High in the gray granite peaks of the outer Hollow of Juranderon their saible car flew along its course towards Grawno’s sanctum. The reserved location was like many in this area, a complex of managed underground spaces in the mountains. Some were vaults, others serene shrines, often most were mausoleums where the elite were entombed.
Hollows are very inhospitable mountainous regions of Edden Prime, existing throughout that world. These cosmic pits are the threshold between the higher and lower realms. From a far they appear as one endless wall of mountains. Because of the strong winds always present, the mountains are free of snow packs. On the other side of the mountains is a vast chasm down into the interior realm below. Juranderon is one of the widest of these hollows, meaning the course over and around to the north rim took several cycles.
In that time the three of them had gotten very familiar, and the amenities along the course were just the sort you would hope for on a farewell tour of your home world. Their nights were spent in comfortable clubhouses popular with the gnomes the two veterans had spent their careers working alongside. The group drank and ate with their fellows while telling stories. Some of the stories were their own experiences. Still many other stories were so popular that the party would recite them word for word taking turns together. These clubhouses were just the kind of private spaces that Bamper remembered as a youth when following Grawno in his familial entourage.
Now that his two outfitters had gathered all that he needed to begin his quest, again he began to doubt leaving the safety of his home. Still he knew he would take the next step without hesitation and enter the Crissinthaliger sanctum. Inheriting the sanctum felt like finalizing the transformation into his new life. Landing on an outstretched stone pad at the end of a long narrow staircase, the car shook with the turbulence of the intense winds here so close to the precipice. The sidewalls of the landing pad and the stairs leading into the mountain protected the three for the most part, but the noise was deafening. Disembarking the flyer the trio were trailed by a rolling pad that held the bulk of supplies Bamper needed for his voyage.
Quickly they descended the steps into the cleanly cut tunnel of the sanctum’s entrance. Lined on either side of the steps was a sloping fountain channel that fed small ornamental shrubbery. At the bottom of the steps the fountain spilled over into a pool at the entrance to the sanctum’s antechamber.
This vaulted stone chamber was bathed in a pale blue light. As they moved through the large room highlighted ways and certain stone edifices lit up with warmer yellow lights. As the walkway led away from the stairs it forked into two parallel paths that bridged over the pool to connect with a courtyard at the end of the antechamber. On either side of the chamber were stone reliefs of the first three Crissinthaligers who came before Grawno. As well as their ancestral patriarch Flidt Kadibarun who lived around the end of the first era. The reliefs were carved straight from the granite into sunken arched recesses, which had silver and gold gilding along their frame.
At the end of the chamber was a grand stone relief depicting a mural of the sort similar to the decoration the three had seen in the scroll. It was a sequence of scenes as they were described by Grawno in some of his most famous and exciting story gathering missions. At either end of the mural there were entrances to a hall that lay directly behind leading to the sanctum vault.
As they moved through the hall the sound of their echoing steps carried on the placid air, and as they entered the excitement was palpable. There before them lay a trove of relics and at the center of it all was the great flyer itself, the Marfelpwip.
Her make was so grand it caused a long pause from all three who looked upon the dwarven craft with awe. In the shape of a chevron the orange and gold craft was one colossal set of wings, with eight floors, and a spacious atrium in the rear. The airship’s cockpit window was a gold mirrored material just as durable as the armored hull. An armored hull that when at full power bristled with repulsion and tractor fields that could move the craft as well as shield it from damage.
The roof over the Marfelpwip had a horizontal portcullis that opened up to a vertical shaft leading out of the sanctum. The dark glass filling the gaps of the portcullis allowed an eerie pale light through from the ravine above, but the ship itself seemed luminous. The centerpiece of this vault held a deep history, and even though the sanctum held many treasures. None was more important than this.
“This is a dream come to life Bamper! Son, you don’t know what it means for an old gnome like me to be this close to such an impressive machine!” Konureh said while not breaking his stare from the Marfelpwip.
Approaching the ship they saw a viewing area for special relics Grawno brought back himself. The viewing area was ornate, made from polished hardwood, accented with carved ivory inlays. At the center of this viewing area stood the one relic that was by far Bamper’s favorite. Recovered by Grawno’s predecessor Dwarthaligan, it was a prize unlike any a surveyor could have expected in the course of his duties.
