197 rooms · levels 35–51
Although it seems like Loktaah is a paradise for the thieves and the filthy, there exists a custom. This is the place. The customs officer who rules over the incoming and outgoing of goods in Loktaah is one of the most evil ones in the northern lands of Maruja. There are notes and papers all over the place. Utter disorder rules here, but still there's the feeling that the officer who stands here can form order out of chaos. To the south, Harbour Street can be seen with its busy noise and disorder.
The street abruptly ends here at a house wall. Eastwards continues Harbour Street. Northwards the harbour area can be seen where the ships enter and are repaired. The street is cleaner here and some tracks can be seen in the ground continuing northwards.
The harbour of Loktaah is one of the largest known. It has the capacity to dock forty ships at once. A lot of workers are here going back and forth, loading and unloading the ships. They carry furs and fish from overseas. One of the most important things, however, is the sulphur they load on the ships. This harbour is the principal one to export sulphur overseas. The mixed smell of sea water, rotting fish, and sulphur is heavy in the air.
Luxor Street ends abruptly here, at a large door to the east. To the north is the law firm of Grubertin, while to the south lies the Luxor Shop, where the rich of Loktaah buy their jewels. The presence of something evil comes from behind the door to the east.
The lawfirm is filled with codes of law from all over the world, but Grubertin is specialized in the law of Loktaah. The smell of old parchment and the musty air is overwhelming. There is a desk, two chairs and a bookcase at the far end of the firm.
The Chapel is a rather small building honoring the god Shagul. Inside there is a large altar with a cranium, the symbol of Shagul. Beside the altar stand two large candelabrae, with black candles. The presence of Shagul hangs thick all around the Chapel.
Standing in this chamber, you think that the man who rules here must be crazy. Here is an operating table, and a bunch of surgical instruments used to create all the nasty creatures he is preparing. A stair leads back down to the den.
This is one of the most luxurious shops ever seen in the world. There are priceless articles hanging all over the place, and mannequins displaying some of the prettiest things to be seen. Luxor Shop is where the rich of Loktaah come to buy their jewels and other luxuries.
The street becomes a little wider here, with Main Square being to the north. South of here, South Bay Street continues and Luxor Street intersects with Harbour Street. As the street grows wider, granite replaces the cobblestones which so far have paved the streets.
From here, streets lead off in every direction. South Bay Street runs from north to south, while Market Lane extends east and west, intersecting here at Main Square. There is an insane amount of people running around, looking for things to purchase, no doubt this being the most visited location in all of Loktaah.
The street becomes increasingly narrower here, with the gates of Loktaah looming immediately to the north. The road starts to slope ever so slightly as it proceeds north towards a large hill. South of here, South Bay Street intersects with Market Lane at a highly frequented area of Loktaah called Main Square.
The Market Lane stretches from east to west. North of here lies the entrance of the Trade Shop. The smell of homemade food wafts in from the south. The cobblestoned lane appears cleaner here than in other areas.
Standing in the Trade Shop is like standing in any northern trade shop encountered so far. Fur coats hang down from the ceiling, and some marujans stand around looking for something to buy. The climate of Maruja is cold, with a lot of snow up by the glacier, which is why the shopkeeper specializes in warm clothes for wintery climates.
This inn is the only one in Loktaah that is open to strangers. It is mostly visited by traktorians and marujans, being a meeting point for contacts between the different groups of Loktaah: a kind of no-man's land where all disagreements are set aside. A lot of people come here to talk, hear the latest gossip, make deals, or just for some amusement. The inn's porch lies to the west, and Market Lane, the town's busiest street, passes just outside to the north.
This is where the people of Loktaah leave their larger weapons and bulky clothes, and the porch is filled with all kinds of both. A wonderful smell of roasting meat comes from the grand hall to the west. Beside a big claymore sits a little dog, looking at the strangers as they pass by. The way out to the street is east, and the smell of food and the promise of a good night's sleep pull you further into the inn.
In the middle of the grand hall is a fireplace, where the guests throw the leftovers of the inn's delicious food. From the ceiling near the hood hang a couple of sheep heads, ready to be smoked. The bar along the southern wall is crowded with customers, and behind it is the kitchen where all the hearty food is made. To the west are the tables of the restaurant, where you can sit down and relax, maybe even eat something; the sleeping quarters are up above them. To the north are the quarters of Hildur Ornetand and his family, and the porch is back to the east.
There are six round and oblong tables standing here. The walls and ceiling of the restaurant are made of wood. The floor is made of stamped clay. This is the room where the guests of Junker Hildur sit down to have a mug of ale or eat some of the delicious food Hildur is making. On a normal evening the restaurant is filled with people. This is just the kind of place you would go to have fun and get drunk. Upwards you can see the sleeping quarters of the Inn.
The small fire in the middle of this room gives it the feeling of being extremely cosy. The coals glowing on it give off enough light to see a way to one of the beds, but not enough to keep anyone awake. At the end of every bed is a sturdy box, which can be locked and can be used to store equipment when sleeping. The beds are made of straw and there is an animal skin used for the mantle. In the dim light a woman can be seen sitting here watching over all the adventurers that come to seek shelter. The restaurant is downstairs.
