Dinosaur Hunter Diaries #089: Danger on Mystery Mountain

Monday, November 30, 2020 at 8:00 am Comments Off on Dinosaur Hunter Diaries #089: Danger on Mystery Mountain

Turok: Son of Stone #48


It’s a good thing I don’t know any snow puns or this write-up would be insufferable.



Turok and Andar set their sights on a big snowy mountain; although it’s too far from the impenetrable cliffs of Lost Valley to serve as a way out, it could serve as a valuable vantage point for scouting a potential exit!
Meanwhile, hunters Dorad and Jager nearly come a cropper to a triceratops at the foot of the mountain, only to be saved by equally lethal falling rocks. Their tribe are proper chuffed with their catch, but Jager believes the mountain god is responsible for it all, and wants to repay it with a gift. I’m sure the rocks are flattered, but everyone tells him this is a foolish gesture; anybody who goes up the mountain never comes back! And if they do, it’s as a stiff! You don’t know what you’re messing with!


Lo and behold, Jager goes up and is never seen again, leaving his brother Dorad an only child. He begins a foolish expedition to find him himself, only to run into Turok and Andar; he warns them of the unknown dangers said to be lurking on the mountain, and figures tagging along will be his best bet for finding his kin.



Mythical creatures or not, it’s not a mountain to be taken lightly — the path gets darn-near vertical at times, forcing them to use their blades for leverage, and even at this altitude they still have to fend off hungry pterandons. Oh, and those mythical monsters aren’t so mythical after all. Not quite as fanciful as in Dorad’s tales, mind, but overactive imaginations seem to be a common affliction in Lost Valley.



They’ve no hope of overpowering these big hairy dopes, but Turok’s still holding out for a means of peacefully reasoning with them, even as the snowmen are literally digging snowy graves for them. Bless that man and his infrequent spells of foolish optimism. It’s clear they’re not going to be let out without a fight…



… so the gang turn the cavern’s nest into kindling and make a break for it, torching the narrow ice bridge and sending their pursuers hurtling into the icy brink below. All is well… until Dorad sees what frosty fate has befallen his brother! Time to climb down after those snowmen and show them what for!


Dorad slays one of them but is quickly overwhelmed; Turok comes dragging him back before he makes a bigger arse of himself. With the snowy apes on their trail, they turn their sights to the peak, fighting icy footholds to make it up. They have just enough time to catch their breath and take in the view, but it’s sadly not what they want to hear: even at this height they see no break in the wall surrounding Lost Valley. That, and those snowmen aren’t far behind!


The gang circle around and begin an unsteady descent, having to contend with bloomin’ great snowballs rolled down at them… which conveniently pave trails for them to slide down to safety! Dorad returns to his tribe and thanks the pair for their assistance; he would never have learnt of his brother’s fate, or even returned safely, if it weren’t for them. Turok and Andar venture on — they’d like to think they’ve learnt something from the experience, be it the folly of revenge, or considering boning up on snowman social cues.

We’ve seen snow before, but this is a fun new biome for the pair to adventure in, and it’s been a long time since the pair have had an honest-to-goodness ally. Once again we’re robbed of a larger-than-life multi-armed threat, but the snowmen are mean enough and brimming in nifty imagery, from their craggy dens, snowy bridges, and refrigerated tombs. The big dumb snowballs make for a fun climax as well. By no means a remarkable issue, but the change in scenery gives it a bit of novelty.

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