Tuesday 30th, March 1001 AC
(destiny token: 1)
And so, in the ruins of the buried structure, the companions were investigating what looked like an old office...
While Serrin checked on what caught his eyes on the stone table, Urist and Danik moved away some of the rubble covering the corpse and the stone chest.
Serrin, on the table, among ruined books, found:
Not wanting to spend more time than necessary in the area, the group returned to the main hall and ventured south once more, soon crossing a broken wall marking the end of the buried structure, into a tunnel, which seemed natural to Urist. Once more, the companions walked for hours into the darkness as Serrin picked up the smell, very faint, of rotten eggs carried by the light draft they could now feel in the tunnels.
After some time, the group decided to stop and rest for some time. There, Serrin investigated the mechanism on the box but could not figure it out. Danik meanwhile tried to analyse the odd silvery liquid he had found but once again, to no avail. As Adran and Grom returned from a failed foraging attempts with news that the area was completely devoid of any life but theirs, they all set for the long rest and took watch in turn, only slightly disturbed by tremors far in the distance.
Hours later, as the companions were readying themselves for the walk ahead, Urist was doing his daily prayer when suddenly, a powerful presence was felt by everyone and the tunnel became illuminated by a Large Golden Hammer crossed by a Golden Chisel, appearing out of nowhere and floating a few inches above ground. Immediately, Urist recognized the presence of his god, Kagyar himself, and the Golden Hammer spoke:
About four hours later, as Urist remarked that the tunnel seemed to have snaked it's way back south, Adran suddenly screamed in joy: "Food! I found food!". What he had found, after hours and hours spent foraging without success, was a couple of tiny mushrooms. While the party discussed if they were edible and Urist decided to have a small taste, the draft they now all could feel carried with it a slightly stronger smell of rotten eggs, quickly recognized as sulfur. Wary of potential chain reaction if the fumes became too strong, torches were doused and lanterns brought up as the party resumed it's walk, finding more and more mushrooms the further they went.
A moment later, Danik and Adran noticed that they could see much better and farther in the tunnel ahead than what their current light sources should permit. Snuffing out all lights for a time, the entire tunnel suddenly lit up in a dim light, allowing even the humans to see as if under a clear moonlight. Trying to investigate the source of this light:
It seems that the air itself it emitting the dim light.
Moving around fast enough while paying attention close to the body, you can actually see the particles of light in the air wave around arms, legs and torso, like water streaming around a rock.
Danik and Serrin figured out that it didn't seem to be an illusion or anything magic. The air simply...emitted light somehow, without any specific emitting point.
Serrin, on the table, among ruined books, found:
- Ten small blood garnets.
- A five-branch star shaped blood garnet, about the size of a palm which Danik investigated but could not find anything relevant about apart from it's obvious monetary value.
- A round amulet of pure silver though worn out by time, about the size of a hand, with a symbol of a jaw surrounding a sun.
- A crudely crafted silver rod, coated in some kind of black paint, ending in a jaw surrounding a black painted sun like he amulet. The rod could easily work as a mace in a pinch if needed.
- A box, about 8" long and 4" wide. After investigation, it seems to be made of bone and covered with a layer of black leather. On one side is an odd mechanism with rotating faces. Serrin figured it was not trapped but the mechanism was a lock for sure.
Not wanting to spend more time than necessary in the area, the group returned to the main hall and ventured south once more, soon crossing a broken wall marking the end of the buried structure, into a tunnel, which seemed natural to Urist. Once more, the companions walked for hours into the darkness as Serrin picked up the smell, very faint, of rotten eggs carried by the light draft they could now feel in the tunnels.
After some time, the group decided to stop and rest for some time. There, Serrin investigated the mechanism on the box but could not figure it out. Danik meanwhile tried to analyse the odd silvery liquid he had found but once again, to no avail. As Adran and Grom returned from a failed foraging attempts with news that the area was completely devoid of any life but theirs, they all set for the long rest and took watch in turn, only slightly disturbed by tremors far in the distance.
