After meticulously taking down Crumock’s shopping list, Zivazaraat waves goodbye to the party, yelling one last time, ”Remember to get Blackie to call me when you require my services!” then dematerializes, almost seeming to dissolve into the very air itself.
After their scouting foray, the party returns back to the Frostwolves for dinner of a hearty noodle stew that is slightly sourish.
Desert is a biscuit called Boortsog, served with a sticky sweet syrup, which the Frostwolves claim they harvest from some worm larve.
The next morning the party sets out at dawn. Their dragonkin drop ropes down, then fly down. Avatre sets some buildings on fire, Bethulan and Talsune melt a few more, Nevra blasts an unoffending shed apart with lightning while Shantha freezes another building. The distraction is enough to lure the frostdrakes and flying sorcerers to investigate, while the adlets take advantage of the distraction to repel swiftly down the ropes. The dragonkin then return and fly the party down, before depositing them at the bottom of the Moulin then returning to provide air support for the adlets.
The chaos of the battle is sufficient for the party to slip past the air and ground patrols and make their way to the entrance of Ivoryglass, guarded by Yrax’s personal guards of 4 Drakeland barbarians(who are wielding their swords two handed) and an ice seer.
As the dragons create a distraction, Mr. Whiskers casts heroism on himself and Greta. He uses the rod and tinkerer to extend the duration.
Mr. Whiskers transforms Greta into a four armed gargoyle, adding a little extra power as he does it. He then moves over.
Einar calls up his demonic heritage; his body tranforms: His ankles and feet shift becoming more animal like, his hands also grew larger with talons, now appearing as claws, his maw extended and his eyes grew red, his small black horns became more prominent as his skin went from pale to shiny, emphasizing and enlarging the scales. Causing his Cambion ancestry to become very prominent. As he lets out a roar, ”Aaauuurrrggghhh.”
He then charges at the nearest barbarian and clobbers him.
The barbarians take offence and start raging and ganging up on him.
He manages to smack two stubborn skulls but the barbarains still remain standing.
Thankfully for Einar, both of the bastard swords do not manage to hit anywhere vital.
Greta charges forward, then trips one of the barbarians, then stabs him while he's down.
Crummock casts Divine Favor on Geist.
Geist then launches himself through the air!
Geist bites at the barbarian then eviscerates him, with his two claws. He doesn't even get to use his hindpaws and the barbarian is dead.
Seraphine immediately nukes the barbarians down with a well placed fireball on the remaining three (and hopefully Ice Seer but I cannot view the map).
All 3 of them are hit by the fireball and one of them is burnt into a crisp, one of them is nearly dead. The ice seer then summons a wall of ice, 20 ft high to cut off Einar from the rest.
Einar manages to shatter the ice wall before it forms.
Mr. Whiskers runs over to the side and fires a dart in the direction of the ice seer at the gates.
Einar smacks the bajeebers out of one of the barbarians, then wounds the other badly.
The remaining barbarian steps up and tries to murderhobo Einar.
He lands two lucky strikes, leaving Einar barely standing.
Greta slays the barbarian in the nick of time, rescuing Einar.
The ice seer dodges Mr Whiskers's acid arrow.
Geist pounces on the Seer...
...whilst Crummock, with a sigh and a wince, steps forward and channels healing energy into Einar...
...causing small wounds to open up all across his own body, even as Einar is brought back from the brink of death.
Geist rips the iceseer apart gleefully.
Searching the Drakeland barbarian bodies yields 4 dragon breath elixirs (green dragon), 8 warpaints of terrible visage, 4 +1 bastard swords, 12 javelins, 168 gp, and 4 sets of +1 full plate.
Searching the Iceseer yields a potion of levitate, a wand of cure moderate wounds (45 charges), 2 thunderstones, padded armor, darts, mw spear, a cloak of resistance +2, a headband of alluring charisma +2, a spell component pouch and 27 gp.
With a satisfied nod, Crummock heals-up Einar...
...followed by himself.
He then makes sure that his long-term buffs are prepared, and casts some more spells for 'insurance'.
"Right then. Let's see what's inside!"
”Heroism please,” Greta gives Mr Whiskers a winning smile.
The doors are closed, but not locked, and Einar, after checking it for traps and finding none, push them open.
Slender ice pillars support the tall roof of this sweeping gallery. Thick blocks of translucent crystal set in the roof allow some outside light to illuminate the area. The room is lined with many curious inventions, some identifiable, such as a waterwheel, a carriage that appears to be drawn by drakes, some totally bizarre.
