Queue to Bald Mountain Hydro Coaster – Heroes Hall
It has been years since the great split fractured Fantasyland. The Villains, led by Chernabog, have annexed the forest, the surrounding buildings, and Bald Mountain beyond. There was a time when villains and heroes were able to share the same area, albeit with some tension, but that is no longer the case. Since the divide, buildings which formally belonged to the “heroes” have either been repurposed for more nefarious deeds, or have been allowed to fall into disrepair. One such building is the formally grandiose Heroes Hall (there would be significantly more foliage, for the “forest”, surrounding the building than is shown below).
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(Valhalla Image Cred:
http://pre14.deviantart.net/ace8/th/pre/i/2016/097/9/a/gate_to_valhalla_by_leifheanzo-d9y1ei5.jpg)
Located at the foot of Bald Mountain, it is rumored that the Heroes who used to live here managed to suppress a great evil which dwells within the mount. However, the time of the heroes has passed, and their once magnificent gathering place, while still impressive from afar, shows signs of decay as guests approach for a better look. An old, worn invitation welcomes visitors with the following inscription:
“Eat, drink, and be Merry
Come visit our Heroes’ Hall
Enjoy the splendor, see how grand”
And scrawled beneath, guests see an ominous addition:
“Beware if you tarry
Even the mightiest fall
A different being now runs the land”
Guests who are brave enough to press on cross a bridge, while a river speeds below. Those with an observant eye will notice that the water feeds from the mountain. Once the bridge has been crossed, our adventures have officially passed the threshold: they are now within the courtyard of Heroes’ Hall. The stone courtyard struggles to hide its age and lack of upkeep. Grass and weeds grow through solid rock, as stone crumbles and gives way beneath the slow, unstoppable march of time. The dark forest aims to reclaim its land, and it’s impossible not to think that, within a few years, it will do so. Adding to the eerie setting, afternoon visitors feel the shadow of Bald Mountain cast over the courtyard as the sun wanes.
Whilst walking along the designated pathway through the courtyard, guests can see that Heroes Hall was abandoned in a hurry, and the departed were unable to gather all their training supplies. Targets for archery practice remain, some with arrows still piercing the hay. Looking in the distance, guests may notice that the arrow in the center of one target is fashioned from a twig.
A number of swords and shields litter the ground; one sword, slightly different from the others, resembles that of Mulan.
Near the center of the courtyard, 12 knight statues appear to be standing guard around a mountain.
The top of this mountain almost resembles a head, with horns forming its twin peaks. The mountain side could even be described as a pair of tightly curled wings.
Of course, all guests know these thoughts to be ridiculous. Mountains don’t have heads, let alone horns, and they certainly don’t have wings. The visitors proceed towards the large double doors near the end of the courtyard. An enchanted knight’s statue stands watch over the entrance of the castle, ushering guests inside the building. Once enough guests have entered the building, the knight stops any more from entering as the double doors close behind the guests within.
The cavernous hall can only be described as absolutely impressive. Vaulted ceilings ensure even the largest of heroes could fit within the building. Portraits of great heroes and heroines adorn the walls, although they have lost their luster to the cobwebs and dust which have overtaken them. A balcony along the second floor overlooks the guests within the main hall, and everyone’s eyes are drawn to the stained glass artwork at the end of the hall. The glass once again depicts knights standing guard around a mountain. However, the sun appears to set, as the light filtering through the stained glass wanes, and the room is left in darkness.
After a few seconds, a torch lights from the second floor balcony comes ablaze and an animatronic calls out to the crowd “Hey! What are you all doing here standing in the dark? Somebody get those torches lit!” A few torches are lit around the crowd. The animatronic follows up “You guys decided to visit Heroes’ Hall at night? You’re either crazy or fearless. Or both. My name is Elio. Elio Cyrus. I guess you’re all here to see what’s left of the Heroes’ Hall. Truth be told, there’s not much remaining to see. It’s been left to go to ruin, as even the villains who live in this part of the land are afraid to move in. I’m the only left, as I swore an oath to stay here and guard the mountain. Well, I also have some enchanted statues to help and keep me company, but they’re no fun to talk to. Actually, I’ve got an idea! While you’re here, let me give you a tour of the hall, like in the old days! We’ll start from the bottom and head up. Just follow that door into the basement, and I’ll meet up with you in a second!”
A large wooden door slowly swings open, and guests head down a gradient, into the basement. They walls are lit by torches, casting their glow along the corridor. On the other side of the walls, guests can hear running water. Barrels occasionally line the path, marked as containing grain, wine, ale, fish, and other necessities for a true Heroes’ Hall (one hidden container is marked Cpt JS Rum). Water drips through the ceiling and the the walls, falling on the occasional barrel.
Eventually, the corridor ends and guests enter another showroom. Elio Cyrus pops up again, this time from a room on the other side of a wall. “Welcome to the cellar!” he exclaims. “As you might guess, it takes a lot to feed an entire hall of heroes. What you might not know is” Elio is stopped mid-sentence as a deep rumbling shakes the room, the torches, and the guest’s nerves. “Oh no… tonight must be a night with no moon. That’s bad news. We need to get you out of here, NOW. You might have heard the running water surrounding the basement. There are two rivers surrounding the building. One leading back into town, and another which goes deep into the mountain. Continue down and take a right. There you’ll be able to board a boat on the river which takes you back into town. You’ll be safe there. I’m going back upstairs to guard the hall. Safe travels, friends.” This is the last guests will hear from Elio.
Guests walk down and attempt to take a right, but their path is blocked by collapsed rock. Instead, a dark shadowy feature beckons the adventurers, so they venture left, leaving the cellar and entering a cavern, surrounded by dark rock, stalactites, stalagmites, and running water. Soon thereafter, they happen upon a dock. Chernabog's ghoulish minions help load the guests aboard soul barges, assuring them they will soon reach their destination.
(River Styx image cred:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ee/98/ce/ee98ce2ab86aeb686928be9d2aac2eed.jpg)
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