The first thing the PCs did once the two attacking gargoyles had been dealt with was to split up—
of course. Paluur Draal was a ruined city, but it was still large, full of crumbled structures, weeds, and rubble—and more gargoyles were still flitting about. And it was still dark enough to warrant caution, despite the bright glow of six full moons!
As the party gathered together with the gnomes, two search parties roved out among the ruins in search of a new direction. Xoma, a drow of Xen'drik who grew up amidst ruins and dark places, went north, toward the firelight they'd seen. Cypher, with Dursha, wandered west. Unlike the warforged, the old goblin woman could see in the dark just fine.
While Xoma found a bank of stairs leading up to the city's highest tier, Cypher was the first to find trouble. A gargoyle leapt upon him from a stony perch and disabled him in short order. Had he been edible, this might have been his end. But even stony-skinned gargoyles seem to have no taste for composite metal, stone, and wood. Yet
Dursha's scream alerted the others, and both Magnus and Cyzicus followed the sound—only to discover she'd been taken by the predatory monster. They carried Cypher's weighty form back to the rest of the group.
But by then a new problem had presented itself. The great fire elemental, freed from the
Sky Talon, had come for them. Moving slow like a wandering bonfire, the creature burned all brush in its path, gliding steady toward the PCs between the broken buildings of the city. They kept it at bay without attacking it, throwing various objects—tents, torches, bedrolls—aside for it to consume. It accepted these but never strayed from its path. But in turn, the elemental never attacked them directly, though its heat was overpowering and it proved quick when it wanted to be. When another gargoyle dared swoop in, the living inferno rolled over and immolated the creature in an instant.
Eventually, the PCs moved away from it, retreating slowly...though it continued to follow them. When Doongul reached Cypher, he awoke him with a healing spell.
 |
| Hobgoblins of Darguun. |
At the top of the stairs leading to the next tier of the city, they encountered a squad of well-armed hobgoblins from Darguun—with bows already drawn on them. Xoma spoke for the group, and soon the others joined him. Halbazar, Magnus, and Doongul brought up the rear, coaxing the fire elemental with flasks of oil. One of the hobgoblin commanders gruffly ordered them to surrender their weapons and reluctantly, most of them complied. The situation was tense, and though the PCs were battered and in need of rest (and the gnomes in need of safety), Halbazar nearly instigated a fight. There were only five hobgoblins—though they had the upper hand and did not appear injured, they were outnumbered.
However, the arrival of a woman—
human, middle-aged, white-haired, and attractive—set tensions aside and she hastily welcomed the PCs and their charges to join them at their camp further in on the city's upper tier. She introduced herself as
Kyress, a professor of archaeology from Morgrave University, and
her companion/bodyguard was Keystone, a tall, axe-favoring warforged. The hobgoblins of Clan Ja'aram and their leader, Gershak, that her department in Morgrave had arrangements with—so long as they served as escorts, they were free to explore these ancient Dhakaani ruins.
 |
Byeshk, a rare metal prized by smiths
for use in jewelry and weapons. |
Kyress explained that she was in Paluur Draal on a scholar's expedition—seeking byeshk, a rare, violet metal normally found only in the depths of the Byeshk or Graywall Mountais. Evidently, she'd heard a rumor of byeshk objects discovered near Paluur Draal and had come to investigate. (Cyzicus alone had heard of this precious metal and knew that it had been mined and used by the Dhakaani goblins ages ago in their war against the monsters of Xoriat. Byeshk is said to be able to cut easily through aberrant flesh whether other blades cannot.)
She also explained that Paluur Draal had already been thoroughly explored and "picked clean" by many expeditions in the past—especially by the Zil, given its proximity to Korranberg. Nevertheless, from time to time some still come here on archaeological investigations.
Like herself. However, the gargoyles were new. Kyress said that monsters did lair in the ruins from time to time, but inevitably they're slain or driven off again by the adventurers who inevitably explore the city. This latest colony (or "wing") of gargoyles only recently appeared, and have been harrassing Kyress and Clan Ja'aram since their arrival a few days before. The creatures seemed to be lairing somewhere up on the mountain high above the city, making it difficult to root them out.
In turn, the PCs gave Kyress a truncated version of events leading up to their arrival.
The PCs spoke with Kyress a bit more, and came up with a plan: In the morning, everyone would venture down to the airship crash site together to see what could be learned or salvaged. From there, Kyress would begin her journey back to Korranberg (a three- or four-day journey by horse and wagon, which she has) and would take the gnomes with her. Along with Wenrick, who was eager to return to his "superiors," and the Brelish magewright and his family.
Under the assumption that their enemies would keep pursuing them so long as the PCs carried the Dhakaani amulet, the Emperor's Key, the gnomes would be safest going their own way. So much as any assumptions can be made.