The home of Hildur Ornetand looks like a comfortable home. In the room there is a big sofa, a drawer and something that looks like the kitchen. It is used to make larger amount of food for the restaurant and also for Hildur and his family. A lot of pots, tins and cans are hanging from the ceiling. A big pan filled with rations of chicken stands on the stove. To the west is the sleeping chambers.
In the room stands three beds for the family. The beds are the same as the beds all the adventurers can sleep in. On the eastern wall hangs a painting of the family and their dog Rufus. A chair stands in a corner of the room.
This is where Hildur keeps his own things. The walls are made of hard red clay and so is the floor. In the clay something is written. In the center of the room stands a chair.
The Market Lane continues with its many visitors. To the west is the market square and to the north is the smithy. The wall of the smithy seems to be made of some strange stones.
In here there is a lot of activity, with the smithy and his partner trying to make enough weapons and other agricultural items. The shop seems like it is carved right out of a big rock. A fire on the other side of the desk provides light for the shop. There are arrows, swords, lamps and other things hanging on hooks behind the desk. Two dwarfs are here working to serve the people of Loktaah.
The gate looks huge where it stands. The worn wood it is made of has been there since the old days. There is a sentry at each side of the gate and people moving back and forth through it. A door to the west opens into the guard room. To the south is South Bay Street, and far to the north, beyond the gate, there are hills and glaciers.
Here are some desks and shelves with cans and junk. A large box stands under one of the shelves. On the desk are some mortars, spoons, a balance, a can of living leeches in water, a black jar and some seaworm shells. On the shelves there are bottles filled with different chemicals.
The gate into Loktaah seems solid, old and very large. There are people moving back and forth all the time. Loktaah seems like a lively little town. Two sentries are standing on each side of the large gate. Towards the north the hills and glaciers can be seen.
The road to the sulphur swamps is passing beside the river of Loberan. It is a worn road covered with mud and clay. From the very beginning there was no road here, just a plain field of grass and little bushes. A scent of sulphur reaches your nostrils and it seems to come from the river.
The road continues following the river Loberan on the right hand side. Small stones are placed in the wheeltracks so that the coaches and wagons don't sink in the clay. The stench of sulphur seems stronger here.
The road gets muddier and the wheel tracks are getting deeper. Here and there are small bushes and grass. It seems like the soil is very wet and can't hold so much capacity.
The soil is very soft and the smell from the river Loberan is very strong now. The few little bushes that can still grow here have a yellow color. A little cottage stands to the south.
In the cottage stands a desk, a bed and a drawer. In the far side of the cottage is a little open fire. The carbon in the fire still glows, it looks like someone has been here just a little while ago.
The road is very thin at this point. There can not pass even a coach or something bigger. The vegetation has almost disappeared, only the strongest grass and weed that can live in a swamp has survived. A strong smell of sulphur is the only thing that can be smelt in the air.
On two little islands in the swamp lies the slave camp and the refinery. The environment is filled with a terrible stench that attaches itself on everything that exists in the surroundings. After a few years at this place you realize that the skin turns yellowish by the stench and the immediate contact with the sulphur. Here they collect raw sulphur. It is gathered by the slaves that walk around creating foam in the swamp, collecting swamp plants and grinding everything to a grey-yellow substance. To the east is the porch to the slave camp.
A strongly built portal closes the link between the big islet and the road. The road is made of macadam on top of the swamp. There is a wrenching sensation when walking upon it. It almost seems as you will fall right through and into the swamp.
Here the road changes into a crossing. North and south are houses. To the east you vaguely see a wooden bridge. The ground seems more solid here but the stench is outrageous. It would be a good idea to leave immediately.
The house is a huge barn, put together by stone clay, bricks and timber. The house is only one big room with stamped clay floor and a few round and square tables standing in the room. A scent of perspiration, smoke and urine finds itself into the nostrils. Some gnawed bones lie in the corners, a scrapped pair of boots and a bucket filled with thick yellow spittle. On a wall a pair of human silhouettes are painted.
The house is small, warm and filled with a strong scent of spice. To the left there is a drapery demarcating the room. Straight ahead there is a fireplace with different sizes of pots and beside the fireplace an unmade bed. The desk to the right of the door is covered with a large open book, pencils of all kind, an abacus and a little snake statue.
The road gets wider here and ends in some sort of square. The wrenching sensation from the swamp beneath your feet and the sulphur smell are still notable. From the north some snoring and shouting sounds come. On the ground two wagons stand loaded with all kind of things, probably to be transferred to Loktaah.
This is where the guards of Loktaah stay. The guards are here only to watch the slave-drivers and prevent terrorism. The only thing that exists in the room are ten beds and an open fireplace.
Two large bronze cylinders stand on the ground here. There is a fire burning under the cylinders and thick yellow smoke emerges from the top. On the side of the cylinders are two big taps from which the sulphur is poured into barrels. A large number of barrels lie stored here. The stench is horrible.
