The selbinger rock island
After the successful battle against the Pale Ones, our four heroes realised that Selbingen had been hit even harder than they had initially suspected. A major fire had destroyed Bibiane’s stable, and their reconnaissance in the morning brought the sad certainty of the loss of the villager Gerd and the three soldiers stationed here. They also discovered an abandoned boat rocking lonely on the waves on the rocky beach of Selbingen. It was precisely this boat that inspired our four friends to come up with a new plan.
Today they want to make their way to the rocky island in the centre of Lake Selbingen to explore it and possibly find the hiding place of the pale ones. Aldric in particular doesn’t like this idea, as he is still struggling with his traumatic phobia of water. But his concerns are generously ignored by the group. With the help of a rope, Aldric is loaded into the boat they have found on the beach and they row off in the direction of the rocky island.
From a distance, the island looks small and inconspicuous, but with every paddle stroke it grows in front of them and eventually turns out to be an impressive natural monument. Rugged rock faces rise steeply from the calm water, and only a few sparse trees defy the stony ground. They circle the island to find a suitable place to moor and discover an opening about forty metres wide that leads into the interior of the island. What they see there takes even Aldric’s breath away: a huge cave stretches deep into the island, almost as if a stone dome were enthroned above it. At the entrance to the cave, they find a shallow spot where they can safely land the boat.
From here, a narrow path leads up to the stone dome. They follow the path over slippery stone slabs and through narrow passages flanked by large rocks. After about ten minutes, they reach a larger level. They are unable to enjoy the view here, however, as three hissing lizards suddenly charge towards them. While Löwenzahn proudly announces that they are Gragur lizards, the others draw their weapons and prepare for battle. However, the battle proves to be less challenging and they quickly eliminate the Gragur lizards.
Now that the danger has been averted, they take their time to look around the plain. On the opposite side, they discover a rocky outcrop. Curious, they climb up and enjoy the fantastic view over the island, Lake Selbig and the surrounding countryside. But their attention is diverted by a small hole in the rock that leads into a narrow cave - so narrow that they can’t all fit in together. Theo, the smallest of the group, offers to climb in and tell the others what he discovers there.
Theo carefully squeezes through the crevice and enters a tiny chamber. Although he didn’t have high expectations, he is still disappointed because the cave is almost empty. Only an old, collapsed wooden crate stands mouldy in one corner. Lacking alternatives, he finally turns his attention to the crate, opens it carefully and discovers a small vial of oil, a rope ladder and a pair of binoculars. Theo doesn’t know what to do with it and tells his friends about his find. They are equally perplexed, but advise him to put the objects back - they could be important later.
They have now fully explored the surface of the island and decide to investigate the cave inside the island. You can find out what awaits them there in the next Arkanthia Pen and Paper blog post.
