Southern Gate
Danger Level: 2
Paths
<--Polar Gates
Dead Rest-->
A strange energy hangs about the stones that mark the entrance into the Southern Gate--a massive crevice within a wall of ice, its depth indiscernible by the naked eye. The ice merely continues to go deeper and deeper until it fades into darkness. After a massive flood that rocked the north froze over, it has taken with it a fair few A.I. and human beings alike. The ice did not judge--it did not separate by race or honour. It just killed--in a way. It preserved the life that it locked away for the years, keeping it alive, though completely immobile. It was imprisoned there, bodies fast asleep while their minds roamed onward, searching for someone--anyone--to reach out and contact. As you walk through the ominous path through the ice, you will hear them calling out. You can hear their whispers in the darkness of the caverns. It is a place not recommended to those without strong willpower--and those without lights. Flares work well, as they burn with ferocity and are not easy to extinguish. Open flames will blow out almost instantly, if you can even get them lit in the first place. Flashlights and batteries will die and flicker out, but only those who have been there will know this.
In the darkness, as you feel along the walls of the ice, there are small dips into the walls that tumble into caverns below--if you are unlucky enough to fall through to one of these such locations. The voices try to lead hapless victims down these little dips--those who they have managed to get into the minds of, driving them mad for short periods of time. Battles within this area are tight for all combatants; the more people there are, the worse chance of being able to maneuver around. Those who keep to themselves, stay strong, and just walk until they get through this place are most likely to survive their journey through the Southern Gates. The strange energy that is seen pulsating from the stones in the front of the gate can be found throughout the pass, etched into certain places and giving off faint light. These, however, are often traps as well--this energy being the very substance that sustains the minds of the trapped inhabitants.
