Arcane

A tower stands by the northern edge of the sea. Behind it, cliffs rise tall and forbidding, shadowing but not overlooking the building. To the east, the cliff tops are barren, flat and stark, rising in the distance into mountains. To the west, the cliff tops become a wild, overgrown forest, thick with lush vegetation and enormous trees. In the canopy hoots and shrieks of animals are heard, but none come close to the tower. At the base of the cliffs, immediately to the north of the tower, is a large dark cave mouth. From the sea, from the forest, from the cliff tops and from the cave, four women enter the tower, each through the single door on the side of their approach.

The tower is grey stone, seven stories high, and square. The first floor is an enormous atrium, broken by columns lining the walls and the four stone stairways that ascend to the next level. Each woman silently walks to the nearest stairway and ascends. For reasons they do not know, they cannot speak or make any sound in the atrium; it is powerfully enspelled into silence. Upon reaching the second floor, they make their way to a stone table in the center of the room, dropping packs on the ground as they gather. They each sit at a chair, still maintaining their cardinal positions.

At the eastern side of the table, the tall, blonde woman stands. She has the fullness of adult-hood, somewhere between her second and third decade. She wears long leggings of undyed leather and a tight fabric tunic. Two leather bands cross her chest, emphasizing large breasts and a long torso. They hold a pair of knives near her slim waist. She speaks: "From the eastern cliffs, where the sun rises, I have come."

At the southern side of the table, a young woman stands. Her speech is energetic; she has yet to see her twentieth year and it is her first reunion with her fellow travelers. She is small, with flowing brown hair, dressed in light silken pants and tunic that slither over her form. Her features are almost elfin- a narrow, sharp face; pixie-ish waist and hips; thin, agile limbs; small pert breasts. A small, thin staff rests near her hand. She speaks: "From the southern islands where the sun rests at noon, I have come."

At the western side of the table, a tanned, lean woman stands. She is red of hair and looks as old as her blonde counterpart. She is also energetic, but hers is the energy of the challenge, a sharp grin that threatens all comers seeking to test her. She is of average height, fit and lean but not slender. She wears sheer, vine woven cloth that scarcely covers her hips and ass and her large, tanned bust. From a belt that hangs lopsidedly around her narrow waist swings a long sword. She speaks: "From the western forests, where the sun sets at evening, I have come."

Finally, at the northern side of the table, the last woman rises. She is solidly built, stocky but not fat. Her figure is emphasized by curves of well-earned muscle, though not by the heavy cloth she wears in layers, covering most of her body. Even so, she is clearly a fine specimen of womanhood, though she appears to be the elder of the group by a decade or so. Her dark hair hangs low on her back, nearly reaching the curves of her firm ass. By her side stands a tall iron staff. She seems the most quiet, but her speech is firm and assertive: "From the northern caves which the sun never sees, I have come."

Lightning flashes outside from the midst of a clear blue sky.