434 rooms · levels 30–55
A narrow path winds through the steaming jungle, heading east and west. The trees crowd in around the path, obscuring vision and making motion difficult. The sounds of the jungle fill the air- a constant drone from the many birds and frogs, as well as the occasional roar of a lion. A large wooden sign is here.
The path continues east and west through the dense foliage. Just to the east it seems to open up into a clearing of some kind, but the brambles and leaves that line the path make it difficult to be sure. The air is hot and humid.
A large clearing stretches north, east, and south from here, while to the west a narrow trail leads back into the lush vegetation. The eastern side of the clearing is bordered by a large wall made from carefully fitted stone, thirty feet high and heavily decorated with carved figures. This must be the lost city of Ss'ranitul, once the capital of a mighty empire, but now forgotten by time in the jungle's steamy depths.
The great western city wall looms above, reaching thirty feet into the sky. Directly to the east, the walls frame a large arched entrance that is the city's western gate. The entrance can be secured by a huge pair of ivory doors, each carved so that when they are fitted together the designs on their surface reveal a fiery phoenix, keeping watch over the wilderness to the west.
This is the north-east corner of a large jungle clearing. A narrow trail heads north along the city wall, and the great western gate of the city lies to the south. The walls here are carved with images of the great feathered serpent, the patron deity of Ss'ranitul bestowing its blessings upon a sacrifice of human slaves and captured warriors. A dark green vine clings to the wall's surface, slowly eroding the intricate decoration.
A large clearing in the dense jungle is here, stretching to the north and west. To the east is the mammoth granite city wall of Ss'ranitul. Directly north from here, the thick wall is broken by the arched western gate. To the south a narrow trail runs along the outside of the wall.
The forest path suddenly terminates in a huge tangle of vines. A strange dark green creeper with huge lavender blossoms covers the trail and all of the nearby trees. Perhaps it was just the eyes playing tricks, but it almost seems like the strange plant is writhing purposely towards where you are...
A large clearing opens up among the twisted tangle of jungle plants, stretching to the south and east. There are a few over-grown flagstones scattered about the ground; apparently this was once a paved road to the great city of Ss'ranitul, whose towering walls lie to the east. A narrow trail twists north and another break in the tangled growth of vines and trees to the east leads off the main trail.
A narrow path twists north past a large stand of brambles to the west and a dense stand of vine-covered trees to the east, veering slightly toward the ancient city wall. To the south the path opens up into a broad clearing. The wall here is so thickly shrouded in vines that none of its carvings can be seen.
A tangle of low-hanging branches from a nearby tree bend down to meet the wall here, creating a shadowed canopy. The granite wall is covered with a mural showing human gladiators fighting each other in a great arena while a huge crowd looks on. A stylized representation of the feathered serpent peers down from inside the sun, blessing the bloodshed and carnage.
A slight break in the jungle canopy here leaves the narrow trail exposed to the sky. The air is filled with the sounds of jungle life - the relentless song of exotic birds, the screech of monkeys, and the strange chirp of insects.
The narrow trail through the humid jungle continues to the north and the south, winding its way past a thick stand of palm trees to the west and the huge ancient wall to the east. The wall's surface seems to be purposely chipped and cracked here, as if someone deliberately has tried to destroy whatever intricate carving once graced its surface.
The trail widens slightly as it heads north from here. Its surface is covered with some faint animal tracks, though they are too obscured to indicate what kind of beast has passed by here. The tracks are thickest to the north.
The jungle trail splits here, with the main trail continuing north along the outside of the ruined wall, and a smaller, over-grown path leading west into a clearing. A large number of animal tracks lead from the south along the west path, though the pattern is too obscured to be recognizable.
The narrow trail ends abruptly in a small clearing, devoid of trees but covered with tall grasses and brambles. Animal tracks lead into the clearing from the east and lead north, further into the clearing. The tracks seem to belong to a large cat of some kind.
The clearing opens up into a roughly circular region surrounded by the thick jungle trees. The clearing is carpeted in a thick layer of tawny grass that has been trampled down in many places by playful lion cubs. There is a large pile of animal bones on the clearing's west side, where several skeletons have been torn apart.
The trail through the jungle bends here, at the city's north-west corner. Barely peeking over the mammoth city wall is the top of an ancient pyramid with a large temple resting atop its upper platform. The wall is carved to look as if it were covered with flowering vines, which ironically enough, is exactly what has happened over the centuries. Real vines cling to the wall's carved exterior in a dark green shroud.
A large clearing breaks the jungle's verdant vegetation, continuing to the east and north. The clearing's grassy interior is broken here and there by the occasional weathered flagstone, where an ancient road once ran through the jungle's depths.
A narrow trail runs along the outside of the western wall of Ss'ranitul, heading north into a large clearing, and south into the jungle. The exterior of the wall is covered with intricate carvings, showing a great game being played in a large arena while the city's nobles look on. Half-naked teams of men try to put a wooden ball through a pair of rings barely larger than the ball itself.
The trees to the west of this narrow north-south trail are covered with dark green vines bearing large purple flowers. The sweet smell from the flowers is over-powering. Lines of tiny ants scurry among the vines, harvesting the rich nectar.
A narrow path twists north and south through the humid jungle. To the west the trail is bounded by a thick tangle of brambles, and to the east is the expanse of the outer wall. This section of the wall has been carved to show the priests of the great feathered serpent sacrificing a war criminal atop a temple pyramid. Smaller pictures around the main scene explain that the sacrificial victim's soul is destined to live on as a member of the feathered serpent's celestial kingdom.
A narrow trail meanders along the outside of the city wall of Ss'ranitul. This section of the wall is covered with pale green vines sporting bright yellow flowers, and thick brambles cling to it as well, hiding the rich adornment. The humid air is filled with the cries of jungle birds. The trail runs north toward the western gate and south deeper into the vines.
The narrow trail is a tangled mass of several different varieties of vine, all competing for the best spots for sunlight atop the trees and on the thirty foot wall to the east. Every step requires attention to avoid becoming tangled. To the north the trail runs back along the wall, while to the south it opens up into a small clearing.
A small clearing in the jungle's dense plant life opens up here, and continues to the south and west. The clearing is carpeted with a thick layer of vine. The city wall, which forms the clearing's eastern boundary, seems to vibrate slightly, as if being trampled by thousands of small feet.
The granite wall here is covered with a thick tough vine that seems to have been deliberately loosened from the wall, as if someone had used the vines to climb up to the wall's top. The wall shudders slightly, as if it were being struck repeatedly by millions of tiny feet.
The twisted vines here have been torn by large ragged cuts, as if by some kind of claw or mandible. There seems to be a pattern to the cuts - they are always on the same kind of vine, and it is always the flowering tips that have been removed. Apparently someone or something is using this clearing as a garden of sorts.
A vine-enshrouded clearing lies here, flush against the outside of the western wall of Ss'ranitul. The vines here are predominantly a strange bluish color with pale pink flowers, and the steamy air is heavy with their scent. The clearing continues north, and the wall itself, thick with climbing vines, lies to the east.
The narrow path heads east and west through the humid vegetation. From the east comes the droning sounds of frogs and insects, living out their tiny lives oblivious to your passage. To the south is the ancient city wall of Ss'ranitul, its once beautiful face weathered into a smooth surface devoid of detail.
The jungle path winds its way east and west from here, running along the northern city wall to the south. This section of the wall shows a great battle between the city's inhabitants and the foul followers of the fire goddess. Thousands of warriors, dressed in ceremonial armor and wielding spears, clash in a huge battle at the city's northern gate while in the heavens the great feathered serpent and the fire goddess wage a war of their own.
The narrow path continues along the outside of the massive granite wall. This section of the wall depicts the feathered serpent calling upon the aid of its most ancient ally, the phoenix, to battle a fire goddess. With the aid of the phoenix, the feathered serpent is able to imprison the foul goddess deep within a volcano to the north of the city.
A thick tangle of vines hangs down from the surrounding trees, making a kind of curtain that hangs across the path here. The vines have also covered the city wall, obscuring its beautiful murals. An over-powering sweet smell fills the air; it seems to originate from the vines.
One of the trees has collapsed here, lying east to west along the path. The tree's rich bark supports a large colony of violet mold that thrives on the rich food supply. To the north, the jungle forms an impenetrable wall of trees, while to the south is the outside of the city wall.
A large tree has fallen here, lying along the path's length here and to the west. This end of the log looks shredded, as if some very large animal had been using it to sharpen its claws. To the south is the granite wall of the ancient capital, and to the north, through a narrow break in the trees can be seen the vague form of a far-distant volcano.
A narrow path winds its way along the northern wall of Ss'ranitul. To the east the path opens up into a clearing, while to the west a huge tree has fallen along the path's length. The wall to the south is carved with a scene showing the construction of a large temple pyramid to the feathered serpent in the city's north-west corner. The image shows thousands of slaves assembling the huge structure from solid blocks of stone.
A small clearing opens up here, around the northern gate of Ss'ranitul, which lies directly to the east. The wall here is carved with the lineage of the great emperors of the city, recounting the great deeds that each did to further the capital's glory, and that of the feathered serpent. The images show the feathered serpent blessing each emperor with unusually long life-span and vigorous health.
The massive wall is broken here by an ornately carved archway providing entrance into the ancient city of Ss'ranitul. The archway can be secured with a huge pair of ivory doors, carved so that when they fit together they form the image of a giant monkey, staring sagely into the northern jungle depths. The gate looks slightly damaged; it no longer appears to lock properly, and even when closed hangs slightly ajar.
The narrow jungle trail continues along the outside of the northern wall, heading west toward the city gate, and east toward a damp muddy region. The slight smell of rotting vegetation hangs in the humid air, adding its sharp odor to the jungle's thick aroma.
The narrow trail continues along the northern wall, heading to the northern gate to the west and a wide river to the east. A flock of large gray birds peer down with beady eyes from grass nests in the surrounding trees. They make no noise at all, and the silent watchers are a little eerie.
The twisted trail passes between a dense stand of jungle vegetation to the north, and the city wall to the south. The wall here has been carved to represent the evil cobra god, Ssaransth, leading his foul followers to attack the city. A horde of humanoid snake-men is depicted charging through the east gate while the city's warriors try vainly to repel them.
The trail along the wall continues to the east and west. To the south, the huge granite wall is carved with scenes from an ancient war between the city and the snake-men to the east. The snake-men seem to be winning the war; they stream through the smashed east gate unchecked. But in the city's north-west corner, the high priest of the feathered serpent is shown praying, asking his deity to save the capital from the foul invaders.
The path along the wall meets a wide river, which lies directly to the east. The rapid waters stream south out of the jungle, under the wall, and into the city itself. To the west, the trail heads toward the great northern gate of Ss'ranitul. This section of the outer wall appears to have been once carved with scenes from the city's history, but the carvings here have been deliberately destroyed, and are unrecognizable.
A swift river flows south from the unknown depths of the jungle, passing through a rusty iron grate set into the huge granite wall and into the city. Crocodiles and water birds drift lazily through the water, looking for an easy meal.
The trail along the city wall is interrupted here by the banks of a wide river, whose swiftly flowing expanse lies to the west. This side of the water is very muddy; the trail is covered with thick black muck that clings persistently to everything it comes into contact with.
The muddy trail continues east toward a marshy clearing and west to the banks of a river. The croaking of frogs fills the air. There must be thousands of the amorous amphibians nearby, looking for mates.
The mucky trail continues along the wall, passing beneath a stand of palm trees with low-hanging branches. The granite wall has been carved to show a great celebration in the city. The inhabitants wander the streets in costume, feasting and dancing. In the great temple-pyramid, the priests of the feathered serpent sacrifice prisoners of war to their deity.
The muddy trail splits around a small dank pool of water, quickly rejoining on the puddle's other side. Tiny salamanders with bright orange spots crawl around the pool's interior, feasting on insects and water plants.
