The Labyrinth of Mist 07/24/1996 ©Greg Porter This is the Lemurian term for the ways into the Hollow Earth from Nursatoquoq. Unlike Soqtruil, Nursatoquoq is built well down in the foothills of the mountains that encircle the entrance to the Hollow Earth, and status is measured by the quantity and quality of real estate, not necessarily its placement. From Nursatoquoq, one simply heads north into the Mountains of Mist. The temperature difference between the Hollow Earth and Hyperborea creates a constant, near impenetrable fog past the first ridgeline, a fog which does not abate until you are nearly on the other side. Meteorogically, the warm wet air from this part of the Hollow Earth does not shed its moisture until its passes out of direct sight of the Inner Sun, so it is well into the cooler mountains before it condenses into fog and mist. It swirls constantly, the turbulent winds over the mountains sometimes jetting streamers of mist high into the sky. If a mountain pass is clear when you reach it, you may be able to see the mountaintops jutting from a sea of mist, with ripples and waves like the wake of some great creature swimming beneath its surface. There are legends of what these creatures might be, and guides may speak of glimpses of them, but no one has ever proven anything, and educated folk simply regard them as tall tales or myths from a more superstitious time. On the ground, visibility is seldom greater than from your eyes to your feet. This is further affected by the reflected light of the Inner Sun, which permeates the fog, and creates a shadowless light that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere, adding a glowing pallor to everything. A rock in the distance could be a pebble in front of your face, and you would be unable to tell the difference, such is the loss of perspective here. Sounds are both muffled by the fog, and amplified by the walls of rock, making it nearly impossible to determine the direction and distance of any noise more than a stone's throw away. Fires can drive the mists back, but no dry wood is here, so all fuel would need to be carried or magically created. There are trees, but they are of a kind that loves the constant moisture and are too wet to be burned. Almost every surface is covered with moss, strange grasses or algae-like growths, and mildew and mold are a constant problem for perishables, which must be kept in tightly sealed containers. As you pass through the ranges of mountains and rugged hills, the mists gradually become warmer and thinner, and the light through the mist gains a direction as you gradually encounter the full light of the Inner Sun. Suddenly then, a breeze will clear the mists and the blinding intensity of the Inner Sun will be low on the southern horizon, marking your entry into the Hollow Earth and the wonders therein. Normally, time and effort would find safe paths through the mountain passes, but the nature of the world is contrary to the nature of man. Slight shifts of the Earth in this area change the course of rivers, collapse mountain paths, fill passes with rock and generally make any known route into the Hollow Earth a temporary proposition. The longest known route lasted for nearly two years before a slight shift rendered it unusable. In addition, there are creatures spend their entire lives in the mists, and they have learned to hunt and live by vibrations in the rocks and keen hearing. Few of these pose a threat to a prepared traveller, but some of them are large and powerful enough to take advantage of the unwary, especially when they can usually attack without warning, our dull senses unable to pick up their subtle cues. There are no true maps of the Labyrinth, only mostly blank sheets with known landmarks, route segments that were safe at the time the map was made, and the experience of the person leading the expedition. Game notes To successfully trek through the Labyrinth of Mist into the Hollow Earth is a complex Mental Challenge by the guide (alone) against the GM, who uses five Advantages to try and thwart you. This entire Challenge will take two weeks to complete from the edge of the mountains outside Nursatoquoq to the first clear sight of the Inner Sun (each round is a day or two). Failing means you don't succeed. If you lose the last Challenge by one, you have to turn back because of some insurmountable obstacle or lack of supplies. If you lose the last Challenge by two, you get lost, and have to restart the Challenge with one less Advantage on your side...to find your way back out. If you lose the last Challenge by three or more, you're never heard from again... Any lost Advantage in a Challenge round can be described as some kind of event along the way, such as someone getting lost, having to make a dangerous climb around an obstacle, an attack by predators, etc. Combat in the Labyrinth is difficult. All melee Challenges are resolved with one less Advantage on each side because of lack of visibility. You could down a foe, and then not be able to find where they lay. Ranged Challenges are impossible past Poor range (half a dozen steps) except under unusual circumstances, and these are resolved with one less Advantage for the attacker. Equipment Guide tools - Over the centuries, a few tools that reliably help navigation have been developed. One is a "shadow compass", a small box with frosted glass sides, an eyepiece and a vertical pointer. If you hold it in the the light and look carefully into the eyepiece, you can usually tell which direction most of the light is coming from, and therefore it points towards the Inner Sun. Second is a guidebook, a written listing of known landmarks, usually personally updated by the guide as the landmarks change. Last is the pocket transit. This is a small weight on a string, attached to a sight. This allows determination of the true angle to any visible object, and based on what the object appears to be, an idea of its distance. This comes in handy in dangerous terrain of varying visibility. The full set is Light weight and Average cost, and gives an extra Mental Advantage to anyone with "Labyrinth Guide" as a Mental Advantage. The cost is so high mainly for the reliable guidebook. Without it, the tools are Below Average cost, but all are needed to gain the Advantage. Note - You'll see that a character with two Mental Attributes, Labyrinth Guide Ability and tools will have a total of five Advantages, making the trip an even Challenge. Guides usually charge an Average amount for their services, each way, paid in advance to family or next of kin, in addition to all supply costs and deposits to cover lost ponies or other equipment. Guides with a long track record of successful transits usually run double this amount. If you don't make it successfully through, your return guide fee is usually refunded. There are a few unscrupulous guides that take advantage of the gullible, leading them on a relatively safe but fruitless trip through the hills, apologizing for "failing", and profiting handily, even with the partial refund. Fogburner - Some people are psychically overwhelmed by the constant light and mist of the Labyrinth. A fogburner will help alleviate the symptoms, and help dry out soaked clothing and equipment. It is a portable oil-burning stove that will evaporate the fog out to Poor range, cook food, and dry out most wet items in a quarter of a day. It is Medium weight and Below Average cost. Four fuelings of the fogburner (a quarter day each) will be Medium weight and Marginal cost. Mistpony - These are a breed of small horse that lives near and slightly in the Labyrinth. They are too small to ride, but they handle the sensory aberrations of the Labyrinth in a way that normal horses can't, and they can carry up to two Heavy items of gear without being encumbered. Their Attributes are Strength and Intelligence. They also are used to the plants in the Labyrinth and need no food or water of their own. Each pony with a travel pack will be Average cost. Sunglasses - These are a necessity for any Hyperborean entering the Hollow Earth. Without them, the character will lose an Advantage in any outdoor Challenge that relies in any way on sight. This will last for two weeks until the character's eyes adjust. The sunglasses have interchangeable lenses that allow the character to gradually adjust without penalty. Negligible weight, Below Average cost.