The Isle of Siptah

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This is my new Conan Exiles story. You know the drill, click in screenshots to enlarge. The links are hidden screenshots that require my password to be viewed. If you don't have it, send me a PM.
Let us begin...




Hrongar, the Nordheimer had survived the shipwreck. He was being transported to the Exiled Lands on a prisoner galley out of Argos. Now it seemed only he had survived. He looked around at his new surroundings and began to explore...



While salvaging on the beach, Hrongar stumbled upon a scroll. It appeared to be a journal...



Day 5 of the month of Tobi, Year of the Gazelle
The journey from Khemi has been uneventful, which was to be expected. Our small fleet is probably more than enough to deter any pirates or raiders.
There is excitement among the group. As the sun was sinking, our captain informed us that when the sun rose tomorrow, we would arrive at the island. The high priest put together an impromptu ceremony in thanks to Set for our safe arrival and the Prince and his family were obliged to join him. I believe the sailors are still mopping the blood from the deck.  
I took the opportunity to slip below decks to my cabin and pen this missive. My wife Threa is asleep in the room, but otherwise I am alone.
I must confess, I still do not understand why I was chosen for this honor. My position as a minor scholar and scribe at the court of does not justify this elevation to Royal Scribe and Advisor to a Prince.
Or perhaps this is a form of Exile. It was not a popular decision to marry a Shemite noble. Threa is an outsider and Stygians do not like outsiders.
I feel... uneasy. There is a tension in the air, a building pressure like that which rides before a storm front. In my heart, thunder rumbles.

The path led to a camp...



The enemies' cages were empty this time. 



Returning to their settlement, Hrongar was surprised to see they had a horse. He asked where it came from, he had not seen a single horse during their exploration. 
"You have clearly not been to the Castaway's camp," was the answer.
Hrongar had indeed never heard of it, but now he was intrigued to visit - a friendly camp was always welcome...



Hrongar went alone. The horse they had gotten was obviously a one-time deal with the traders. Someone had managed to steal a horse the Stygians had brought to the island and then sold it to one of Hrongar's followers when they had visited the Castaways' camp, in exchange for a number of pearls. 



Hrongar met the trader who had sold them the horse, he sold camel calfs for a living. Hrongar went further into the camp...

Hrongar stumbled across the leader of the Castaways...



"Well, well... look what the tide washed up," she said. 
Hrongar stepped forward, then quickly stopped.
"Oh, that gods cursed bastard! That goat-raping son of a whore! I'll cut off his balls and crush them in front of him! What do you want? I'm busy figuring out how to get my revenge on that pig. The ship was almost finishe... and those dark-hearted bastards swept in and set it all aflame. It was the Black Corsairs who burned our ship - and they didn't even seem to have a reason for it. Could just as easily been the Stygians. Gods but I hate this island. The Stugians and the Black Corsairs - take your pick, they're both bilge-swilling scum. The Stygian leader is one of those royal by-blows with something to prove. Kraxus the Bastard they call him - and a bastard he is. He's here to claim the isle for Stygia and tax the trade routes to the Black Kingdoms. That means he has a fleet patrolling the straits, stirring up troubles with the local lads. And so - Nkosi the Ashen, leader of the Black Corsairs. They say his father is a devil from the outer dark. How else does one explain an ivory-skinned, red-eyed babe born to a woman of a dark-skinned tribe? I've seen him myself, feasting on the dead after a skirmish, blood running down his face. Just my luck to be stuck on an island between the two of them. You've been exploring the isle so you've probably also seen those... others as well? My men have taken to calling them 'The Accursed.' They are... wrong. Their shadows don't step whre they step. Their eyes... I've seen them out there in the storm, walking like the wind doesn't touch them. Where do they come from, these men and women? Do they come from the storm? Are they part of it? I don't really want to think about it. Sorcery makes my skin crawl," she said.



Hrongar decided to visit the market...

At X'chotl, they discovered another piece of Siptah's journal...

Day 20 of the Month of Thoth, Year of the Falcon
Today I woke from dreams of darkness to a red dawn. The sun is rising through a pall of smoke - a plume that rises from the site of New Luxur. We must return to the colony - that smoke can only mean one thing.
Prince Adom-Tet is dead.



At the settlement all was well...



Hrongar led another expedition, this one into an elder vault...



It was crawling with serpentmen...



They found greater quantities of decaying eldarium...

Hrongar's party soon learned that it was best to avoid the lizardmen's eggs. When they got too close the things exploded in a cloud of toxic gas...



They delved into the depths of the vault and reached the treasure chamber. They walked away with a good amount of decaying eldarium and another sigil. There were also the weird orb of ancient knowledge, a recording by these ancient creatures. And from the tablets they learned the recipes for new weapons and armour...



For the longest time, we thought we were alone, and we despaired. The lifecycle of our kind is long, but the conditions on the island were such that none of our offspring could be brought to term. We resigned to a long, slow death.
But then Others of our kind made contact from the mainland. They had made a pact for safety and secrecy - hidden beneath a volcano in the lands of the Giant-kings. They had birthed a cache of young. We will go to them. We will ensure the survival of our species.


