An Ancient Tower
- Before you kill the giant bird-creature:
A tall stone tower stands here, a hundred feet tall if it's an inch and, as far as you can tell, almost entirely intact. 'Almost' being the operative word, as the interior of the tower proves to be completely choked with debris -- apparently the inner floors and staircases collapsed long ago.
If anything was to be found at the top of this tower, Krakrox realized, he would have to scale the outer wall. A daunting prospect, but not an insurmountable one, certainly not for an experienced climber such as himself. The rough stone walls offered plenty of hand-holds and the structure as a whole had a slight but perceptible taper as it reached the top, making this relatively easy compared to many of his past climbing achievements.
- Visiting the tower again after failing to kill the giant bird-creature:
A tall stone tower stands here, a hundred feet tall if it's an inch and, as far as you can tell, almost entirely intact. 'Almost' being the operative word, as the interior of the tower proves to be completely choked with debris -- apparently the inner floors and staircases collapsed long ago.
If anything was to be found at the top of this tower, Krakrox realized, he would have to scale the outer wall. A daunting prospect, but not an insurmountable one, certainly not for an experienced climber such as himself. The rough stone walls offered plenty of hand-holds and the structure as a whole had a slight but perceptible taper as it reached the top, making this relatively easy compared to many of his past climbing achievements.
The only really difficult thing about it, is that giant bird-lizard thing, which is still swooping around the top of the tower, waiting to dive-bomb you again.
- After you kill the giant bird-creature:
A tall stone tower stands here, a hundred feet tall if it's an inch and, as far as you can tell, almost entirely intact. 'Almost' being the operative word, as the interior of the tower proves to be completely choked with debris -- apparently the inner floors and staircases collapsed long ago.
If anything was to be found at the top of this tower, Krakrox realized, he would have to scale the outer wall. A daunting prospect, but not an insurmountable one, certainly not for an experienced climber such as himself. The rough stone walls offered plenty of hand-holds and the structure as a whole had a slight but perceptible taper as it reached the top, making this relatively easy compared to many of his past climbing achievements.
Now that you've killed that giant lizard-bird thing, there should be nothing to stop you from reaching the top.
| Go East |
| Go South |
| Climb Tower |
- Without memory of a grappling hook:
You spit on your palms, rub them together, and start climbing. One handhold after another, one foothold after another, your progress up the tower is steady and unflagging. Until suddenly, when you are perhaps halfway up, a deafening screech tears the air.
A gigantic birdlike creature -- neither a giant vulture nor a winged lizard but with aspects of both and a wingspan fully twice as long as Krakrox was tall -- swooped through the air, diving directly at the barbarian. The creature did not strike, instead turning aside at the last second and continuing its flight around the tower, but the wind of its passing tore Krakrox's grip from the stone wall, and he fell, tumbling through the air.
Nearly wrenching your arm out of its socket, you manage to momentarily grab a protruding brick as you fall. You quickly lose your grip again, but your descent is slowed enough that you manage to catch more temporary holds, and scrabble your way down the stone tower, landing at the bottom bruised, but unbroken.
The giant bird or lizard or whatever it was wheeled around the top of the tower, and screeched again. Krakrox cursed it and every one of its ancestors, rubbing his hands and panting for breath.
Being a man of action, Krakrox didn't care much for wandering around silent ruins looking for keys and whatnot. He decided he would return to the jungle and seek out a little action, and then return.
giant bird-creature  -- (edit metadata)
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Uttering a final pained squawk, the bird-lizard-thing crashed into some trees on the edge of the ancient city. Battered but largely unharmed by the rough landing, Krakrox climbed down from the trees and back to the forest floor.
- After defeating the giant bird-creature:
Once again you climb the tower -- this time, there are no giant crazy bird-monsters to stop you, thankfully, and you quickly make your way to the top.
Pulling himself onto the flat tower roof, Krakrox noted without surprise the large nest, containing a light brown egg the size of a wine barrel. He briefly considered hurling it off of the tower, out of spite, but decided he couldn't be bothered. Far more interesting was the stone chest over to one side of the platform.
You push the heavy stone lid off of the box, and discover a large stone disc, perhaps one and a half hand-widths in diameter -- or rather, half of such a disc, for it appears to be broken, and the other half missing. You stash it in your pack, and make your way carefully back down the side of the tower.
 | You acquire an item: memory of half a stone circle |
Finding the quiet of the ancient city to be a bit... disquieting, Krakrox decided to return to the jungle for a bit to stretch his legs -- or rather, his sword.
Er... well, you know what I mean.
- After obtaining memory of half a stone circle:
Krakrox considered briefly climbing the tower again, but was pretty sure that he had found all the tower had to offer.
| Leave the City |
Poking around in an abandoned ruin was starting to grate on Krakrox's nerves. He was a man of action, ill-suited to scavenger hunts and puzzley nonsense.
You decide to return to the jungle and find something to kill instead.
Occurs at The Jungles of Ancient Loathing.
