Esperanza follows the two spellcasters around the upper levels, partly out of a desire to protect them and partly out of her own curiosity. In the map room, when the magical nature of the figurine is pointed out, she immediately snatches it up and tucks it into a belt pouch, before pointing at the maps. "We should roll these up, take them with us."
Then, noticing the paper the figurine was sitting on, she unfolds it for closer examination.
"No wai-" Gaius barely gets out by the time Esperanza touches the magical dragon figure. "You don't know what that does! What if it warns the dragon?! Let me look at it for a moment," he pleads.
Once that matter is settled (or not) he quickly begins rolling up all the maps for safe keeping, stowing them with the figurines.
Before anyone approaches the Dragon's lair, he scans the stairway for magic. "I can't always remember what or when, but after a certain point, Dragons can use magic. If I had a lair, I'd have wards tell me one someone entered it," he explains.
________
"That's the last of my magic for today--if that dragon returns we're neck deep in s$+#, so be swift!"
Following the others up, Thorek immediately zeroes in on the war maps, muttering to himself in Dwarven as he makes mental notes of the markings and colors. When he sees the red line draw close to Kraggodan his scarred face darkens with anger.
Esperanza hands the figurine over to Gaius without fuss. "I was worried that maybe he could see through its eyes," she says, embarrassed.
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Gaius and Undari's knowledge of geography informs the party that Longshadow is one of Nirmathas' few manufacturing strongholds, thus making it an important target for the legion.
A central region of the Fangwood is circled upon this atlas page, labled as "The Blight," along with the quizzical note "Why here?"
Lastly, written upon the margins of the page are calculations about dragon flying speeds from Fort Trevalay over 12 hours, 24 hours, and 36 hours - with question marks next to each. Perhaps one of the Ironfang officers was trying to figure out where Ibzairiak goes when he flies north.
The dragon figurine possesses magical properties akin to a more familiar trinket, the wondrous bronze griffon. The command word is etched in tiny Sylvan characters along the dragon's belly. However, the magic within this particular figure feels weak, as though it has been overused and needs to recharge.
The ridgetail lizards prove to be quite ornery. Even though he approaches cautiously and plaintively, they snap and snarl at Undari when he draws near. They are unmoved by his words, and thus they remain unmoving.
As Thorek wades into one last fray with the lizards, one of them manages to land a lucky tail swipe upon the dwarf's helmet, rattling his head. Other than this, their maws, claws, and tails cannot best his armor before he puts them down. Thus, he earns passage to the top floor of the tower for the party. A steady stream of water continues to pour down the stairs.
A large, ragged hole punches through the southern wall, curtained by a thick tangle of moss and hanging vines that sway wildly in the gale winds blustering through the gap. The wind blows ripples across the pool, but this does not disguise the unmistakable glint of gold and silver that nearly carpets the shallow bottom of the fetid pool.
Lily is not grabbing as much supplies and paperwork as she is told to. " Please no dragon. No dragon. Please no dragon. Hurry hurry hurry ," she says frenetically while listening carefully what to take.
"Oh, I, well that could have been the case too. Um, sorry, I was just worried if it was perhaps a way to signal for the Dragon... In any case, our fears were unfounded. It forms into a Bronze Dragon twice a week, but it needs some time to recharge. Anyways..." Gaius explains before awkwardly handing the figurine back and collecting the rest of the shiny magical things he can find.
Unlike everything else he's been finding, he tucks the atlas page into his pocket. Seems that we've the same questions and that you were further along...
Once the sounds of death cease, he gives the Dragon's lair the same treatment.
"Thorek, if you have a, uh, moment," he says, waiting until the Dwarf is ready to give him his full attention. "Looking at the maps, which we can discuss later, um, it is clear that the horde will be attacking Longshadow after crossing the Marideth. No time-frame was given, but if we were thinking about a next target after the trio of Ranger forts, this, you know, might be a good place to visit?"
________
Nodding in agreement with Gaius' assessment, "That was my thinking as well. Nirthathas has few industrial centers, it'll be a prize for the Ironfangs for certain."
After the party has finished bagging up the plunder and departed the fort, Thorek calls a brief halt once they're deep in the treeline. "Hold a moment, friends, we need to discuss our next moves. There's still another fort out there, but the pook-pook thingy said they local forest spirits sorted it out on their own. Then, as Gaius noted, that map suggests the hobs're planning an offensive against Longshadow. Here's my thinking: we get Cobb and his people safely back to Hidden Hope along with all these supplies; we determine if the third fort poses some sort of danger to our people, and if so we deal with it. If not...perhaps we head to Longshadow to warn them of the impending attack?"
The cavern-like chamber, the dark and stormy night outside, and the verdant water of the pool all conspire to make it difficult to inventory the treasures stored in the absent dragon's soggy hoard. It would likely take several hours to recover every item from the pool, and the prospect of a dragon already winging its way south makes this a stressful dilemma.
