In most cases a landing party must climb tens or hundreds of feet upwards from the sea. Broad though they may be, the shelves between cliffs are seldom conveniently near sea level. The Pinnacles seldom offer an easy landing. On rare clear days, the Pinnacles may be marked at some distance by the plume of feathered life above them. This fragrant and silent realm contrasts with the highest levels, which are raucous and white-stained with innumerable sea birds puffins, eider, albatrosses, and others less recognizable. Above these is a cloud-forest of odd fleshy-leaf plants and rare orchids. These are mixed with lesser trees, some of which cling to the cliffs, and a wealth of lesser ferns, mosses, and flowers. The lower portions are clothed in forests, including massive coniferous trees which are themselves sometimes more than 200 feet tall. How far they extend downward into the ocean is unknown, but their height above the water is in excess of 1,000 feet. They are perhaps a quarter mile in diameter at the base, circular in cross-section, and rise steeply upward in a regular series of cliffs. The Pinnacles themselves are massive spires no less than 40 in number (some say 100), in an irregular cluster, none more than two miles from its nearest neighbor. Certainly that is what the merchant captains believe they stay well away from fog banks even on the open ocean, and most vessels carry oars for the express purpose of rapidly removing themselves from regions in which they might be becalmed. Perhaps this is because of the unusual warmth of the waters in their immediate vicinity, and the peculiar calm that seems to envelop the region. Indeed, the Pinnacles are often concealed by banks of fog even when those waters are otherwise clear. They are less frequently found than one would think, but this is perhaps accounted for by their being away from the regular shipping lanes, and by the dense fogs peculiar to the Dramidj. It would appear from accounts that the Pinnacles are no more than 50 leagues from the mainland, somewhere in the angle of the Dramidj between Ekbir and Zeif. Mariners regard a sighting of the Pinnacles as an ill omen and will rarely so much as speak of them, and then only when ashore. Such a wealth of speculation betokens the fact that few have seen the Pinnacles even at a distance, and (perhaps significantly) fewer still report any close approach or landing. (The Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar) is rumored to reside here. The last royal house of the Bakluni Empire is said to have fled here from the Invoked Devastation. The epic hero for whom they are named is said to sleep there with his paladins. They have been variously described as the ancient dwellings of the gods, the protruding spires of a titanic drowned city, the monumental tombs of the near-mythical First Dynasty of the Bakluni, and the nesting place of phoenixes, rocs, or the Dramidj Ocean's numerous dragons. The Pinnacles of Azor'alq have haunted Bakluni legend for upwards of 3,000 years. The unusual places described here are some of the most infamous and best-known bits of topography in the lands that humans travel. Because of this, tales of far away lands are always sought after by those unable to move freely. Only the rich and powerful can afford the armed guards, wizards, and clerics who make long-distance travel possible. Oerth's geography is little known because travel across the Flanaess is so dangerous to one's health. This work has been updated since its original publication for use with the AD&D 2nd Edition game, with some new information added as well. This file contains information on mysterious places in the Flanaess of eastern Oerik, but it may be adapted into other AD&D(R) campaigns with minor changes, serving as legends and rumors to get player characters into major adventures. (R) and (TM) indicate trademarks of TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.ĪOL File (C)1995 TSR, Inc. GREYHAWK Adventures Editing: Warren Spector, Anne Brown, Karen Boomgarden, Steve Winter, Mike Breault, Scott Haring, Jon Pickens. Findley, Thomas Kane, Stephen Innis, Len Carpenter, Eric Oppen, Jon Pickens. Ward, Daniel Salas, Skip Williams, Nigel D. GREYHAWK Adventures Design & Development: James M.
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