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The javelin strikes the fetchling.
The fetchling climbs out, and steps right on Vanarog's rune trap.
The fetchling falls.
You know that you need to go through the portal to try to close it. Hats refuses to go with you.
Hats...you are a good friend...stay safe... Athrax goes over to pat Hats on the back.
On the other side of the portal, you find yourself in a city that is similar to Absalom, but not quite the same. You are in an abandoned alley, right across from a boarded-up shop whose peeling sign reads “Organs and Sundries.” The side of the portal on the Shadow Plane looks identical to the side that you entered. You seem to have an instinctive sense of where the portal is that would take you home, so can explore safely. The streets seem surprisingly quiet and empty for the size of the city.
checks suggested: either kn:arcana or spellcraft, and either diplomacy, perception, kn:local, or kn:planes.
Excuse me dear, Can you help an old kobold?
Varanog looks around with interest at the new surroundings.
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Pethjun looks closely at her surroundings.
Perception
Athrax looks around, unsure of the surroundings.
The city is called Shadow Absalom and is located on the Shadow Plane. As its name would suggest, the city rests at a coterminous point with Absalom’s location on the Material Plane. The locals are used to strangers winding up in the city, by mistake or by odd turns of fortune.
The great wyrm umbral dragon Argrinyxia, the Shifting Lady of Ebon Scales, rules Shadow Absalom. By her decree, planar portals and gateways are prohibited within the borders of the city without her blessing. The sole exception is a stable planar portal located in the city’s heart, a site that matches up with the Material Plane equivalent of Starstone Cathedral. Those lost in the Shadow Plane are urged to exit via the strange portal in the city’s heart, as it always returns those who entered the Shadow Plane to their previous point of entry.
While dozens of factions operate within the planar city, two are of interest to the PCs’ expedition. The Onyx Alliance maintains several safe houses and bases within the city. The alliance’s headquarters is probably located somewhere within the city, though only its members know for sure. A second organization, known as the Light-Weavers’ Guild, is comprised of several resident d’ziriak hives that make their living by adding luminescent accoutrements to clothing and armor. The light-weavers maintain a longstanding grudge against the Onyx Alliance, based on some past slight unknown to the people of Shadow Absalom.
One of Argrinyxia’s lesser spawn—the wyrmling Shadrixis—has made some bargain with the forces of the Onyx Alliance. The exact details of the arrangement are unknown, but many suspect that the wyrmling has sought to spite his mother by assisting the Onyx Alliance. Others comment how Shadrixis stole one of his mother’s scales, the key to opening planar portals in the city.
You also notice that a d’ziriak is following you, looking curious.
Watch our backs...we have prying eyes. Too bad hats didn't come with us...good in a scrap... Athrax says, looking around to get his bearings.
AFter this, we should look for Shadrixis. says the cleric while ignoring the D'ziriak.
"I don't like being followed," Varanog adds while glancing furtively behind him, "We should lose him!"
Hmm...might not be a tail, perhaps....question them?
While you are debating, the D'ziriak catches up with you. She communicates telepathically. Her mental discourse sounds like a monotonous voice accented with the chittering of mandibles and the ominous tones of constant humming. After introducing herself as Y’zilix, she explains that she is a member of a group opposed to the Onyx Alliance, and that she believes that she and the PCs could work
together.
So the Ebon Lady would owe us? I think that would be glorious...lots of prestige...and coins...
Pethjun had a habit of yelling when communicating so she held off on responding to the mental communication, not wanting to give the others a headache.
"How we know we can trust you?" Varanog scowls, "Could be a trap you lead us to!"
Sky just nods. "We know a lot about Traps that for sure."
"I would not suggest speaking so casually about the great Argrinyxia. You don't need to come with me or anything; I'm just willing to provide you with information that will help you, since it will also help reach my goals.
I am part of the Light-Weavers’ Guild, rivals to the Onyx Alliance. Operating under orders from guildmaster Z’mandrik, I was sent to monitor the Onyx Alliance’s portal without leaving any trace of the guild’s involvement. Should the portal be activated, I was to arrange a way to disable it.
The imbeciles of the Onyx Alliance disregard the rules of our city’s matron, the great Argrinyxia. She has forbidden the creation of any planar gateways without her express consent—consent only given in the form of one of her vaunted scales. Unable to retrieve such a blessing on their own, the alliance managed to trick one of great Argrinyxia’s whelplings into stealing such a scale. Now, that misbegotten child, the wyrmling Shadrixis, has been gifted a lair as an offering from the Onyx Alliance. Were you to retrieve the scale and slay the whelping, then it would be a simple matter to close the portal that intrudes on your world. Of course, this would also accomplish my goals."