The muddy trail opens up to the east, becoming a small marshy clearing. To the west, the trail winds along the mammoth granite city wall, toward the banks of a wide river. The air is filled with the sharp odor of rotting vegetation.
This small marshy clearing lies just to the north of the city's north-east corner. The ground becomes even more damp on the clearing's east side, where a large pool of water lies in the clearing's south-east corner. Directly to the north of here, a large rock rears up from the swamp, providing a dry spot amidst the swampy terrain.
A large rock juts out of the swamp here, its surface covered with lichen and moss. To the east and south, the marshy clearing continues, while the north and west sides are blocked by a curtain of thick foliage. The sounds of the jungle - largely bird songs and frogs' croakings echo from all around.
The thick mud becomes more and more watered down as one moves toward the east side of the clearing. Due east of here a large pool of water occupies the clearing's south-east corner.
Thick mud bubbles here, as rotting vegetable matter releases balls of methane gas from the depths. The sharp smell completely over-powers the senses, making breathing difficult and unpleasant. Glowing balls of fox-fire hover above the swamp, bathing the clearing in an eerie bluish light.
A large pool of water lies here, its still surface occasionally broken by the leap of a large fish looking for mosquitoes. To the north and west, a small marshy clearing breaks up the jungle's rich monotony, while the pool's bottom lies hidden by shadows.
To the north and east, a thick tangle of trees and brambles prevent access to the jungle's steamy depths. The marshy clearing stretches out to the west, toward a large rock of some kind, while to the south is a large still pool of water. The smell of methane lies heavily in the air.
A giant glass globe hangs here, shining in the expanse of the unformed ethereal plane. The globe is completely filled with water and supports a small ecosystem of brightly colored fish, which drift lazily around looking for food. Though there is no apparent source of light, the globe is nevertheless brightly lit; there are no shadows. Perhaps the water itself is shining, or maybe there is some other, stranger explanation.
The lost city of Ss'ranitul spreads out to the north, east, and south. The ivory doors of the western gate are due west of here, and a wide road paved with small polished pieces of turquoise leads east past a pair of guard towers, and onward to the central square. The city is largely ruined, its stone buildings reduced to rubble, though the occasional intact edifice pokes out from the rubble at odd places. There is a large temple pyramid a short distance to the north; it seems to be intact.
A wide road paved with turquoise leads west toward the city gate and east to a pair of guard towers. Tiny jungle plants struggle for a purchase in the cracks and crevices that mar the road's surface. A huge mound of rubble blocks all view of the south, and to the north a sturdy bronze fence separates the road from a grave-yard.
The cracked and ruined turquoise road passes between a pair of small guard towers here. The southern tower stands more or less intact, but the northern one has sustained considerable damage. To the west, the road leads to the western city gate, and to the east, past the temple promenade, to the market square.
This once tall tower has been reduced to a large unsteady pile of granite masonry. Withered plants poke out from among the stone chunks, but seem to do little to improve its stability.
The inside of this small weathered guard tower is cluttered with empty snake skins, ranging in size from just under a foot to well over six feet long. A narrow stone staircase winds up to the top of the tower, and an open archway leads north to the road of turquoise.
Four large windows look out from the tower's summit in the cardinal compass directions. To the north, a large temple pyramid dominates the north-western part of the city. To the east, the turquoise road leads past an intersection with a street of marble to a large central square. To the south, a small primitive village of huts made from reddish clay sits nestled in huge piles of rubble. It is impossible to see any detail from here, but there is the faint suggestion of movement among the village's strange architecture. And to the west, the deceptively serene jungle sits behind the western city walls.
The east-west turquoise road intersects with the temple promenade, running north and south. The promenade is made from large square blocks of marble, many of which have been cracked and stained by time. To the north the marble road ends at a large bronze gate, while to the south it winds among some large ruined houses. Just off to the west is a pair of guard towers, and east lies the central square.
A wide marble promenade leads north to the gates to the temple compound. A large pyramid with steps carved into its face sits amidst a large grave-yard. The pyramid's flat top supports a large temple, without walls, but with columns that support a peaked roof. It must have taken thousands of slaves to build the huge structure.
The wide marble road leads north into the grave-yard and south to an intersection with a turquoise road. The bronze fence that separates the grave-yard and temple from the rest of the city has a large bronze gate across the marble promenade. The gate has been sculpted to represent a stylized image of the feathered serpent coiled around a pyramid. A large bronze lock has been cunningly worked into the carving.
A wide marble road, cracked and stained by time, leads north through a grave-yard to the temple pyramid. To the north, a huge stone stairway heads up the pyramid's southern face, while to the south the marble road goes through a bronze gate and out into the city. To the east and west a forest of stone markers crowds the ancient grave-yard.
A huge stone stairway climbs north up the face of the pyramid. The top of the huge structure has a large flat platform supporting an open air temple. Down the stairs to the south is the grave-yard, and to the east and west the steep sheer surface of the pyramid makes it impossible to stand.
The huge pyramid's top has been leveled off to form a large stone platform that supports the great temple of the feathered serpent. Carved granite pillars support a peaked stone roof about ten feet above the platform's surface. To the south, a huge stone staircase heads down the pyramid's face, while to the north is a large altar.
A large statue of a frog stands here on the south-east corner of the temple platform. The statue stares out at the sky above the city with large expressionless eyes. The platform continues to the west and north.
A large stone statue of a phoenix stands here, on the south-west corner of the temple platform. The statue looks out over the grave-yard below as if guarding the remains of the dead. The platform continues to the east and north.
A huge stone altar sits at the center of the temple platform, its surface carved with intricate designs. The altar is covered with ancient bloodstains, and seems to radiate a slight warmth. It almost seems as if it is waiting for something to happen....
The north face of the pyramid has partially collapsed, destroying the stone stairs that once led down its steep face. The platform is riddled with cracks, and several of the stone pillars have fallen. To the south a large stone altar sits beneath the temple's stone canopy.
A large broken chunk of masonry shows where a statue once rose from the platform's surface to keep silent watch over the ancient temple. It is impossible now to divine what the statue represented when whole. The temple platform continues to the south and west of here.
A large stone statue of a monkey sits on the north-west corner of the platform, its stone features twisted into a scowl as it peers at the inside of the city's outer wall. The stone platform continues to the south and east.
The top of the pyramid forms a large level platform upon which a small temple rests. The temple has no walls; its peaked roof is supported by numerous stone columns carved to represent coiled serpents. To the east a large stone stairway heads down to the grave-yard, and to the west is the altar of the feathered serpent.
The top of the pyramid is flat, forming a large stone platform that supports a small temple. The temple has no walls, but tall thin columns support a peaked stone roof. To the west a large stone stair leads down the pyramid's smooth surface, while to the east is a large stone altar.
A huge stone stair heads east up the pyramid's smooth surface, and west down to the grave-yard below. The stairs have a smooth polished look to them, as if they had been polished by the passage of the feet of many worshippers.
A huge stone stair leads west up the pyramid's eastern face to the temple platform at its peak, and east down into the grave-yard. To the north and south, the pyramid's sides are too smooth to allow any purchase.
A large number of stone markers, bearing names in the language of ancient Ss'ranitul, mark the final resting places of many previous inhabitants. There doesn't seem to be any order or pattern to their lay-out. Clay urns, many cracked and broken lie strewn about, spilling the ashes of the deceased onto the earth. Weeds and vines abound, thriving on the rich soil.
The grave-yard continues to the north, east, and west, a gloomy expanse of over-grown stone markers presiding over burial urns. To the north is the smooth surface of the pyramid's south-west corner, and to the south a bronze fence separates the grave-yard from the rest of the city. The air is strangely cold, as if touched by a spectral chill.
The twisted bronze fence that runs along the grave-yard's southern perimeter meets the huge granite city wall to the west. The grave-yard lies north and east of here, a tangled mass of over-grown monuments, forgotten by time. The temple pyramid to the north-east dominates the scenery.
A narrow trail runs north and south in between the smooth side of the pyramid and the huge granite wall to the west. Several of the tracks along the trail are very curious. They seem to belong to some kind of large snake or lizard.
The vine-covered soil of the grave-yard meets up with the pyramid's south-western corner here. This section of the pyramid is very smooth, and does not seem to offer any hope of access to the top. The ground is strewn with stone markers and the fragments of the stone urns that once held their ashes.
The grave-yard's rich black soil has been disturbed here. Someone, or something, has dug a number of large shallow pits, about five feet across and less than two feet deep. The area around each hole has been carefully cleared of vegetation, leading you to conclude that it must have been done fairly recently.
The narrow trail along the city's western wall abruptly stops as it is blocked by a huge mound of rubble. The northern side of the pyramid has partially collapsed, completely blocking any access to the northern part of the grave-yard from here. To the east a huge stone staircase leads up to the temple atop the pyramid, while to the south the trail continues through the grave-yard.
Huge granite marking stones make crazy angles with the ground here, disturbed by time's unforgiving hand. Below each stone clusters a set of urns, filled with the ancient ashes of the Ss'ranitul dead. To the south a bronze fence separates the grave-yard from the rest of the city, and to the east and west the dismal burial site continues.
The tangled burial markers stretch off to the north and west. To the east, a small stone tomb stands in the grave-yard's south-eastern corner. The outside of the small stone building is beautifully decorated; it must house the remains of someone of importance. To the south a bronze fence separates the grave-yard from the rest of the city.
The air inside the tomb is dry, and slightly stale. Statues of warriors, perhaps meant to serve in the after-life line the walls. Their silent scrutiny is a little unnerving. Stone doors to the north and west lead out into the grave-yard, and a small stone stair spirals down into the crypt.
A narrow trail through the grave-yard's dismal expanses winds around a small tomb, which lies to the south-east. The exterior of the tomb has been carved with the runes of ancient Ss'ranitul, perhaps explaining who lies interred within. To the north-west lies the temple pyramid, while the grave-yard continues to the south and east.
The grave-yard continues to the north and west, while to the south lies a small stone tomb, its entrance blocked by a stone door. To the east a bronze fence separates the grave-yard from the rest of the city. The ground is littered with stone burial markers and broken pieces of clay burial urns.
The narrow path runs north and south through the maze of over-grown burial markers and clay urns, between a bronze fence to the east, and the eastern side of the pyramid to the west. Far to the south is a small stone building of some kind.
You stand in the grave-yard of Ss'ranitul, a dismal plain of bare earth dotted with stone grave-markers. To the west the huge temple pyramid dominates the entire compound, while to the east a bronze gate leads back out into the rest of the city. A narrow path heads south, deeper into the grave-yard. The ground is covered with clay urns and piles of ash, the only remains of the ancient city's inhabitants.
This is the final resting place of the great Khuninala, once a mighty king of Ss'ranitul, but now nothing more than an urn of ashes. A mural on the crypt wall shows the king being cut down by barbarian invaders in the great arena. The air is stale, and very cold, as if touched by a spectral chill.
A large room opens up beneath the altar, just inside the pyramid. The walls are cracked, and a thick layer of dust coats everything. It looks as if you are the first living thing to enter the pyramid's depths in centuries.
A narrow path runs south toward a gate in the arena's sandstone wall. Its bronze portcullis stands raised and inviting, as if the arena were waiting for one more contestant. A pair of sandstone statues, humans with ibis heads, flank the open gate, scimitars in hand. The road of jasper is back to the north.
The jade road passes a large set of bronze gates to the west, which lead into the graveyard, and a burned-out house to the east. The gates have been carved to look like a pair of large serpents intertwined, and though ornate, they look very strong. The road of jade runs north to the city's northern gate and south toward the central square.
The interior of this large house has been consumed by fire. The walls are burnt, and stained with smoke and ash. Whatever furniture there was must have been destroyed in the fire, for there is no trace of any now.