The water reaches your neck and the stench is outrageous. For a moment you feel safe but you start sinking!!! You sink deeper into the swamp. You have lost everything.
This wooden bridge goes between the big isle and the slave isle. During nights, the guards normally remove it so that none of the slaves can escape. To the north you can see solid ground again. There is a way down from here but that could be very risky.
The isle is very little, it is just enough to fit one building. The ground is not as firm as before. There are bones and junk all over the ground. To the west is a building.
A sharp smell fills the basement. There are twenty red painted huge barrels standing in a corner. Above the barrels lie some sealed jars.
The barrack is made of solid bricks. There are no windows and no decoration at all. This is the place where the slaves sleep, eat and make the necessary things in order to stay alive. The floor is made of clay and there is junk all over it. Some tins and cans are scattered over the floor.
Standing at the entrance to the Kmordadruid temple, one can note that it is surrounded by a stone wall, about a normal person's height. Here is a statue representing a human that holds his hand in a peace greeting position. The statue is beheaded and the head lies at its feet. There are evil symbols carved on the statue, and it is smeared with smelly things.
A brazier fills the room with very hot steam. In the room there are banks made of stone to sit on. This is probably where the druids relaxed and cleaned themselves in the good old days.
The temple is simple, but firmly made in ordinary stone. There is a staircase leading up to a wooden door flanked with two shutters of which one is closed and the other is broken and flaps in the wind. The door-knob is smeared with a green mucus.
There is nothing at all on the walls and floor. It is cold and it seems as if it is getting colder.
A beautiful chapel has been built directly against the rock behind it. The floor is covered with white stone and the walls have been painted white. Multicolored cloth hanging from the ceiling moves slightly in the wind. From within the rock clear fresh water flows into a little pond, and it disappears at the same rate as it trickles in, through a small round hole at the base of the pond. Two stone benches are placed in front of the well.
A square room that is dominated by a large wooden table on which a mangled body lies. It is very cold here and the room is filled with a thick sulphur fog that makes your eyes water. The smoke comes from a lamp by the head of the body. There is an open fire in the room but it is not lit. Some chairs and food have been thrown around the room.
A fairly warm and dry chamber with a comfortable smell of myrrh. The floor is covered with carpets and two wooden benches stand here. A climbing plant grows by the far wall. On the other walls are paintings of mountains. This room was previously used for ritual dances.
The room is cold and partially covered with snow, as one of the shutters is gone. Shelves hang on the wall on which normal kitchen equipment is stored. Crispbreads hang from the ceiling. A dried dough is sitting on a bench with some baking tools. In a corner stands an oven.
In this dormitory are four bed-boxes made of straw. In the center stands a fire place. The windows are closed and the room has a stale smell, the only exit is to the east.
Going down a narrow wooden staircase the wide corridor begins with white painted walls and floor. The air is hot and has the smell of perfume. On both walls hang dried bodies. Every mummy has a white painted skin and wears an ordinary cloak. All body openings are closed with stitches. There are seven mummies here, but also five empty tombs. At the other end of the corridor stands a large stone table with three clay pots.
The sound of water is the only thing that can be heard when standing here. The corridor is white painted, with little blue shimmering stones attached to the walls. Clear water emerges from the wall and into a groove by the western wall. At the other end of the room the water disappears into a spring through some cracks in the wall.
The well continues down. The water flows downwards it is difficult to keep from being caught in it.
The water keeps flowing from above. It would not be good to slip here. To the west is a little entrance, and back up is the chaft.
The room is foggy and has a very high humidity from the atmosphere. The walls are covered with grey stones, but the floor is covered with a thick layer of volcanic sand. A huge dragonhead, carved of granite is placed on the northern wall. The jaws of the dragon are closed. Between the jaws hangs a skeleton hand and steam emerges from the jaws. This is definitely made of a dwarven master. The walls vibrate and there is a gurgling sound in the room.
This heather covered hill houses four stones placed in a circle and one flat big stone lying on the hill. The view is wonderful, and there is a strange feeling of peace in the air. This place has probably been used as some kind of tomb in the early days. The soil feels warm and soft.
Beyond the stone the air is stale, cold and moist. A narrow passage leads into the hill. Large rocks form the walls of this tomb. In front of you the cave has fallen apart. The passage ends with a rotten wooden door to the north.
The hall is a square room. A large rock stands in the middle of the room. The air smells perfumed but it stings the eyes. The floor seems to be made of pure green glass. Shimmering pieces of obsidian are nicely placed in the walls. Exits lead off in every direction.
After going up a few stairs a hot and moisty cave appears where a copper bull in natural size stands. From a wide opening in the bull's throat flows a red, thick, bloodliking fluid down into a hole in the ground. In front of the bull is a plain stone altar situated.
