While studying the celestial bodies that govern our world, we often assume that time is a constant across the world's realms. However, this is far from the truth. Even in the past, before the advent of modern technology and standardized time zones, the length of a day and night varied greatly from place to place.
In fact, it was not uncommon for nearby regions to have vastly different cycles of light and dark. The reasons for this are not fully understood, but some hypothesize that it is due to the unique nature of our Sun and Moon.
While these celestial bodies are revered by many as powerful entities, they are also humbled by the vastness of the four Great World Trees that hold our world in place. It is said that the Sun and Moon are actually lower than some of the branches of these trees, and this may contribute to the inconsistencies in time across the globe.
The Legacy Ruins, as I will be referring to them, seem to be the remains of ancient civilizations that once were spread throughout our world nameless years ago. These ruins are filled with Legacies of many different kinds, ranging from powerful magical artifacts to ancient tomes filled with knowledge and wisdom. While the ruins themselves are a testament to the power and knowledge of the ancient civilizations, they also pose a challenge to adventurers seeking to explore them.
The Legacy Ruins are known to be fraught with danger, as many of them are filled with monsters that test the strength of adventurers. Additionally, these ruins often contain traps and puzzles that must be solved in order to gain access to the Legacies within. Despite these challenges, adventurers are drawn to the ruins by the promise of adventure and the potential to discover new and powerful Legacies.
One unique feature of many Legacy Ruins is the limit on the number of people that can enter at once. This feature creates a new iteration of the ruins, so that two parties of adventurers could be doing the same thing in the same place, but never know it.
The Legacies contained within the Legacy Ruins are of immense value to adventurers. Ancient maps and scrolls can provide valuable insights into the world and its history, while powerful weapons and armor can grant the adventurer the edge they need in battle.
~Excerpt from A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Ruins by Kushite Romey, known for covering archaeology and paleontology.
World Location: A Mid-trunk Bough > Bashiri's Inner World
A CLOSE CALL
1513 IF 1984:00
The werewolf's heart was pounding with excitement and a little bit of fear as he approached the Lunar Ice Fortress with his packmates. This was the mission they had been preparing for, and the werewolf was eager to prove himself.
As the group entered the first room of the fortress, the werewolf was awestruck by the shimmering walls that sparkled in the moonlight. The air was frigid, and the floor was slippery with ice, causing the werewolves to tread carefully.
The werewolf was in his wolf form, his heightened senses taking in everything around him. He was so focused on the surroundings that he almost didn't notice when the sixth werewolf stepped into the room and suddenly disappeared from view.
Panic began to spread amongst the remaining werewolves, including the werewolf in question. Silver-Fang, the pack leader, had been among the first six to enter, and the werewolf couldn't imagine what could have happened to him.
As the werewolves began to jostle and push each other, the werewolf in question tried to move closer to the entrance to get a better view. But in his haste, he slipped on the ice and began to fall off the drawbridge.
The werewolf's paws struggled for purchase on the slick surface. He clawed at the ice, trying to catch himself, but to no avail. Suddenly, he was unexpectedly pushed by one of the other panicking werewolves, causing him to lose his balance completely.
As the werewolf fell, he transformed into a half-wolf, half-humanoid form, using his clawed fingers to catch himself on the edge of the drawbridge. His heart was pounding with fear as he dangled precariously over the icy water below.
As the werewolf's claws began to slip on the edge of the drawbridge, he felt his heart pounding so hard that he thought it would burst from his chest. The icy water below seemed to taunt him, beckoning him to fall into its frigid embrace. He couldn't help but scream out for help, hoping that his packmates would hear his telepathic cries and come to his rescue.
His packmates were rushing to his aid, but it seemed like they were too far away, and time was running out. The werewolf's fingers were slipping, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. His heart sank as he prepared to meet his fate.
But nonetheless, the werewolf struggled to hold on, his heart felt like it was about to burst from his chest. Every muscle in his body was tense, and his eyes darted frantically around, searching for any sign of help.
His fingers slipped once more, and his claws still were unable to find purchase on the slick surface of the drawbridge. Desperation set in as he tried to use his jaws to steady himself, but it was no use his head couldn't even reach. He was losing his grip, and he knew that he was about to fall.