A wide road paved with jade slabs leads north to the city gate and south toward a large square. To the west is a bronze fence, and beyond that, the dismal expanse of the grave-yard. To the east, a pile of weathered stone masonry marks what was once probably a large house of some kind.
Just inside the northern city gate of Ss'ranitul a wide road paved with jade slabs begins its way southward. To the west a bronze fence separates the grave-yard and pyramid from the rest of the city, and to the east is the entrance to a small guard tower.
Once this tower kept careful watch for any sign of invasion by the city's many enemies to the north, but now it is nothing more than a ruined shell. The stairs that once led to the second floor have collapsed and now lie in a huge heap of rubble. A humanoid skeleton, its bones completely picked clean, is resting just inside the tower door. The skull has an odd, slightly bestial shape to it.
You step through the raised portcullis into a cool sandstone passage. Behind you, ancient chains begin to grind; somewhere above, a counterweight has started to fall. The portcullis is coming down! The way out lies back north, if you are quick.
The road of jade continues its way north and south. To the west, a bronze fence guards the perimeter of the grave-yard, and to the east is the back side of a large dome-shaped building, which does not appear to have any entrances that can be reached from here.
This section of the road has been damaged; its smooth jade tiles are cracked and scarred. Tiny plants struggle to thrive in some of the wider fissures, hastening the road's demise. To the east is a small house, and to the west is a sturdy bronze fence.
This small stone house has long since surrendered to the elements. The wooden beams that made up the walls and floor have long since rotted away, with only their impressions in the plaster to mark their ever having been.
The road of jade continues north to the city gates and south to a large central square. To the west is a bronze fence, and beyond it, the temple pyramid, while to the east the way is blocked by a mound of rubble.
The road of jade ends to the south at a large market square paved with square quartz slabs. Once the square must have been very beautiful but now it is dulled and scarred by time.
The quartz tiles of the central market square of Ss'ranitul stretches to the south, where a large well sits in the square's center, and to the east and west. To the north, a wide road paved with jade tiles heads along the eastern side of the grave-yard.
The quartz tiles that make up the square's surface are especially broken up in this, the north-western corner; many are missing altogether. To the north are the remains of what looks like a weapons shop, and to the west the Road of Turquoise leads away toward the temple promenade and the western gate. The square stretches east and south.
This moldering stone building appears to have once served as a weapons shop. A large iron anvil is rusting in a corner, and several moldings for making swords and scimitars lie in twisted wrecks on the floor.
This large stone building has long since been stripped of everything of value it once contained. A strange perfectly circular hole in the south-west corner leads down into a strangely lit area.
This is the north-east corner of the market square of Ss'ranitul. The quartz pavement is pitted with pot holes and cracks, most of which look like they were deliberately made with a shovel or pick. To the north and east are ancient shops, and the rest of the square stretches out to the south and west.
This large spacious shop was obviously once a smithy. A large sooty spot on the floor indicates where the bellows once stood; even the passage of a thousand years hasn't been enough time to erase it completely. The floor is littered with twisted horse shoes and bent nails, many of which are covered with rust.
A large dry puddle of chemicals, like those used in a tannery or leather shop, is the only clue as to what once could be found in this small shop. A yellowed human skeleton lies in one corner, partially covered by a rotting robe.
The square's center is dominated by a large stone well, its rim carved to look like a pair of serpents inter-twined. The inside of the well is covered with green-black slime, and descends far into shadow. The smell of rotten meat hangs in the air like a putrid blanket.
The rotten smell grows stronger as one approaches the center of the square, to the east, where an ornate stone well presides over the quartz tiles. Thousands of tiny ants crawl among the cracks, busily gathering food for their colony. To the west stands a large ruined shop; the square continues north and south.
The Road of Turquoise ends at the market square, whose north-western corner lies just to the east. The square is paved with large, carefully cut slabs of quartz; once it must have been beautiful, but now the slabs are cracked and dulled by time. A faint odor of rotting meat hangs in the air; it seems to grow stronger to the east.
The road of turquoise continues to the east, where a large central market square dominates the ruined cityscape, and west toward the western city gates. There is a faint rotten smell in the air, like meat that has been left for too long in the sun.
To the east, the quartz tiles of the central square give way to a wide road paved with little jasper cobblestones leading toward a small square fortress. To the north, west, and south is the central square. There is a faint rotten smell in the air; it seems to get stronger to the west.
This is the southern section of the once great market square of Ss'ranitul. This section of the square seems to be in slightly better repair than the rest of the market, its quartz pavement sparkles in the light. To the north is a large stone fountain, while to the south a road paved in agate heads toward what was once the city's poor quarter.
The south-western corner of the market square is lined by empty shops. To the south a large nondescript building appears to still be largely intact, while to the west a large granite building is little more than a haphazard pile of broken masonry.
Once this tavern was one of the social centers of Ss'ranitul, but now it is nothing more than a collection of broken bottles and broken stone masonry. A thick vinegary smell rises from the rubble, cutting through the faint rotting odor that pervades the rest of the market square.
This large stone building is still in good repair, though most of its contents have long since been scavenged. A set of large stone rolling pins in one corner is the only sign that this building was once a popular bakery.
The south-eastern corner of the market square has been blasted, as if by an explosion of incredible power. A strange skeleton that looks some-what like a cross between a man and a lizard lies in the center of the blast, its bones splintered and burnt by the force of the blast.
A large carving on the eastern wall shows a small man industriously carving a rough gemstone into a work of art. There is no sign of any of the treasures that once were for sale now, though. They have long since been looted from the shop.
This was once an armory. A huge pile of twisted breast plates and greaves sits in the shop's center, totally unsalvageable. The armor is largely made out of bronze, and was probably more ceremonial than practical.
A wide road paved with agates heads south from the market square to the southern city gates of Ss'ranitul. The eastern edge of the road is bordered by a ramshackle group of wooden houses and shops, many of which are rotten and destroyed. They present no entrances from this side; any attempts at entry must be attempted from within the fetid depths of the ancient city's poor quarter.
The agate road passes by a ruined guild hall, which lies to the west. A chipped stone crest mounted above the entrance shows a scimitar crossed with a short spear, leading you to believe that this must have once belonged to some kind of warrior or mercenary guild.
The interior of this spacious hall is in shambles. Shards of glass, from the broken windows that once kept the hall in sunlit brilliance are scattered amongst the crumbling floor stones. The remains of a few weapons poke out from the rubble in several places, but they are rusted beyond any hope of repair.
The road of agate continues on its way north to the market square and south to the southern city gates. To the west is a large mansion, strangely untouched by the decay that has swallowed the rest of the once mighty city. The house looks freshly painted and repaired; obviously someone has been taking care of it.
The entry hall to this large house has been carefully painted and is decorated with several large framed oil paintings. The largest picture, prominently displayed opposite the entrance, shows a huge barbaric man, dressed in animal skins and wielding a huge sword. A small legend affixed to the bottom of the frame says "Gondola - The Baffled".
A small garden sits here, separated from the road of agate by a delicate wrought iron fence. The garden looks carefully tended, with at least a dozen varieties of tropical flowers. An open archway leads north into the mansion.
A small study is tucked away in the mansion's north-west corner. The cozy room is dominated by a large oak desk covered with scribbled notes and large leather-bound books. An archway leads east into the main section of the beautiful manor, and a small doorway goes south into a bedroom.
This small bedroom contains a small bed, a large fish tank, and many piles of unwashed clothes. Asheley, though a brilliant mistress of the psionic arts, is perhaps not the best house-keeper in the realms.
The road of agate passes by a small garden to the west, safely protected by a delicate wrought iron fence. There is no gate in this section of the fence, but an open archway can be seen at the garden's north edge, leading into a large mansion to the north-west of where you are now.
The road of agate continues its way north and south through the ruined city. To the east a narrow alley winds its way into what was once the poor quarter. Most of the buildings in that direction appear to have been made out of wood, and are in very bad shape. To the west, huge mounds of rubble rise up as much as forty feet in some places.
The road of agate continues to make its way north and south, running between a huge pile of rubble to the west and the rotting wooden wall of the poor quarter to the east. This section of the road is badly damaged; the agate cobble has been scratched and chipped almost beyond recognition.
A narrow breach in the rubble to the west provides access to a muddy trail that winds its way around several of the larger piles of ruined masonry. A faint chatter, like one would expect from a small village on market day, can be heard from that direction. Directly to the south is the road's end, at the southern city gates of Ss'ranitul.
Once the southern gates, their massive granite panels carved with the image of the guardian frog spirit allowed travellers to enter and leave the great capital. But now the huge gate has collapsed, making any further progress to the south completely impossible from here. Thick vines cover the broken remains of the gate, as if the jungle was struggling to conquer the city one final time, and erase all evidence of Ss'ranitul's existence.
A narrow trail winds its way among several huge mounds of rubble. To the west, the trail ends at a red clay wall with a wooden gate set into it, while to the east the trail meets up with a wide road paved with agate cobble.
The trail through the rubble terminates at a low wall molded from some kind of dark red clay, which lies to the west. A roughly made wooden gate sits in the wall's center, allowing entrance to a small cluster of mud huts inside. Huge piles of rubble sit to the north and south.
A narrow path of gooey red mud winds its way through a strange little village. The buildings are small huts that seem to be made from the same reddish mud, dried in the sun into a hard clay. To the east, a crude wooden gate leads out of the village, while to the west the trail leads deeper into the settlement. The entrance to one of the smaller huts is south. It's hard to be sure, but you think there may be movement in the hut's shadowy depths.
This small mud hut is cluttered with greasy rags and tiny tools and knick-knacks made from obsidian and bone. The ashes of a tiny fire sit in a corner, across from a pile of hay that serves as a bed.
The reddish mud of the trail is especially thick here, and makes walking a tiring, unpleasant chore. The trail splits, going north and west into the Mwondla village, and east toward a wooden gate. A tiny mud hovel is to the south.
This tiny mud hovel is cluttered with irregular pieces of bone and tiny carved wooden figures. A dirty pile of straw in the south-east corner serves as a bed, and a small greasy fire pit in the south-west completely fails to improve the shack's ambiance. Whatever lives here is not much of a house-keeper.
The muddy trail ends here, at a large mud hut which lies to the north. Another, smaller hut's entrance can be found to the east. The small beastmen known as the Mwondla peer at you shyly from a safe distance. Obviously visitors to their village are rare, and not often friendly.
This mud hut is tiny, but kept in immaculate order. A carefully kept firepit sits in the south-east corner, beside a neat straw bedding. The clay floor even shows signs of having been swept clear of dirt and garbage.
This huge hut contains a low circular dais, about eight feet in diameter, in its center. Small fires burn in a rough circle around the platform, their smoke fills the hut, causing your eyes to water and sting.
A narrow trail of wet reddish mud winds its way among a small village of huts made from the same red clay, dried by the powerful jungle sun. The path runs east toward a wooden gate and west deeper into the village. To the south is an especially large hut.
The interior of this large hut is decorated with carved totems of bone and wood. A small wooden statue of a monkey sits in one corner, watching the room with a feral grin. Feathered masks decorate the walls, representing horrible bestial faces. So many empty eyes peering out from the wall gives you the eerie feeling of being watched.
The mucky trail splits, heading west toward a very large mud hut nestled against the interior of the western city wall, north toward the largest hut in the village, and east toward a wooden gate. The small beastmen known as Mwondla scurry about their village, trying to divine your intentions.
This tiny mud hut is empty save for a pile of straw in the small building's south-east corner. The clay walls are sturdy, and seem to do an adequate job of keeping out the jungle heat. A small open doorway heads out to the muddy trail to the north.
This muddy trail is made from the same reddish clay as the buildings of the surrounding village, though it is still wet and sticky. A large mud hut lies to the north and the south, and the trail leads east into the strange little village. Small bestial Mwondla peer at you uncertainly, obviously both curious and fearful.