On a large throne at the end of the room sits a huge dried man. The expression on his face is hard and evil. The man is dressed in a half rotten king's suit covered with purple ermine. On the head he wears a large crown with jewels, and around the waist a black belt. In his lap lies a huge glittering two-handed sword. On the floor beside the throne sits a dried corpse of a very old woman. In her hand she has a wonderful old mirror. On the right side of the room stands two large mummies, one with a large sword in his hand and the other with a silver sable. You really should not disturb this tomb!!
The room is lighted by an eternal red flame coming out from a ditch that cuts the room in half. There is a narrow bridge over the ditch. Behind the ditch there are two large statues of minotaurlike creatures. The air is quite dry and it is rather warm. In the far end of the chamber stands a statue of a now forgotten god. On the floor lie three skeletons attached to the wall with chains.
A large door set in the rock wall to the north invites one to enter. The door is black with soot. It stands on the very edge of the rock, above the portal to the south. A narrow path leads away to the west among the rocks.
The room is made as a half circle. From floor to ceiling it's about a giants height. At the left side of the room a fireplace is situated. On the wall at the other side is a wooden door. The office seems to have been a victim of some intense heat. There are cracks in the walls and on the floor lies dwarven corpses.
Here some stairs lead downwards just beside the mountain wall. The stairs seem to be wet and made of nicely carved stone. The stairs are very steep.
This room is more like a cubby-hole. On the walls there are shelves with books. It looks like an archive, the thick dust lies on top of the books and there is a chair and a desk standing in the middle of the room.
The dwarves of Maruja have as a custom to bury their dead on their place of work, to be sure that the spirits can share their experiences with the living. This is a wide room with a smooth floor. On the walls there are paintings showing the now living how their ancestors worked. In the centre of the room stands two statues made by two different metals with their backs one against the other. The statues are standing in the centre of the fireplace and they carry all the weight from the ceiling. On the eastern wall there are six holes, above one there is something written in dwarvish. In the left wall there is a big oven with iron shutters.
The path winds between the mountains, crooked and very narrow, as if it had been cut right out of the rock; on one side the mountain drops away abruptly, and a few bushes bend in the wind. To the east it leads back to the door of the mercury mines. To the north it widens toward a stone gate in the mountain side, and to the west it goes on toward a campsite.
The path is getting wider here. There are some leaves moving around in the strong wind that comes over the mountains. A large stone gate covers the mountain side to the north. Above the gate are some letters written.
A huge, about two half-giants high and wide, passage goes deeper into the mountain. The smell of sulphur comes strong here. Along the walls there are scaffolds and here and there are drilling holes. On the right side stands a burned wagon. On the wagon lies a couple of burned bodies.
The cave gets wider to the right. Straight ahead is an open shaft that goes down into the mountain. Beyond the shaft some silhouettes of human like people can be seen. There is a very narrow little path that goes to the north, just passing the shaft towards down.
A large cave with strong scent of sulphur, dung and corpses. The air is thick of steam. This cave was usually for storing mercury and refining it.
A huge chessboard is painted on the floor and burned dried bodies are used as mens. The rooks are made of little stolen houses, the knights are skeletons of sheep, the pawns are burned dwarven corpses, the bishops, kings and queens are made of burned human corpses. This is probably some kind of entertainment room for a very big creature.
There is a large pile of bones lying on the ground, it seems to belong to most of the known races in this world. But most of the bones are from humans and dwarves. The bones are gnawed on by some creature.
Two large ovens stand by the mountain. The floor in front of the ovens is covered with grime and dross. A pretty large kettle lies on the floor in front of the ovens.
Here stands a box filled with coal and a large shovel. In front of the box stands some kind of bathtub used to tap the mercury in. There is a working bench and some shelves at the left wall. The floor is covered with clay pots and tins.
The nest is one of the largest you have ever seen! Everything is black and burned. There is almost nothing in the room except a fairly large pile of bones. The noise of something growling in the dark is all that you hear. It seems like some large creature lives here and is feeding himself on all kind of human flesh.
Floating in the air is not a nice habit. The shaft drops past walls covered with red dots, and chains hang on the walls here and there. Something seems to have been carved into the rock by the chains. The shaft leads up and down, and a wide cavern opens to the south.
A wide cavern about two half-giants high is opening from the pit. In the centre of the cavern stands an iron stanchion. There are some rotten fish and some rat-corpses lying around. Some half-rotten sheep corpses lie here on the floor.
This is the bottom of the pit, the walls are still red from the stains of mercury. Some stalactites hang from the ceiling.
The walls are made of smooth stones, with several torches attached to the walls. There are paintings showing dwarves that died in the mine while they were drilling after mercury. There are four coffins placed on the floor. But all coffins are opened and empty.
There are drilling holes everywhere here. On the floor lies five rugs. On the walls there are some paintings of ugly creatures and things written like, "Gruka suck Cucamber!". A few ugly creatures are playing around here writing on the walls.
A small passage leading further into the mountain. The walls are still stained from the mercury and there are stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
The walls are covered with plaster on which there is different colors painted. Some pots stand on the floor. This is the place where the dark-elfs prepare themselves in special rituals before they meet the oracle.