He closed his eyes and prepared for the icy embrace of the water below, but just as his claws slipped one last time, he felt something powerful grab him from behind.
At first, he thought that it was some kind of monster that lived in the moat, but he realized that it was the Icebird, who had become the leader of his pack.
As the Icebird grabbed him in its talons, the werewolf felt a wave of relief wash over him. He was safe, at least for the moment. After grabbing him in its powerful talons, the Icebird placed him safely back on the icy drawbridge.
As he lay there, panting with relief and gratitude, the werewolf realized how close he had come to death. He knew that he had been lucky, and that he owed his life to the Icebird.
Silver-Fang led his packmates into the first room of the Lunar Ice Fortress, each step cautious and deliberate. The walls shimmered in the moonlight, casting an ethereal glow throughout the room. The air was frigid and the floor was slick with ice, making their movements slow and steady.
One of the werewolves inside the room growled, "What in the name of Bashiri is happening out there?"
Another werewolf chimed in, "I can't sense anyone's thoughts outside."
Silver-Fang declared, "Anything's possible. But we certainly need more information before we can make a judgment call on what to do."
Just then, they heard the sound of someone slipping on the ice outside. The werewolves rushed to the entrance, and Silver-Fang peered out cautiously.
He saw one of their packmates hanging onto the edge of the drawbridge by his claws, struggling to keep his grip. Silver-Fang felt his heart skip a beat as he watched the werewolf's fingers slip and slide on the icy surface.
Silver-Fang knew that they had to act fast. "I'll try to walk out to the others. Follow me closely if nothing happens to me from stepping back outside," he said, communicating quickly with the other five werewolves inside the room.
The other werewolves nodded, and they formed a semicircle behind Silver-Fang, who was already cautiously stepping out onto the icy drawbridge. As he stepped outside, Silver-Fang kept his eyes trained on their packmate, who was still struggling to hold on.
The werewolf hanging onto the edge of the drawbridge was now panting heavily, his claws slipping on the ice. He was about to fall, and everyone inside the room knew it.
"Come on, come on," Silver-Fang muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, there was a loud screeching noise, and the werewolves turned their heads to see the Icebird swooping down to grab their packmate in its talons.
The werewolves let out a collective sigh of relief as the Icebird placed their packmate safely back on the drawbridge. "Thank Bashiri for the Icebird," one of the werewolves said with gratitude.
Silver-Fang nodded, "We owe the Icebird a lot for everything it's done for us. But let's not forget about the situation we find ourselves in. We need to stay focused."
As he took the final step outside onto the wood of the drawbridge, the werewolves inside the room held their breath, waiting for any sign of danger. But to their elation, Silver-Fang made it through the gates onto the bridge with no trouble.
With a sense of relief, the other five werewolves quickly followed him. They knew that they needed to find out what had happened to cause their packmates to panic so crazily.
As the pack members stood on the drawbridge outside, they witnessed a sight that left them in awe. Silver-Fang's form emerged from the gate in a strange, almost ethereal way. They watched as his snout poked out from the darkness, followed by his head and then his neck and torso. It was as if he was stepping out of another realm and into their world.
The rest of the pack could not believe what they were seeing. They watched in amazement as the other five werewolves appeared, each one materializing in a similar fashion but at a much quicker pace. It was a surreal sight, as if they were stepping out of thin air and onto the drawbridge.
PREPARATION
1513 IF 1985:00
As the pack members gathered on and before the drawbridge, they began to experiment with entering the fortress. Silver-Fang and the others walked in first and quickly realized that there seemed to be no limit to how many of them could enter at once. However, as they continued to test the boundaries, they discovered that something strange happened every sixth person who entered.
The sixth person and five individuals who had entered before them would suddenly disappear into an instance of the fortress, leaving only the remaining members outside. It was as if the fortress wouldn't allow more than six individuals to explore together at a time.
Following this train of thought they soon discovered that by if a pack member exited the fortress after six had entered and then re-enter the member that re-entered would not join the instance of its previous group but rather the newest one. In this way they could create groups of less than six members.
