Noctisardor Bypass the means of obtaining celestial honours

From afar the range looks uninteresting. A mountain climbing skyward cradled by trees, flanked on one side by a younger brother and a substantial wall to the west. He spies it as he crosses the heather and by the time the shadows come to crowd him the centurion's opinion has not faltered.

It is a dreary place.

A henge of stone stands as an open doorway. Depressions in the soil tell him that this place is frequented by patrols. It is a good sign. The tight look on the man's face does not shift. He is the picture of his senatorial father—hard edged, grim, and inherently prideful. He does not sit to wait for an audience but boldly stands beneath the archway, willing someone to come forth and attend him.