Galenus chuckles. This sure as heck won't do anything to decrease the chaos in the city.
Kanzen's eyebrows shoot up towards his stark white hairline as Eddrikk candidly tells the dragon his suspicions about the keepers and the egg. His eyes dart back and forth between the dwarf and the dragon, and his feet shift slightly in readiness to leap backwards - and away from Eddrikk - should the dragon grow angry.
Themberchaud rears his head back in shock, glaring at Eddrikk. "You dare insult me! I am irreplaceable! The Keepers would never try such a thing!" His shouts bellow through the cavern. He inhales deeply, and orange glow showing through his chest scales.
I'm sure that's what the last dragon said! How long has this city been here? How long have you been here? Do you remember your mother? And if not, what's this dragon egg for?
Galenus makes some very good points but his blunt words fall on deaf ears. The dragon glares at him and turns so that his warming maw faces both dwarves.
Though his legs itch to uncoil and leap away from the dragon-aggravating dwarves, Kanzen cannot; he feels his Lady's power within his breast, and he knows he can't forsake his friends.
"Hold your awesome fire, O mighty Themberchaud!" Kanzen calls out, stepping up beside Galenus. "I have come here to bask in your presence, and witness your power for myself! Burn us if you must, but we offer ourselves as your willing servants! Though we pale in comparison to your glory, you may nonetheless find us useful. Let us help you, mighty wyrm!"
Somewhat day dreaming of a pet dragon Irdril finally snaps out of it and tries to help the situaton.
"What he says is true O Great Wyrm! We captured an egg from cultist who were going to do only gods knows what with it. It happens to be a red dragon egg as well.. Certainly not a coincidence."
Using Bardic Inspiration on Kanzen..
nice..
Themberchaud redirects his breath at the last moment and sends the intense, painful, searing heat in a great cloud of fire above your heads. Then he preens at Kanzen's words. "Very well, my servants. What of this egg? What do your small minds believe is happening?"
"Here's the egg.."
She moves and uncovers it..
"This is just a thought, but these cultist were worshipping Demogorgon, who's apparently in the Underdark if you didn't know that. Perhaps their plan was to corrupt the wyrmling and gain a powerful ally for their new master. As for why the Keepers would look to replace you I'm not sure. I have from a reliable source that Wyrmsmith's of the past did not reach your age great one! Perhaps the Keepers fear they will not be able to bargain fairly with a near Ancient one such as yourself, so they look to replace you."
Themberchaud leans forward with great interest in his eyes. He sniffs the egg carefully, then his jaws flash open and closed, crushing the egg and consuming it. He smiles wickedly at you. "Now my position in Gracklstugh is secure. I will grow to my full size and rule!" The dragon looks very satisfied with himself and settles back onto his pile of treasure. "You may leave, now."
"All hail Themberchaud may he rule forever!"
Irdril shrugs and turns to leave.. Once outside..
"Ok so who's ready to get the F... outa here?"
Before he leaves, "O great and mighty Themberchaud as your humble vassals, you did mention a reward for uncovering what the Keepers were up to, my great lord of flame and forge. I don't ask for myself only that you might see fit to help us as we continue to serve your greatness..." Eddrikk is really starting to hate this dragon, but he's gonna try his damnedest to not leave here empty handed.
The wyrm looks down at Eddrikk and chuckles. "Yes yes, my servants. You shall be rewarded. Here you are."
A gourd containing a potion bottle skids across the floor to you.
You feel invigorated just by a slight taste of the potion! You conclude that it is a potion of supreme healing.
Eddrikk receives his gift and depart with a bow.
As you leave, a Keeper steps forth from their headquarters and speaks in a strong but polite voice. "Visitors, may I ask to speak with you inside?"
So much for leaving.
Galinndin awoke that day refreshed, for the first time in what felt like forever.
He saw the dragon.
He heard the dwarves mouth off to the dragon.
Too shocked to speak, he prepared to watch the dwarves die, moments before the rest of them.
And then Kanzen saved them all.
They even got a potion out of the affair.
When the Keeper speaks, Galinndan finally snaps out of his fugue.
"Yes. But we live to do it later."
The head keeper ushers you inside. "I am Gartokkar Xundorn, leader of the Keepers of the Flame. You seem resourceful and I would employ you to aid us. You see, the Gray Ghosts have recently stolen something of immeasurable value from us... A dragon egg... And I would have you find it for us..."
Cyrus scoffs. "An what will our prize be if we do?"
"The gratitude of the Deepking, whom I report to directly. We wish you to find the egg, confirm that Gray Ghosts were involved, and find for us whatever magical device or devices they have been using to bring chaos to Gracklstugh."