The pack was fascinated by these discoveries, and they began to strategize how they could work together to explore the fortress in groups of six or fewer. It was a unique challenge, but one they were all eager to tackle.
The werewolves knew that it was time to take action and explore the Lunar Ice Fortress. After much discussion and deliberation, they finally agreed to form groups of five or six and enter the fortress all together. Despite knowing that there were potential dangers lurking inside, and that they needed to be careful.
The werewolves agreed to regroup outside by the end of the night or if they encountered any significant problems. They knew that they had much more to discover within the fortress and were excited to continue their exploration together.
With the groups formed, the werewolves cautiously made their way over the drawbridge once more. As they entered the fortress, they could feel the icy chill of the air and the sense of foreboding that hung in the atmosphere. However, they were determined to uncover the secrets that lay within the fortress.
The groups moved stealthily through the corridors and rooms of the fortress, keeping their senses sharp for any signs of danger. They were amazed by the intricate and beautiful architecture of the fortress.
EXPLORATION
1513 IF 1985:00 > 1513 IF 1986:00
Silver-Fang looked back behind him at the four other werewolves that were in his group. The icy walls of the Lunar Ice Fortress seemed to close in around them as they navigated through the narrow corridors. His mind wandered back to the conversation he had with the Icebird right before he entered the fortress.
Silver-Fang had mentioned to the Icebird that since he was the strongest in the pack, the others had decided he would lead one of the groups of five. Hence there was an empty slot in his group.
Silver-Fang remembered telling the Icebird that, "Actually, I was hoping you might want to come with me. You're a valuable asset, and we could use your help."
The Icebird had replied with a smile saying, "I appreciate the offer, Silver-Fang, but I have a feeling that the treasures within the fortress will be best fitted for the werewolves. I'll stay here and keep watch."
Silver-Fang nodded, understanding the Icebird's reasoning. "Fair enough."
As they entered the fortress, Silver-Fang was pulled back to the present by the smallest werewolf in his group, who had the most sensitive senses. "Silver-Fang, there's a monster ahead," he said over thought transference.
Trusting his companion's senses Silver-Fang immediately slowed down, moving forward through the ice-hewn corridor with caution and started listening carefully for any signs of danger. One of the other werewolves in his group, however, expressed annoyance at the slower pace. "Come on, Silver-Fang, we should be speeding up and attacking the enemy!"
But her brother quickly shushed her. "No, we need to be cautious. This is what I've always been warning you about. Rushing in blindly in a situation like this is a surefire way to get killed." Like this the pack quietly moved forward towards the curve in the corridor ahead of them, keeping their senses alert for any danger that might lie ahead.
As they turned the corner in the icy corridor they found themselves standing in front of a large rectangular room with an elegant vaulted ceiling that was easily more than three times their height, even in humanoid form.
The room was illuminated by an ice chandelier that seemed to have grown out of the ceiling around a miniature version of the Moon, which was giving off a pale, ethereal light. Dancing in the moonlight, weaving in and out of the shadows of the room, were well over a dozen lesser ice spirits.
As they gazed into the large chamber, the fifth member of their group suggested something over their telepathic link. "I think I could try to tame at least one of these ice spirits if we have the time," she said, taking the opportunity presented by the large room ahead of them. Silver-Fang looked back at her, recognizing her as one of the pack's few ice mage werewolves. He saw the familiar sight of an eye-shaped ice stone embedded between her eyes, as if she had grown a third eye.
Intrigued by her idea, Silver-Fang asked the ice mage werewolf about the benefits of taming one of the ice spirits. "Would there be any tangible benefits to us?" he wondered. The werewolf replied that yes, there would be benefits for her. With this information in mind, Silver-Fang made a decision. "Alright, everyone, follow my lead," he said to the group. "Draw the attention of the lesser ice spirits while the mage does her thing."
As the other werewolves engaged in combat with the lesser ice spirits, the ice mage werewolf began pulling aether towards her, absorbing it with her ice eye. The lesser ice spirits were weakened by this, as they were primarily made out of aether, which was being sapped away.
