"Well, Oi rather like tha name Tralala! So you're sayin' it's actually Tralarawr?"
"Well, Thordak, if you like it, then you are welcome to call me Tralala. Perhaps it is best to stay away from the name Tralarawr."
"Oh, right!--Crossbow! 'Scuse me fer a moment!"
"What are you doing now?" The young elf asks innocently. "What should I do? Should I take out my bow now?"
As you pull close to the edge of the island in the pouring rain, you can see better, but everything is still filled with shadows. As lightning flashes, you get a brief glance at the island and the lake to the west. As the sky darkens again, a thunder clap echoes over the marsh!
A slightly crooked hut leans on rickety wooden stilts out over the marshy wet ground of the small island. The hut has wooden walls and a roof of sticks and branches, all covered over with copious amounts of dark gray, rancid-smelling mud. The hut's floor is about three feet above the surface of the water logged ground, and its single entrance (G19) can be reached by a crude ladder made of broken branches lashed together with reeds.
A large, dark lake broods in the marshland to the west, expanding out beyond your vision. The cloying reek of decaying vegetation and swamp ooze is thick in the air.
As you paddle around the west and northwest side of the island, you find it harder to paddle east, back to the mouth of the river where the current flows into the lake. Although you can do it, it does slow you down . In the gloom of the early morning, you cannot see any details of the hut other than different shades of black.
Perception:
Whisper: Watch those holes, they look like windows.
Edvard paddles against the current with the help of Bofus and attempts to get a closer look at the crocodile-like log on the rock. He then hexes the log. It remains absolutely still, but its dark shape remains that of a crocodile. You are uncertain of the effect of the hex.
Er, no not yet. Just keep tha boat floatin' an' Oi'll worry 'bout that critter... Thordak says, training his crossbow on the crocodile.
"Er, no not yet. Just keep tha boat floatin' an' Oi'll worry 'bout that critter..."
"Well, Thordak, if you are going to shoot it, you better do it from here, because I'm not going to get us any closer to that thing, if you don't mind. Sellyria Starsong has a crocodile and I've seen it take creatures down in a death roll! That is one dangerous foe!! Suddenly out of nowhere it can leap at you with a mouthful of jagged teeth and crush you with its massive jaws like a stick of wood! All I am saying is don't underestimate the beast! It looks lazy when it pretends to be a log, but that could be your death in an instant!"
Mantooth and I stay back. I don't have very good defenses for a croc, and Mantooth does not swim very well in his armor.
Trellara paddles hard on the port side and steers the luvatar sharply to the starboard side and lands the bow of the boat at A17.
"Paddle harder, Thordak. We are going against the current here!"
The young elf whispers loudly!
Edvard paddles his boat sharply round to the port side and turns in to land the bow at B20. Bofus jumps out into the mucky shore of the island to B19.
Trellara paddles her craft around to land the bow at A17.
Tirion and Mantooth are floating silently on the northwest side of the island watching carefully.
The crocodile silently watches in the shadows from his rock at D29.
Bofus climbs up one of the stilts to the hut and then climbs across the outside wall to a small opening in the hut. He is now about ten feet off of the ground. Although he cannot see within the hovel, he can hear the steady breathing of several creatures within the hut. Whatever creatures are within, they seem to be sound asleep. You are not clear on the number, but certainly more than three.
The sky to the east is giving some indication that the sun will be rising soon. In about half an hour, you anticipate that Bofus' vision should be much better, but then again, so will the enemies'!
Whisper: If you can take them out, do it quick and quiet. We need to get moving fast before the sun rises.
Bofus climbs through the window on the north wall of the hut (E15) and climbs into a pitch black room that reeks. You hear raspy breathing and you feel the dry rough skin of some reptilian creatures on either side of you by your feet (E16 and F15), but you cannot see anything! At the moment you do not believe you have woken either one. You are also aware of other lizardfolk in the room, you are just not clear yet where they are sleeping or if any of them are awake.
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I stick my head out of the window and whisper It's darker than the inside of your boots in here. I could stab away--but I need *some* light in order to make out whether I'm stabbing a neck or a tail!
Still leaning out the window, I'll retrieve my hooded lantern and fill it with oil. Then I'll find a way to hang it outside and above the windw, so it will throw some--but not much--light into the room. I'll use an arrow to stick through the hut wall if I have ot. Then I'll use a tindertwig to light it. THEN I'll see if i can see in the room any better for some precision stabbity action!!
A thin narrow beam of light streams in the window from your hooded lantern and reveals a six lizard folk sleeping in a filthy bone strewn hovel. None appear to be stirring at the moment.
Perception
With a quick slice, you slay the first lizard folk. The room still remains eerily quiet.
In the dead of night, one by one, you quickly dispatch each of the lizardfolk. The hut is dead silent when you finish your work. Nobody appears to have escaped alive!
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I stick my head out the window and call out in a normal voice (not whispering but not yelling) OK, you all can come in if you want. Or, stay out there and let me look around--it stinks in here.
Then I'll search the place thoroughly. As in take 20, and use the EoD--unless I'm stopped before taking that much time.
Perception result: 42
Searching through the remains of the disgusting lizard hovel you find a few pieces of treasure and a scattering of gold coins in the midst of utter filth and bones.
2 jade rock gems worth 10 gold pieces each
1 pearl necklace worth 50 gold pieces
15 gold pieces
50 silver pieces
You do not see anything else of value.
Once Bofus finishes the lizards, he gets back into the boat and we head out. I would prefer not wasting time and resources fighting a gator if we can avoid it. We need to get across the lake and are rapidly running out of darkness.
