Despite it only being early Kerah, snow was already falling on the Rekesan mountains. It was still too warm to stick, but the snow colored the sky and faraway distances in gray-white. Bani watched it from where she cuddled against Blaat to stay warm. "Do you think it'll delay today's expedition?" she asked. Blaat shrugged. He didn't have much experience with snow, as the youngest of the group.

Hivoo heard Bani's question as she returned to the two tark'ee after consulting with their guide. "Astur says no," she explained. "It's supposed to clear up in a little while, though we'll have to be careful, since it'll make the ground wet and slippery."

Bani turned to look at her in alarm. They were going to Skullcrack, with the ground wet? That didn't sound at all safe. "Will we be okay?" she asked quietly.

Hivoo smiled, nodding reassuringly. "We'll stay far back from the edge, and I think we're only looking at the shallower ravines today," she replied. Bani sighed with relief.

The snow did clear by midmorning, though the sky remained overcast. Astur met the trio of colonists at the northern edge of the village, ready to set out for one of Rekes' most famous landmarks. The colonists were grateful that Astur had agreed to help show them around Rekes, busy as he was with the small tribe he led. After a quick gear check, the four Xunari set off, making their way around boulders and needle-laden pines. This village was one of the closest to Skullcrack, and a clear trail ran in its direction to help guide sightseers.

Blaat spent the hour and a half walk chatting with Astur about the history of the region, while Hivoo held a book about Rekesan flora and pointed out various plants to Bani.

Finally, the trees ahead fell away to reveal a great crevasse in the earth, snaking off into the distance and growing wider as it did. Bani peered anxiously down into it, but the near edge was not quite as deep as the stories she'd heard. While the chasm went down far enough that it would only be free of shadow at midday, the bottom was still visible. Hivoo and Blaat ranged out next to her, murmuring in awe at the landmark.

Astur, however, was unphased. He turned, heading along the top of the cliff with no apparent fear of its depth. The other three hurried to follow. "The whole of Skullcrack is not fully explored," Astur explained, "as some parts of it are too deep to reach. Some colonies have sent drones down, but they did not reach the bottom before losing signal or otherwise becoming….lost." He trailed off ominously.

Hivoo and Bani exchanged nervous looks. Blaat cleared his throat and spoke up for them. "Lost how?" he asked.

Astur shrugged. "Perhaps a rock fell on them, or they bumped into the wall and broke. It's very dark down there. But sometimes, people claim to see movement deep within the chasm. There are those that say some of the people who fell in did not actually fall….but were pulled." He stopped walking, and the three colonists backed further away from the edge. Astur turned to them and continued, "Tribe legend says there is a creature down there. We call it the Devourer. Perhaps the drones were lost because it did not like intrusion into its territory."

Bani tucked herself close to Hivoo, staring at the chasm in front of them. Again, Blaat was the one to speak. "Are we safe here?"

"Nowhere along Skullcrack is safe," Astur warned. "But this is one of the shallower parts, so it could be considered the safest. Would you like to explore further?"

All three colonists were quick to shake their heads. While Skullcrack was an incredible sight, they had had quite enough of its majesty already. Astur stepped past them, ready to lead the group back the way they had come. While Hivoo and Blaat followed him quickly, Bani was reluctant to turn her back on the crevasse. She backed away until she was safely under the shelter of the trees, then turned and ran to catch up with the others. It had been an unexpectedly scary day.