A large speckled curtain covers the cave path. In the middle of the room there is a throne of stone covered with animal skins. On the walls there are paintings of eyes, weapons and dragons. In front of the throne stands a bathtub like thing filled with dirty water. On the throne sits a very old woman, she gives a glare at the new intruders to her home.
The water in the pool is totally clear and has a blue color. It invites one to a friendly bath.
The water gets darker, and there are some curling waves on the surface letting one know that from somewhere there is a slight wind coming. To the east a shore can be seen.
The room is a plain square room with walls carved out from the rock. There are ten large barrels of mercury standing in a corner of the room. This is the place where all the mercury is stored for transportation to Loktaah.
The path gets a little straighter here and climbs gently over larger stones. Someone has left wood and some stones set out like a fireplace, and there has been a fire here recently, judging by the black embers lying in it. This looks like a good place to rest and gather strength for the adventures ahead. The path runs back east toward the mines and on to the west.
The path ends here in the middle of nowhere. It seems like it has not been finished by the people that did it. To the west one can faintly see a tower reaching towards the sky.
On a rock, a rather large distance from the mine with a good overview in every direction, stands a well constructed guard tower. There are some movement in the tower. To the north is an oak door blocking the entrance.
The room is spacious and there is a mixed smell of sweat, smoke and maybe food or new baked bread. In the room there are four sleeping boxes and two tables. Around the large fireplace in the middle of the room hangs wet clothes to dry. There is a little door to the north and a staircase leading upwards.
The pantry contains a large amount of good food, beer and wine barrels. It is sorted nicely on the shelves, it seems like these guards are very good chefs.
Beside the chimney stands a large sleeping box and a desk. There are stairs leading upwards. To the south of the chimney is a wooden door, and under the stairs stands a cupboard.
A desk stands in the middle of the room. On the desk is a book, some ink and a brush. On a smaller table beside the wall stands a damp sculpture of a dragon. On the wall hangs a couple of paintings, showing a dragon flying over a landscape. Further in the room is a large wooden door with a red pentagram carved in it.
A roof spreads widely in all directions but only as far as the tower itself. In the middle of the roof a smokepipe and some stones are placed.
The waves lick the shore covered with very fine sand, here and there are some shells and little rocks. The landscape seen from here is one immense ocean and on the other hand large mountains with snow on the tops. A distant sound from a nearby town can be heard.
Immediately to the left of the door stands a luxurious bed with silk sheets. Beside the bed there is a little desk and on top of it lies some books, paper, parchment and a bottle of wine. Two large lamps stand on the floor and a stuffed crocodile hangs down from the ceiling.
The road winds slowly upwards to the north, away from the gate of Loktaah to the south. Pine trees stand on both sides of the road and provide some shelter against the weather. Pine needles and pine cones lie around everywhere. A smaller road leaves to the west among the hills.
As the hill continues upwards, the pine trees pass over to fir trees. The fir trees stand much closer together. Some snow lies on the ground between the trees.
The snow is more and more frequent and the lack of trees is noticeable. There are some squirrels trying to make a nest in a tree nearby, and some noise comes from the north, where the road reaches a frozen pond. The road is covered with frozen water.
The sun slowly melts the ice covering the little pond here. The ice is a dark color and looks more like a stone than a pond. A small fireplace sits at the edge of the pond and rubbish from other travelers can be seen lying around the edges.
A vast field of ice covered with the occasional patch of snow. Here and there a few bare rocks stick up from the ice. The only sound is that of the wind whipping against the rocks and at the same time it seems more like total silence. Some bones lie scattered around on the ice.
The icy plains continue on for miles and spread their silence around. Beside a rock, two ice-tigers play together. It looks like they are fighting a brutal fight, but at the same time just fooling around.
Fastened in the ice stands four large rocks in a circle, and in the middle there is something that looks like a fireplace. Some wood is placed by the fireplace and four Marujans peer around intensely as if they are prepared for anything to happen.
Leaving the icy plains there are a lot more trees and rocks here. The ice seems to disappear almost immediately and transforms itself into more rocks. A steep path leads up towards the mountains of Dymra. Everything seems dead and the wind bends the trees to an almost impossible angle.
Rocks and dead trees seem to be the only thing that exists. There are fallen trees crossing the path, and beside the path there are two owls trying to build a nest of some kind. The path continues further to the north.
The path continues steeply upwards. In the distance some kind of black tower can be seen. A huge fire has raged here as all the dead trees are transformed into carbon. The path continues towards the north.
This little road slithers up and down over the hills of Maruja. Everything seems calm and the wind blows up some dust from the ground. All that can be seen are hills and plains. Far away towards the north some mountains covered with snow show their peaks.
A huge plateau spreads out in almost every direction, it seems like this is the highest point of the mountain. Some bushes and small trees still grow here. There is a large black shadow over this place. A sign stands at the side of the path.
The plateau spreads everywhere. A strange animal lives there in a hole in the ground waiting for a decent meal to pass by. There is a strange smell of raw egg in the air. Some leaves dance around forced by the gentle wind. A huge black tower can faintly be seen towards the north.