The party sees a hunched, reptilian beast with two clawed feet flying in the air, its eyeless head dominated by a huge circular maw filled with jagged teeth, carrying a pouch at its belt. It hisses, then growls at the party, then pulls out a curious looking screen from its pouch. It then begins, while hovering 50 feet in the air, to tap with the screen with its claws. It then shows the screen to the party, with writing in Draconic and Triaxian on it.
”Hver ert þú og hvað er fyrirtækið þitt hérna?“
Who are you and what is your business here?
MR Whiskers recognizes the creature as an advanced half-white dragon destrachan. It is blind, but has blindsight 100 ft, is immune to cold, gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions and attacks relying on sight, paralysis, sleep and resist sonic 30. It has a once per day cold breath weapon of a 30 ft cone (reflex halves). Also, it can't speak, but understands languages fine.
And it can project destructive harmonics.
Destructive Harmonics (Su) A destrachan can project a blast of sonic energy in a cone up to 80 feet long or in a 30-foot-radius burst centered on itself as a standard action. It can adjust the harmonics of its sonic cry to generate one of two different effects on targets within the area of effect, but can only create one of these effects with each use of this ability. The save DCs are Constitution-based.
Destruction: All creatures within the area of effect of the destructive harmonics take 8d6 points of sonic damage—a Reflex save halves this damage. If the destrachan wishes, this damage can instead deal nonlethal damage rather than sonic damage. Alternatively, the destrachan can target a single crystal, metal, stone, or wooden object within 80 feet with this attack—that object takes 8d6 points of damage. This damage is not halved when applied to the object’s hit points, but is reduced by the object’s hardness. A magical or attended object can attempt a DC 19 Reflex save to halve the damage.
Pain: Rather than deal damage, the destrachan can cause intense pain and overwhelming sound to affect all creatures within the area. Targets in the area must succeed on a Fortitude save to avoid being stunned for 1 round and deafened for 1d6 rounds.
Crummock bows formally to the creature, before responding in Triaxian:
"I be Crummock-i-Phail. My companions and I seek an audience with the almighty Yrax, bringing him news o' an assault by a force o' adlets, and word from the front at Spurhorn."
The creature eyes Crummock carefully and considers his words, then nods gravely. He types on the screen, then shows it to the party.
” Yrax er faðir minn. Ég mun koma þér til áhorfenda í herberginu sjálfum svo, svo að þú megir skila orðunum þínum til hans.“
Yrax is my father. I will bring you to the audience chamber myself then, so you may deliver your words to him.
"Would it not be better if ye simply gave us directions? I would not want ye to be forced to leave thine post for beings as inconsequential as ourselves..."
The creature types back on screen, while making an uuurmph sound, and shakes his head vigorously.
"Vandamálið er án þess að einhver fer með þér, allir golems eru að fara að ráðast á þig á sjónarhóli. Og það er annaðhvort að fara að drepa þig, eða fá Yrax mjög pissed burt eins og hann þarf að skipta um nýja golems. Hann er aldrei í góðu skapi þegar hann þarf að gera það."
”The problem is without anyone going with you, all the golems are going to attack YOU on sight. And that’s either going to kill you, or get Yrax really pissed off as he needs to replace new golems. He’s never in a good mood when he has to do that.”
Then types a little more.
"Ég heiti Iantor.. Ert þú hrifinn af því að segja mér frá umheiminum? Ég meina, ég kem aldrei að því að sjá það ..." Then it gives a sad sigh.
My name is Iantor. Do you mind telling me about the outside world? I mean, I never get to see it...
Crummock looks legitimately shocked.
He then launches into a description of the surrounding territory.
”Bækur segja að heimurinn sé fullur af undrum, en faðir segir mér að ég sé náttúrulíf, því ég hef enga augu. Ég þora ekki að fara út. Faðir segir að slæmt sé að gerast hjá þeim sem eru..kristnir, eins og ég.” Iantor types.
Books say the outside world is full of wonders, but Father tells me I am a freak of nature, because I have no eyes. I don’t dare to go out. Father says bad things happen to those who are..cripples, like me.
Iantor makes a mournful sound and starts typing more.” Þú sérð, ég er misfóstur. Ég hef enga augu. Ég get ekki talað. Ég er ... mistókst tilraun. Faðir vildi erfingja draconíska hásæti hans, en ég get ekki einu sinni talað. Hvernig ætti ég að leiða hersveitir og gera hann stolt af mér?
