A very young or older green dragon can move through any sort of foliage at full speed without taking damage or suffering impairment. Areas of foliage that have been magically manipulated affect it normally.
Ishta helps pack again, not saying much since she's thinking about what happened. Analysing the facts will help her be more effective in a future encounter... which will undoubtedly be very soon.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zane helped pack up the group's belongings with urgency. While the group had fared well against the dragon, the priest held no doubts that the beast would prepare better for a future encounter. With Lathander's divine grace and the might of his companions, they might fare well again, but trying to be elsewhere should the creature return seemed more prudent.
After the quick decision was made to travel a short ways north and try to finish their camping for the night, the cleric hurried along with the others to put some distance between themselves and their former camp site.
Nobody was entirely sure of the hour, it was gone midnight, full dark and raining heavily with the wind starting to pick up. Even in daylight breaking camp and hiking for a few miles would have been an ordeal but now the conditions where so bad you couldn't be sure if you where dreaming.
I am thinking that we should just continue here. We are not certain of our surroundings; and attempting this in the dark may not be preferable. The dragon most likely will not be returning this night, but we could stumble into something else; or even the river.
Ser Armithia will take watch for the remainder of the night to allow for the casters to regain fully.
With the winds starting to whip the smaller limbs of the trees and a heavy rain settling over the area, Zane's shoulders slumped as he listened to Ser Armithia as the group started to break camp. Stumbling around in the dark on a rainy, windy night was likely not going to work out well for the group, either.
Resigning himself to staying in the relatively comfortable confines of the pavilion, the priest nodded his agreement. "While I'd rather be away from this place, with the weather deteriorating Ser Armithia's suggestion seems wise. Let us stay here and hope the dragon licks it wounds this evening."
"Ugh, why can't every place just be flat like things ought to be? Simple and straightforward, the horizon a line you can keep on chasing. Fine, let us make camp here, and do what we can to stave off this misery."
Having decided to stay the by now rather damp and miserable party reassemble the pavilion tent and hope for the best. A tense remainder of the night follows where everyone finds it hard to sleep despite the soothing noise of the rain, your imaginations running wild with the idea of rude awakening at the hands of a vengeful dragon.
By increments night turns into a miserable morning with clouds the color of steel grey accompanied by the steady patter of rain.
Morning dawns on the Paladin as he prays.
Ser Armithia readies to hunt a green dragon.
So, where did our Treant friend say the dragon lairs?
"Somewhere to the northeast in the woods. I think the Treant said something about the creature only being there during winter, so by Bane's insufferable gaze, we need to have eyes in our backs while traveling. No, don't go saying you want to seek out this creature's lair, please don't."
Well, Ser is usually overzealous, and it's dangerous for sure. If you think we can avoid the dragon entirely, then I agree, that is the best idea... but if it is going to keep coming after us in the middle of the night... he has a point. Catching it in its den might be the only way to actually kill it and remove the threat without it being able to run away and live to torture us another day.
What do you think? Did we scare it off, or is it going to come back for us after it heals up? If the latter, now might be the best time to try for it. Its lair might be exactly where it went to recover.
"Your point has been made. Alas, I am not much at ease in dense woods, especially so when there is a dragon about. But ignore my complaints for I get grumpy when I don't get to sleep some eight precious hours. Perhaps we ought to go forth and take the dragon's life, or if it refuses to come and play, its valuables."
Ishta nods. "It wasn't in our plans, but we don't want the dragon to sneak on is in the middle of the night... or in the middle of a battle with any other thing."
To Sorcerer's Isle to slay a dragon; amongst other duties along the way, I am certain.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zane awoke before dawn in a tired state, his sleep having been choppy and not too restorative. Still, after a bit of prayer to the Morninglord and a quick breakfast he was feeling pretty well. Thinking back on the previous evening, the priest was rather proud of how the group had accounted for themselves with the green wyrm, though it's escape was rather problematic.
As the talk turned to the beast, the cleric thought it over and then sighed. "This area is vast...it would take months to comb through the woods to the northeast, time that Phlan might not have. I don't relish the idea of that creature coming back for seconds any more than the rest of you, but our task is to cleanse the Stojanow, and the Sorcerer's Isle is where that objective lies. My vote is to continue on."
Kardas lazily scratches the back of his head, exposing the gnarly state of a pair of hands that can only be described as meat mittens. "That works for me. I can prepare a web spell, but the magic only works if you can anchor the web. I have no other spells, or well not that I'm aware of, that can pin the beast down to the ground."
