Same for Vug.
Feres contributes 1000 gp toward the diamond as well.
Vulcan does the same
Bubba will also put in for the diamond.
After you procure the diamond and Friar calls upon the reviving magic of Sarenrae Eligos recovers somewhat, even if he is still very weak. He thanks you in a hissing voice and adds that your foes are both more powerful and ruthless than he anticipated.
He directs you to a secret compartment in one of his bookshelves where you find a bundle of notes, summing up his research on the Age of Worms. On top of them there is a scribbled note: "My dear friend Allustan — What your adventurers have stumbled into sickens me to my soul. Every new leaf I turn reveals an even darker secret. Here are my notes. You must take them to our one-time master—although I fear that even he may be ill-equipped for what writhes in all of our futures. Until then…"
As an answer to your spoken and unspoken questions he just waves his hand. "Please take them to Allustan. He'll know what to do with them. No, I don't care to finish them. The important stuff is there already. Go and may Desna be with you. You will need all the luck you can get."
Valgrim completes his shopping and shows off his new shiny breastplate and cloak, while celebrating at the bar with the crowd. When the rest of the party is ready to head back to Wolfstone, he leads the way. Spells prepared: Lead Blades, Resist Energy, 2nd level slot left open.
You can easily get all the things you've asked for. Now that you've completed the shopping, do you want to go back to Wolfstone by mundane means or magical? Assuming of course, that you'd be interested in sharing Eligos's notes with Allustan.
By mundane means we go.
{ooc]There are several magical options. Those that come to mind are Teleport (buying a powerful scroll probably), Wind Walk or even Phantom Steed. But neither of those is strictly necessary.[/ooc]
Vug suggests that Friar Feres might use Sending to communicate with Allustan before we leave.
For Sending, something like:
Eligos killed by Raknian; alive again.
We won Champion games, prevented disaster.
Will be in Wolfstone shortly to discuss Age of Worms research.
Stay safe!
After a fairly dull trip you arrive at Modron, where high priestess Ivessa is happy to receive you all as honoured guests. Word about the ulgurstasta has spread and she is anxious to hear about it.
Also she takes the opportunity to apologize about not thinking it strange when Allustan suddenly decided to leave you for Wolfstone. In hindsight she realizes that he must have been subject to a powerful and subtle Suggestion.
Anything else you want to do before catching the ferry back to Forcastle?
Feres offers to return the Scroll of Sending to High Priestess Ivessa (the scroll that she gave Feres before the party went to Blackwall Keep).
The high priestess smiles and insists that Feres keep the scroll. Moreover she insists that he keep her informed about whatever more you may find out about the impending Age of Worms.
Sense Motive 25:
You have no problem finding a ferry that takes you to Forcastle, where you meet Megan again, who is delighted to see you and wants to show all the tricks she's taught the owlbear. You have a certain amount of trouble prying her loose from Bubba.
Feres smiles and thanks the high priestess for her generosity, assuring her that he will keep her informed.
On the boat ride Bubba tells the others that the high priestess did not seem too troubled about the Age of Worms prophesies.
"I think she knows more about it than she is telling us."
With Megan, Bubba is amused by the owlbear and its tricks. "What a charming creature it has become! You have done a wonderful job with it."
Valgrim stops by to see that the owlbear is being raised properly and won't present a danger to the community and after a short stop, continues on to Wolfstone, when the group is ready.
Vug takes some measurements of the owlbear's growth (height, weight, etc.) and some nail clipping and hair samples for further analysis, in case she wants to create an ulgurstasta/owlbear/grimlock/kyuss worm hybrid.
The owlbear seems to be thriving, even if it's still not fully grown.
Megan draws Bubba aside and presents him with an exquisitely carved wooden ring. "I know that you are busy being a hero, saving the world and whatnot, but will you carry this ring for me until we can be properly wed at your return?."
After a tedious but uneventful journey you arrive back at Wolfstone, but even at a distance, a sharp tang in the air alerts you that something is seriously wrong. As you approach you can't help noticing that several buildings in the centre of town has been destroyed, unfortunately including Allustan's house and the Emporium. Some structures look like they have been crushed while others have actually melted. A large black swath scars the middle of the town square.
You catch a glance of some familiar faces but most people scurry around with frightened looks and don't look very interested in talking to you. Allustan is nowhere to be seen.
"I know that you are busy being a hero, saving the world and whatnot, but will you carry this ring for me until we can be properly wed at your return?."
"Wed?" For the first time in his life Bubba is at a loss for words.