This mid-sized hut is full of salted meat and drying vegetables. At least one of the carcasses looks humanoid; apparently the Mwondla are not very particular about what they hunt and eat. A small fire pit, perhaps for smoking meats, lies unlit at the hut's center.
You are inside a large building made from rich red mud, shaped and then baked by the sun into hard clay. The hut's interior is dimly lit by a smoky fire, and crude stone tools scattered about the floor suggest that this is the home of a craftsman. A set of wooden pegs climbs the back wall, up into a crevice in the great city wall, and a rough opening leads north to a muddy trail.
This narrow fissure splits the inside of the city wall, just above a hut of red clay. Wooden pegs pounded into the hut's wall below make a ladder down; above, the crack climbs on into darkness, and from there comes a faint buzzing, like a swarm of bees.
You are inside a large fissure near the top of the western city wall of Ss'ranitul. To the west the crack opens through a rent in the papery wall of the spider-wasp hive, where a pair of workers are busily patching the tear. A narrow climb leads back down toward the village.
The outer comb of the spider-wasp hive is made of a thick paper of crushed tree bark cemented together with dried insect saliva. Here the workers come and go: to the east through the rent into the city wall, to the north toward the hive's opening above the vines. The brood galleries lie west, and to the south the warm smell of nectar drifts from a row of cells.
Long galleries of paper cells line the walls here, each sealed with a pale cap over a growing spider-wasp. Workers carrying eggs hurry past, oblivious to you. The galleries narrow to the west toward a great chamber and the steady hum of the queen; the outer comb is to the east, and tunnels lead south.
This huge chamber at the heart of the hive houses the spider-wasp queen, a foul bloated insect constantly attended by workers. A huge mass of pale blue eggs is fixed to the walls, waiting patiently to hatch into a new army of spider-wasps. The brood galleries are to the east.
A knot of narrow paper tunnels winds through the bottom of the hive, worn smooth by countless legs. The soldiers of the hive patrol here, guarding the brood galleries to the north. The tunnels open east into the nectar cells.
Rows of wide paper cells brim with a thick golden nectar, gathered from the flowering vines of the clearing below. The air is sticky and sweet. The outer comb is to the north, and narrow tunnels lead west.
You are just inside a large opening in the top of the city wall, where the hive's papery mass clings to the stone. A great tangle of vines hangs down the outside of the wall; it looks as if you might climb down that way. To the south the paper walls of the hive open into its outer comb. Though made of paper, the hive looks strong enough to bear your weight.
You cling to a huge tangle of dark green vines halfway up the outside of the city wall. The vines climb on to a large crack near the top of the wall and hang down to the clearing below. A persistent buzzing fills the air, like the beating of a thousand insect wings...
The muddy trail heads north and south through the Mwondla village, passing by a small mud hut to the east. The Mwondla continue to peer at you warily, trying to decide if you are a threat or not. Occasionally they chatter to one another in their bestial language.
The interior of this tiny hut is spartan, with little decoration or embellishment. A pile of dried grasses in the corner serves as bedding, and a fire in the opposite corner serves to drive away the occasional chill. The large skeleton of a snake-like beast has been mounted upon the wall, a proud trophy of battle.
The muddy trail ends here, in front of three of the largest huts in the village. To the north is the Mwondla chief's large dwelling, and a slightly smaller storage hut is to the west. To the east is the entrance to a stables of some kind, formed, like all the rest of the village, from dried red clay.
This small building is filled with supplies of various kinds, ranging from urns filled with dried fruits to woven reed baskets of blowgun darts. A large opening to the east leads out to the village center.
This hut serves as the personal quarters of Johjoh, leader and chief warrior of the Mwondla. The hut's western wall has been painted with a huge likeness of Johjoh's canine grin. A pair of crossed spears decorate the eastern wall, with a large skeleton mounted above them. The skeleton looks like it must have once belonged to some kind of large serpent or dragon, and attests well to Johjoh's skill in battle.
This large mud hut houses the domesticated spider-wasp mounts of the Mwondla. Two large troughs provide the beasts with water and nectar, and the southern part of the room is separated into stalls for them to sleep in. Leather saddles and reins are mounted on the walls, ready to be used, and a small pile of unfinished riding apparatus has been discarded in the north-west corner.
The red mucky trail bends here, going south into a large clay stables and east toward a wooden gate. The small beastmen known as the Mwondla scurry about, their ordinary activities interrupted by your arrival.
The muddy trail bends here, veering west as it goes deeper into the mud hut village, and north through a rude wooden gate to less damaged sections of Ss'ranitul. The gate is set into a low clay wall that completely encircles the village.
The twisting trail through the rubble ends here at a wooden gate set into a red clay wall to the south. Beyond the wall, several rounded huts made from the same red clay form a small village. To the north, the trail winds between two large mounds of ruined masonry.
A wide trail winds its way north and south amongst massive piles of rubble. To the east, one of the smaller mounds of broken masonry looks climb-able, while to the south a wooden gate allows entrance into a small village of mud huts. To the north the trail becomes a wide marble road.
You are atop a large mound of rubble sitting in the city's south-west quarter. The mound is a haphazard pile of junk and masonry, but seems stable enough to bear your weight. The western face of the mound looks navigable, and leads down to a narrow path. From this vantage point, a small village of mud huts is visible to the south-west. Small humanoids creep about the village, oblivious to your scrutiny.
A wide marble boulevard runs north toward the temple quarter, and south between huge piles of rubble. The road passes by a house to the west which, though badly damaged has somehow escaped the destruction that seems to have consumed this section of the city.
This small ruined house has some-how escaped the destruction that has leveled the neighborhood, leaving nothing but huge piles of broken stone. The interior is cracked and damaged, and supports a large colony of gray-green mold. A battered desk still sits in one corner.
The wide marble promenade runs north toward the temple quarter and south toward a huge mound of rubble. The marble cobblestones are badly cracked, and in many places are missing altogether.
The marble promenade continues to run straight north, where it intersects with a road made from turquoise cobble, and south where it breaks up and quickly becomes nothing more than a ruined trail among huge mounds of rubble. There is a faint sweet smell in the air; its source unseen.
A wide road paved with jasper makes its way east from the quartz tiled expanse of the market square, which lies to the west. This section of the road is in extremely bad repair; its polished cobble has been scratched and cracked by the passage of the years.
The road of jasper continues west toward the central square of Ss'ranitul, and east toward a large squarish building that was once the royal palace. The sandstone buildings to the north and south have all but completely collapsed, leaving no indication of what purpose they may once have served.
The road of jasper passes by a large sandstone house to the north that looks a little more intact than most in this neighborhood. The road continues east toward the palace and west toward the central square.
The inside of this sandstone house has been warped by time. A steady stream of water trickles down from above, and has eroded the soft stone, giving the walls an unusual rounded quality. There is no sign of any furniture or valuables, and an ancient skeleton in the corner appears to be the only permanent occupant.
The road of jasper continues its way west to the quartz tiled market square and east toward the gates of the palace, whose ornate granite outer wall forms the road's southern boundary. To the north, a pile of sandstone fragments is all that remains of a small building.
A pair of large bronze gates, green and tarnished by time, guard the entrance to the palace, a large rectangular building to the south. The granite exterior of the palace has been carved with scenes showing the greatest moments of the emperors of Ss'ranitul. Many of the carvings have been broken and defaced, and a strange sinuous writing has been scrawled on the once pristine walls.
The jasper road makes its way east toward the huge oval form of the ancient arena, and west past the palace gates toward the central square. To the north, a wide road paved in a purple crystalline stone heads toward a medium sized domed building and the river.
The amethyst road makes its way north and south, past the remains of several large manors that have collapsed long ago. To the north, the road passes by a domed building on its way toward the river, while to the south it intersects with a road paved in jasper.
The amethyst-paved road splits here, continuing north toward the cracked and weathered dome, and east toward a ruined bridge across the Serpent River. To the south, the road passes by an especially damaged section on its way to an intersection with the road of jasper.
A small garden, over grown with weeds and vines, sits outside a small mansion. A battered bronze bird cage rests in the south-west corner, a few scattered avian bones the only trace of its previous inhabitants.
This small mansion seems to have escaped the destruction that has engulfed much of the once mighty city. A strange aura of peace fills the ancient edifice; though you aren't quite sure why, you feel that this would be a safe place to rest and heal up before facing the trials ahead.
The amethyst paved road passes by the entrance to a domed building to the west. The haphazard remains of a tiled mosaic are peeling from the dome's surface in many places. The patterns are too badly damaged to present a clear picture of what was once represented, but from what remains it seems to be a representation of the city itself. The remains of a bridge lie scattered about the northern end of the road, which ends here, blocked by the Serpent River to the north.
Just inside the entrance is a large entry hall lined with sandstone statues of warriors in ceremonial garb. The air is cool, and filled with the musty smell of ancient paper, like one would find in an old library or office.
This huge chamber is lined with several tiers of stone benches, all facing the south-west corner of the room where a set of granite steps leads up to a slightly raised platform. A large open sky light set into the ceiling opens up directly above the platform, bathing it in a column of light during the daylight hours.
This sprawling room is filled with large stone desks, most of which are shrouded in a blanket of cobwebs and dust. A few brittle wooden chairs are still standing, but many have collapsed and lie in heaps of rotten kindling on the chamber's floor. The air is cool and the faint sound of running water comes from the east.
This mid-sized room is completely bare, its furnishings long since looted or destroyed. A set of humanoid footprints disturbs the dust covering the chamber floor, entering from the south and proceeding west. The river's constant babble can be heard from outside the domed building, the sounds echoing oddly off the rounded walls of the dome's interior.
The amethyst road ends abruptly at the bank of the Serpent River. A jumbled pile of rocks marks the location where a bridge once reached across the rushing waters to the parks in the city's north-east corner. From where you are, it looks as if those parks are over-grown and badly tended. You wonder what surprises must be hiding in the swampy grass across the water.
The swiftly rushing river bends here, turning from south to east. The water's western bank is a wide road paved with amethyst, its surface covered with rocks and masonry from a bridge that once spanned the river where you are now. A thick cloud of mosquitoes hovers above the water, looking for something to take a bite out of.
The dark waters of the Serpent River ripple as they pass over some submerged rubble. To the north lies the marshy expanse of an ancient park, while to the south a large merchant house has completely collapsed.
The Serpent River becomes slightly wider and sluggish here, where a pile of dead tree branches and withered vines forms a natural dam. Crocodiles drift lazily through the still water, watching you with their cold reptilian eyes.
The steamy river flows past a huge willow tree on the north bank, its drooping branches forming a natural canopy over the water. The trees are thick to the north, but barely visible through them is some sort of large stone statue or monument of some kind. There is a faint hum in the air, as if a large number of people were chanting or praying.
The river passes by a huge nest of thick swamp grass on its north bank here as it flows east toward the eastern city wall. The south bank of the river is lined with the ruined remains of a tower. The tower appears far too badly damaged to allow entry.
The river meets up with the eastern city wall here, plunging through a narrow opening in the wall on its way out of the city. The opening is far too small for you to follow, however, so you must follow the river back to the west, or climb the north bank to a marshy ancient park.
The dark waters of the Serpent River flow steadily through the north-eastern corner of ancient Ss'ranitul. The land to the east is very muddy, and covered with tall grasses and thick vines. A strange humming can be heard from the north-east, as if a large number of people were meditating or praying.
The Serpent River goes through another bend here, flowing from west to south. The northern and eastern banks are muddy tangles of vines. The air is filled with the loud croaks of bullfrogs, so loud that they even overshadow the sounds of the river at times.
The river widens and slows down here, forming a large pool of sluggish water. Clouds of gnats and mosquitoes fill the air, eager to feast on any exposed flesh. A thick dank marshy scent fills the humid air.
The river's dark waters become choppy as they rush over the remains of a narrow short bridge, long ago destroyed. To the south is a wide road paved with amethyst, while to the west is the outside surface of the dome.