I think we could do that. So Lady Agrinyxia would not get mad one of her offspring is...eliminated?
”Pethjun the mighty am brave and will slay the bad whelpling!”
"OK very well, we do your dirty work for you...I mean...gladly we will help you out!"
"A sovereign cannot be lenient to an offspring who starts a rebellion..."
Y'zilix shows you thw way to the dragon's lair. She also strongly suggests that you rest first to have all your abilities back.
After your rest, you complete your journey to the lair.
A soaring edifice of darkened violet stone looms in the city’s skyline, some four hundred feet above. Jet-black dirt extends a hundred feet around the tower in a sizable mound that obscures the spire’s base. Engraved in the hills around the tower are strange symbols, each the size of a standing human. There are no visible entrances to the tower, though a single tunnel descends into the hill surrounding the spire.
The magical etchings correspond to the magical runes commonly found on d’ziriak hives. Normally these symbols glow with luminous energies,
indicating ownership of the region to a given hive, but the
these glowing lights must have gone out when the hive was destroyed.
The underground tunnel opens up into what was once a vast circular chamber. Portions of the northwest and southeastern sections of the room have collapsed. Three pillars rise up twenty feet to a stone ceiling above, each of their sides covered in black marble polished to a reflective sheen. A perfectly spherical mirror floats in the air at the northern end of the space, roughly two feet in diameter. An audible hum emanates from the orb and echoes throughout the room.
"Hmmm...that looks....dangerous." Varanog shudders briefly.
No..guess they have to be stern... Athrax says, pondering the situation.
”That mirror looks strange! Pethjun want to smash it!”
Maybe breaking the orb...or is that a mirror...will break the portal?" Varanog gazes up at the gleaming orb. "We need a big rock, methinks."
Vanarog knows that the orb is a transport device of some kind. Touching it will take you somewhere.
Pethjun sighs realizing that there would be no smashing of the orb, if she wanted to make it home. ”Need find dragon…get scale and go home!”
yes...home..and glory...
The cleric nods and touches the transport device.
Athrax follows the cleric's lead.
Varanog follows next, not wishing to be thought a coward...or getting left behind.
If the others all touch it, Mighty Pethjun will do the same.
As you touch the sphere, you find yourself moved elsewhere.
Crisp air swirls around the unguarded edges of the spire’s apex. Polished mirrored marble covers the circular floor, spreading out in a forty-foot radius. A pile of gleaming copper coins with a dragon-shaped indent rests on the northern end of the platform. Beyond the edges of the platform, the dim lights of the city below are visible, accented by multi-colored glyphs adorning the sides of what appear to be massive termite hives in the distance. A floating mirror-like sphere rests in the southern edge of the platform, while a larger sphere floats in the center. The central sphere lacks the mirror-consistency of the gate and instead swallows the already dim light of the region like a black hole.
In the center of the platform, hovering about five feet above the floor, is a black sphere of negative energy. Your casters know enough that the team knows not to touch the sphere. It looks weird and intermittent, though.
A dragon waits here and looks at you, clearly angry at being disturbed.
Pethjun waits for one of the others to speak, at least being clever enough to think twice before yelling at the dragon.
Athrax stares in awe at the dragon, trying to see if he can tell if it is Argrinyxia or the wayward offspring.
"Welcome Mighty Dragon, we are an humble group of Kobold who ask for your generous help. I am Skyrak, cleric of Dahak." says Skyrak with Piety.
"I be Varanog the Dragon-Blooded...Oh Mighty dragon!" Varanog chimes in with more than a tad of hubris!
Athrax. the bomber says, unsure what to say.
The dragon is your own size, which should tell you who it is... :)
If you're trying to do this the nice way, diplomacy check, please.
"You seems troubled oh mighty dragon! "Let us hear your fury."
The little dragon stops for a moment to listen to you.
summary of needed rolls:
bluff check and diplomacy aid from Vanarog
diplomacy and bluff aids from Pethjun
diplomacy and bluff aids from Athrax
bluff aid from Skyrahk
"Yes, O mighty Dragon...whose blood flows in my veins...we only wish to serve our brothers in blood!"
Yes...we come to serve you... Athrax chime in, trying to help sway the dragon's opinion.
"Yes, we are all Dahak's child."
Diplomacy aid
”Mighty Pethjun like mighty dragon. Pethjun am help to destroy nerds who stand against combined forces!”
The little dragon looks at you and smiles. He conisders you very polite little dragons, and is willing to help you out however you need, as well as being your tribe's dragon patron. After you explain your mission to him, he gives you the scale. He explains that if you go back through the portal that brought you here with the scale, the portal will be permanently closed.