Hawk briefly hoots in appreciation of the cloak. ”This is a merry bit of kit! I’ll demonstrate…” He throws the cloak over his shoulders then reaches into their morning cookfire. As he begins to burn, the sorcerer is suddenly consumed entirely by the flames… his bones fall to the ground in a pile of his flesh-turned-ash.
A moment later, the ladle from the cook pot rises and begins moving about the fire. Hawk’s disembodied voice sounds, ”It’s a clever illusion along with invisibility. Of course, you have to be set on fire to use it.” Hawk returns the ladle to the pot and starts counting, curious to see how long the invisibility lasts.
Bearjaw winks at Hawk. ”Kind of you to say so. Did you go to see Sunarinda?” he asks.
”I did! Charming lady. Even now, she is working on a hat to hopefully rival yours. HatFriend is better than HatEnvier.”
“As for the invader,” he practically growls the last word, ”you would say they’re draconic. Which is perhaps a touch ironic,” before muttering ”even if it’s not a real dragon. Frankly I’ve made better-looking puppets to entertain the gnomelings.” Nappin's tone makes it clear he is far from pleased about this turn of events.
Hawk mulls this information. ”Many would claim that mantle, but few deserve to be called draconic. And I never use that term lightly. Are we speaking of a large, lizardy creature?”
"Kobolds, perhaps?" Majara enquires with a brow arch.
"I'm not quite followin' all the roundabout speech. Are you saying your home was invaded by dragon dolls?" Roger asks.
”Very pleased to hear it. I think you’ll look just dandy in it,” Bear jaw says to Hawk, delight still evident on his face.
Sighing dramatically, Nappin responds, ”Yes, a large lizardy creature. Not kobolds, nor dragon dolls, but a dragon. As I said, not a true dragon - it only has two legs, for one thing - but like enough that many might mistake it for one. And that’s a mistake most people will only make once.” His eyes rove around you all to ensure that you’re paying attention.
”It’s a red - a fire-breather, obviously. ‘Flame drake’ I believe would be the name sages use for such a creature. I’ve tried more than a couple of times to take it back,” he gestures with the arm in the sling as he says this, ”even waiting for it to go out but it must have some kind of warning system as the lair never seems to be untended when I get there. A most alarming situation, you could say," he smiles wanly. "Though I still don’t understand how it returns so much quicker than it should. My suspicion, even if it doesn’t wholly add up, is that it has some kind of agreement with the wretched goblins where they cry alarm - probably in return for not being eaten. Which is, I suppose, good reason to make friends with it if you’re not fond of that sort of thing. So given your exploits with the Scorchfeathers you’ve likely done me a favour here too.”
”I’ll tell you what I’ve learned from tangling with it as well so you can prepare sensibly,” he continues. ”Like I say, it breathes fire recklessly and with no regard for itself while doing so. And if you will not desist, you’d better resist. That is: as far as I can tell fire does not hurt it. Naturally it fights with claws, jaws and tail and it seems to have some kind of unnatural speed to it. That caught me off-guard the first time so I suggest you learn that lesson in advance.”
”Bearjaw and I will accompany you - it’s a day or so from here. Any further questions or shall we make a start?” Nappin asks.
"Aye," Roger raises a hand, before looking amongst the group. "Does anyone know spells what make you not catch on fire, and if not, let's source some before we go." Which was sorta half a question and half a conditional statement, not that the pirate particularly knew the particulars of that.
"Hmm," Hawk frowns while considering, "While I have some small resistance to flames and I know of a spell that would help... it isn't in my repertoire. Perhaps we could try to find it in a bottled or scrolled form in town?"
"Hmm," Hawk frowns while considering, "While I have some small resistance to flames and I know of a spell that would help... it isn't in my repertoire. Perhaps we could try to find it in a bottled or scrolled form in town?"
Majara tugs on a lock of her blue hair with a frown. "I meant to get the formula for a fortification against flames," she sighs. "It's... two parts hydrangea root, one part scarab shell, one part pyrite-- no, wait, it's the other way around... or was it-- ugh. Yes, if we can find a scroll of it in Umok, then I can make us potions that will help us resist the flames, which is an extremely sensible notion."
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Once back to Umok, Majara bustles towards the part of town where the air smells of things burnt and smoking and ozonoic. Here is where magic is going to be practiced! A bit of haggling later and she is setting her formula book down to a wizard's spellbook, the wizard being a gnome who is green from head to toe to her emerald-like eyes.
"They call me... the Sorceress in Green," she says when Majara asks her name. It earns a nonplussed look from Pricknettle.
"--but you're a wizard."
"Yes, I said it's what they call me, not that it was accurate..."
Forty gold coins worth of magical inks later, and Majara is ready to scribe... or try to.
Nice work, if she does say so herself. Majara lightly sprinkles the fresh ink with fine dust to blot it, blowing the dust free before closing it. She shakes hands with the other, and goes off to brew up anti-incendiaries, for once.
Earlier...
”Well, now I understand why this rope confounded me. It is nonsensicle.