The river's dark waters swirl past the side of a mid-sized domed building without any visible windows to the west, and an over-grown park to the east. South from here, the river bends again as it meets up with a road paved with amethyst.
The Serpent River winds its way past a large over-grown park area to the east, and a huge mound of rotting vegetation to the north. It could be your imagination, but it looks like some parts of the garbage heap are moving slowly in response to your proximity...
The dark waters of the serpent river swirl about, disturbed by rocks and debris lying below the water's surface. The river makes a bend here, flowing from north to east. To the west lie impassable ruins, while to the south is the northern edge of a domed building.
The Serpent river flows noisily south, running past a completely demolished stables to the west and a large park to the east. Due east of here, a large pile of rotting vegetation sits next to the flowing water. The heady acrid smell of decaying plant life fills the air.
The Serpent River flows into the city through a rusty iron grate set into the northern city wall, making its way south. The western bank is cluttered with the ruins of what appears to be a large stables, and is not passable at this point. To the east a large stone block juts out from the city wall, preventing passage in that direction as well.
You are atop a huge mound of decaying plant life, quickly rotting under the harsh jungle sun. The acrid smell of methane fills the air, making it hurt to breathe. The city wall lies to the north, a small grass nest is to the east, and the Serpent River lies to the west and south.
A tiny nest sits here, next to the inner surface of the massive granite city wall. The nest is small, but carefully woven, and shows no signs of damage or decay. A huge mound of rotting vegetation sits to the west, filling the air with a rich green scent.
An over-grown tangle of willows stands here, probably the only original remainders of the ancient park of Ss'ranitul. From across the over-grown marsh to the north and east, you get the odd feeling of being watched, as if unfriendly eyes were marking your progress into their domain.
A swarm of mosquitoes fills the air above this muddy riverbank, greedily seeking out your tasty blood. You can't help but wonder what the tiny pests devour when adventurers aren't nearby.
A large tree stump against the northern wall here appears to serve as the table for a woodshop. Obsidian tools are scattered about the area, and wood chips and shavings from several different types of trees have been piled next to the stump. The entrance to a small wooden hut is to the east.
A small nest sits here amidst a stand of willow trees. The nest has been very poorly taken care of, and most of the grass that went into its construction is strewn about the area. An old fire pit in the corner looks like it hasn't been lit in ages.
This muddy area north of the Serpent River has been completely covered with a dark green vine with large red blossoms. The over-powering odor of lilac hangs above the flowers, blotting out the dank green smell of the river.
The wooden shack's interior is filled with dense white smoke, its aroma colored by strange herbs and mosses. The walls are painted with bright red runes, the nature of which is unclear. Several wooden staves are hung from the ceiling, carefully carved and polished smooth. The air is alive with a peculiar crackling energy; you almost expect to see sparks jumping from the walls.
A small rude wooden shack sits to the north, against the northern city wall. The shack's exterior has been painted with sigils of an unrecognizable character. The ground outside is cluttered with wood shavings and small twigs and branches.
This small nest woven from swamp grass is filled with odd curios of all different kinds. Bones, carved pieces of wood, pebbles, and scraps of leather are all mixed together in one huge jumble. None of the bits of junk look really useful.
The dark waters of the river sweep lazily by to the east of this mucky bank, disturbed here and there by the passage of the occasional crocodile. The faint sound of many people chanting floats across the humid air; it is difficult to tell from which direction it emanates.
The river's northern bank is a morass of gooey black mud. Vines and reeds cover the ground, thriving in the wet humid conditions. A human skeleton sits half-buried in the muck here, its empty skull hanging in an eerie grin.
A nest of braided grass sits here, in between a pair of willow trees. The nest is bare of ornamentation or possessions, but a small fire pit in its center still contains a few burning embers. The entrance to a small wooden hut is west.
A small scummy pond sits here amidst a small patch of swamp grass. The pond's water is stagnant and murky, and smells foul. Mosquito larvae swarm across its surface, even preying on each other as they grow to maturity.
A small wooden platform sits here, allowing the newtling guards a better view of their swampy domain. A large open pit is to the east, and a pair of nests lie south and west. To the north is a scummy pond.
A large swamp grass nest sits here in the mud. Several large soft eggs sit in the nest's bottom, packed in wet mud to keep them cool and moist. There is a low murmuring in the air, coming from some-where to the east.
The northern bank of the Serpent River is composed of a thick dark mud that squishes unpleasantly when you step on it. The ground is covered with reeds and swamp grass, sometimes reaching as tall as three feet in height. There is a faint chanting sound in the air, coming from the north-easterly direction.
This muddy patch of earth lies next to the huge granite city wall to the north and a large pool to the east. This section of the city wall is riddled with cracks and crevices, but still seems rather sturdy. There is a faint murmuring in the air, but you can't quite make it out.
This huge nest of swamp grass has been dyed in garish colors and is decorated with carved bones and tree branches. There is a faint murmuring in the air, as if a large number of people were praying. The sound seems loudest to the south-east.
You are standing above a large pit dug into the marshy ground. The pit is about ten feet deep, and from where you are you can make out what looks like movement at its bottom. A large stone statue lies to the east.
The ground here is littered with small flecks of obsidian, leading you to conclude that someone has been using it to fashion primitive stone tools. A large chunk of granite, its surface worn smooth by years of use as a file, lies next to the pile of obsidian fragments.
A thick stand of swamp grass sits here, on the river's northern bank. The air is humid, and filled with thousands of pesky mosquitoes, eager to feast on your blood. There is a low hum in the air, like a large group of people all talking at once. It seems to come from the north.
You are in a rough pit dug into a marshy section of soil, its bottom approximately ten feet below the surface. The pit's walls are covered with slippery green moss that makes climbing out difficult, but not impossible.
A tranquil pool lies here, at the northern edge of the ancient city park. The banks to the south and west are covered with wet dark mud, while to the north lies the huge granite wall, and to the east the pool's calm surface continues.
A small muddy clearing is here, sheltered by a tall stand of mangrove trees. The clearing is dominated by a large wooden throne at its center. The dark red wood of the throne has been carefully polished until it is smooth and shiny. To the south, a large stone statue peeks up from behind the trees. There is a low sound, as if a number of people were chanting in unison, coming from that direction.
A large wooden platform sits here in the swampy earth of the ancient park, its surface carefully carved with odd runes and sigils. There is a vast hum in the air, as if many people were quietly chanting or praying nearby.
A huge nest made from braided swamp grass cemented together with dried mud sits here, next to a massive stone statue which lies to the north. The nest is cluttered with a large collection of junk, ranging from oddly carved bones to weirdly painted pebbles. The low hum of a large number of people speaking at the same time fills the air; it seems to get louder as one goes north.
A small nest woven from the tall grass that grows on the river bank and cemented together with dry mud sits here, nestled among a stand of bulrushes. A humanoid skull, perhaps serving as a decoration of some kind, sits at the center of the nest.
Suddenly the blue mist flares into light and vanishes, causing you to lose your vision for a second as the bright burst of light dazzles your eyes. The sun seems to jump so that it stands directly above you, as if it had suddenly become noon.
A large pool sits placidly at the corner of the northern and eastern city walls, its still surface broken only by the occasional crocodile cruising about in search of a meal. The air is filled with the croaks of frogs and clouds of blood-sucking mosquitoes.
A large weeping willow presides over this muddy bank. The ancient tree's gnarled surface has been carved with strange runes and sigils of a kind you are not familiar with. There is a small clearing to the west, a large nest made from swamp grass to the south, and a large pool to the north. To the east is the massive granite city wall.
A huge nest made from swamp grass sits here, tucked between two mangrove trees. The nest is carefully made from woven grass plastered together with dark mud. A small cold firepit sits at the nest's center.
A small fresh-water pond lies here amidst the swamp grass and willow trees of the ancient city park. The pool is home to a large number of bullfrogs, whose throaty songs fill the air. There is a large nest made from swamp grass to the north, and a huge one to the west.
You stand on the north bank of the Serpent River, beside the massive granite city wall to the east. A large patch of tall swamp grass grows here, making walking difficult and arduous. A large nest lies to the west, and a small pond is north.
The floor of this end of the pool is littered with humanoid remains, most of which have been completely stripped by scavengers. The water is comfortably warm, but you can't help but wonder what it was that killed all of the unfortunate souls whose bones lie strewn about....
The pool's western end is choked with thick festoons of slimy green algae. Tiny fish and amphibians swim about, startled by your intrusion into their placid world. A dark narrow tunnel leads down into the earth, while above lies the pool's surface.
The under-water tunnel bends here, leading up toward the surface of the park's pool and east deeper into the murky gloom. A large pile of humanoid bones lies here; perhaps the leavings of a large predator.
The narrow under-water passageway turns here: west back toward the park's pool, and north along a channel of fine sand that rises in lazy clouds, stirred by your passage.
The narrow water-filled tunnel ends here at the foot of a vertical shaft rising toward the light. The water is cooler than on the surface, and tiny fish drift nearby, drawn by your light. The passage runs back south.
Thousands of fresh water tropical fish swim around you as you hover in the water a few feet above the murky pool's bottom. The water's surface is dimly visible above, and a dark narrow tunnel snakes down beneath the pool.
The jasper road passes by the palace grounds, which lie to the south. To the west the road passes by the entrance to the palace, while to the east the road runs toward the ancient arena. The road's surface is pocked with holes and cracks here, and small jungle plants cling to its surface.
The road of jasper intersects with a wide road paved with granite blocks here, which runs to the south along the outer wall of the arena. The air is filled with the sounds of rushing water, rising above the ruins from the Serpent River, unseen beyond the rubble to the north.
The road of jasper makes its way east and west between a row of houses so badly ruined as to be impassable to the north, and the fifty foot sandstone wall of the arena to the south.
A wide road paved with jasper cobble runs east and west along the north of the massive sandstone arena. To the north is a row of destroyed buildings, too badly damaged to enter, and between two of them a thin, cracked moonstone bridge stretches toward the Serpent River. A narrow path leads south toward a gate in the arena's west wall, whose portcullis stands raised.
A thin arched bridge carved from pale moonstone reaches north across the river, but the northern end of the bridge has collapsed, making it impossible to reach the northern bank without crossing the serpent river.
The road of jasper stops here, blocked by a low mound of rubble to the east that looks as if it might be climbed. To the south, a wide path runs toward the great portcullis of the arena, while to the north lie impassable ruined buildings.
The eastern gate into the city lies buried somewhere beneath the tons of ruined granite masonry that make up this huge pile of rubble. From this vantage point, you can see the unknown reaches of the jungle stretching off to the east as far as the eye can see. To the south is the ancient arena, and to the north lies the serpent river, and beyond that, the old city park. A strange small village of reed nests is clustered in the mucky ground of the park. You can make out movement among the nests, but from here it is impossible to tell what sort of creatures inhabit the river's northern bank.
A wide path running south ends here at the huge portcullis of the ancient arena. A pair of sandstone statues, carved to represent humans with Ibis heads, peer out sternly from each side of the portcullis, scimitars in hand.
The road of granite runs south from the road of jasper between the palace grounds to the west and the massive sandstone outer wall of the arena, rising fifty feet, beyond the houses to the east. The grounds alongside the road here are black: they burned not long ago. The huge wall has a few cracks, but it has weathered the centuries better than most of ancient Ss'ranitul.
The road of granite runs north and south, passing by a small garden to the east. The garden is safely separated from the road by a delicate bronze fence. A sweet fruity smell wafts over the fence from the garden. To the west are the palace grounds.
The granite paved road passes by a large stone house to the east, set against the great sandstone wall of the arena. A strange smell, something like lemons, drifts from its open entrance. To the west, the last of the palace grounds; the road runs on north and south.
The lemony scent in the air grows stronger as you approach the bare interior of the stone edifice. It seems to get even stronger as you get closer to another doorway leading back outside to the north...