Beside a large rock stands a huge iron tower. It seems like the only way to get in is using the large gate crowned with spears. Some large stairs lead towards the gate. To the left stands a wagon loaded with all kinds of things. There is some kind of creature guarding this place.
Inside the large gate, a large powerful dark hall opens. The hall contains nothing except large candles and a big violet carpet on the floor. There are doors leading off in every direction.
A nice and neat room with shelves of books on all the walls. In this library there are philosophy and medical books. All the books are covered with a thin kind of gold paper. In the center of the library stands a desk, inviting visitors to read some books.
The conversation chamber is a beautiful room with furniture, paintings and carpets. By an open chimney stands a sofa and two leather chairs. Closer by the door is a large stuffed bed.
A simple chamber with a table with four chairs, a coffin with coins, and three pouches. It seems like the habitants of this tower don't pay much attention to these kind of metal things.
A narrow staircase going upwards. On the walls there are paintings of the landscape and of dragons. Everything is nice and tidy. Where the staircase ends there is a landing. From there one can look over the hall following every movement down there.
A hall stretches from the north to the south, with a door in each end. On the walls hang empty torch holders. The walls are covered with stones and clay. The walls seem to be totally solid. Not a sound can be heard or spoken.
An unadorned corridor with a cold metal scent leads further into the temple. Empty torchlight holders hang on the walls. The floor is covered with some kind of black metal plates.
An octagonal chamber with dark metal floor. In the centre of the chamber stands a wooden desk with a miniature of the island Maruja. Two large stones on each wall glow with a clear blue light and cover the room in a mystical light. Three large thrones of stone stand by the right hand wall.
In the crypt there is absolutely nothing at all except a small staircase leading downwards. There is a strange feeling of evilness coming from there. The floor is just plain wood.
The library has no windows and there is a smell of very old books filling the room. By the sides of the library stands about twenty desks with various writing instruments scattered over them.
In this chamber Rufat ferments all his potions and strange things. The air is moist and the stench of fermentation, filth and rotten flesh is strong. At the end of the chamber is a little pond filled with a green slimy liquid. There comes a bubbling sound from the pond. Beside the pond there are two large bronze tanks and next to them a few minor containers.
The chamber is filled with boiling bottles, desks and barrels. There is water dripping from the ceiling and in some bottles here is frozen water. It smells very strong from all the chemicals and from the centre of the chamber a beam of water flows and enters a hole in the ground just below. By the right wall are some stones piled and there is a can hanging over an open fire.
A black painted chamber with a floor made of clay. There are two benches placed in the middle of the chamber in opposite position. It is a clean and peaceful room used for meditation only. Towards the north there is a bloodstained door.
This chamber is made as a circle with a huge black pentagram carved in the floor. Between the points of the star stands five black candles. There is a black fog spread out in the room.
The passage is made of solid stone walls covered with some cloth, probably to make the painful sounds from prisoners fade out in the distance. There are empty torch holders hanging from the walls. In every direction there are cell doors.
The vaults are formed in an irregular shape with a lot of pillars every-where. The darkness lies thick over this place and the shadows play in the black sand. Remote screams can be heard in the distance and among the irregular rocks are several doors.
This cell has temporarily been remade to a mortuary. In the centre of the cell there is a metal bed, and in the walls there are openings, some kind of storage for dead people. Beside the metal bed are a table with knives and saws.
A stone cell with some crushed wood lying in a corner. It is dirty and very cold as the water in a bucket is totally frozen.
This cell has temporarily been remade as the room for the prison guard. There is a bed standing in a corner and a desk filled with some paper. On the left hand side of the room there is even some kind of toilet. What a luxury!!!!!!
The cell is bare, there is nothing here except a stone bed and a bucket filled with water. Some chains hang down from the wall.
A large set of iron bars cover a well in the ground. There are some chains and nails spread out over the black sand. A huge yellow tentacle reaches out from the bars, like it is looking for something. Remote growls and screams can be heard in the distance.
The vault seems to get lower here. A large rock lies in the middle of the vault. It seems like it has been put there intentionally. Some maggots that have managed to survive down here crawl around on the ground looking for something to eat. Some water drips from the roof.
By the stone wall there is a hatch downwards. A terrible stench flows out from a hole in the hatch. On the wall there is something written almost wiped out and it begins, "Don't go...."
There is a shelf on the left hand side filled with books. In the middle of the lab there is a pond filled with water. In the air above the pond hangs two dead orcs.
Noooooo!!!! falling and falling. Finally reaching bottom and landing in an underground lava like soil. Any equipment melts down and any life dies, an instant death!!!!
The Shagulits have some prisoners here attached to the walls, using them to cultivate their clones. There is a bucket and some straw at the floor. The stench is horrible.
This cave is used as the final cave for the demons that are not needed by the Shagulits. There is filth everywhere. From the shadows emerges a horrible creature that has been trapped here in this hole. It melts back into the shadows.