Eventually, one of the lesser ice spirits got pulled into her ice eye, which only strengthened the absorption effect. Soon, all but one of the lesser ice spirits had been pulled into her ice eye in a similar manner. Then, using all the aether her ice eye had absorbed, she overwhelmed the final lesser ice spirit's aether, functionally taming it (although it might be more accurate to say overwriting it) and turning it into a familiar.
As the final lesser ice spirit in the room was overwritten by the ice mage werewolf, a quiet rumbling noise seemed to come from underneath the wolves. Along with the sounds, a pillar slowly rose out of the ground directly underneath the moon chandelier. The werewolves watched in surprise as the circular pillar slowly came to a stop at roughly the height of a counter, and they noticed that there were three cubby holes carved into it, each containing a timberime chest.
Silver-Fang approached the chests, his eyes scanning each one as he searched for something of value. The ice mage werewolf, who had just tamed the ice spirits, approached him and asked, "What do you think is in there?"
"I'm not sure," replied Silver-Fang, "but I have a feeling it's something valuable."
The werewolves each took turns opening one of the chests, and as they inspected the contents, they found that each one contained a perfectly preserved one-time use scroll that would teach a different technique. Silver-Fang couldn't help but smile as he read the labels on each scroll: Arctic Agility, Healing Frostbite, and Glacier Strength.
As they quickly studied the scrolls and discussed their abilities, the ice mage werewolf spoke up. "None of those techniques will be very helpful for me and my skill set," she said. "But I have a feeling that they will be useful for all of us in the battles to come."
Silver-Fang nodded in agreement. "Indeed," he said. "Similarly, I have more than enough natural regeneration, agility, and strength as is, and won't be needing these techniques. However, I suggest each of you three take one since we will need every advantage we can get."
The youngest and smallest werewolf eagerly grabbed the Arctic Agility scroll, his eyes bright with excitement. "This one is perfect for me!" he exclaimed as the technique would make him incredibly fast and nimble, able to dart through snowdrifts and icy terrain with ease.
The more cautious older brother approached the Healing Frostbite scroll which would give him the ability to heal his wounds with the power of ice and cold, quickly sealing his injuries and preventing infection. His expression serious he said, "I could use this one. It will probably come in handy in the future."
The younger sister approached the Glacier Strength scroll, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I'm taking this one," she declared. "I want to be stronger and more powerful than ever before." Her mind already filling with fantasies about how she would be able to lift massive boulders and break through thick sheets of ice with ease.
Silver-Fang turned to the group and said, "We should take a short break here and use this time to recover and for the three of you to learn the techniques."
The group nodded in agreement and quickly settled down in a small alcove near the entrance of the room. The ice mage werewolf began studying her new familiar with great concentration, while the other three werewolves once more eagerly opened their chests and began studying their scrolls as well.
The youngest and smallest of the group, eagerly grabbed his scroll. He unrolled it and started to read the instructions, trying to absorb every detail. As he read, he began to feel a chill run through his body, and he shivered. Suddenly, he felt aether flow off the words on the page into her body. And as the words faded away, she stood up, and started practicing, darted around the room with incredible speed and agility, his movements smooth and effortless as he dodged imaginary obstacles.
Likewise, the youngest sister, spared no time unrolling her scroll depicting the technique Glacier Strength. She heardly unrolled the scroll and read the instructions, focusing on building strength through ice and cold. As she did so, she felt a surge of power rush through her as aether flowed into her from the page, and she flexed her muscles, feeling stronger than ever before. She grinned at her siblings, feeling confident and ready for anything.
The older brother was more cautious than his younger sister. He picked up the scroll for Healing Frostbite and examined it carefully before unrolling it. He followed the instructions carefully, focusing on the power of ice and cold. As he did so, he felt a cold sensation wash over him, and he closed his eyes, concentrating on the power of healing. When he opened his eyes again, he felt rejuvenated, wounds and aches he didn't even know he had were fully healed, and his body seemed stronger than before.
As they all studied their scrolls, Silver-Fang kept watch over them, making sure that they were safe and that no danger approached. They knew that they had to be ready for whatever lay ahead and these new techniques would help them immensely.
After a short while, the werewolves finished studying their scrolls and were ready to continue on their journey. They felt invigorated and excited, wondering how much more was waiting for them throughout the fortress.