Aided by darkvision and other magic, tucked among the thousands of coins lining the bottom of the artificial, swampy pond, you can spot a bastard sword, a crossbow, a lance, a silvery belt, three thick glass bottles, a black sphere the size of an apple, a golden statuette of some beast, and a half dozen other thin metallic objects.
Unsure of the significance of any of the remaining items, Esperanza grabs the crossbow and drags it out of the muck. "Let's hurry."
Lily is just going to look at Udnari and grab one of the potential wands too.
Lily pulls out a random item kind of staring intently at it.
Thorek drags forth a belt that would be light if not for the weight of water soaked into it. Its length is interwoven with silver threads, leading to a silver buckle shaped like two birds circling in flight.
Undari hauls out a golden statue in the shape of a manticore, about the size of a large loaf of bread - albeit, much heavier.
Esperanza recovers a light crossbow made of teak and plated with brass. It has resisted the swampy water remarkably well, the wood showing no sign of swelling or warping and the metal showing no tarnish.
Lily, when she withdraws her hand from the murky water, finds a golden holy symbol in her palm. About six inches long, it is shaped like a thick vault key.
Gaius hems and haws for a while, firmly gripped with indecision. As everyone looks to him to make the last choice, he grabs the black sphere.
Having quick seized choice items from the dragon's hoard, you add them to your other spoils from within the tower. With help from the rescued rangers, you carry them out and make your way through the blustering wind and rain. You cross the river gorge upon one of the safe, now unguarded bridges and fall back to the site you prepared upon the rocky hill overlooking the river valley.
Cobb and the rangers plop down upon any fallen log or flat rock they can find, savoring the opportunity to stretch out beneath the open air. Even the pattering rain does not diminish their relief to be free.
A quick once over with magic reveals that the belt and crossbow that Thorek and Esperanza stole from the dragon's hoard are enchanted. The other items, though likely quite valuable, hold no magic of their own.
Back at their temporary hideout, Esperanza sits down against a tree with a deep sigh, closing her eyes. She rises to her feet after a few minutes to remove and clean her equipment, before checking on each of the rescued rangers.
Undari sets about feeding each ranger a Goodberry and checking them out carefully, giving medical attention as necessary (Take 10 for a 26 Heal Check on the Rangers).
Once he is done and they are settled, Undari settles in himself, taking his turn at watch as needed, spending his time during his watch replenishing his store of poultices.
Lily looks at the rangers and smiles a bit. Knowing how well of a job they did she says," Listen about being a refugee. I may still be coming to terms about what's going on. Hearing Thorek talking about us makes me freeze with dread about failing you all."
Looking at the holy symbol she just despondently says," Not even a god I like"
Your devastating strike against Fort Trevalay ensures that there are no Ironfang forces available to hunt you for reprisal. Thus, you have time enough to rest and tend to your new, rescued allies. The proffered goodberries go a long way to ameliorating the undernourishment and shaken nerves of the rangers in the worst shape. Of course, with 15 men and women now under your care, Undari may struggle to provide for each of them.
"Not even sure where they found that," Cobb muses when he looks over to the Abadaran holy symbol recovered by Lily. "Certainly not a popular church in Nirmathas. It's probably old blood money from Molthune."
"Hold a moment, friends, we need to discuss our next moves. There's still another fort out there, but the pook-pook thingy said they local forest spirits sorted it out on their own. Then, as Gaius noted, that map suggests the hobs're planning an offensive against Longshadow. Here's my thinking: we get Cobb and his people safely back to Hidden Hope along with all these supplies; we determine if the third fort poses some sort of danger to our people, and if so we deal with it. If not...perhaps we head to Longshadow to warn them of the impending attack?"
”Rescuing the Rangers is a higher priority than confronting the dragon or grabbing the rest of its treasure. Let’s get them safely to Hidden Hope and assess the resources we have gained here,” says Undari.
Once it is time for sleep, Gaius draws on the last of his arcane reserves and coaxes some rope up a tree. Doesn't feel right to have nothing left in me... Ugh, can't wait to get some rest after this, we'd be sitting ducks of the Dragon came at us now too... "Won't last quite as long as before, but eight people can rest for about six hours here," he offers.
________
Hearing what Gaius is about to do, Undari interrupts and says, "Use this rod of Extend Spell if you like--it has one charge left for the day and I won't need it."
"Thanks!" Gaius says as he clasps his hand around the rod before casting the spell. "About twelve hours, thanks to Undari, we'll be sleeping well tonight! With people on watch, I think there might be a way for most everyone to sleep in there." Can't make any promises on the smell, but I think at this point we're all brewing our own naturelle eau de toilette...
The rest of the night passes fitfully. The rain proves fleeting and tapers off less than an hour after you establish your camp, yet the thick clouds continue to obscure the stars, and the wind does not abate until close to dawn. Coupled with the threat of a dragon looming over your heads, you find it hard to ease your jangled nerves.
By contrast, the rescued rangers are almost preternaturally able to relax. Perhaps months - if not years - spent in the wilds leave them feeling more at home, especially compared to their accommodations under the Ironfangs.