The chapel is dedicated to the gods of the mountains. It was first built by the dwarves. The altar is covered with all kind of different stones and jewelry that was found when the caves were built. On the altar stands a gnome totally made of silver and smiling peacefully.
There is nothing in this cell but some chains at the far end. In the middle there is a very deep well. A man stands here preparing some torture.
At the far end of the room stands a big bathtub of some kind. It is filled with some greasy brown liquid. Above the bathtub hangs something that looks like a dwarven corpse, ready to be lowered into the tub. On the left hand side sit some cans filled with all kind of liquids. A stone bed and some tools used for hacking up dead corpses lie here on top of it.
The room is formed like a tunnel with seats along the inclining walls. At the bottom is a small arena and a stone bench. On the side stands a large crystal bottle with different organs placed within.
The chamber is covered with white tiles and in the corners stand small fires. In the middle of the chamber stands a bloody stone bench filled with cuffs attached in the corners. Beside the stone bench stands a minor table filled with knives and unpleasant tools. In the roof hangs a silver mirror that is able to focus firelight to a specific point on the stone bench.
A long staircase leads downwards. On the walls hang torch-holders and there is water dripping from the ceiling. The staircase is very steep and seems to go on forever.
The hall is covered with grey stone plates on the floor, walls and ceiling. All the dust lying around gives you the impression that nobody has set foot here in a very long time. It is deathly quiet. On the walls there are violet drapes which are half rotten and decaying parts are lying on the floor. A well used carpet leads towards a door to the north.
The chamber is filled with a wonderful smell of perfume. It is a beautiful ornamented room lit by a large blue stone attached to the ceiling. On the floor lies dust, pieces of cloth and pages from books. On the wall beside a broken table hangs a broken mirror. In a beautiful wooden bed filled with dirty sheets at the left wall, lies a very old woman wearing a silk robe. She is dried like a skeleton and her very long hair is thin like spiderweb.
A cold black stone chamber with a table in the middle of the room. At the far end of the chamber rises an enormous black throne. In the throne sits a green colored man in a shadowy black robe. He looks at the intruders with grey glowing evil eyes. There is something in his face that looks like an evil grin. He utters the words "There is no return!"
The market lane ends here abruptly with a shore. The small waves carve slowly in the sand, transporting it out into the sea. Shells and seaweed that have been flushed up on the shore are spread around here.
All the activity seems to disappear more or less when the lane here gets wider and bigger. Some coaches stand here, ready to take people on a ride around Loktaah. Further east, a small gate can be seen.
The Market lane has vanished and the lane seems more like a ordinary street. The houses on both sides seem to be abandoned. The street seems clean and there is only some guards here standing post.
This is the eastern gate of the town Loktaah, the only town on the island of Maruja. People come here from over all the world to change gold against furs or sulphur. The wooden gate sees travelers passing through it at all times of the day. A sign hangs beside the gate.
Standing on the plains outside of Loktaah a little path continues towards the north. The people sitting here have probably been refused entry by the guards. Some bushes and small trees stand on both sides of the path.
A neat room filled with papers of all kinds. A desk stands by the northern wall and there is a guard sitting at it filling out papers and forms. On the walls are some paintings of the mayor and other important people of Loktaah. There is a sign on the wall here. The northern gate is just out the door to the east.
The plains of Maruja look more or less like any other plains in this world. It is strange though that any type of landscape could exist here on this island with its cold and hard climate. Some bushes stand here bowing in the wind.
The plains seem drier here. Some dead trees stand here and there making the plain look like there has not been anyone here in a long time. By the path a bird sits and sings.
A wooden bridge is here crossing the river of Loberan. The bridge is weak and makes strange sounds when the wind licks its wood. Down in the river, some ducks and fish play their own special games.
On crossing the river of Loberan the landscape changes form quite dramatically. There are more trees and the vegetation seems to get thicker. The animal life is very rich here as the species have been left all alone to create special races among themselves.
The plains have disappeared and the trees are closer together now. The trees look healthy and have been able to grow freely. The path is covered with small stones and wheel tracks can be seen in it. To the north it climbs a little hill in the forest.
A huge aspen tree stands here on top of the little hill, leaning its branches over the path and making a place to rest. A little fireplace is made just beside the tree. The path goes down the hill to the south and on into the forest to the north.
The forest seems thicker and only little light can find its way through the branches of the trees. Two lizard like creatures seem to look for something special and are growling at each other.
By some rocks in the forest streams crystal clear water out between the trees. Around this little well is a large amount of footsteps in the soil, both human and animal like.
The path winds its own way through the landscape. The trees move by the gentle stroke from the wind from the mountains.
The forest seems to be totally silent here as the influence from more and more rocks enter the structure of the forest. The branches offer a very intense darkness and everything is quiet.
On a temporary clean spot in the forest some orcs, looking for food, have decided to get some rest before they continue their search. There is a open fire and some rocks to sit on. Tins, cans and used weapons lie spread over the campsite.
A little bridge passing over the river of Loberan, the bridge is just about the size that a coach can pass over it. There is a vague smell of sulphur coming from the river. The trees from the forest seem to be taken over by small bushes and little trees.