Hours later, as the companions were readying themselves for the walk ahead, Urist was doing his daily prayer when suddenly, a powerful presence was felt by everyone and the tunnel became illuminated by a Large Golden Hammer crossed by a Golden Chisel, appearing out of nowhere and floating a few inches above ground. Immediately, Urist recognized the presence of his god, Kagyar himself, and the Golden Hammer spoke:
"Your actions and that of your companions have crossed onto the Great Tapestry and left, however tiny, footprints on it. I have noticed them, Brother, and I bless your endeavor to spread the radiant light of Knowledge, even in places buried in the darkness of Entropy.
Know however, that others have noticed too, and already plot ways to lure you into their schemes to ripe it apart.
Be wary of whispers in the night and be sure that you do not become the threads they pull to achieve their goals..."Then it faded into the dark and the group was once more alone in the tunnel. After some time discussing recent events, the party resumed it's walk.
About four hours later, as Urist remarked that the tunnel seemed to have snaked it's way back south, Adran suddenly screamed in joy: "Food! I found food!". What he had found, after hours and hours spent foraging without success, was a couple of tiny mushrooms. While the party discussed if they were edible and Urist decided to have a small taste, the draft they now all could feel carried with it a slightly stronger smell of rotten eggs, quickly recognized as sulfur. Wary of potential chain reaction if the fumes became too strong, torches were doused and lanterns brought up as the party resumed it's walk, finding more and more mushrooms the further they went.
A moment later, Danik and Adran noticed that they could see much better and farther in the tunnel ahead than what their current light sources should permit. Snuffing out all lights for a time, the entire tunnel suddenly lit up in a dim light, allowing even the humans to see as if under a clear moonlight. Trying to investigate the source of this light:
It seems that the air itself it emitting the dim light.
Moving around fast enough while paying attention close to the body, you can actually see the particles of light in the air wave around arms, legs and torso, like water streaming around a rock.
Danik and Serrin figured out that it didn't seem to be an illusion or anything magic. The air simply...emitted light somehow, without any specific emitting point.
Moving ahead, some of the mushrooms were now much bigger in size, some reaching a feet and more. Finally, the companions arrived into a large cave chamber, where the mushrooms there were almost as big as small trees.
Urist, still shaken by recent events, started running ahead, seeing all this as signs from Kagyar. Meanwhile, the others noticed a humanoid body, sitting down against the trunk of one of the bigger mushroom and Urist, finally called over by Danik, stopped and came to make sure the body would not rise again.
The man, dead, had a wide forehead and unusually large ears. His face looked very asymmetric and mostly bald, while his skin was very pale. About 5' tall, he seemed very thin, though muscular, as if he had no fat on him whatsoever. Investigating further, the party found:
The man had several small piercings, very crude, made of bits of silver, in his nose, ears, tongues and arms.
Urist, still shaken by recent events, started running ahead, seeing all this as signs from Kagyar. Meanwhile, the others noticed a humanoid body, sitting down against the trunk of one of the bigger mushroom and Urist, finally called over by Danik, stopped and came to make sure the body would not rise again.
The man, dead, had a wide forehead and unusually large ears. His face looked very asymmetric and mostly bald, while his skin was very pale. About 5' tall, he seemed very thin, though muscular, as if he had no fat on him whatsoever. Investigating further, the party found:
The man had several small piercings, very crude, made of bits of silver, in his nose, ears, tongues and arms.
- Adran found a crude round silver necklace around his neck, about the size of a fist, with a very faint carving on it, as if washed away by time, of a claw around a rock.
- Adran also found a black leather scarf, quite heavy, around his neck.
- The man wore very little clothing apart from some kind of thick pale leathery hide around his waist and arms.
- Urist, studying the body further, soon noticed dozens of small puncture holes all over the man's body, with coagulated blood, as if something had drained him completely.