Nerissia looks over at Hawk and laughs before taking the rope in her hands, examining it. "Or use it to secure a captive. Or as a securing point on a platform, or to slide down a dangerous path. Have to be more resourceful than that, you know." she says playfully. "I'm sure we'll find a use for it yet."
Now.
"Ah, flame drakes. I'm sure I've seen at least one..."
"Well, we should at least expect some kind of fire breath surely. Need to spread out, see if we can't find a way to bring it down to us. The main advantage it has, besides presumably flame breath and its size, is its flight. Anyone have anyway to make sure it doesn't fly away?" she says, already entering monster hunter mode and planning. "I could survey the lair area and see if there's anything to use to our advantage. I know of a spell to make myself unseen to the eye, but I'm not sure I could pass any magical alarm or ward. We'll have to be careful."
Majara nods at the description of the dragon and it tallies with her own learning. Typical for creatures of fire, it fights with this element and is also unharmed by it. Conversely, ice magic or similar weapons would be particularly effective against it. The gnome also recalls that it has natural immunity to certain other tactics - magical sleep effects and some particular attempts to render it unable to move have no effect on such a creature.
”That’s what I meant when I referred to it as a fire breather,” Nappin says drily at Nerissia’s comments. ”rather than just an angry and irritable being, though I suppose it does seem to be that too. You raise some other good points though.” He looks around the group and gestures at Hawk and Emma. ”Nose to tail it would probably be as long as twice your height. Rather more gnomes stacked atop of each other. And it can fly, though there are limits to that even in very large caves.”
”It’s not exactly a substitute for seeing it yourself, but I can describe it.” He clicks his fingers as an idea strikes him and he turns to face away from you and begins walking through the words of a spell. As he finishes, a miniature version of the cave complex hangs in the air off to his side.
”As you can see, there is a huge main chamber here. The cave roof is, hmm, maybe 50 feet at its highest points. There are two entrances,” he points to locations in the cave. "This one here would be a drop down to the floor for you and I personally would ward it. The other route is longer and more of a squeeze but comes out onto the natural balcony that runs around this part of the cave, including the perch over at the far end here. Again, could be alarmed and would be a drop to the floor.” Checking that you’re following, Nappin continues. ”Handily there’s a water supply - for drinking and bathing, obviously - and finally another long passage leading to the large and secure bed chamber at the back.”
”Not half bad,” he muses to himself at his handiwork, ”if not as much fun as putting on a show for the young ones.”
* * * * *
Although he is clearly keen to make a start, the gnomes can’t argue with the prudent moves to secure useful supplies in preparation for the anticipated fight. Heading back the remaining hours to Umok, Majara disappears in order to try and find someone willing to teach her the formula for fire protection, returning triumphantly a couple of hours later. Hawk is also pleased with his errand as he calls into Sunarinda’s in the hope that she has finished her commission early. He is in luck and returns to the Badger’s Den to meet the others now the proud owner of a high quality signature piece of headwear.
Jobs done, it is too late to set out into the wilds of the Chitterwood again so you remain for the night and head off properly resourced in the morning. From the gnomish stronghold, you head a little further south than the passage directly east to the mountains and the Scorchfeathers’ territory. It takes most of the day to reach Nappin’s home but the day passes quickly enough. The two gnomes are pleasant company and Nappin in particular is a loquacious conversationalist.
”We’re approaching it now,” Nappin says as you trek through a patch of forest marked by uneven ground of small cliffs and steep drops. At the bottom of one such drop you can make out a cave entrance. It’s far from obvious and from the outside impossible to tell that such a large network of passages lies below your feet. When masked by the gnome’s illusion magic it’s easy to see that it is a well hidden and defensible lair.
The gnomes share a look and Bearjaw says, ”We’ll stay out here to keep watch and deal with any reinforcements. Best to assume that our invader is at home. Good luck.” He tips his hat at you. Nappin merely nods and starts pacing, almost thrumming with energy.
Whatever else might be said of Hawk, he is diligent. Yet again, he tries to decipher the remaining items.
Hawk walks back to the Badger’s Den, testing out his new hat at different angles – brim low over his eyes, or cocked to the side, or pushed back to appear amicable. In his reflection upon windows, he watches the bounce of the feather as he changes pace. He tests out a few flourished waves of the hat to women he passes on the street, gauging reactions. As he approaches the Den, Hawk settles on an understated but (he feels) daring angle to his Rakish Hat.
Ever curious about new magics, Hawk keenly watches the gnome caster.
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Although he is getting increasingly frustrated trying to get the Hellfire Rod to reveal its secrets to him, at least Hawk is able to identify what the final two scrolls do: one counters magic, the other heals physical or mental ailments, and both have obvious uses. He looks fine in his new hat, too.
"Right, so, thoughts for plans. One strategy, is we run in, screamin' yellin' and hollerin', to get in a fight quick as we can." Roger offers.
"Cause I figure if we're using all this spellcraft to make the fight easier, the best way to win is make sure we get into a fight right after we use the potions to make sure the spell doesn't wear off."