It was weird to hear the alien language spoken and still understand it in your mind - strange magic indeed. 

Exploration continued and Hrongar's group found another elder vault...



They entered...

Deeper into the elder vault they went...



... until they reached the end...



We were not prepared. Our warring with each other had left us weakened - and the humans were full of fresh fury and anger. They drove us back across the island - and we abandoned our foolish civil war and reunited against the greater threat. In desperation, we sought to save ourselves.

Hrongar's party found a second elder vault belonging to the Drowned Ones and entered...



They slew the enemy and claimed all the decaying eldarium they could find...

The Drowned Ones desperately tried to thwart Hrongar's party's progress but they dispatched the enemy with relative ease and pushed deeper into the vault...



The party found themselves halted by a locked door. There were three mysterious bowls...
"These must be of some significance," Hrongar said. "I bet we need to fill them with something," Calandra said. "Yeah, but what...?" Hrongar said. "Hmm... fish eggs?" Calandra suggested. 
There seemed to be clusters of over-sized fish eggs in the murky water below. 
"I suspect you expect me to dive in and pick those things up," Hrongar said.
The others nodded.
Hrongar wince at the thought but shortly after he dove in...



Once all three bowls held a giant fish egg the door opened and the route to the heart of the vault was open to them.

They found themselves inside the maelstrom...



Not only did they have to fight off the ancients that spawned, but also the Accursed who lived on this land...



Hrongar reckoned that clearing a path through the Accused' camp would take his party to the tower...

So close but still so far away. There was no way down to the tower from the Accursed Citadel.



Back at the settlement no one had heard anything from Valeria. Hrongar was getting worried...



... Wherever he went, Hrongar kept looking for his tall female friend.



But nowhere his party went they found any trace of her.

Hrongar's party had found a ship stranded on the ancient river bed...



Of course, when they approached the wreck was revealed to be haunted...



After dispatching the undead crew and looting everything of value, the party continued...



Souddenly, there was a loud noise and they could see the meteor shower coming down...



Finding the location of the impact would've been good. Starmetal is very valuable, but Hrongar's party lacked the means to crack the near inpenetrable outer shell of the meteors. They would need explosives of some sort which they weren't carrying on this expedition.

Hrongar's party went on, finding another ruined leyshrine...



... and another piece of the journal...

Day 27 of the Month of Epep, Year of the Dog
I have found guidance in my dreams and it was as I suspected.
I have walked the vaults of the Elder Races in a dream, stepping softly to avoid awakening them from their aeons long slumbers. I have used their spheres of knowledge and I have seen their desperate attempts to escape from their mortal enemies. Humans.
They are nothing more than remnants of a forgotten past - the last vestiges of a world long left behind.
And yet, in their history I found the key I have been looking for. The first time they had it, they lost it to betrayal.
Then they made a flawed copy - which almost drove them to their extinction - yet still worked enough to summon the power necessary. They created the vaults as a refuge from their own foolishness.
I will make a copy of my own. And it will be flawless.

Hrongar kept exploring the isle, always searching for signs of Valeria's whereabouts...



... but their efforts always came up empty...



The Accursed entertainer they had captured, finally broken on the wheel of pain, joined the ranks of their little settlement. Her name was Linaneele.

https://i.ibb.co/RCgq6dW/20210904102612-1.jpg

The Shaggai larvae they had brought back had now hatched...

"A wreck... in the middle of the forest... What else can we expect here?" Hrongar said. "These trees seem like a good place to build," Lianeele said. "I agree," Dalinsia said. "We'll have to find a good spot to start, let's keep a keen eye out," Hrongar said.



There, in the sequoia forest, they found another vault but now was not the time to delve into it. hrongar noted the location on his map...

Exploration carried on until another journal piece was found...



Day 6 of the Month of Tobi, Year of the Gazelle
I have solved the first mystery! As our small fleet slid into the harbor, I immediately recognized the handiwork of the Archeronians on the stones of the small quay. Though the teams of masons who were sent to prepare the way have done a good job of restoring the stone, the docks were clearly originally built by the Archeronians.
We have landed on the northeastern corner of the Isle, rounding a small island before coasting into the docks. From my position on deck, I could see the towering trees of the forest and the crumbling stone of a watchtower in the distance. I was disappointed not to see the silhouette of a tower looming over the landscape - but sailor talk is not always to be trusted.
When we landed, Prince Amon-tet officially declared this to be a Stygian territory. He named the isle - The Isle of Amon-Tet. And the colony we are to establish is called New Luxur.
All terrible names, to be honest - men who rule have no place naming things.
The masons report they have been working on a site further into the forest that we will be able to move to those lodgings soon. For now, we remain aboard the ships in the relative comfort of our cabins. The leader of the masons, Bahk-hotep, is a solidly built man with a friendly smile and an easy manner. When I discussed the matter of the ruins with him, he told me that the lodgings they were building for us in the city were also built upon foundations placed by somebody else.
And there was another thing he mentioned. A structure, unlike the others, in perfect condition. Made of a metal that he never encountered. So hard that steel tools do not even leave a mark in it's surface.
He simply calls it 'The Vault' and it is this, more than anything that I look forwards to on my tour tomorrow.




