Game Session Recaps

[frenzied67]

Highlights of Episode Eighty Six
Neidh 7th CE 1031 (1032)

After that challenge, the party attempted to reason with the creature with the sibilant voice. For the most part it ignored their questions as it made thrashing brush noises all about the party. For the most part the group was confounded by those thrashings until a couple of people heard the sound of flapping wings. Unable to get the heroes to either clump or disperse, and realizing they were on to it’s flying trick, the beast called out that it would meet them at an abandoned farmstead to “converse”.

Bratha and Rathbald knew which old farm the beast was talking about, so they led the heroes to the place. A bridge spanned a south flowing creek that was flowing down at a fifty degree angle. The light sources fell far short of the ruined farmstead itself on the eastern side, but everyone saw the wide open space beyond the bridge; like a large arena. The creature bragged about the acoustics of the space, its hissing voice seeming to come from everywhere at once. Again the party attempted to reason with the creature, even saying that they would hear what it had to say in exchange for the kids, but they received more taunting for their efforts. It did allow one of the missing boys to cry out, proving that at least one child was still alive.

Jolrael remained on the west side of the creek while everyone else trickled across the span, he would move onto the bridge a few moments later. Enkili and Grynn moved farther in than anyone else, they heard a boy drop to the snow and begin to whimper and cry. It was the youngest boy, Wilder. Walking up to the child the Halforc Priest realizes that the being they were dealing with was not being fearful of the group, rather it seemed to be toying with them out of a sense of cruelty. Enkili skirted around the boy before Grynn attempted to succor the child. The lad panicked, but Grynn was fast enough to pin the boy down before he ran; Enkili’s precaution proved unnecessary.

As the Warrior and Grynn moved back to the group the creature pounced. A green dragon of gigantic size leaped out of the icy creek onto the bridge, right behind Jolrael. The entire group, including the brothers, was simultaneously surprised, but they all were accosted by the fearful aura of the dragon at the same moment. Only Blaylocke and Bratha seemed to shake off the soul shaking horror of the beast. The aura of terror was substantiated when it batted the sorcerer around with its forelimbs, then bit him; Jolrael was severely hurt with that one flurry of attacks.

Rathbald was the first to rid himself of the stupefication and react. He took careful aim and struck with an arrow despite his fear; his second shot sailed harmlessly into the snowy dark. Grynn was the next to act, he cast Beacon of Hope, catching Enkili, Leiya, and Rathbald. With the aid of his own spell effect, Grynn was able to pluck courage for himself in the face of the dragons ability to make cowards out of the stoutest hearts. Casting Aid on Rathbald, Grynn, Enkili, and herself; Leiya remained under the detrimental effects of the fear aura. From the eastern foot of the bridge, Riardon darted into the trees to the south; he attempted to use Mind Sliver on the looming beast, but the spell could not touch the green menace.

Just as Jolrael began to cast a spell, the dragon nonchallantly slapped him with its massive tail. The sorcerer dropped to the stone surface of the bridge oozing his life’s blood. With a massive bound the dragon sailed on spread membranous wings off the bridge into the snow north of most of the party, near where the broken shell of the farm formed a silhouette in the dark. It exhaled a cloud of noxious fumes over Leiya, Grynn, Rathbald, and Enkili. Unfortunately, the boy was also caught in the blast; Wilder stood no chance to survive. The fighter was the only one who did not suffer the full effect of the poison cloud. Shaking from fear, Bratha also plied his bow, both of his shots were off mark. From his position near the bridge, Blaylocke nocked an arrow even as he upcast a Healing Word on Jolly. His arrow hit the dragon.

Enkili moved so he was not clumped with other people, and though his instinct was to close with the beast and swing The Sainted Sword, his courage was compromised. He fired off two arrows from a distance but only hit once. Once again Bratha launched arrows at the dragon, this time both missiles struck true. Crawling back to his feet with bloody wounds, Jolrael surrounded the green dragon with a Storm Sphere. The beast was battered by heavy winds but avoided a slight shock from the bolt of lightening the spell generated. Blaylocke, who had moved away from the bridge hurt the saurian adversary with his Immolation spell, yet the full effect of the inferno did not do too much harm to the dragon.

The cunning Bard then granted Enkili one of his precious Bardic Inspirations. Also moving so as not to provide a clumped target for the dragon’s breath, Grynn used a feature that allowed him to heal himself, Leiya, and Rathbald, the only people within range. He also summoned his Spiritual weapon near the green beast. Moving away from the dragon, Rathbald missed his two shots with the bow. Riardon hit the dragon with his Firebolt cantrip. Moving back towards the party, Enkili was errant with his first arrow but hit with his second. At this point the fighter shook off the dragon’s fearful aura only due to the bardic inspiration, the last party member to do so.

