Ches 2

Ches 2, 1370:
    High = -20, Low = -40
    Heavy precipitation (4" snow) starting @ 11:30am
    Wind gusting to 30 mph from the north.
    Partly cloudy most of the day.

    Early in their travels that morning, the party spotted the ruins
    of a Netherese city up ahead.  Actually, what they spotted were
    the ruins of 6 structures peeking over the treetops of a pine
    forest, but given that one of these structures was a floating
    building tethered to the ground by massive chains and two others
    seemed perfectly preserved (one of them unnaturally tall)
    suggested strongly that these were Netherese ruins.  The visible
    buildings were:

      * A large palace or government building floating on chains.
        Built on what appears to be a 100'x150' platform of solid
        marble, tethered 75' above the ground.  Appears to have once
        been held in place by 10 massive chains, 3 of which appear to
        have broken over time.  The building itself is a white marble
        structure with a single, peaked roof supported on all sides by
        ionic columns around the edge and a wall set further in.  One
        corner of the building has collapsed, leaving a large hole in
        the roof.

      * An impossibly slender round tower that appears to be made from
        some huge purple gem (dubbed "The Amethyst Tower" by Darius).
        100' high and 15' in diameter, with a wide balcony (15'
        diameter) 8' below the top.  The balcony has a brass railing
        with three 8' wide, evenly spaced gaps and what appear to be
        tether points from a dock beside them.  Appears fully intact.

      * A 60' high by 30' square white & red marble tower.  Appears
        fully intact.

      * A partially collapsed round (30' dia.) red stone tower, the
        remains of which reach a height of 55'.

      * A partially collapsed square (45' side) sparkling brick tower,
        the remains of which reach a height of 72'.

      * A partially collapsed rectangular (60'x80') granite tower, the
        remains of which reach a height of 45'.

    The party made their way into the city area along the river for
    efficiency.  There weren't many other obvious ruins among the
    trees, just the occasional partial stone wall, chimney, or vaguely
    rectangular depression in the snow.

    By DM fiat, each of the 6 tall structures was 45 minutes travel
    through the trees from the others and from the river.  It's a
    function of how the underbrush is laid out.

    The party explored the Amethyst tower first.  The wood door was
    long since gone, but the rest of the structure seemed remarkably
    well preserved.  The color seemed to be painted or enameled on at
    close inspection.  Inside the tower was just a huge shaft with a
    spiral stair (with brass handrail) leading to the top.  The party
    startled a lot of bats on the way up, but otherwise had no
    trouble.  At the top was a mount point for a block & tackle and a
    doorway to the balcony, which seemed solid.  From the balcony a
    ladder set in the outside wall led to the roof and a large brass
    brazier.

    Mrap-M'rap scouted the floating building from above and reported
    marks in the snow on the roof that suggested something large,
    possibly a dragon, had landed there and gone inside through the
    hole.

    Next the party went on to the white & red marble tower, but it was
    protected by some sort of force field that the party could not
    penetrate, although some snow appeared to have gotten through.
    The party left a stick and a rock on the flat top of the force
    field as an experiment and headed back to the Amethyst Tower to
    make camp.