How many elder vaults had they discovered now, they had lost count. There were a good number of them on the isle.

They came across another ruin... and within they found another piece of the journal.



Day 25 of the Month of Tobi, year of the Gazelle
New Luxur! What a city this will be once our masons have finished restoring the stonework. The prince is pleased, the High Priest is pleased and even Threa seems pleased by our new colony.
Now that we have established ourselves in the city, I have been forced to turn my mind to practical matters. The reasons for establishing this colony were three-fold:
1. A naval base to reduce piracy and smuggling along the western coast of the kingdom. Our fleet will begin patrolling the seas and policing the trade routes with the Black Kingdoms to the south. With adequate timber and arable land, we can also begin to build more ships for the fleet. The long-term goal is to counteract the maritime might of Argos and Zingara.
2. As a port for the merchant vessels that pass along the coastline. As the only reliable source of freshwater, we can monopolize the merchants and create wealth in the form of taxation. We will also have first choice of luxury goods moving up and down the coastline, which should keep our Prince happy.
3. The third, unspoken, reason was to move a younger royal away from the intrigues of the capital. Prince Amon-Tet was known in the Stygian capital for his ambitions. By giving him this duty, his father has deftly removed any threat to his heirs, while giving the Prince the opportunity to prove himself. Deft politics, that.
I've added a new goal to the mix - uncovering the mysteries of the island and their purpose. My duties as scribe and advisor do not take too much of my time and I am left to my own amusements. The city itself contains many writings and tablets from Acheron. Bahk-hotep leads me to any writings he finds and he makes sure his men do not destroy them.
And the Vault nearby also calls for my attention, though the High Priest has declared it a holy site and is setting up an alter there.
There is so much to see and do here, I cannot seem to find enough hours in the day.
Threa, however, pines for home and family. I've told her that as soon as the colony is established, we can take a trip to Shem and visit. A princess of Shem in an arranged marriage to a lesser noble of the Stygian court - I cannot blame her. Perhaps I could bring her with me on some of my expeditions? I'll need to give it some thought.




They found the location for their new base.

Dalinsia was fist to receive new gear...

https://ibb.co/y0fTZNb

The new grew quickly, much due to the help from their allies the Castaways. Resources were brought from the old settlement and most thralls and followers resettled, leaving behind a minimal crew. Hrongar was very pleased with the development.



Hrongar issued new armour from the craftsmen...



He oversaw the construction personally.

With their new base up and running, Hrongar decided it was time to explore the nearby ruins...



Another part of the journal was found...



Day 5 of the Month of Tobi, Year of the Falcon
We have been on this island for a year.
We have gathered the remaining colonists and spoken to them with the righteous voice of Set. I have never been an orator, but the words seem to flow from my tongue like liquid fire, igniting my followers to a religious fervor.
The words seem to come from my dreams.
Tonight we will march across the causeway and bring death to those who betrayed us. Tonight we will bring justice to those who have caused us such great harm.
Blood for Blood.




With the exploration of the ruins and finding black ice, Hrongar once again set his mind to finding Valeria. He theorized that she may have been captured by their enemy, the Stygians...




Hrongar's party went on a rampage through the Stygian invaders' camp but found no trace of their missing member.

There were no signs of Valeria in the first Stygian camp they raided. Maybe they would find some clues at the docks...



Valeria had been missing for some time now but Hrongar refused to give up hope...



This expedition, so far, had been fruitless.

They encountered a new enemy - the Grey Ones. The enemy was no match for Hrongar and his party. There still was no sign of Valeria...



They entered the city of the Grey Ones, sacking and pillaging as they went, but found no sign of Valeria. There was this mysterious pool, though, that probably was used in some ritual.



Hrongar visited the old settlement, now reduced to an outpost. The thralls tipped him off to raid the Black Corsairs' main base - which was quite close by...



This time Hrongar had high hopes of finding Valeria. The black Corsairs had taken to boobytrapping their base, but with keen eyes Hrongar's party spotted the dangers and avoided them. The enemy was known to take prisoners so they expected to free several.

Two women were rescued from the Ashen Core, the main base of the Black Corsairs. Hrongar's party left one behind at their outpost before taking Valeria back to their new base. She was refitted with new armour and weapons and a few days later she was ready to join an expedition into one of the elder vaults...



The vault challenged them to dive and smim through passages in the murky and icky water. 

Hrongar's party delved deeper into the vault of the Twice Drowned...



Valeria didn't speak of how she came to be captured by the Black Corsairs and no one asked her. All that mattered was she was back and Valeria certainly was in peak condition.