No Gods, Nor Masters

Historical Data

After a little while, the storms over the Northern Mountain Range had settled, allowing the troops to proceed. The transport vehicles rolled ever-forward up the steep inclines of the mountains that sprawled throughout much of the North of the continent as snow still fell in small increments around them, forming a layer beneath the vehicles that compacted under wheel and track. The transports were currently moving on a carved 'road' on the side of the mountain, with their right fully covered by a very steep cliff wall.

Their left, meanwhile, was an even steeper descent down to the snow-covered, pine-filled valleys down below. Aboard the car in the middle, the three Lieutenants of HITMAN-3 and their most important comrades shifted uneasily, the chilly air flowing through the canvas roof of the vehicle and causing a few of them to shiver, despite the warm, lined parkas they were given by the UNSC.

Shino breathed a heavy sigh, her breath visible, before she pulled up a mask she'd brought with her to cover her face and pulled down her goggles, having wrapped her rifle in her coat with her so the metal wouldn't be cold enough to bite her through the insulated gloves she wore. She spoke, "H-Honestly... Romanians and the F-Finns better send some of their boys over, too..."

The others agreed quietly, with the Russian gunner in the front vehicle already having donned his own winter gear, trembling at the high-caliber MG as he pressed his shoulder into the stock. Richard hummed, then leaned back into his seat and opened up his tablet just as a ping arrived. He spoke, "Update:Seismic scans and Thermal have picked up caves and movement in the AO respectively. Keep your eyes peeled..." then he looked back and saw Beefeater and Piña, both of whom had joined them on the vehicles after deciding this might've just been a little too cold for the Horses. He asked them, "So, where's that vacation house...?"

"Just up the road, maybe a few more minutes' travel," Beefeater replied, then asked, "Considering utilizing it as a Headquarters here, Lieutenant?"

"Doctor Halsey said we should use any chance we can to rest..." The man hummed as he looked over the readings, marking their search area for the alien artifact they were hunting. She asked, "Rory? What God occupies this place?" before casting a glance back at the girl. She hummed, then marched forward, arranging her own parka and looking out through the front windows.

She spoke, "Were I to hazard a guess, probably Duncan, the God of the Smithy," as she checked herself over, "Mortar Mobkis, his Apostle, should be nearby, too... He tends to the Dwarves here, same as he would to any smiths," before she sat down and watched them gently take a curve to the right, wherein a small plateau area became visible.

Beefeater smiled, stating, "I recall these places like I've been here yesterday..." as she looked out toward an embankment of snow that led down to the valley below, a private little slope. She pointed at it and said, "There. My father And I would go sledding there every waking day when the Winters came. Mother would make us warm tea..." and she smiled and pointed, "And there's the home."

Torres pulled out a pair of binoculars and peered through them, noting the house, clearly of a somewhat Roman make, with beautiful, ornate marble adornments and hardened stone as its basis. It looked like a tiny palace among the valleys, right there on that plateau with the ski slope. Beefeater told them, "It should house us just fine."

"Why'd you guys abandon this place again?" Richard asked as he peered through it.

The girl smiled sadly, stating, "Father grew too old for us to come up here. His bones and joints would ache despite all the treatments in the World... So, we spoke to the local Dwarves, whom said they would take care of it should we ever come back. I am not sure of their stance on the Empire now that it has fallen under your care, but..."