Leaping out of the Storm Sphere’s fury, the dragon assaulted Rathbald with it’s massive claws, then clamped its teeth around Leiya. With its long tail it slapped Enkili. Leiya was able to hit most of the party and Rathbald with a Mass Healing Word, she then cast Radiant Defense on Enkili, knowing the fighter was about to brawl with the massive beast. Unsuccessfully the dragon tried to stop the priestess with it’s beating wings. The creature landed on the other side of Enkili after Leiya was knocked into the snow too late to stop her goddess' magic….

*This is where the fight currently stands, just before we roll our next round initiative. So far this fight has been going entirely the dragon’s way, but now the fear has been shed and the characters MAY have a better say in this knock-down-drag-out.

**Need arbitration on sneak attack with spells.

***We will live or die at noon on August 18th. May all of you fare very well until then.

Highlights of Episode Eighty Seven
Neidh 7th - 8th CE 1031 (1032)

With a saurian roar the green dragon slapped Enkili with its tail. Though the fighter took some hurt, the Radiant Defense ability Leiya had cast upon the man flared brightly burning the monster’s tail and eyes respectively. Stumbling to her feet, the lady cleric called a Mass Healing Word down upon herself, Enkili, Rathbald, the child, Jolrael, and Grynn. Leiya then used a Sacred Flame on their tormentor. Crying out in pain and defiance the dragon swooshed its wings and lifted off. Enkili was knocked down but the monster only flew a few dozen yards away, staying tantalizingly close; just far enough away so that no one could get within melee range with it without having to dash.

From the woods Riardon launched a Firebolt which burned the dragon. Rolling with the buffet he received from the wings, Enkili stood and pulled back towards his friends. He also sped four arrows at the green menace, two of which hit and hurt it (action surge with a liberal dose of combat maneuvers). Two arrows from Bratha failed to impact the implacable foe. Pelting full tilt, Jolrael came abreast of Blaylocke then he cast Farstep and teleported within his Storm Sphere. The magic storm imploded on itself as the sorcerer instantly appeared sixty feet closer to the dragon. He hit the monster with his tried and true Tidal Wave spell.

Judging his distance, Blaylocke used a Raulothim’s Psychic Lance to just enough effect to make the dragon spill dead on the snow. Just as everyone was turning to cheer the bard, the dragon leaped up and exhaled poisonous fumes on Jolrael and Enkili. A coin of fate in Jolly’s bag lost its metallic luster, then crumbled away into powdery dust. The magic of the coin kept the sorcerer from outright dying from the breath weapon, though Jolrael did go down, near to death. The Dragon began to fly away, vowing to avenge itself upon the troop of heroes and their guides.

Not wanting to face the overlarge saurian again, Riardon dashed out of the trees, getting close enough for one more shot with his trusty Firebolt cantrip. The magic flew just under the verdant beast, causing the rogue to curse under his breath; he knew the dragon was capable of carrying out its threats against them at some future point. Pulling forth the party’s one and only medium sized diamond, Grynn cast Revivify on the dead child bringing the child coughing back into existence. At this point the dragon was all but concealed by the night and it’s attendant snow storm. Blaylocke ran up to the downed sorcerer and revived him with a Healing Word. Jolrael’s first thought was to heal someone else. He pulled out a healing potion and advanced on Enkili who was at that moment charging into the night after the dragon. The warrior suggested that Jolly should drink his own potion, which he did a few moments later.

With Rathbald tended his neighbor's restored child, Bratha lofted two arrows after the dragon. There seemed to be no reaction to those shots. Enkili also fired an arrow. His shot hit the struggling flyer who dropped and crashed into the woods. With his target down, the fighter was unable to fire his second shot. Wanting to know if the dragon was truly dead, Leiya began to march after Enkili. Reluctantly at first, then with growing certainty, the whole party collected together to begin the search. Rathbald and Bratha, both, had enough. They collected the child and began to retreat for Wold.

There was no path, and in the cold dark the journey was treacherous (At each point where they paused to deliberate over their way forward, the group drank healing potions, administered Healing Kit applications, or used healing magic to bolster each other’s health). The first big obstacle they came across was mounds of dead fall. Instead of climbing over the piles, the group made their way around the impediment. A few moments later a ravine opened before them. Enkili jumped across and anchored a rope for the others to scale across. Though no one fell, the time taken was daunting. Enkili had to leave his rope behind; the hopes were that they could salvage it on the return trip. Drawing near to the crash site, they stumbled across one last barrier. Thorny vines and brambles made the party stop to consider their options.