Bubba takes the ring anyway and nods.
In Wolfstone, after looking around for Allustan Bubba says "I might be able to determine his whereabouts again by magical means. It will take an hour or so. First we need to find out what happened."
Bubba asks around.
Vug's jaw drops as she sees the destroyed Emporium. "No!! Bonesy and Moldy, my poor babies! What happened here?"
She follows Bub around as he questions the locals.
"Where's the mayor? What in the 9 Hells happened here? Where's Allustan? Who did this?" Valgrim gets very angry but wisely follows the silver-tongued bard's lead.
Piecing together the stories of the scared townsfolk and the slightly more together guards that turn up shortly, you learn that a dragon attacked Wolfstone.
"It was three days ago that the dragon struck. It was after that useless wizard, Allustan. But after it destroyed his house it couldn't find him, so it took out its fury on us, both buildings and men. It herded us like cattle into the town square and terrorized us until someone could give it directions. It turns out that Allustan has spent a lot of time at the Whispering Cairn lately, the one that you yourselves explored. So the dragon took off and I suppose it caught him and ate him. Now we're all terrified that it might come back and finish us off. Noone here could stand up to it."
The dragon is black and the size of a horse, in case you're wondering.
"Now why would a dragon be after Allustan?"
Later that evening, Bubba attempts to locate Allustan via scrying.
"I know that you are busy being a hero, saving the world and whatnot, but will you carry this ring for me until we can be properly wed at your return?.""Wed?" For the first time in his life Bubba is at a loss for words.
Bubba takes the ring anyway and nods.
"A wedding?! How wonderful!" Feres exclaims, clapping Bubba on the shoulder. "I would be happy to officiate when you two are ready to tie the knot!" the jovial priest offers.
---------------------------------------------------
Feres is shocked speechless at the sight of the destruction in Wolfstone. The stout priest does what he can to help the frightened townsfolk as his friends work to discover what happened.
"A dragon? And you say it went after Allustan at the Whispering Cairn? It may still be there... We should prepare ourselves and head for the Cairn as soon as we can before the dragon decides to come back here," Feres suggests.
"Friar is right, we need to head to the Cairn and find Allustan. Ok, besides the fact that it's black, big, and scaly, what else do we know about black dragons? Bubba, what have you discovered during your travels on black dragons? Or how about you, Vulcan? Or you, Vug? Knowing you, maybe you once mixed some black dragon scale with something just as weird!"
Take 10 on Knowledge Arcana = 29.
"If I recall correctly, they f-f-fly around and breathe acid; note the melted condition of the various buildings. Let me see if I remember anything else..."
Black dragons of this size can breathe water. Also they have some dragon tricks, like spell resistance, some magic, frightful presence and sharp senses.
The Whispering Cairn is only half an hour away - on foot. Bubba's attempt at scrying on Allustan fails.
"Allustan is in trouble, if he ain't respondin' to Bubba's magic. We should head to the Cairn, last place the mage was seen. If he was taken, I may be able to find tracks to follow. If we encounter the dragon, we need resistance to its acid. I can protect meself with my magic and I think Vug can protect the rest with one of her elixirs. Do we have anything to counteract the fearful presence? Can anyone give us access to flight, should the beast take the fight to the air? Any other ideas?"
"I can grant a few the ability to ride the winds if need be, but at the expense of raw power I could use for combat. If it keeps us alive then so be it."
"If you give me one minute, I can mix up an elixir of f-f-flying, but only one," Vug offers.
Vug quickly whips up an extract of flight and gives it to Valgrim. "Use it in good health!"
She'll also pass around an extract of Communal Resist Energy (acid) once the party gets within a 10 minute walk of the cairn. She also mixes an extract of See Invisibility for herself; she drinks that too once she gets close to the cairn.
Valgrim thanks Vug for the flight elixir. He casts Resist Energy (Acid) on himself (duration 80 minutes), in case dragon comes back to town and leads the party toward the cairn, watching the skies for trouble.
"I can use one of my wands to bolster us against the dragon-fear. And I can summon some celestial allies to aid us. Other than that, I'm afraid I didn't really prepare for a battle against a dragon."
"Nobody sane gets out of bed preparing for battle against a dragon. You just don't stop hitting it until one of you is dead."
OK, so you march up to the cairn to investigate after casting the spells you mentioned. The short walk there is uneventful and you pass well-known landmarks. As you arrive at the cairn trouble hits.
Perception and initiative rolls, please. And what kind of marching order do you use? The terrain before the cairn is pretty open.