Combat was brutal once again, the creatures relentless in their effort to plant their beaks into the companions and drain them! Three found holes in Urist's armor, more into Grom's back and neck. They were fast while free and in the air and bolts went flying everywhere around the cave from Adran and Serrin while Urist tried to help Grom, despite having a couple lodged into himself and feeling his blood being drained already. While attached however, they apparently seem to become more oblivious to their surrounding and their soft body was easily pierced.
In less than a minute, the fight was over, Urist panting as he tried to recover from the battle. Ever the scholar, Danik figured this would be a good time to collect some dwarven blood sample, just as not to waste an opportunity.
As calm and quiet came back, from the tunnel leading out of the chamber, the companions could now hear the odd sound of waves, crashing down on a shore, and something that sounded like rain falling on water. As they followed it, the faint smell of sulfur was still present, and the air, still alight, kept fluctuating around them.
Finally, they reached the exit...and entered a very strange place.
Checking the water, Serrin immediately spit it back out due to it's horrible taste. It was not salt water, but it was not clean water either. As Danik was studying their present location further, Urist stone senses kept buzzing, something that never happens when on the surface and he seemed puzzled for a time....
Then, as the rain intensified and thunder clapped in the distance, a colossal form appeared in the sky, dark as a night. Immediately, Urist recognized the creature as a black dragon and ran back into the cave. Serrin, once again struck by his fear of dragons, thumps to his knees, cowering, while Danik just stood there.
The colossal black dragon landed close to the companions in a crash, partially on the shore and in the water. More than 100' from head to tail, with wings spanning 120' at least, it stood, looking down on Danik and Serrin, then roared something, moving it's head around, going from one, to the other, as if curious and wary of something.
Danik quickly recognized the speech, though it was not Draconic, but Old Draconic, a tongue he knew had once existed, but had falllen in disuse thousand years ago, even amongst dragons.
And the black dragon spoke: "What ARE you?!". It roared, and roared again, as if it could not simply speak, but had to voice all it's hatred and malevolence as it spoke. "Is THIS the way?!" it added once more, repeating it time and time again as it studied Serrin and Danik below.
Danik tried to speak to it, using the best Draconic he could muster, but the creature seemed oblivious and continued: "What ARE you?!".
Suddenly, it banged it's head against the nearby cave wall with a force that sent massive blocks of rocks in the air then crashing down around the companions."Is THIS the way?" it roared once more, banging it's massive head in the cave wall once again, then again.
As Danik yelled "Yes, it is, you found it!", trying to be heard above the cacophony of falling rocks, the dragon suddenly fixed the mage. "What ARE you?! Leave me ALONE!!" it roared one last time, then reared it's head, as if taking a massive breath...
Instincts sprung Danik into action, as Serrin was paralyzed by sheer terror next to him, mumbling and crying incoherent words about his mother and a baby. Just as the dragon moved it's head back, Danik conjured an illusion of himself but in a giant form, as big as his power could handle.
Then the beasts lunged it's head forward and released a colossal wave of pure acid, black as tar. The acid crashed into the cliff side but somehow missed Danik and Serrin by a hair. Droplets fell on them however and the corrosive liquid bit hard into their skin and armor. Behind them, the cliff rocks were melting....
Then the dragon roared once last time, "IS THIS THE WAY!!", then surged upward into the air. After a moment, it turned toward a cliff side once again, and released another wave of acid onto it. Picking up speed, it then rammed into the cliff at full speed, sending a tremendous shock-wave all around as tons of rock and debris fell into the water below. After a quick circle, it rammed again, then again into the cliff side...
...After what seemed an eternity, it finally stopped. One of it's wings seemed broken and it's neck was bent at an odd angle, with bones protruding from it. It then flew away North-East, and soon disappearing into the dark clouds....
...After what seemed an eternity, it finally stopped. One of it's wings seemed broken and it's neck was bent at an odd angle, with bones protruding from it. It then flew away North-East, and soon disappearing into the dark clouds....
CLOSING NOTE:
This session marked the end of my module WB1: When the Earth Growls and the beginning of WB2: Legacy of the Drakkins.
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