Leiya did not relish having to chop their way through, nor did she want to take the time to skirt the brambles. She cast a Wall of Force spell and crafted a bridge over the flesh tearing growth. They found where the dragon had fallen, but the beast was gone. Jolrael was able to follow the massive creature’s trail until it found a clearing where it evidently took wing again. Without tracks or broken branches to follow, and not knowing where the lair was, stopped the party’s nigh implacable search. They gathered together under Blaylocke’s Leomund’s Tiny Hut until the sun came up. They had all agreed that they needed to return to Wold to see if their suspicions of the mayor would grant them knowledge of where the dragon lived….

*Our next game will be September 1st, where we hope to reengage the green dragon in sporting combat; or we leave the village of Wold to the fate it chooses for itself.

**Note Enkili may need more rope and definitely needs new arrows. The party needs more diamonds suitable for Raising Dead and Revivify.

***Heads up! September 15th our game may be cancelled for upcoming events.
****All you psychics out there, stop being telapathetic. Really apply your minds!

[The Everfull Purse has granted everyone 20ep, 20sp, and 20gp to this point, party funds gained 5ep, 5sp, and 5gp; 5 days of coins.]

Highlights of Episode Eighty Eight
Neidh 8th CE 1031 (1032)

As Jolrael’s omen reading had predicted, the day dawned with sporadic and light snow. Since the party was in the wilderness Leiya felt it necessary to cast Aid on Enkili, Jolrael, and herself. Shortly after bolstering the health of those named, Riardon noticed disturbed snow not too far away from their camp site. On inspection it became evident that something large had crashed through the trees to smash into the ground at that site. Whatever had came down so ignominiously had been dragged away; the trail was still very clear despite a fresh deposit of white.

At first the heroes were divided on whether to return to the village or follow the sign in the snow. The argument that it would be better to fight the green nightmare while it was still injured would be smarter than letting it recover and prepare was too persuasive. As they tracked the super evident drag marks they noticed a lot of trampled shrubs and trees knocked aside; the Elf even found a broken section of horn. The trail led to a deep flowing stream, murky and ice choked. After casting about for a large span of time they realized there was no marks showing an exit from the stream. Every one began to assume they may have found the green dragon’s lair.

For nearly an hour the normally valiant heroes pondered and argued on what to do next. Blaylocke offered to cast a spell that would enhance a person’s use with a skill. Grynn claimed he could summon an entity from the heavens (a celestial) to possibly scout out the dragon. The question that stymied that idea was whether this being could breath under water. Clearing his throat, Riardon claimed he had a Potion of Waterbreathing. Seeing the ice bobbing by, Enkili realized he was the only member of the party who could survive in the flow; protected from environmental effects by The Sainted Sword. Before this offer could be considered Grynn said he may have a way to goad the creature out to face them.

Sticking his face in the frigid waters he shouted “Yo Momma” into the depths. Tensely the group waited for several more minutes just in case this taunt found purchase. The wait was in vain. Nearly an hour had passed as they pooled their resources and pondered various ideas. Finally a plan was agreed to. Blaylocke would cast his skill enhancing spell to make Enkili more observant, Enkili would imbibe the Waterbreathing Potion, while Leiya would use an ability that allowed her to track a person’s thoughts so she could keep tabs on the fighter. Enkili was to go into the water and search for dragon caves using the light of his quartz lined helmet band to illuminate his way.

For nearly an hour, Enkili tracked across the bottom of the creek until he found the green dragon’s body wedged into a brace of logs and rocks, stashed like lunch for some sort of predator. What was uncanny was the fact that the body had no post mortem marks upon it, just the wounds from the previous evening’s fight. Exhausted rom fighting the incessant current he surfaced and told of his findings. Now the party had a new fear. What was gnarly enough to feast on a dead dragon after dragging it a long way through rough territory?

While the fighter had been under, those on shore had began to feel a familiar sensation of being observed. Equal parts scrutiny and menace with no discernible source. Enkili, with his enhanced perception noticed his companions tension, which caused him to dress and armor himself as fast as he could. Since returning to the village was their only reasonable route, they hugged and followed the stream back to the ruined farmstead. All the way back the sensation of being watched followed them. Riardon used some of his counter surveillance training to try and catch their watcher, but he swore there was no one to catch after a few attempts.

Grynn suggested that they search for the other missing boy in the ruins and down the well, in the hopes that the dragon had stashed the kid near it’s ambush site. Before they fully got into digging about they heard Bratha calling for them from across the river. Evidently the hunter had returned to help the party after getting his injured brother and the boy back to the village. He had camped out after not finding the heroes at the farmstead. He had even more welcome news, the other missing boy (was it Wilder or Framund?) had returned home just before the hunter had brought his own injured brother to the village.
Evidently a large wolf had grabbed the youngest son up and carried him off. The boy had only escaped once his coat ripped enough for him to wriggle free of it. Enkili and Leiya began to imagine and whisper about werewolves, an idea that also caught Jolrael’s imagination a few minutes later without hearing the priestess or fighter discussing that same concept.