Up on a raised platform stood a large crystal box, quite thick and resembling a wall of foggy glass. With many living plants appearing throughout this looked like one huge terrarium, and in a certain way it was. This was an ancient thing from the High Elven Kingdom of Pryous. A complex magical machine which produced an interactive simulation of the forest floors of Terronis. This thing was unlike any technology the cosmos had ever seen before. Being the design of one very eccentric Elven mage, it was made for the pure joy and fun it could bring.The simulated beings inside were powered by namanite crystals, which gave these virtual things a soul of their own. So though nothing inside lived, everything inside moved, and thought about those movements.
“So this is the faux forest, it is much bigger than I imagined.” Bamper said standing in front of it, feeling proud about his ancestor’s acquisitions.
“Imagine the shock it was for our world when your great great grandfather returned with the tales of the Casmarean’s retreat from Terronis.” Gabriden said thoughtfully.
Bamper knew much about that story, it was a story over thirteen hundred years old. Because it belonged to his great great grandfather, a special version of his story was passed down through his family. The story was known by many, but certain details were not described at length in the annals.
Walking towards the crystalline wall, Bamper felt like he was walking towards a doorway into a painted world.
“If only we had the control console, we could learn so much about what life is like inside this glass world.” Bamper said teasing unknown details of that story he figured these two didn’t know.
“You aren’t saying that this artifact has an interface beyond voice commands? Are you?” Gabriden queried excitedly. He knew that different scenes could be accessed in the virtual diorama, providing a series of diverse viewpoints throughout the given world. Something he was eager to do. If he could remember how to speak any High Elven.
“This may come to a surprise to you Gabriden, but this wasn’t the only device of its kind. This particular model is what the mage called his personal false forest, but he distributed many smaller units that his fans called Blotlife.” Bamper explained.
“Listen pals, if we are going to do this, let’s be in the right place for telling stories.” Konureh said, directing the two back to the Marfelpwip which he had hardly stopped staring at.
“Excited to get inside are we?” Gabriden said smirking, as he turned to face the gear head.
“How are you not itching to get inside such a beauty!” Konureh shot back with a wide grin.
As the two headed that way, Bamper placed his hand on the warm glass saying in High Elven ‘you are safe still’ which seemed to entice a reaction from somewhere in the virtual jungle as several tree tops jostled with unseen activity.
Going around to the back end of the large vessel the trio entered into the Marfelpwip through a gate in the back. The entrance was near the atrium that ship impressively hid like the soft abdomen of a beetle.The hemispheric greenhouse was just as durable as the cockpit window and had a dark blue sheen. Inside the atrium held several clusters of trees, a tall lawn, and a decent garden of diverse plants . The stone trail that led around the park guided them towards the stairwells that continued into the ship’s several decks.
The whole interior of the craft was a complete contrast with the exterior. While the outside was a brightly colored metallic behemoth studded with a mix of stone cannon caps and field emitters. The inside was quite literally a well furnished mansion.
With the exception of the engine room and cockpit, the vast majority of the Marfelpwip was remodeled when Dwarthaligan took over ownership. The original fighter craft was designed to hold entire teams of Casmarean shock troops and engineers to assist in the war against the Yailepps. So while the ship still technically had an armory and functional firepower. The many other military facilities such as barracks, a mess hall, and an infirmary were gutted in order to better accommodate the gnomish lifestyle.
Now there was a library, a gallery, several comfortable cabins with private lavatory and bathing rooms. The area just beyond the miniature indoor park was a fine sitting area. This leisure area was just at the base of a grand staircase that led up to three different higher landings, all neatly railed and carpeted. Under the stairs was an entrance to the large kitchen, where Gabriden quickly began heating the oven and preparing their mid evening meal.
Meanwhile Konureh sat across from Bamper and began to press him on the story he clearly understood Bamper held from them saying, “I always knew you Crissinthaligers kept the extra bits for yourselves eh?”
“In all honesty I doubt these details are still considered privileged information by the elder councils, considering we’re 10 councils removed from Dwarthaligan’s time…” Bamper teased further.
“Privileged information! How exciting! You know accessing classified annals is how I found my love for the wonders of Caseth-marr.” Konureh beamed as he looked around at his surroundings inside the ancient fighter craft.
From inside the kitchen Gabriden, not quite sure what was being said, but not wanting to miss out, began begging loudly, “The two of you had better not be getting on without me!”