As you step into this over-grown garden adjoining the stone mansion to the south, the source of the sweet smell in the air becomes clear. A huge lemon tree, its branches filled with dozens of the sour yellow fruits, stands at the garden's center. A bronze fence to the west separates the garden from the granite road, while the huge sandstone wall of the arena forms the eastern boundary of the small garden.
One of the large square granite pavement tiles has been pried out of the road here, and lies carefully propped against the sandstone wall of the arena to the east. The exposed hole in the mud does not look particularly interesting; if there was something concealed beneath the pavement, whoever removed the tile must have taken it with them.
The road of granite runs north between the ancient royal palace to the west and the huge sandstone walls of the arena to the east. To the south the road intersects with an alley, while to the north it stretches off to a distant meeting with a road paved with jasper.
A narrow alley of hard-packed earth makes a T junction with a wide road paved with square granite tiles that runs to the north. To the south, a filthy house squats by the road's edge. A faint buzzing sound seems to come from inside the house.
The inside of this small wooden house is covered with large black flies. The filthy insects zip from perch to perch, taking up almost every inch of exposed surface. Slimy maggots crawl around the floor, feasting on the rotting wood. It's enough to make even the strongest stomach queasy.
The narrow alley runs between the back of a house to the south and the huge outer wall of the arena to the east. To the west, the alley meets a granite road, and to the east it turns south along the arena wall.
The narrow alley bends here, leading west and south. To the east rises the massive outer wall of the arena, a huge construction of sandstone blocks that stretches at least fifty feet into the sky.
The alley ends here in a small cul-de-sac. Wooden houses lie to the west and south, while to the east a large wooden building that looks as though it might once have been an inn has collapsed.
This small shack has weathered the centuries surprisingly well, its badly cut timbers still standing against gravity's persistent tug. A pewter dish lies cracked into two pieces on the floor of the south-west corner, covered with dust and forgotten.
The upper story of this wooden structure has collapsed down into the first floor, leaving the house nothing more than a roofless shell. A large nest of brightly colored birds sits atop the corner of the northern and western walls. The nest's wary inhabitants peer down at you with bright suspicious eyes.
A narrow alley winds west into the depths of ancient Ss'ranitul's poor quarter. To the east, the alley intersects with the road of granite. The buildings that line the miserable trail of hard-packed earth are largely made of wood, and so have been heavily damaged by the passage of the centuries.
The inside of this miserable little hovel is coated with a thick layer of bright red fungus. A disgusting smell, like meat left for too long in the sun, rises from the fungus, making the air difficult to breathe.
The interior of this wooden house has been ravaged by termites. The planks that make up its walls, floor, and ceiling have all been riddled with holes and look like they could collapse at any moment.
The narrow trail of packed earth runs west into the old capital's poor quarter, and east toward an intersection of a wide road paved with granite. The path's north side holds the entrance to a rickety wooden shack, and to the south is the stone wall of an ancient guild hall.
Time and the elements have reduced this rickety shack to a miserable collection of warped, sun-bleached logs. The interior is shrouded with large cobwebs, rising tent-like from the walls and floor.
A narrow alley of hard-packed earth winds through the poor quarter of the ancient city. A decrepit wooden building leans over the street to the north, and to the south is the wall of a stone guild hall. Just to the west a large open doorway leads inside.
Little remains of this ancient pawn shop, huddled in the poor quarter of Ss'ranitul, just south of the palace. Shards of glass, remnants of old wooden display cases, lie strewn about the floor, but little else of note can be seen.
The narrow alley runs past the entrance to a large guild hall to the south, the huge stone building completely over-shadowing the smaller wooden buildings that surround it. The alley continues to the east and west and a small broken house lies to the north.
This small wooden house has been piled high with random chunks of masonry and small rocks. The purpose behind the ordered collection of junk is elusive, but it would explain why the streets around this section of the ruins are clear of the obstructions that fill the rest of the city.
The entrance to what was once a large stone guild hall has been stripped of all its original ornamentation. Instead, strange glyphs and sigils have been carefully painted on the walls with what looks like dried blood.
From the rickety chairs that line the walls of this spacious stone room, you conclude it once was used to entertain visitors to the guild hall. A battered bronze carving still clings to the northern wall; it shows a mighty warrior dressed in the armor of ancient Ss'ranitul battling a huge lion in the jungle.
This small bedroom has been filled with fresh corpses, several of which have been partially dissected or butchered. Most of the corpses appear to be short beastmen, but there are a few humans, dwarves, and elves, as well as one strange carcass that looks like a huge salamander crossed with a human being. The coppery stench of fresh blood hangs in the air.
This ancient guard room has been completely remodeled; a pair of large stone tables rest against the western wall, covered with strange apparatus. The northern table holds a huge structure of beakers and flasks connected together with glass tubing, while the southern table is covered with a small altar carved from a strange greenish stone.
The wooden desks of this large study have been pushed against the eastern wall, partially blocking the open door-way into a bedroom. A large circle of ink, about ten feet in diameter, has been marked on the chamber's center.
This mid-sized bedroom seems to have been converted into a jail cell of sorts, though there are no signs of any prisoners. Three sets of iron manacles have been chained to the northern wall, and a cracked pewter bowl on the floor still contains what looks like raw meat drenched in blood. The odor of excrement clings to the air.
This ancient training room has rusty dagger blades and lock picks scattered about its floor, all of which look too badly damaged to be useful any more. Several solid wooden doors, doubtlessly removed from other rooms in the complex lie rotting against the southern wall.
Eight decrepit wooden chairs ring a large round wooden table; they look as though they would collapse at the slightest touch. A large map of the city, made recently enough that the rubble and destruction are included upon it, sits pinned to the table's surface. Red circles have been drawn around the north-eastern and south-western corners of the city.
The furniture of this large bed room has been smashed, and now lies in a rotting heap of kindling along the north wall. A circular hole, big enough even for a half-giant to navigate, has been cut in the stone floor and leads into the darkness below the city.
A narrow alley of packed earth runs east and west among the battered wooden buildings of the ancient city's poor quarter. Far off to the west, the alley intersects with a road of agate, while a little way to the east, it runs by a huge ancient guild hall.
This slumped wooden structure appears to have once belonged to a tanner, even centuries of disuse cannot come close to erasing the odor of the hard chemicals and dyes that are tantamount to the trade. A broken wooden pail in the south-east corner is ringed by a large auburn stain.
The narrow alley splits here, forming a T junction. The main trail of pressed earth runs east and west, while an even more cramped track splits off to the north. An open manhole sits in the path's center, its fetid depths hidden in darkness.
This small wooden shop has been devoured from within by an army of wood lice. The tiny gray insects swarm over the rotten wood planks of the interior, nibbling at them persistently. The building lurches unsteadily at the slightest breeze from outside, and you wonder how long it can remain standing.
A cramped alley runs north and south through the poor quarter of ancient Ss'ranitul. Unlike most of its neighbors, the large building to the east is made out of stone, and has weathered the passage of the years much more gracefully as a result.
A small iron anvil ripped in half sits in the center of this small stone building. You cannot help but wonder what force, natural or otherwise, could be capable of rending such a solid object of iron.
The wooden walls of this large hovel have collapsed inward, creating a peaked tent-like enclosure. A thick russet moss clings to the broken timbers, its surface glittering wetly. The air is filled with a deep musty smell that tickles the nasal passages and makes breathing uncomfortable.
The cramped alley bends here, running west and south. This section of the poor quarter is filled with large ancient warehouses, their large open doorways gaping along the edge of the street.
This huge empty building is filled with a pale yellow fungus that clings to the wooden walls, ceiling, and floor. A thick cloud of spores fills the air, giving it a sour taste, and making the very act of breathing unpleasant.
Aside from a few empty barrels that still smell faintly of wine, this large wooden building is empty of any sign of humanity. A thick canopy of spider webs drapes the ceiling, fluttering softly in the slight draft that comes in through the open entrance.
The cramped alley comes to an end here, surrounded on all sides by crumbling wooden warehouses. A thick marshy smell fills the air, its source unknown. The alley continues to the east.
This large wooden edifice is crammed with empty boxes, barrels, and chests. A large cask of wine has warped open, leaking its vinegary contents all over the floor. The air is heavy with its acrid smell.
The interior of this warehouse has been flooded, a shallow pool of dank water covering the entire south-west corner of the ancient structure. The walls and floor are badly rotten, and in most places covered with a black slimy mold that fills the air with a fetid marshy stench.
A narrow alley of packed earth winds among a jumble of ancient ruined buildings. Off to the west the alley meets up with a road paved with agate, while to the east the alley winds deeper into the ancient poor quarter.
A small sandstone house stands here amidst the jumbled ruins of the wooden buildings, its wall cracked and damaged by the passage of time. A large pile of bones of assorted types fills the one room of the damaged structure; you wonder to what purpose they have been left here.
You are in a narrow alley running east and west through the poor quarter of ancient Ss'ranitul. The wooden buildings that once lined the packed earth of the streets are in awful condition, and many have fallen down.
This miserable wooden shack is more or less intact, but you wonder how long this can last. The ancient timbers are rotten and swollen with moisture; it looks like the slightest touch might bring them down on top of you.
This small wooden house has been through a devastating fire, and now is little more than a jumbled pile of singed timbers and ancient embers. A burned humanoid skeleton lies in the south-west corner, charred beyond any hope of recognition.
The palace grounds begin here and stretch off to the south, between the palace wall and the road of granite to the east. Once they were a haven for exotic plants from all over the empire of Ss'ranitul, but the native flora has long since reclaimed the rich soil; the vines here look no different from those that cling to the rest of the ancient ruin. The road of jasper lies to the north.
This section of the palace grounds has been blighted by a fire. Wispy blackened vines cling to the barren branches of a burned tree, like thin gauze on the fingers of a burned hand. The granite blocks of the palace wall to the west are scorched, but none the weaker for it. The grounds run north and south, and the road of granite is east.
Once this was a carefully tended garden at the southern end of the palace grounds, its exotic flowers the delight of the emperors and their wives. Time has dealt harshly with the foreign plants, and now the garden is nothing more than a tangle of the same vines that cover this whole region of the jungle. The grounds lie to the north, and the road of granite to the east.
A pair of sandstone statues, each depicting a warrior garbed in the ceremonial armor of ancient Ss'ranitul, stand just inside the large bronze palace gates. The statues have been chipped and defaced, but still manage to radiate an air of quiet reserve as if to say that despite the city's ruin, they haven't deserted their post.
This small dirty room once served as a guard post. Several rusted weapons are scattered about the floor, and the faint odor of sour wine hangs in the air. Staircases lead up and down.
From the battlements atop the north-eastern corner of the palace, you have an excellent view of the River of the Serpent flowing into the city to the north, only to wind east, dividing the city's north-east corner from the rest of Ss'ranitul. Directly to the east is the huge form of the arena, which looks to be largely intact. It's hard to tell for sure, but you think you may have spied ghostly blue lights flickering from within the arena.
The palace battlements continue, running east back toward the stairs down into the palace, and west toward a small guard station. A large stone statue is to the south. Off to the north you can see a road paved with some kind of purple stone leading into a large domed building.
The western end of the battlements supports a small stone slab supported by four columns, an ancient station to protect the emperor's guards from the harsh jungle sun. This corner of the parapets allows a good view of the quartz tiled market square to the north-west, and a maze of twisted alleys and broken buildings to the south-west.
This small dank room beneath the palace is littered with trash and smells like an open sewer. The walls are coated with a thick grayish mold that thrives in the disgusting conditions. A granite staircase leads up into the palace, a stout wooden door lies to the west, and a broken wooden door to the south leads into a cell.
This tiny cramped cell is filled with trash and completely covered with slimy gray moss. A set of rusty manacles hangs from the western wall, and a stout wooden door leads east to the jailer's room.
