route takes the PCs through an area known for frequent rockfalls, requiring quick reflexes and strategic thinking to avoid being crushed.
432 - Treacherous Ice Cave: An ice cave offers shelter but also houses dangerous icicles that can fall at any moment.
431 - Wind's Fury Ridge: The path traverses a wind-exposed ridge where gusts threaten to blow climbers off their feet and down the mountain.
422 - Frozen Waterfall: The PCs encounter a frozen waterfall that must be climbed, with icy handholds and slippery surfaces.
421 - Cold Snap: A sudden change in weather brings an intense cold snap, freezing exposed skin and making progress painful and slow.
411 - Maze of Ice Pillars: The trail winds through a maze of ice pillars, each one potentially unstable and dangerous to pass.
333 - Starvation's Grip: The PCs run out of food, forcing them to forage or trade with other climbers to avoid starvation.
332 - Broken Gear: A critical piece of climbing equipment breaks, requiring the PCs to find a way to repair it or improvise a solution.
331 - Dull Spikes: The group encounters a section of the trail covered in ice, but their spikes have dulled, making traction difficult.
322 - Water Woes: The PCs' water supply runs low, and they must find a new source or risk dehydration.
321 - Fire Fizzle: A fire meant to keep the climbers warm goes out, and they must find fuel quickly to avoid frostbite.
311 - Shelter Shattered: The group's tent is damaged in a storm, and they need to repair it or find alternative shelter to survive the night.
222 - Landslide's Path: The trail is blocked by a recent landslide, and the PCs must find a way around or clear the debris.
221 - Icy Ascent: A steep, icy slope requires careful navigation and the use of climbing gear to ascend safely.
211 - Canyon's Gauntlet: The path leads through a narrow, rock-strewn canyon where falling rocks pose a constant threat.
111 - Pontiff's Rest: A snowstorm forces PCs to shelter. When they surface they find the body from a failed expedition of the past. PCs may loot a minor item in poor condition from the corpse. [1:6] The PCs have discovered the remains of Orrey, the first and only Pontiff of Courage, perfectly preserved in ice.
Lore - Gift of the Pontiff of Courage I
Orrey believed that a great truth will be revealed at the summit. While he never found it for himself if the players reach the summit in time, they would learn an important detail.Looking out over the world the quiet sun's brilliant light intensifies and strange lines become clearer as they stretch out across the sky from one horizon to the other. One in particular seems to capture your attention:
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