Castle World : ~397/Structures/PorturaNocterna


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Portura Nocterna

I entered the camp wondering why I was there. I had been given a simple message to come to the camp, but no hint of the reason I was wanted there. I walked over to the main tent and entered it. The occupants of the tent looked up start led at my appearance.

“Welcome, Tristan.” Keth, probably considered the Sage most knowledgeable of the ancient domains, said. Toram, a student notorious for solving problems in ways that like him was unusual and intelligent, greeted me with a quick smile. Shalera, known to be able to find almost unobtainable information, merely nodded.

“Hello.” I replied as I moved to pull forward a stool and join the group.
“We’re finished here.” Shalera told me, “You should come look at...our discovery.” She faltered at the end.

I followed them through the camp. I desired to ask the purpose of my visit, but all three were again absorbed in discussion, so I was left alone to consider this situation. A discovery in the abandoned lands could be so many things.

In the moment before my companions realized I had entered the tent, I had noticed their interesting expressions. Keth and Toram were clearly excited and intent on their discussion, while Shalera appeared to be both perplexed and apprehensive. This was rather worrying to me because Shalera was infamous for her extreme control of expression.

As we began to move out of the camp I saw a large black shape. While I approached, I saw that it looked like some kind of monument. Carved out of black stone, decorated lavishly with rubies, a statue of a woman at each corner, the entire structure was amazing. It would be so anywhere, but because it was found here it was even more remarkable. Nothing that the kingdom that once existed here had built would ever have been made of black stone as this object was.

Toram grabbed my shoulder and grinned. “Fantastic, isn’t it?” He asked me.
I just nodded my gaze not leaving the structure. “What is it?” I asked.
“That is something we’ve been discussing since first found it.” Shalera answered gravely.

“Pointlessly discussing.” Keth added sharply, “We know what it is. The illustrations on the tablets are quite clear. It’s a gateway.”
“I’m not sure what you mean, a gateway to where? There’s no sign of a building having been here. “ I asked perplexed.
“A gateway to...elsewhere.” Keth began quickly cutting off whatever Shalera had been about to say. “A door in one place that will lead to another far away from here.”

“A magical device?” I was almost amused. Surely this was not his true opinion despite the many myths there had never been a believable account of magic in any part of the land we had traveled to.
Shalera shook her head and said, “We can’t be sure of the tablets’ illustrations. How can you trust it?” Then looked at the portal. “Even if this is such a gateway without the ability to understand the writing we can’t know where it would lead.”

“And you could stand to leave it without knowing the truth. Well, I cannot.” Keth replied vehemently. “But I won’t have to leave. I know how to open it.” Keth lifted a torch from the structure, lit it, and touched each of the statues ’ hands with the flames. Bright flames came from the statues’ hands as Keth stood in front of the door.

“Get back!” Keth cried. As we stepped to the side, Keth lit the two torches in the door. There was little warning as the door swung quickly open and shut, and I couldn’t catch even a glimpse of what was on the other side of the open door.

Shalera, Toram, and I gathered together and walked around the gateway. There was no sign of Keth.

Toram ran to camp and returned with the others. One and all searched a greater area surrounding the gateway. Finally, we were forced to admit that Keth was gone, and we would probably never know where he was. That is all of the information I can provide on this event.

Sage Tristan

Eventually the discovery of the Sarean plate allowed us to interpret the text on the tablets and learn that the gateway led to a kingdom that had a long history of trade with the Sarean dynasty. Though cautious at first, the Grand Sage Callan eventually allowed a single Sage to use the gate. I was quite pleased to be that Sage, (it certainly required much argument to be considered for that task) and I will never forget the thrill of lighting that last torch.

The Sages that traveled the land on the other side of the gateway in search of news reported stories of an older man that traveled the land recording what he saw. It seems clear to us that Keth survived the journey, and lived for many years on the other side of the gateway. Keth was most likely the person responsible for locating the instruction for the very different gateway that was found on the other side and putting them in a secure place by the gateway. Keth’s reason for having not journeyed home after finding these instructions may never be known, though a search for any of the documents he may have left still continues.

Grand Sage Tristan

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