Broken stone bunks, their bedding long since rotted away, is all that remains of the palace barracks. There is a strange dank smell in the air, as if a very large snake had made its lair here...
This long sandstone hallway has been intricately carved with scenes showing the glory of Ss'ranitul. The most prominent mural depicts the great emperor Khuninala personally sacrificing a slave on the altar atop the temple pyramid. Priests surround the altar, singing the praises of the great feathered serpent.
From its size, and close proximity of the kitchen to the south, you judge that this must once have been the dining hall. There is no trace of any furniture; it has long since been looted or rotted away. The foul smell of rotten meat hangs in the air.
The floor of this ancient kitchen is spattered with fresh blood. The coppery smell of it fills the air, making breathing difficult and unpleasant. Several gutted beastmen corpses have been tossed into the corner. A cloud of flies hangs in the air above them.
This small storage room has been converted into a meat locker. Humanoid corpses of all varieties hang from brass hooks that have been pounded into the ceiling. Many of the remains have started to decay filling the room with a putrid stench.
The sandstone hall continues north and south through the center of the palace. The carved stone walls show a scene in which the feathered serpent commands the priests of the city to spread its worship through-out all of the tribes of the jungle. The priests prepare for a long sojourn through the treacherous growth, but are driven back into the city's eastern gate by an attack from evil snake demons that serve the cobra god.
The audience chamber is dominated by a massive granite throne carved in the shape of a giant serpent's jaws. The throne rests on a black marble dais whose top surface is about two feet above the chamber floor. The throne is intact, but a pair of leering cobras have been carved into either side of its surface.
The moldering remains of a huge wooden bed slump in the corner of this room. The southern wall has a large crack in it, through which a small pale vine has grown, and now covers most of the southern wall. A large pool of dried blood sits by the northern doorway.
The western wall of this room supports a large rack that once must have been filled with parchment scrolls and their cases. The twisted remains of several metal scroll cases litter the floor, and a sooty spot in the north-west corner marks the final resting place of most of the library's contents.
This cramped room has been violently destroyed; even the stone walls show deep marks, like might be made by a huge set of claws or talons. Strange sinuous writing, inscribed in what looks like dried blood, covers the walls. Try as you might, the meaning of the strange markings continues to elude you.
A cramped granite staircase spirals up and down the length of the palace's narrow tower.
The top of the tower holds a small bedroom, though it looks more as though it should belong to a monster than an imperial guest. A huge mound of human bones sits against the wall, next to a ragged pile of hay that serves as a bedding. The window has been boarded up, but a set of candles, each carefully mounted atop a human skull, provides the room with a wan, flickering source of illumination.
This large sandstone hall adjoins spiral staircases to the east and west, leading up to the tiers of seats for the arena's spectators. A large opening to the south leads to the sandy battleground, and to the north the entrance can be secured with a heavy bronze portcullis. Anyone who came in by the side gate finds it shut fast behind them: the only way out is the great portcullis, and it has a lock.
A crumbling set of spiral stairs winds up from the entrance hall to the east to the stands to the south. The stairs are cracked and worn by time, but are largely intact.
The stands lie open to the air, and have a clear view of the northern battleground, which lies on the other side of a ten foot drop from the closest of the cramped stone benches. These benches have rusty metal manacles chained to them.
This section of the stands is filled with cramped stone benches, many of which are chipped and cracked by time. The benches do not look as though they would be a lot of fun to have to sit on for any length of time. The stands continue to the north and south.
This section of the arena is filled with large widely spaced stone benches that look like they might be much more comfortable than the ones to the north. The stands continue to the north and south.
This section of the arena is filled with spacious stone benches covered by delicately carved sandstone canopies. The canopies have been badly damaged by the passage of the years; very few of them still stand.
A huge stone divan sits here at the southern-most end of the arena, giving a clear view of the battleground to the north. A strange bluish light glitters from the southern end of the battleground, but it is hard to make out any details from here.
This section of the ancient stands is filled with large spacious stone benches, each covered by a small stone canopy to protect its occupant from the harsh jungle sun. Several of the canopies have collapsed, leaving sandstone masonry strewn about the area.
This section of the stands has been damaged; part of the outer wall of the arena has collapsed inward and smashed the widely spaced stone benches that stand neatly lined up in rows.
This section of the stands is filled with cramped stone benches that don't look as though they would be very comfortable to sit on for any length of time. The stands continue to the north and south.
Row upon row of narrow stone benches fill this section of the stands. The battleground lies to the west, on the other side of a ten foot drop. These stone benches have ancient metal manacles attached to them, though many of the manacles are missing or broken.
A dusty spiral staircase made of sandstone climbs from the entrance hall to the west up to the spectator's stands to the south. The stairs are worn and cracked by the turn of the centuries.
The northern end of the battleground is a sandy field splotched with thick ancient blood stains. Ten foot walls on the east and west sides once separated the contestants from the combatants. The battleground continues to the south, and a large opening to the north leads into the entrance hall.
The middle battleground is much like the rest, a swath of sand covered with ancient blood stains and littered with the occasional scraps from a broken weapon. Off to the south, something sparkles in the air above the southern part of the battlefield, throwing glints of blue into your vision.
A hazy blue mist hangs above the battleground here, filling the air with a strange crackling energy. To the east and west a ten foot wall separates the battleground from the stands, while to the south, a somewhat higher wall separates this area from the royal viewing box.
You are amongst the leaves and fruit of a large lemon tree. The tree's thick foliage is too dense to allow you much of a view, but you can see a small garden over-grown with vines below you.
A small ancient storage room sits here, filled with moldering robes and ancient candles. Time has ruined the ancient temple supplies; they fall to dust at the slightest touch. A larger chamber lies to the south.
Stone stands and display cases line the walls of this ancient room, once used to house the temple's relics and tithes. The valuables have long since been stolen, and now the room holds nothing but stale air, and dust.
A wide hall lined with sandstone pillars runs east and west. The pillars have been carved to look like stone serpents are coiled around them. The cold stone eyes of the carved reptiles peer at you from all sides as you pass through.
A staircase of carefully fitted blocks of granite spirals downward into the darkness below. Nearly an inch of dust, long undisturbed, coats the stone steps.
A staircase made from carefully cut granite blocks spirals up and down into darkness. To the west, a narrow passageway opens up into a wide hall of some kind. The entire area is coated with dust.
This large hallway, lined with ornate pillars, is dominated by a huge statue carved from a strange black rock veined with green. The statue represents the great feathered serpent glaring fiercely as it raises its head to strike an unseen foe.
The temple's inner sanctum is dominated by a large stone basin where offerings were once burned in the name of the feathered serpent. Four sandstone statues sit in the room's corners: a phoenix, a monkey, a snake, and a frog. Three of the statues look burned, though oddly enough the walls and floor around them seem completely untouched. Only the phoenix statue is untouched by burn marks; it is whole and intact.
This small chamber is almost empty. Four bronze braziers sit in the room's four corners, cold and unlit for centuries. A small granite altar sits at the room's west end, a representation of the feathered serpent with jade eyes peering up from its smooth stone surface.
A stone staircase spirals up into the darkness of the pyramid's dusty interior. There is a slight chill in the stale air here, though you can detect no source for it.
This long narrow hallway is unnaturally quiet, as if the universe itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to occur. The walls are lined with sandstone statues of priests dressed in ceremonial armor standing at attention. You cannot help but feel that they are judging you as you walk past.
The hallway opens up into a large circular room dominated by a large stone obelisk in its center, eight feet from base to tip. The sides of the massive stone monument have been carved with names in the ancient glyphs of Ss'ranitul. Narrow passages lead to the north, west, and south.
The narrow passageway opens up into a small room whose walls are lined with alcoves. Each alcove holds the mummified remains of the ancient priests of the temple. Most of the remains have become dry and brittle in the stale air, and many have fallen to dust.
The narrow passageway ends in a small room whose walls are lined with alcoves, each alcove holding the mummified remains of an ancient temple priest. One of the alcoves has partially collapsed, spilling its grisly tenant onto the chamber floor, where it stares up at you with ancient shrunken eyes.
The narrow stone passageway opens up into a small room whose walls are line with narrow alcoves. Each alcove holds the ancient, mummified remains of a temple priest. The bodies have withered and dried up in the stale air, and several have fallen to pieces.
A narrow trail snakes north and south through the jungle. Through the trees to the south, a large carved wall of granite is barely visible, the outer wall of ancient Ss'ranitul. Far off to the north, the distant peak of T'sunital, mountain of fire, rises above the jungle trees.
A small clearing opens up in the jungle trees here, carpeted by a thick layer of tall yellow grass. Large birds with bright plumage peer down from the surrounding trees with bright, beady eyes, carefully tracking your intrusion into their home.
A small mud puddle sits here next to the jungle trail, its surface crawling with mosquito larvae. The water looks stale, and a dank marshy smell rises from its shallow reaches to assault your nostrils.
A thin game trail, showing no signs of ever having been paved or used by anything but jungle beasts, winds its way north into the jungle and south toward the northern gate of the ancient capital, barely visible through the trees. A small clearing opens up to the west.
A small unnatural clearing sits here beside the path, its surface dotted with tree stumps and wood chips. Someone has cleared out a circle about thirty feet in diameter, but there is no sign of the daft woodsman, or the lumber he has harvested.
This section of the narrow path is unnaturally quiet. The omnipresent sounds of insects and birds are absent. You cannot help but wonder why...
A large natural clearing opens up in the trees here, stretching to the north, east, and south. To the west a narrow opening in the trees leads to a trail through the dense foliage.
A large pile of stones lies jumbled here, where some kind of monument or small building has collapsed. Several smaller piles beside the main ruin show where someone has made an effort to piece together the wreckage in an attempt to understand what once stood here.
The eastern boundary of the clearing is bordered on by a large stand of mangrove trees draped with thick green vines. Though they have no flowers, the vines exude a powerful odor that smells like cinnamon mixed with lilac.
An ancient granite obelisk, its weathered tip standing about eight feet high stands here, tilted at a slight angle from perpendicular to the ground. The weathered stone has been carved from base to top, but time and the weather have erased much of the ancient runes from its surface.
A small trail runs north and south through the jungle's depths, its surface marked by small hoofed tracks. The humid air is alive with the sounds of insects and birds.
A narrow trail runs north into the depths of the jungle, and south toward the gates of the ancient city of Ss'ranitul. Over the trees to the north, the distant peak of T'sanital, the mountain of fire, rises above the treetops, casting its dark shadow on the northern jungle.
The bottom of the well is dry and dusty: in the years since the city was abandoned, the old water sources have run dry or changed their course underground. A gaping hole has been knocked in the well's smooth wall, leading south toward the sewers. High above, a circle of daylight marks the market square.
A rough hole in the side of a sewer pipe opens here, eight feet across and lined with stone blocks. Dank slimy water swirls lazily along the bottom. To the north is the dry bottom of the well; to the south the pipe runs on, a long dark tunnel beneath the market.
The pipe from the well meets the city's main drain here, beneath the market square. Its lower two feet are filled with dank, chilly water, and the gagging smell of rotten meat drifts down from the well to the north. The great drain runs east under the poor quarter.
This is the great drain of Ss'ranitul, a stone-lined tunnel big enough to walk upright in, its bottom flooded with cold slimy water. Crocodiles have found their way in from the river and lie half-submerged in the muck. The drain runs west toward the market and east toward the palace, and a smaller side drain branches south.
Several large sewer pipes come together here, and the cold slimy water swirls as conflicting currents try to sweep it every way at once. The great drain runs west and east, and to the north a cracked alcove opens beside an old water pipe.
A large manhole above this section of stone piping leads up into the poor quarter of Ss'ranitul, and a set of rusty rungs set into the tunnel wall gives easy access to it. The side drain, filled with dirty cold water, runs back north to the great drain.