And reluctantly he adds, "Nor can I make myself fly. Next time we're in town I'll dive into the dusty old tomes and figure out how such spells work."
Okay. On to Sorcerer's Isle then...
Azarra smiles at her friends, putting on a positive face, but she is honestly terrified that the dragon will come back at the worst possible moment, such as when they are trying to cross the river, or fight the lizardfolk, or any of a multitude of other scenarios that have been running through her mind all morning. She attempts to ignore her fears though, and repacks the portable hole in preparation for the day's journey.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Alright, then." Ishta gets ready to part, and starts thinking which spells to memorize that could help the party deal with a flying assailant.
If we happens to pass its lair...
He grins.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zane nodded in the affirmative to Ser Armithia. "If chance happens to put us on the path to the dragon's lair, then we won't waste the opportunity." Helping pack everything up, the priest made ready to continue north towards their destination. He tried to put on a brave face for everyone, but he couldn't help letting his eyes wander upward to look and see if their assailant had returned to try it's hand again at revenge for their harsh art critique.
Despite the rain the camp is struck and The Watchers of Dawn trudge steadily north. By the time they had made the next camp site that evening they where soaked through, cold and grumpy. Azarra was particularly on edge, fretting that a vengeful dragon would appear out from behind every cloud. Yet apart from getting soaked, nothing happened.
The next night passed quietly enough on a low rise surrounded by a solitary copse of trees. The rain finally stopped sometime during the night and the morning's dawn was a sight to behold. It started as a deepness in the sky that by increments became a sliver of salmon pink silhouetting the horizon before turning into one of the most glorious displays as rose colored light bathed the realms in Lathander's glory. Everyone agreed this was an auspicious sign.
Half a days journey brought the party to the bend in the river with it's lake and the island in the middle. The pyramid constructed from gleaming yellow stone was visible from miles away as was the copse of withered silvery trees which stood forlornly in the toxic water like a mangrove plantation.
The first order of the day was to cross the waters. The river itself seem placid enough, although the large number of bleached bones littering the river bed gave a sobering warning about the dangers of the otherwise inviting seeming waters. Your arrival scared away a flock of ravens which wheeled and cried before flying away far to the west over the boundless grasslands.
They unpack the portable hole and extract the canoes. Before they cross the water, Azarra casts delay poison (communal) on all of them.
"Hrm, I can't help but feel like we're rowing straight into the devil's mouth, so let us talk this through before we set foot in the boats and assign ourselves to fate. If we get attacked by the dragon, what do we do? If we get assailed by lizardmen, what do we do? And perhaps worst of all, what if a magic-wielder attacks us during the crossing? If we have basic answers to these questions, at least we might stand a chance if things go awry."
The swordmage rubs his chin, lost in thought. "I can take the form of a winged creature and so take the fight to them or escape. Sadly, none of my magics will be able to get any of you out of the boat and to dry land."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As the watchers of dawn stand on the edge of the placid river discussing what to do, the sun comes out brightly from behind a cloud. It promised to be one of the last warm days before winter, fine conditions for an island crossing. If you want to avoid the trees you can easily do that by going straight across the water.
"Things look clear, for now. I say we avoid the tree route...too many things could be hiding in there. A straight shot across the water."
Considering Kardas's words, he says, "I can call upon Lathander to protect us from the acidity of the water for a quarter hour each, which should be enough time to cross, I think. As for threats that might occur, unfortunately there's not much to be done. I would say we just need to head for whichever shore is closest and then regroup.
Ser Armithia looks longingly at the swampy, but ground route with eyes of a child in Toys R Us. He sighs; preparing to cross the river...
There's something alive in the water, though I have no idea if they are going to be a problem or not. Let's cross as fast as we can.
Azarra encourages them to get the boats in the water as soon as Zane offers them some protection from acid.
Ser Armithia takes out a banjo.
With a thought you skim across the wide waters of the lagoon towards the pyramid which dominates the low barren island. Soaring now above Sorcerer's Isle you can see the whole area. Towards the north end of the lake the shoreline is lush carpeted with tall grasses and spreading trees. At the uppermost end, the Stojanow River, sparkling and unpolluted, flows into the lake. The southern end is a direct contrast to the north. The water is black and bubbles and reeks of death. The shoreline is blighted. No grasses or trees grow. Only the weathered skeleton of a few foolish or unfortunate creatures dot the banks and poke out the mud banks. In many ways it looks like a poisoned oasis in
the middle of the desert.
The pyramid itself is hewn from yellow stone. From the top of the pyramid comes a gushing fountain of black, oily fluid. This contamination flows down the east and west faces of the building and cascades into the lake. There can be no doubt that this is the
source of the river’s poisoning.