The soft light of the sun begins to illuminate the lake gradually as you paddle toward its center. Out near the middle of the lake, dozens of decrepit stone buildings jut from the black waters. In most cases, these buildings sag and lean treacherously, the windows of their upper stories now even with the still lake's surface. Two buildings that seem to have survived relatively intact draw your attention - one a large stone tower (#2 on map), about a quarter-mile from the southern shore, and the other a large stone building near the lake's center (#3 on map). Both structures have rickety wooden walkways ringing them at water level. These look like recent additions; it would seem that someone has made an attempt to settle down here.
"I can't believe I am actually paddling out into the old city of Rhest! This use to be the old capital city of the kingdom of Rhestilor. Did you know that it was the center of civilization in the region for miles and miles?! Its rule extended far to the east, west and south. I'm not sure I know my history very well, but I think it was probably about two hundred years ago that the city was sacked by the last great goblinoid uprising. The defenders of the city made the decision to destroy the levees that held back the waters of the Stonewash River. As a result, they flooded the city and drowned the horde in the process. In the aftermath, the survivors abandoned their homes and resettled in Dennovar, Brindol and similar communities to the south. For the the last two centuries this place has been slowly sinking into the sodden Blackfens."
Is there a place where we can hide - an old building with an awning or something. Where we can get underneath and watch how the dragon and horde go about their daily routines? I would like to know which buildings have troops, what type of troops, and where the dragon is holed up.
Essentially we would stay where we are for a day to do recon. But, ONLY if it was a very easily concealable place. I assume that the enemy will not expect us to be camped out on their doorstep, but no reason to give them an easier time of it.
From the description, I doubt there are many branches. These are the tops of tall buildings - 2 stories, 4 stories, however tall they were. The branches are either on the shore or 30' under water.
Knowledge(arcana):
What do I know about Black Dragons (like the fact that they can swim real good).
"That is fascinating, Trellara." Mantooth says in a low voice, speaking for the first time since before the party left. "Was any effort made to replace the dam and try to recover the city?"
Oi'm not likin' the looks o' this... Thordak says, peering around suspiciously and keeping his crossbow near at hand.
Perception:
You paddle yourselves over to one of the large submerged buildings and climb through a window on the second floor. Although the building feels like it is slanted, it does not seem to move when you enter it. Pulling the boats through the open window, you soon find a set of stairs to what you believe once may have been an attic. Climbing up, you find a narrow cramped space, but at least feel that it does offer you a dry hideout to camp out in the middle of the lake. There is nothing of value here, but looking at some old bedframes, a ruined tapestry, and a few metal door plates with numbers on them, you wonder if this building was once an old inn.
This is what you know about black dragons. You are welcome to say this in your own way as the others ask.
Lording over the darkest swamps and marshes, black dragons are the undisputed masters of their domain, ruling through cruelty and intimidation. Those who dwell within a black dragon's reach live in fear. Black dragons tend to make their lairs in remote parts of the swamp, preferably in caves at the bottom of dark and fetid pools. Inside, they pile up their filthy treasure and sleep amid the roots and muck. Black dragons prefer their food a bit rotten and will often allow a meal to sit in a pool for days before consuming it. Black dragons prefer treasures that do not rot or decay, making their hoard, full of coins, gemstones, jewelry, and other objects made from stone or metal.
Acid Pool (Su)
An ancient or older black dragon can use its breath weapon to create an acid pool as a standard action. This acid pool has a radius of 5 feet per age category of the dragon. When an acid pool is created, anyone inside its area takes an amount of damage equal to the dragon's breath weapon (Reflex half). Any creature that starts its turn touching this pool takes damage, but can make a Reflex save for half. Each round, the total damage dice of the pool is halved until the result would be less than 1d6. The acid pool floats on water, and deals damage to anything on the surface.
Acidic Bite (Su)
At old age, a black dragon's bite deals an additional 2d6 points of acid damage. An ancient dragon's damage increases to 4d6, and a great wrym's to 6d6.
Charm Reptiles (Sp)
A great wyrm black dragon can use this ability three times per day. It works as a mass charm monster spell that affects only reptilian animals. This ability is the equivalent of an 8th-level spell.
Corrupt Water (Sp)
Once per day an adult or older black dragon can stagnate 10 cubic feet of still water, making it foul and unable to support water-breathing life. The ability spoils liquids containing water. Liquid-based magic items (such as potions) and items in a creature's possession must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to the dragon's frightful presence) or become ruined. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell. Its range is equal to that of the dragon's frightful presence.
Speak with Reptiles (Sp)
A young or older black dragon gains the constant spell-like ability to speak with reptiles. This functions as speak with animals, but only with reptilian animals.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)
A black dragon gains the following spell-like abilities, usable at will upon reaching the listed age category.
Juvenile—darkness (radius 10 feet per age category);
Old—plant growth;
Ancient—insect plague.
Swamp Stride (Ex)
A very young or older black dragon can move through bogs and quicksand without penalty at its normal speed.
Water Breathing (Ex)
A black dragon can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon, spells, and other abilities while submerged.
• All Black dragons may breath a line of acid, reveal all dragon traits
• Black dragons are immune to acid
• In addition to being formidable swimmers black dragons learn at an early age to move with preternatural speed through dense bog, seemingly able to effortlessly deal with hazards such as quick sand.
Ok all, one thing that you all need to be aware of. If I had to guess, it is the Wyrmlord that lives in one of these buildings, not the dragon. Black Dragons can breath underwater just as easily as above. And the miserable things like to let their kills rot in the water for a while before eating it.
So, we will need to be careful to watch below the water, as well as above when we face this thing. And I doubt we are going to find it's lair above the water.