A narrow side drain runs south from the great drain, its walls slick with a thick mold whose smell grows stronger to the south. Rusty rungs are set into the wall a little way south, below a manhole. The great drain is to the north.
This cramped, filthy cell is covered with a slimy gray moss that gives off a dank odor. A large hole has been smashed through the cell's south wall, opening into the city's sewers; the jail is to the north.
The great drain ends here, below the palace. The water is deeper, and a faint moaning drifts in through a hole broken in the drain's north wall, where a filthy cell of the palace jail lies beyond. A barely audible chanting seems to come from the drain running south.
The southern drain runs beneath the poor quarter, choked with silt and the bones of things the crocodiles have dragged here. The barely audible chanting is louder; it seems to come from the south, where the drain ends at a hole in a cellar wall. The drain runs back north toward the palace.
This small stone room appears to have once been a basement of some kind. Now it is devoid of furnishing. A large hole in the northern wall opens into the ancient city's sewers, and a circular shaft above leads up into the guild hall.
This small alcove in the sewers passes a large stone pipe that once carried the city's water. Its side has been smashed open, leaving a hole large enough to enter to the north; judging from the pipe's size, you would have to crawl. The sewers lie south.
You are crawling inside a large stone aquifer. Once the huge stone pipe carried water from the well to other parts of the city, but now its interior is as dry as a bone. The pipe runs east and west, and a hole in its side allows one to enter the sewers to the south.
The passage through the aquifer ends here, as the section of pipe to the west has collapsed, preventing any further travel in that direction. It is still possible to crawl down the pipe to the east.
You are crawling down the length of a huge stone aquifer. This section of the pipe is damp, and several shallow puddles of fetid water sit on the rounded bottom. The pipe runs east and west.
The stone pipe you are crawling through splits here, going north, west, and south. A flicker of light gleams in the darkness to the north.
The passage through the pipe ends abruptly here. The section directly south of you has collapsed and is now completely impassable. The pipe continues north into the darkness.
A large part of the eastern section of this pipe has been smashed, giving an entrance to a torch lit tunnel to the east. The faint sound of voices chanting floats in from that direction. To the north and south, the pipe continues into the darkness.
To the north, the stone aquifer has collapsed, making any further progress in that direction impossible. The pipe runs to the south; you can barely make out a light flickering in that direction.
A narrow stone corridor runs east toward a large door flanked by a pair of lit bronze braziers. The door's stone surface has been carved with the image of a cobra, its hood spread in defiance. To the west, the passage ends at a ruptured pipe.
This small stone guard room is dimly lit by torches ensconced in the walls. A narrow doorway leads to the south, and a wide passage to the east. The murmur of chanting floats in from that direction.
This small jail cell lacks even a door; apparently the snake men are not terribly concerned that their prisoners will escape. The walls are lined with iron manacles, but the jail is currently unoccupied. A half-eaten bowl of food on the ground shows that recently, this was not the case.
This wide stone hallway is lined with bronze braziers, each one lit and spewing out clouds of sharp smelling incense. While not actually unpleasant, the scent in the air is very unusual - it smells something like an herbal tea. Small doorways lead north and south, and the hall runs east and west.
This small room is crammed full of boxes and crates holding rich silks and spices, undoubtedly stolen from caravans that passed too close to the city's ruined walls. Though costly, the goods are far too heavy and bulky for you to even consider taking them with you.
This small storage room contains spare bronze braziers stacked neatly in a row against the wall, huge bags of charcoal, and crates filled with large blocks of incense and candles.
This wide stone hallway is lined with stone pillars, each carved so as to look like a cobra ready to strike. Candles set into niches cut into the walls provide a wan illumination.
The stone hallways opens up into a large chamber. The floor is tiled with green marble veined with black streaks, and the walls are jet black stone. Braziers line the walls, providing a dull red source of illumination. To the east, a huge altar stands. A huge circle of golden light hangs in the air above the altar, filling the room with its radiance.
The marble stone floor of the temple's north-west corner holds a huge statue representing a man with the head of a cobra. A strange chill surrounds the stone monument, and it is deathly cold to the touch. A large altar lies to the south-east.
A large shallow pit, its rectangular walls lined with black marble takes up most of the temple's north-east corner. The bottom of the pit is filled with blazing coals, and from where you are the heat feels like a furnace. A large altar lies to the south.
A huge block of a strange greenish stone serves as the altar to the foul cobra god. A human man, his chest carefully slit open in ritual sacrifice, lies spread-eagled on the stone block. Hovering slightly above the ground to the east, a huge blazing disk of golden light fills the temple with its brilliance.
This corner of the temple contains a gallery, where the cobra god's priests can sing praises to their foul deity with their hissing reptilian voices. A huge stone altar of greenish stone is to the north.
The black stone walls of this, the south-west corner of the temple, are lined with shelves. Stone jars, containing strange herbs and vile bloody concoctions whose origins you would rather not consider, sit on the shelves, awaiting their use in the serpent priests' foul ceremonies.
A blazing disk of golden radiance hovers a few inches above the floor, a mysterious gateway to somewhere else. On the other side of the glimmering disk, you can see a strange drab plain lit by a dim purple sun. The inhuman eyes of strange and disgusting creatures peer back through the portal at you.
Beyond the portal is a strange, alien world. A sea of drab gray-blue grass waves in a heavy, chill wind. The sky is a muted deep green filled with dark misty clouds. The sun is larger and paler than the one you are used to, and the light it gives off has a distinctly purple cast to it. A brilliant golden portal hangs above the grass here, through which you can see the inside of the under-ground temple.
An endless sea of bluish gray grass stretches out beneath the strange green sky. The grass goes off in all directions, as far as the eye can see. It would be madness to head out into that empty wilderness, and risk losing sight of the portal back to your dimension to the south.
An endless sea of bluish gray grass stretches out beneath the strange green sky as far as the eye can see. The only landmark in any direction is the radiant circular portal back home to the west.
The icy wind cuts across your cheek as you stare out into the endless blue gray plains. With no landmarks to help guide your journey, it would be madness to head deeper into this strange alien world. The golden portal back to safety lies to the north.
The harsh noon sun beats down on the southern end of the battleground. To the east and west, the roaring crowds of spectators cheer for their favorite champions. To the north the sandy battlefield is filled with human men wearing primitive armor and wielding primitive weapons. They look at you expectantly, ready for trouble.
This section of the sandy battleground is filled with lightly armed gladiators, each doing their best to be the last one alive. The stands above you to the east and west are filled with cheering and screaming humans garbed in the ancient clothing of Ss'ranitul.
The northern end of the battleground is littered with broken weapons and wounded gladiators, none of which look like they are likely to survive very long. The battleground extends to the south, and an open archway to the north leads to the arena's entrance.
This large sandstone hall adjoins on two spiral staircases to the east and west. A large bronze plaque hangs over the southern door, its surface carved to represent the great feathered serpent slaying a creature that looks like a cross between a human and a cobra. A huge entranceway lies to the north, but a steady stream of people rush in through it, making it impossible to go that way.
This wide spiral staircase has been cut from sandstone. The walls are carefully painted with brightly colored murals showing gladiators fighting. A few citizens of Ss'ranitul hurry up the stone steps, eager to get to their seats.
This section of the stands is crammed with dirty human males, naked except for tattered loin cloths, who have been chained to their seats. The slaves don't seem discontented with their lot, however; they are cheering as enthusiastically as any other section of the stands.
The narrow stone benches of this section of the stands are filled with commoners wearing short pants or loin cloths, and simple cloth shirts. The crowd roars as the battle going on below in the arena takes an unexpected turn; they seem to be enjoying the holiday.
The wide stone benches that fill this section of the arena are more sparsely populated with well dressed merchants lounging around as they wager on the outcome of the conflicts below. To the north are the cramped commoners' seats, and to the south is the spacious noble's section.
The arena's south-west corner is filled with widely spaced stone divans covered by flat stone canopies resting on slender sandstone pillars. Each divan is covered with a number of bright pillows, on which richly dressed men and women sit, casting bored gazes down at the fighting below. Slaves run about, fulfilling their masters' needs.
A huge stone divan, covered with crimson pillows sits here in the emperor's private viewing space. Slaves with large wooden fans and jugs of rich wine stand in the corners, ready to administer to anything the emperor could desire.
The arena's south-east corner is filled with widely spaced stone divans crowned by flat stone canopies supported by stone columns. Each divan is covered by silk pillows on which men and women, richly dressed in silk robes and adorned with gold jewelry sprawl contentedly, watching the battles below.
This section of the stands has wider, more comfortable looking benches, and the patrons lounging about on them are more reserved. The merchants are dressed in cloth and silk robes, and many wear large hats to protect themselves from the sun. The merchants laugh amongst themselves as they place wagers on the outcome of the battles going on below.
The cramped stone benches that fill this section of the arena's stands look quite uncomfortable, but are nevertheless filled with cheering people. The people are dressed in short cloth pants and shirts, roughly made and dyed in simple colors. The stands continue to the north and south.
This section of the stands is filled with narrow stone benches, crammed full of nearly naked men wearing iron manacles. Despite their captivity, the slaves seem to be enjoying the fights going on down in the battle yard.
A wide spiral staircase of sandstone winds up from the entrance hall to the west and the stands filled with enthusiastic spectators to the south. The air above the staircase is filled with a sparkling red mist that crackles with a strange energy...
Suddenly the red mist flares into light and is gone. You are momentarily blinded by the burst of light, and when you regain your vision you find that your surroundings have undergone a subtle change.
This large hallway is strangely lit by a weird swirling light that seems trapped within its walls. The walls are oddly smooth and slick, without being wet, to the touch. A massive stone door, solid and unadorned save for a large stone keyhole guards the way to the west.
Beyond the door of stone lies another huge door, this one made out of swirling water. Despite its liquid construction, the door is firm, and defies any attempts to move through it. A small keyhole made out of ice bobs on the door's wet surface.
Beyond the door of water lies another huge door, this one made out of a swirling tempest of air. All attempts to move beyond the windy door are met with huge gusts of air that fling the interloper back to the east. A tiny black storm cloud, shaped into a keyhole floats around the door's surface, buffeted from place to place by the gale.
On the other side of the door of air sits a huge door made from fire, the white-hot conflagration promising to burn anyone who dares to tempt its flaming depths. A small bluish flame, shaped into a keyhole burns at the base of the fiery column.
Beyond the door of fire, the strange corridor opens up into a perfectly spherical room. The walls are alight with a strange swirling brilliance that moves almost as if it were alive. A brilliantly glowing portal leads down out of the sphere's lowest point.
Suddenly a large, well-muscled man with the head of a cobra walks in from the wooden shack to the north. He traces a magical glyph in the air with the tip of his finger and chants in a strange, hissing voice. A flash of light engulfs you, and when the light clears, you are else-where.
Suddenly a large group of frog-like humanoids leap from the trees around you. The leader, a large newt-like man with huge pale eyes, waves a stave cut from ebony wood at you, and you suddenly feel very weak, very sleepy... You crumple to the ground, unconscious, and when you awaken, you are elsewhere.
This section of the battlements is directly north of a tall slender tower that rises from the southern end of the palace. A large wooden dais, ten feet by ten feet, rests on the stone floor.
This section of the battlements over-looks the massive sandstone arena to the east, and a section of the maze of alleys that is the poor quarter to the south-east. A large stone statue sits to the west.
The battlements here over-look the gleaming quartz tiles of the market square to the west, and part of the maze of alleys that forms the poor quarter to the south-west. To the east a large stone statue of some kind sits atop the palace battlements.
This cozy stone study, deep within the mountain's rocky slopes once belonged to the arch-mage Gwydion, who was rumored to have many such retreats scattered across the realms. Like many others, this one was abandoned when the wandering wizard ascended into the heavens, and now sits here quietly collecting dust. There are no doors of any kind, apparently the master wizard had no need for them.