1.229
READ THE ENTRY MATCHING YOUR CURRENT LOCATION:
The Undergrove
Down here, in the island's underbelly, you find a variety of strange machinery: towering stone devices with metallic grating on all sides, dull glass globes that reveal nothing but a cloudy gray hue, and countless air shafts spewing out a constant stream of opalescent clouds.
Above you, through the haze, you spot what you can only assume to be the sophisticated technology keeping the facility aloft—metal half-spheres attached to the rocky exterior of the island, emitting a low hum as they allow the land mass to defy gravity itself. You recall reading that sonic tools were used during the Generational Projects to lift impossibly heavy objects. Perhaps what you are witnessing is that very same technology.
Given the state of this place, it's a wonder it's still floating at all. You ponder whether the facility was once staffed, or if it was set up to run autonomously. Nature has claimed, or perhaps reclaimed, many of the connected smaller islands and much of the interior caves. How long has this place been abandoned? How far has it remained hidden in the sky, looking like nothing but fluffy gray clouds from the ground below?
Check off the bubble matching your current location next to BEYOND THE MIST on your campaign tracker. If all three bubbles have been checked off, go to 1.229a.
You have studied the mist at this location. Travel to the locations not yet checked off to continue the mission.
Arbor Mists
Throughout the forest on the surface of the floating island, the mist is thick and heavy, an impenetrable fog that cloaks the landscape in gray. You can barely see more than a few meters in front of you at all times. But at the edge of your perception, you spot an ethereal figure moving in the fog—the only trace you've seen of anyone living here. When you call out, you get no response. Only a mere glance in your direction, and then the figure seems to dissolve once again into the fog.
You follow close behind, hoping to learn more. It's only then that you notice the way his gossamer form wavers through the mist. A spirit, perhaps? You wonder if they once maintained this entire facility alone. What a lonely existence that must have been.
If Nimbus Spirit is not in play, search the path deck and discard for him and put him into play. Do not read his entry.
Check off the bubble matching your current location next to BEYOND THE MIST on your campaign tracker. If all three bubbles have been checked off, go to 1.229a.
You have studied the mist at this location. Travel to the locations not yet checked off to continue the mission.
Nimbus Facility
Exploring the buildings on the far side of the island, you gather as much information about the facility as you can. Countless antennas and dishes litter the exterior of the facility. While some of the devices are broken beyond repair, most remain functional, despite what is likely centuries of wear and tear.
A central room, with tall windows overlooking the rest of the island, contains an elegantly crafted semi-circular surface of brushed metal. Rectangular panes of dusty glass are spaced evenly across the device, revealing nothing but your dim reflection. Only a single chair sits in the center of the chamber.
One wall of the room is devoted to a large diagram of the facility, surrounded by strange glyphs and illegible text. Even in this ancient illustration, dark gray clouds surround the structure, and snow emerges from the storm.
Check off the bubble matching your current location next to BEYOND THE MIST on your campaign tracker. If all three bubbles have been checked off, go to 1.229a.
You have studied the mist at this location. Travel to the locations not yet checked off to continue the mission.
1.229a
You take a moment to rest and put together what you know of this derelict facility. From what you understand, the structure must have been designed to influence the Earth's water cycle. It collected moisture in the air, purified pollutants, and generated rain clouds to transport and deposit water where it was most needed. You can only guess that flooding and drought were existential threats to the Earth during that time.
A sole keeper must have operated the station and lived here among its many instruments and weather-manipulating devices, until at long last he perished here, alone. Without his guidance, the station fell into disrepair, its machinery gone haywire. It probably drifted towards the Valley until it came to rest beside Sentinel Peak. It explains the stationary stormcloud, the blizzard, everything.
There has to be a way to shut the station down for good without causing the entire island to fall to the Earth. You can think of only one person who might know how—the keeper who once lived here. Perhaps it was his spirit you saw while wandering through the Arbor Mists outside the facility ruins. If you can commune with the spirit, you may be able to learn what to do next.
Complete the BEYOND THE MIST mission. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
Gain the GHOST OF A CHANCE mission.