It seems Clausyre is not having much luck today and has been outbid on every lot so far. Towards the end after he has lost yet another lot, he stands up dramatically and loudly makes an ominous announcement: "Very well! I must deliver this bad news to my employer immediately. I bid you all good day!" He then storms out of the amphitheater, an awkward silence in his wake.
After a pause, Bassy says, "I suspect he didn't mean that last bit." This wry crack breaks the tension, causing laughter to fill the crowd. The auction continues.
It's nearing dusk when the final lot is opened: Hunclay's manor home and his land. The auction is running long and Chosk pauses for several minutes while servants quickly light lanterns throughout the amphitheater. Eventually, the last auction gets underway.
"That fella seemed a mite put out about not finding the books he wanted. Might bear watching," Kurth says, keeping a close eye on the man as he leaves.
Yes, he did seem a bit upset in proxy for his employer, didn't he?
As the auction is coming to a close, Kurth is the first to notice a dark shape flying in the skies above. A second later several other people begin to notice. Moments after this, mayhem strikes as four lanky, batlike humanoid creatures with long tails and four narrow eyes land with unnerving grace and silence upon the stage.
What on earth are these strange creatures? Milloy flicks his wrist and produces a wand, then casts Web. I prefer they not fly around!
Alice drops one of the bat-creatures with a quick arrow to the heart. Meanwhile Milloy produces webbing to keep one of them grounded.
The bat creature caught in the web pulls himself out and flies closer to the party. The other two leap from the stage and fly at Alice, letting out horrid screeches over their fallen companion.
"I knew that bastard was up to something!" Kurth bellows as he lurches to his feet and draws his sword. His scabbard catches on his chair, throwing his aim off.
Kurth swings wildly and misses the dexterous bat creature in front of him.
"Egads, what sort of foul creatures are these?! No matter..." Harsk clambers over the chair next to Alice while drawing his hammer. He swings mightily.
But trying to balance himself on the chair proves problematic and his swing goes wide.
Harsk swings but the bat creature leaps out of the way. Alice, however, stabs into it with her dagger.
Milloy will move to the right and use Burning Hands!
Milloy blasts the two grioth but they cover themselves with their wings and avoid the brunt of it.
The first grioth attacks Harsk:
The other goes for Kurth:
And the third moves up to attack the firey wizard:
Milloy will step back 5' and cast Scorching Ray!
for
Damn these creatures!
Grunting, Kurth brings his sword around in a powerful slash as he tries to fell the creatures in front of him.
Harsk swings again at the creature that Alice is attacking.
Milloy's ray again flies wide and burns a hole in the back of the stage. Kurth, however, is able to take down two grioth in one shot and Harsk and Alice quickly take care of the last one.
Acolytes of Abadar run around behind you tending to the wounded townsfolk. One priest approaches you and channels to heal any wounds.
After a few seconds, however, a tremendous roar fills the air. A larger creature swoops down to land atop one of the small storage buildings on the amphitheater's stage-a scaly, reptilian winged creature with smoke and fire billowing from its jaws. Though the remaining townsfolk shriek, "A dragon!" in panic, this creature is much too small to be a true dragon.
This is a flame drake. It is immune to fire, paralysis, and sleep, and vulnerable to cold. They can breath fireballs and can draw on their draconic heritage for bursts of strength and speed.
Milloy casts Glitterdust, hoping to blind the creature!
Alice puts an arrow into the dragon topping the stage. Milloy covers the drake in glitter.
The drake shoots out a ball of fire at the party, hitting Kurth, Alice, and Harsk with a blast of fire.
This isn't going as well as I would have hoped.
Caught off guard, Kurth takes the brunt of the fireball, which scorches and burns his new(-ish) clothes.
"Bastard!" the big man mutters, before turning a scowl on the scaled creature. "Somebody say that's a dragon? Looks more like a new cloak and boots, to me."
Moving carefully, Kurth hops onto the stage and moves toward the storage buildings, keeping a bit of distance until he knows how far the beast can reach.
Milloy shoots a missile into the drake and Alice puts an arrow into its side. Kurth leaps up onto the stage and advances on the dragon!
Harsk is amazed at the magnificent beast that has appeared.
Harsk does his best to channel healing for his companions.
Harsk channels to heal Alice and Kurth! The drake swoops down off of the storage building and towards Alice!
The dragon then lands perched atop the seats in the back two rows to the side of the auction house.
Milloy will cast (yes, cast!) Magic Missile!
"Stand still, dammit!" Kurth yells as the drake flies out of reach. Cursing, he sheathes his sword and draws his new bow.