To add to the conspiracy of confusion infecting the party, they arrived in the village only to find that no one knew where Mayor Echred Horton was. No one remembered seeing him doing any of the things he was supposed to do or liked to do in public. When he noticed all his new friends ogling the mayors two story house, Grynn realized that they intended to force their way in to investigate this new turn of events. Instead of following them in he began to accost the villagers with questions; his exchange with the locals turned into him answering their queries and giving descriptions of the bout with the dragon, but he kept anyone from noticing the party break into the house. He eventually turned that discussion into an attempt to convert the locals to the worship of the love goddess Malana.

The home was laid out with an office near the front entry, followed by a dining room, and then the kitchen. In the kitchen was stairs down to a pantry / cellar. Across from the office were stairs up leading to the master bedroom, a guest bedroom, and a trophy room. They started their search in the office, finding the desk tossed and ransacked. A fallen ledger under the desk was written in Sedaran and was obviously a prize meant to have been taken. Missing silverware and eating trays suggested that the dining room too had been hastily looted; a few foodstuffs were obviously recently taken from the kitchen as well. The more astute party members began to read a picture of a hastily fleeing Mayor Horton gathering prized possessions for a flight to parts unknown.

There were also displaced and missing items in the cellar. The master bedroom had also been hastily ransacked, but the guest bedroom had not been touched. Mysteriously the trophy room, other than having a rectangular box taken from a shelf, had a fallen and smashed glass case on the floor. A large broken egg, the yolk still drying in the carpet and broken glass, sat like the ultimate riddle. Enkili, who had dined on rare ostrich eggs from Angala, could tell this was a far larger egg than those of the man tall flightless birds. No one could place what sort of creature would have hatched from this strange broken shell.

Riardon and Jolrael had peeled off from the other searchers to see if tracks outside of the house could paint a better picture. Mayor Horton had his own stable. His carriage remained inside but one of the horses, a saddle, and some saddle bags were missing. Feeling as though the mayor had skipped town to avoid paying the heroes for services rendered, they convened outside with Grynn. They told the attending villagers that they needed to summon all the townsfolk for a meeting. All this time the sensation of being watched pursued the heroes through each and every effort.

After the village filtered into the “town hall”, Jolrael informed them of the slain dragon. He was able to silence them before they called for a celebration by telling them that their Mayor Horton had taken off without paying for the job he had hired the party for. This news seemed to confound the people as much as it had the heroes, however, when Leiya spoke of all the stores Mayor Horton had left behind, many families got up to start looting the big house immediately. Enkili barked threateningly, ordering everyone back to their seats, if anyone thought him unreasonable, they did not speak their mind.

Jolly’s next words brought forth fear. Not everyone had heard of the wolf that had taken the one Salva boy. Not one villager betrayed a special connection with the mayor or other events, the whole town seemed innocent of whatever machinations were playing out in Whold. Jolrael began to ask if anyone could read the Sedaran the ledger was written in, but Riardon and Enkili let the sorcerer know they did not trust the villagers enough to have them translate. Once it was clear that the gathering was not going to bring any revelations their way, they informed the village that they were going to camp out in the mayor’s house for the night. Again no one demured.

Once ensconced in the two story, Blaylocke cast Comprehend Languages, and began to read the ledger. Though Echred had inherited much from his forebears (the Horton's had helped found Whold), he had a dramatic increase in coin occur several months before. This infusion of cash had no seeming explanation until a few pages later. Sloppily scrawled notes appeared. Next to one payment for construction materials were the words “Egg sold to Noska”. This meant little except that Noska was an Onastian name, coming from the same part of the world Leiya had traveled from.

A few lines down was the line that wrought understanding in the party. “Keeping the other egg as leverage over them.” Recollecting the smashed egg in the trophy room, the dragon calling the villagers thieves, it became abundantly clear. Mayor Horton had not fled to avoid his debt to the party, he flew because he had killed the egg he was using to extort the mated pair of dragons with; eggs he had taken from them. Watching the killers of its mate with magic, one more dragon was out there filled with malice for the party and the village both. It had dragged away and stored the body of its mate and was now plotting to destroy….

*Our next game (and the possible TPK) will be September 29th. What did we stumble into?

**Note Enkili needs more rope and definitely needs new arrows. The party needs more diamonds suitable for Raising Dead and Revivify.

[The Everfull Purse has granted everyone 24ep, 24sp, and 24gp to this point party funds gained 6ep, 6sp, and 6gp; 6 days of coins.]