The huge glacier spreads out like a skin over this part of the island. Snow that has been packed hard over the centuries has taken the form of solid ice. Here and there are several cracks in the ice and it would be ridiculous not to take extreme care when walking over the ice.
The path here is marked by sticks staked into the ice on both sides of it. The ice is cold and a shining light blue in the light. Nothing other than ice and a few sticks can be seen anywhere.
A narrow suspension bridge passes over a huge crack in the ice. The ice has opened just like the jaws of a giant dragon. The bridge moves up and down in the strong westerly wind. A sign is posted by the bridge.
Some large cubes of ice stand here in a circle. In the middle of the circle glows an open fire. The fire makes the surrounding ice melt a little and the ground is wet.
The little path continues between the sticks placed deep in the ice. The snow on top of the ice whirls around, forced by the cold wind coming from the west.
The surface of the ice inclines downwards at this point, then abruptly comes to the edge of a large glacier. It looks like it may be possible to climb up the jagged cliff of the glacier. The color of the ice is now a deeper blue. The color change is due to the river that flows under the glacier.
Here and there enormous rocks can be seen sticking up from the ice. The poles signing the narrow path seem to stand wider and wider apart from each other here. The distant sound of wind whipping snow gives a bone chilling impression.
The ice seems thinner here and a little well marked path leads towards the west. Some Marujans stand here carving in the ice, trying to get some water. Here and there rocks stick up from the ice.
A field of wonderful crystal blue ice can be seen here. There are no rocks or any disturbance at all, only crystal blue ice. Everything seems very quiet and peaceful around this place.
The hills go up and down. There seems to be no end to them. The grass waves slowly in the breeze and some wild flowers grow by the edge of the road. Now and then the lonely screech of a crow can be heard in the distance. The road is narrow and it seems that nobody has traveled here for a very long time.
On the left hand side of the road is a well of some kind, it seems like a place to get something to drink. Here and there are some trees waving in the wind.
The road abruptly turns into a smaller path. The path is partly covered with weeds and grass. The grass is dewy and the wild flowers that grow here are beautiful.
Dead trees stand here and there intermixed with green growing bushes and other more healthy looking trees. This is surely the place to be in just to enjoy nature and the extremely calm landscape.
The hills spread out as far as it is able to see. The green landscape is so wonderful that it must surely come from a dream. At the left side of the little path is a rather large hole that is made from a badger and his family.
While standing on this huge hill the sun suddenly seems to disappear for a second and then returns. In the distance there can be seen some strange stone formations standing like forgotten statues of old times.
The little path slopes downwards until it reaches the lowest point. There can be seen nothing more than large green hills around this depression. Some rocks stand here made like chairs.
Standing on a lower path among the hills makes the surroundings enormous. The path is more overgrown now than before and it can hardly be seen. Some trees and bushes stand beside the path and some stones cover the landscape.
On both sides of the path here stand many trees with strange branches. Living trees are mixed here with dead trees. Between them are some large stones and bushes.
The trees disappear at a certain invisible line and leave a little peaceful clearing. The grass is green and has grown long, away from the dark forest. There are flowers everywhere and the scent is wonderful.
This den has been made nice and cosy just to fit the owner. The floor is just plain soil which has hardened to a stony appearance. The walls seem to have been cut out directly from a huge mountain and carefully polished down to a smooth and shiny appearance. Along the walls a large stone bench has been cut out so visiting people can sit down and rest. A large mirror hangs on the eastern wall and on the western wall hangs a large map over the world as we know it today.
Standing on a hill overlooking the port of Loktaah, the smell of sulfur reaches your nostrils. A river can be seen beside the town. Towards the north is the entrance to the town.
Standing outside the southern gate of Loktaah, the noise from the inhabitants of the town can reach your ears. Loktaah is a small city that has specialized in trading goods from the icy north. Towards north is the beginning of South Bay Street.
One of the larger streets of Loktaah begins here, the South Bay Street. The street is covered with cobblestones and dirt. Everything seems to be floating around. A small breeze comes from the north carrying the sounds from a market center.
The South Bay Street continues to the north. To the west the Harbour Street continues. To the east is the Luxor Street. A smell of half-rotten fish comes from the west.
This is the beginning of Luxor Street. It is the most luxurious street in Loktaah. The houses are made of white stone and they are very clean. To the east the street continues. To the west is the South Bay Street.
The Harbour Street is covered with filth, mud and dirt. There are wheel tracks at both sides of the street continuing westwards. Febrile activity, with people carrying boxes back and forth to the harbor, makes the street really crowded.
Standing on the filthy Harbour Street makes one wonder if there is any kind of law and order in the city. The harbour workers pace back and forth carrying boxes of fish. To the south is the Black Harbour Shop. To the north is the customs of Loktaah.
Standing inside the Black Harbour Shop, one notices that this is not the place where anyone really would like to work. All kinds of fish hangs down from the ceiling and the stench is horrible. A strange fat man stands here gutting fish. A worn note hangs on the southern wall.