Milloy blasts the drake with a set of magic missiles while Kurth draws his bow and puts an arrow in its side. Alice fires off two arrows as well but misses.
Harsk drops his shield and draws and loads his heavy crossbow.
"Sorry folks, I ain't got any divine spells what can be of use to damage the scaly beast!"
Harsk gets his crossbow ready against the dragon.
The dragon flies from one side of the building to the other, biting at Harsk along the way!
Milloy resorts to another
I do not have much to offer either, Master Dwarf!
Kurth sends another arrow arcing toward the scaly beast.
Milloy puts a force missile into the dragon while Kurth sinks an arrow deep into its flesh. As Kurth's arrow digs in, the drake gives out a ferocious roar and collapses to the ground!
After the drake is defeated, the Baroness and her son-as well as several other townsfolk-run from the nearby shelters to thank you for your aid. Before you have a chance to respond, however, a thunderous roar shatters the night. The survivors look to the east in fear as a vast shape crawls up onto the roof of Otho Burr's house, just east of the amphitheater. This is an enormous black dragon, but its scales are ragged and graying, its eyes are sightless, its muscles are exposed beneath torn flesh, and the smell of rot is nearly overpowering.
The booming voice echoes across town, "I am Aeteperax, Lord of Dragonfen, and you have exhausted my patience. The wizard Hunclay promised me many things before his death, including five rare and ancient tomes. I made efforts to obtain these lawfully, but my representative, Clausyre, failed me. My forbearance is at an end."
"Now I require not only the books, including the toe entitled Secrets of the Dreaming Dark, but also an indemnity of 776,000 gold pieces-2,000 for each and every resident of this dunghill you call home."
"I give you two weeks to deliver these to the place you know as the Monastery of Saint Kyerixus across the Dragonfen."
"None are permitted to leave Belhaim-my minions blanket the countryside, and all who dare leave this town shall suffer for it. Only those chosen to deliver my ransom may travel, and then only into Dragonfen."
"Should you defy me or fail to satisfy my demands, I shall lay waste to little Belhaim and kill every living inhabitant, down to the last mewling infant."
With that, the dragon rises up, casts a spell, and vanishes, apparently teleporting away. Silence reigns for a moment, then panic strikes and the survivors flee back to their homes.
Kurth stares at the rotting dragon for a moment before swallowing.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to make him dead again," he says, before stalking over to the dead drake and starting to carve off the head and other choice bits.
Milloy spies the creature and pays close attention to its words and movements. He is some form of undead, a black dragon, likely a great wyrm judging by its size. I wonder though, why he gave the illusion of casting a spell. All he spoke was, well, gibberish really. Milloy thinks for another moment and says, Perhaps he is hiding something.
Milloy continues. Kurth, I agree with your assessment. Even if we wanted to pay I can't see where we'd get the required gold for this... ransom. We must hunt him down. Gather the tomes the dragon requested, if we still can. We might be able to use them.
And find this Clausyre. We need to have a talk.
After the dragon's speech is over, the townsfolk once again come out of hiding, a riot on the verge of erupting with the chaos after the dragon's demand. Baroness Origena asks you and several locals whose advice she values to return with her to her manor home for a meeting.
The meeting takes place in a cozy dining room at Devy Manor. Among the council are Sheriff Benhovy, local stabler and former adventurer Lezara Dodgion, Abadaran priestess Eupaphenia Targas, and Bassy the historian.
The baroness doesn't waste time and asks Eupaphenia what Belhaim could scrape together by pooling all its resources. Her answer of approximately 20 000 gp doesn't surprise the baroness. Even if every sale for the auction were immediately settled, it would be unlikely to bring the total up to even 100 000 gp. There's just no way Belhaim can pay the dragon's demand of 776 000 gp.
The baroness opens the meeting to suggestions. Sheriff Benhovy mutters that if they "Send out a few of those Shelyn layabouts to distract the dragon for the good of the town, maybe he'll lower the ransom," a suggestion met with derision and shock by the others at the meeting. Frustrated, he then suggests sending out messages via raven to several largerr (but distant) towns for aid. Lezara pushes to have the town evacuated. Eupaphenia suggests sending a delegate to speak to the dragon about paying in installments. None of these suggestions appeases the group as a whole, and Bassy finally asks, "Why don't we just kill it?"
The Baroness Origen's visage grows stern. Her eyes fix on her folded hands before she looks up, directing her gaze to you. "I can't offer a monetary reward sufficient to lure you into undertaking so deadly a mission. However, I must ask: Will you slay this dragon for Belhaim? If you succeed, I shall raise each of you to the rank of Knight of Taldor. Little Belhaim and its inhabitants are lost if you don't prevail. What say you?"