As you watch a group of what can only be lizard men dragging heavy urns on a kind of sled trudge out of an opening at the base of the pyramid. A contingent of human guards with spears herd them towards the lake. The sledge is dragged out onto the shore and very carefully the lizard men upturn the contents. Several vaguely humanoid forms with tentacles and horrible deformaties sliver out into the lake. The lizard men dance back but one female us too slow and water splashed from the thrashing of the aberations passage soaks her. She screams and thrashes about as if on fire. The others watch with sick fascination or horror as her flesh sloughs off her revealing gleaming white bones.
When it becomes apparent she won't die quickly one of the guards cautiously approaches and thrusts his spear through her sternum stilling her spasms. He turns his back with the spear still transfixing the unfortunate lizard woman and follows the group back towards the pyramid. As they go several of the guards point towards the shore where you are but the guard who killed her shook his head and they were soon out of view.
Zane implored the Morninglord to provide him the powerful miracle from the previous evening, biting his lip as he eyed Azarra and Ishta before transferring the power to Ser Armithia. With Kardas being able to fly on his own, the cleric decided that the two most ferocious warriors could buy the other three time to get across should things on the opposite bank get dicey.
The priest called upon his deity to grant the blessing providing a modicum of protection against acid before the group headed out across the water, waiting until the glass canoes were out and ready to disembark before touching everyone in succession to transfer the abjuration to them. Taking a deep breath, he helped push the canoe out into the water, hopping in and beginning to paddle.
Ishta relates briefly what she sees in real time. "The northern shore seems clear, the southern one is completely corroded. There are... lizardfolks... they seem enslaved by some human soldiers. They carry some vases and throw the content to the water, it seems... They're creatures! Like the ones under the water, just here?"
Ishta grows pale. This seems a horrible way of perverting nature, no wonder the Treant warned them. She keeps staring. "One of the lizards is splashed by the dark liquid and... Oh my! The poor one got eaten by acid!"
"Wait, they seem to have spotted us. The guards don't seem to care though, and they're leaving." She turns her head to the rest. "Do you want the magic eye to follow?"
Ser Armithia puts his banjo away; turning a serious, angry face toward the Temple.
It seems we will need to both free these poor people; and end this filthy cult.
He grins.
Could a message be sent to the Tribe; offering Alliance against these most evil cultist?
He nods.
Perhaps, it will be beneficial to make that alliance prior to confrontation?
How can they ally with us when they are enslaved? After we free them, then maybe we can get them on our side, but I don't think that is going to be possible right now. Any message I assume would just be intercepted.
"It's difficult to say who should we make contact with - they all seem just slaves" Ishta says while sending the eye after the expedition. "Plus, I don't have a method to specifically contact them right at hand. We'll have to make clear, when we do the attack, that our target is not them."
"We ought to avoid them. If we make contact, I am certain violence will be unavoidable. Hrm, which poses the question: is avoiding detection to such a degree even possible? Shedding the blood of innocents is something I'd like to avoid. Heh, one more reason to rip the guts out of whoever is behind this and strangle him with them. Those who abuse magic deserve no mercy."
Zane considered Ishta's words, then nodded. "Yes, follow them. We might learn more of the structure itself and what other guardians it might contain."
Addressing them all, he continued, "If we have been spotted, conflict seems unavoidable. I don't believe Ser Armithia and I could move quietly even if we wanted to. We should probably focus our attention on the humans, then press for parley with the lizardfolk and hope that the humans are the overseers and that the lizardfolk will negotiate once they are incapacitated. Unless Ishta sees something else that might enlighten us further..."
Ishta nods and send e the spying eye after the group.
The group head towards the middle of the room before the leader whispered something and they all vanish with naught left but twinkling lights. Apart from the carvings the rest of the chamber seems empty.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"They've entered the piramid" Ishta keeps relating.
"It seems to be a temple to Malar. Now they seem to have either teleported or vabished. I bet for the former"
"Luckily, I catched the trigger word: Avorax."
Ishta commands the eye all around the interior of the pyramid to have some exploration done before they arrive, then steps out of her trance. "I guess we should follow them."
With his sword sheathed and his gear firmly strapped to his body in case of submergence - that's how this plainsman thinks it works - Kardas picks up a paddle and waits for the others to give a sign they're ready. "The waters care not for strong arms, but weak ones might be swayed by the waves."
He has no clue where or when he heard that, but perhaps the words confounded his companions to such a degree that despair would find itself queued behind a question mark worth pondering over.