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114/598 (or September 1st, 12505 AD)

Hell - the Ice Pagoda, court of Pi Tui, the Ice Queen

The Terrans have just been introduced to the Ice Queen. Due to magical oaths and pacts, she doesn't dare take direct action against her siblings -- not until she's ready for 'the final war' anyway. The Terrans get a lot of information from Apeshot, who's willing to provide information aplenty. Apeshot has gotten an upgrade with some grav/pressor units, so he's a much more capable cyborg now!

The 'natural' Portal from the Ice Pagoda to Mount Song opened 16 months ago ... at about the same date (estimated) when the Vaylen used the Gate Ripper for the first (successful) time. That was a few weeks before the Portal opened in Sunnyvale. Three other Portals are known (admitted?) to have opened at the same time -- one for each of the Four Monarchs.

• Mount Sinai (in the southern portion of the Sinai Peninsula):  Portal to the Fire Pagoda (in the Chamber of Flames). Li Ting, The King of the Fire Pagoda, has taken over the verdant nation of Mafkat, with his main military base at An Nakhl. His (smallish) army is preparing to move through the Negev Desert into Canaan (Israel).
  

• Mount Fuji:  Portal to the Darkness Pagoda (in the Chamber of Grinding)

• Mount Kailash (in western Tibet):  Portal to the Thunder Palace (in the Chamber of Wind and Thunder)

• Song Shan, aka Mount Song (in China):  Portal to the Ice Pagoda (in the Chamber of Ice).

There are no demons with horns in the Ice Pagoda. Apeshot doesn't know if there are any in the Thunder Palace or the Darkness Pagoda; he does know that the Darkness Pagoda is a particularly heinous place. The Fire King, Li Ting, has been somehow using magic -- or naiven! -- to convert Mafkaters into loyal followers for several months; and there were definitely horned demons in the Fire Pagoda when the Terrans visited a year or so ago.

The Terrans decide to investigate the Empire of Flame, and see about getting demon horns there. A few specialized items are needed:  peachwood weapons and silver bullets most notably. The Spirit of Vinland flies back to the City of Heaven.

116/598 (or September 1st, 12505 AD)

The Terrans have been at the City of Heaven for a couple of days, resting and buying supplies. They've stopped stomping around the city in spacesuits or Anvil armor, and by now feel safe enough in "just" filter masks. They've sent the Spirit of Vinland into orbit briefly, to take pictures of Mafkat; no demons were visible; and they've made an appointment to take a tour of the Saint katherine's Monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai. Thus, on this day the Spirit of Vinland lands on a dusty field near the monastery, and four of the Terrans walk out.

Mount Sinai - Saint Katherine's Monastery on the left

They are met and guided around the monastery by Brother Mark; the library is especially famous. There is no sign of military defenses or untoward activity; but the Terrans are unable to get an opportunity to use an integrity scanner on any of the monks -- and remember, the scanner won't detect any implantation done in a more subtle fashion than a quick "field hull." Brother Mark says that the Terrans are free to visit the top of Mount Sinai (except for the interior of the chapel, which can only be visited in company with an Orthodox priest).

McClellan and MacDougall fly to the top of Mount Sinai in the assault lander ...

... the other three Terrans walk up the steep, twisting trail (which includes 3000 steps).

Guidelines for visitors to Mount Sinai

• Wear sturdy shoes and a hat, take a heat pad, sunscreen, and a warm jacket for early mornings and evenings. Be aware of the season, as winter will require much warmer clothing and do not underestimate how cold it can become.

• If you stay overnight sleep only in Elijah’s Basin not on the summit.

• Respect the right of pilgrims to a quiet, peaceful experience on the summit.

• Respect the sanctity of the landscape and leave no trace of your visit.

• Do not collect or destroy plant or animal life or leave graffiti.

• Please dispose of your litter in the bins provided

• Please use the available toilets.

• Be aware that the climb can be difficult for the infirm or elderly.

Mid-afternoon, the hikers reach the peak. They've passed various small chapels, gardens, water conduits, and ruins on the way. At the peak of Mount Sinai are the following structures and locations:

• a small chapel, connected by a retaining wall to:

• a small mosque. Both are built using material from:
  

• ruins of a 3rd Century AD chapel, which apparently covered much of the summit

• Byzantine wells and cisterns

• lots of scattered granite blocks and other ruins and rubble

• a flat spot, pretty obviously cleared off long ago to allow grav sleds to land

• a concrete block supporting a metal tower with meteorological instruments, a 'webcam' and an antenna

   

Black begins putting on a suit of Iron, helped by Maclellan and Harmony (who's been piloting the assault lander). O'Reilly, Burns and MacDougall poke around the buildings. One of the ruined areas seems to have been visited a lot in recent months.

While investigating the recently-visited spot, MacDougall disappears for less than a minute. The other Terrans blink in amazement, and then begin scrambling for their weapons and armor; they destroy the 'webcam' on the meteorological tower. Upon MacDougall's return, he confirms that he's found a Portal, and that it leads to the area of Hell occupied by the Fire Pagoda. Harmony also confirms that a couple of sleds have just lifted off the ground at Al Nakal, and will arrive at the peak of Mount Sinai in 30 minutes or less. Once everyone's in their armor (after about 10 minutes), some of the Terrans enter the Portal again -- MacDougall, O'Reilly, Burns and Black; Harmony and McClellan fly off in the recon sled to wait for trouble.

Two minutes pass ... and then the Portal bursts into activity! O'Reilly and Burns come stumbling through, carrying the mangled body of MacDougall; all three have scorch marks, fragment spalling, soot stains and melted pellets of sand on their armor and equipment. Black comes through a few seconds later, hauling a couple of large equipment boxes. The returned Terrans shout over the radio "Come back, get back here, we gotta go now, now, now!" By the time the recon sled returns, Black has reentered the Portal and brought out two more equipment boxes, and ducked into the Portal yet again. MacClellan lands the sled, and the badly-injured MacDougall is gently placed inside; then Black returns through the Portal for the last time (with a single equipment box) and helps everyone move the five quarter-ton boxes into the recon sled. Black in Iron, injured MacDougall, O'Reilly and Burns, plus 5 equipment boxes (containing a suit of Index 4 Iron) is more than the sled's passenger compartment is really meant to hold; everyone's jammed in very tight.

McClellan pilots the recon sled back to the Spirit of Vinland; as soon as MacDougall is unloaded, the ship lifts off and heads into orbit. McClellan (nominal captain of the Spirit of Vinland, after all) and Baron Chan's nieces have some questions about what happened at the Fire Pagoda; the four Terrans who went through the Portal were obviously involved in a very short, brutal firefight. MacDougall's legs were apparently crushed by some heavy object. Oh, and Black pulls a smallish pair of (ichor-stained) demon horns out of a cargo pouch on the Iron suit he's wearing ...

The Spirit of Vinland heads at top speed for Mount Shaoshi, where the Terrans expect that the Ice Queen can heal MacDougall.

on to Journal 11