"Bah. We be on our way out. Fin' da damn thing yer self. I be sure it couldn't have gone far."
"Like he said, we are on our way out of town unfortunately. I'm sure you can find someone capable of the task though!"
Galinndan maintains a silence. But he is watchful, in case this is a twisted prelude to an ambush.
Galenus is likewise silent, knowing his guilt in the situation. I'm surprised that they didn't hear the dragon bellow out his anger.
The head of the keepers shrugs. "Hope that you do not require the favor of Deepking Horgar Steelshadow..." He sees you escorted out.
"I believe that we have companions to escort home?", asks Galinndan with a shred of a smile.
Stool thinks into the communal mind Ooh yes! Yes! Please! I just want to go home...
"Indeed.. Let's be off."
Also let's try not to forget that there is a drow party here after us. Let's stay frosty..
I've always wanted to see what a myconid village was like. Only ever met you lot on the road. This should be fun.
Aye, Irdril. We had best to ready to hide, flee, or kill them all. We have left a trail here unfortunately.
That should be no problem, now that we're armed and armoured.
The party leaves Gracklstugh significantly enriched but still loathing the idea of spending more time with the Gray Dwarves and their accursed, clanging machinery. You head out onto the Darklake and Stool begins steering you through its watery tunnels toward his home. "Oh this will be just wonderful! Wonderful!"
The dwarven shield maiden is less enthused. "You mean we're going to a city of mushrooms?" She looks disgusted.
The male deep gnome growls at the dwarf. "You're kind is so narrow-minded. Get over yourselves."
"I do not miss the domain of the duergar.", Galinndan states, to both interrupt the developing argument and to remind those present that things could fare worse.
Give her a break. We haven't had a proper meal in a long time. Even the duergar don't make a worm-stuffed mole like mama used to make back home. Little comforts like that can go a long ways towards making a journey like this bearable.
What? Don't look at me like that. Worms and moles are staples of the dwarven diet. It's not like we have rabbits or trees in the mines. And certainly not a gigantic underground lake. We're too far up for that.
"I, for one, have never seen a city of mushrooms before; I'm looking forward to it. Also, it sounds rather delicious!" Kanzen says without thinking. Realising that he's talking to a creature of fungus, he turns to Stool. "You have... non-sentient mushrooms there, right? The eating kind?"
You cross the Darklake after several encounters with disgusting, hostile, and deadly water creatures.
Cyrus receives some nasty scars from a mutant, sentient jellyfish. Some insane kuo-toa who escaped the destruction of Sloobludop swim up stealthily to your boat and stab him several times as well before you put them down. Apparently, the Darklake doesn't like goblins. But on the whole, the journey is nothing to speak of.
After several days, you come to land on the other side of the Darklake and resume winding through twisting tunnels on foot, led by Stool. As you make your way through a 10-foot-high tubular passage, a tremor shakes the area and drops part of the ceiling on you!
Everyone else dodges nimbly but the spellcasters (Irdril and Galenus) are used to using their minds more than their limbs and don't react fast enough. They receive some scrapes and bruises from falling debris.
Once the dust clears, you realize that fallen rock has buried both ends of the passageway. However, a new passage has opened in one of the walls, offering a possible escape route. It’s clear that the route you were following has been permanently blocked by tons of rubble, and runs the risk of triggering another collapse if you attempt to dig out.
"Owe.."
She heals herself before moving on.
'Looks liek we have no choice.. Let's try this new tunnel."
The deep gnome pipes up "So... who goes first and which way?"
The kuo-toa speaks up for the first time since the destruction of his home village. "Let us please be careful. Something about this place... Troubles me..."
Galinndan quietly says:
"Wait a minute. Then I will scout ahead."
He focuses, trying to sense if drow, goblins, or more mad kuo-toa lurk near by.
Everyone else dodges nimbly but the spellcasters (Irdril and Galenus are used to using their minds more than their limbs and don't react fast enough. They receive some scrapes and bruises from falling debris.
Aye. We'll wait here for ya. Right next to all the rubble where they're about to fall again. No problem, take your time. I'm sure it'll be fine.
Galinndan senses some humanoids several miles away.
Kanzen loosens his blades. "I'll come with you," he offers to Galinndan, and prepares to move ahead (unless Galinndan really wants to go alone).
"No humanoids for miles, which is something. Forward we go then.", Galinndan says, nodding at Kanzen.
Kanzen helps Galinndan keep an eye out for action or signs of other creatures as they advance into the darkness.