During quiet moments during the period of rest, Cobb inquires about your destination.
"You mentioned somewhere called 'Hidden Hope.' I am not familiar with any such place in the area, and that surprises me," the veteran ranger admits. "If you'd rather not say, lest there still be hobgoblin ears nearby, I understand."
"Perhaps best if we just show you, instead," Thorek tells Cobb gravely, before turning his attention back to the recovered maps.
"You're lucky," Esperanza quips. "I've been following them for weeks and they still haven't shown me around."
Dawn breaks. You allow a little extra time for rest before breaking camp, as much for yourselves as for your new, recovering allies. When it becomes clear that your path will take the group due south, Cobb gives voice to a bit of caution.
"We should avoid straying too far west," he warns. "About ten miles south of Trevalay, there's a wide glade that we usually give a wide berth. Owlbears tend to flock to the area, and someone's been leaving carved wooden caltrops to guard the place. I don't know who or what lives there, but since they don't seem to threaten the forest, we leave them be."
...
You are about three miles removed from Fort Trevalay when you hear it. The forest around you quivers with the echoes of a terrible roar, a bellowing war cry born of rage that originates from behind you. The dragon has returned to Fort Trevalay.
Crouching low to the ground, Esperanza scans the sky as best she can through the tree canopy. "A well-timed exit. Should we keep moving to increase our distance, or lay low to avoid being seen?"
"Best to keep moving, I think. Dragons are said to have almost supernaturally keen senses and if we stick around it has less ground to cover. If we strike out now with a little luck it'll rage off in another direction..."
Undari does his best to ease their travel and hide their tracks & scent.
Gaius grabs hold of himself with both arms and crouches low, his shoulders up to his ears. "Let's keep going then!" he whispers urgently.
As they travel, every couple of minutes he whips his head over his shoulder or to the sky in alarm before exhaling deeply.
_________
Undari quickly gathers up armfuls of pungent weeds along the trail. He passes them around, instructing everyone to rub them upon themselves to conceal their scent. He also instructs the party to travel beneath the forest trees where the canopy is thickest.
You quickly, nervously press onward to put more ground between you and the dragon. About twenty minutes after you heard the terrible beast's roar, you can hear the sounds of massive wings and churning air above.
Through the canopy, you can see the dragon pass overhead. Your glimpse is fleeting, but you catch the impression of a long, lean black serpent slicing through the air upon sleek wings. As best as you can judge, it seems to be 40 feet long from snout to tail, with its wingspan being comparable in length.
The dragon passes, apparently having missed your presence.
He flies westward, in the direction of Fort Nunder, presumably hunting the invaders that attacked his base and lair.
"I hope those rocs made themselves scarce before the dragon began his furious journey," thought Undari, remaining quiet as the dangerous dragon passed overhead.
When it had well passed, Undari encouraged the others to move again, quietly and carefully, on the way to Hidden Hope. Now that the dragon had gone by, Undari kept an eye out for useful herbs as they travelled, but most of his attention was still on following the best route and leaving no trace.
THAT WAS SO CLOSE! TO A DRAGON! Gaius quakes as the Dragon flies overhead and for a few minutes afterwards. He is even more silent and jumpy than usual during their travels.
Esperanza is similarly on edge, her tail thrashing back and forth for several hours after the dragon's last sighting.
Though his scarred face is difficult to read Thorek is tense, pausing regularly to peer at the sky through the gaps between branches before quietly urging the others onwards. He also tries to assess the terrain ahead avoid obstacles or pitfalls, but his divided attention means it isn't his best work.
As you march south, you make note of several worrying details. Flocks of birds wing their way eastward. The undergrowth is loud with small, fleeing creatures, and you can hear the distant warning cries of other animals. With an angry dragon on the hunt, it seems the entire forest is on edge. Over the proceeding hours of travel, you catch glimpses through the canopy that might by the black dragon slithering across the distant sky. Fortunately, you do not have any up close and personal encounters.
Along the route, as he forages for nature's bounty, Undari first prioritizes edible plants - wild onions, berries, nutritious roots, and the like - to supplement the party's food stores with fifteen new, very hungry mouths to feed. Additionally, he gathers some coltsfoot and wormwood that can be used to treat infected wounds, which could be most critical for the abused rangers.
Meanwhile, Thorek makes his own discovery when his attention is drawn to the loud 'crack' and 'pop' sound that originates from beneath his armored boot. There is a tense moment where he fears some manner of Ironfang trap, but he relaxes when no swinging log or deadfall is forthcoming. Moving his foot, he finds the broken remnants of one of those wooden caltrops that Cobb warned the party about.
"Ah," Thorek says when he sees the small wooden spike broken underfoot. "Cobb, I've found one of your wooden caltrops... Whoever lives here, are they dangerous? The last thing we need is a fight that draws the dragon's attention..."
While Thorek is speaking with the rangers, Esperanza pokes through the underbrush, looking for more of the caltrops and sweeping any she finds out of the group's path.
Lily aides Esperanza hoping speed up the process.