“ Then he makes a guttural moan. He gestures at all his inventions as he starts typing with his claws.” Ég hafði allan tímann í heiminum og ekkert að gera - svo ég gerði þetta. Eru þeir ekki fallegir?
”
You see, I am misborn. I have no eyes. I can’t speak. I’m…a failed experiment. Father wanted a heir to his draconic throne, but I can’t even talk. How am I supposed to lead armies and make him proud of me?
I had all the time in the world, and nothing to do – so I made these. Aren’t they pretty?
” Og áður en ég uppgötvaði,” He types as he taps at his screen, ” Þetta gat ég ekki einu sinni átt samskipti við. Það er betra þessa dagana að ég geti átt samskipti ef fólk er tilbúið að bíða eftir mér að slá allt út. Flestir eru ekki.
”
And before I invented,
This, I couldn’t even communicate. It’s better these days that I can communicate, if people are willing to wait for me to type everything out. Most aren’t.
Crummock sighs sympathetically.
Crummock pauses thoughtfully, before continuing.
” Já, já, þú hefur rétt! Ég er aðeins eins og örlítið eins og ég held að ég sé. Ég hef lesið mikið af bókum sem kenna mér hvernig á að lifa af í villtum. Bara aldrei gert hagnýt. En þetta gæti verið það sem Yrax biður eftir, til að sjá hvort ég geti slitið á eigin spýtur! Þá verður ég verðugur að vera erfingi hans! He types out excitedly. Then he collects a couple of his inventions, and a whole host of books in a specially made backpack for himself, then flies confidently out of the chamber on his powerful wings. Then he turns back to face the party, and types a last message, ” Halló Traixius! Hér kem ég!”, then he flies past the battling frost drakes, dragonkin and adlets, out of the moulin and into the blue sky beyond.
Yes, yes, you’re right! I am only as crippled as I think I am. I’ve read lots of books that teach me how to survive in the wilds. Just never done the practical. But this may be what Yrax is waiting for, to see if I can strike out on my own! Then I’ll be worthy of being his heir!
Hello Triaxius! Here I come!
Rummaging among his remaining inventions, the party finds a golden dragon kite.
Crummock waves goodbye.
He seemed like a reasonable sort.
Once the beast is safely away, he turns back to the others.
"Right then. Let's keep moving!"
He then heads deeper into the complex.
Iantor waves goodbye back and joyfully makes off.
The party comes to a passage that splits into 3 different directions. And run into a huge animated thing made from ancient, fossilized bones of prehistoric Triaxian dragons.
Mr Whiskers can't remember what the heck the thing is.
Mr Whiskers recognizes that the numerous sky-blue flames set in sconces carved to resemble draconic claws or jaws provide illumination in the palace’s passages and chambers is are continual flames and the entire palace is warded with a permanent mage’s private sanctum effect that prevents scrying inside its walls.
The rooms and corridors in the palace are 30 feet high, unless otherwise described.
Seraphine casts Blessing of Fervor.
The fossilized thing charges forward, then bites at Einar.
Well, it does pack a nasty bite, but Einar manages to fight off the petrifying effect of the bite.
”Heroism please,” Greta gives Mr Whiskers a winning smile.
Perplexed, Mr. Whiskers says "I already cast it on you a short while ago. Did it get dispelled and I missed it?"
He quickly checks with detect magic.
While he is thinking of it, he casts heightened awareness on himself.
Well, I'm not going to be much use against constructs!
Once again, he turns Greta into a four-armed gargoyle.
The thing doesn't answer Einar.
Einar repeatedly applies lots of force to the creature. Einar's hammer does not seem to be fully effective, but lots of force makes up for that. It looks about ready to fall apart when Greta charges at the creature, then stabs it with her ranseur.
Then it collapses into a pile of bone. Looting the creature...results in bones?
Massive stone plinths line both sides of this long, arched hallway. Over half of the pliths are in use, displaying the skeletal remains of draconic creatures. Sheets of ice sheathe some of the skeletons, holding their ossified remains arranged as if in life, while others are merely jumbled piles of bones.
As the party moves into the centre of the room, 4 of the draconic skeletons animate and attack the party.
Mr Whiskers recognizes them as Bone golems, which they fought before, the first time they entered Baba Yaga's Hut.