#56 - River Voyage

As told by Magnus of the Island of Seren.

Like an airship, but on the water. Simpler, too, the elemental power of this gnomish boat was nowhere to be seen, but neither oar nor sail was in sight either. Only a steady hum beneath it. We got on board finally. Cypher wanted one last look at the markets to see if there was anything for any of his empty pouches. I reminded him that we had been days in town with plenty of time to browse. I was really ready to get out of the city and breathe some clean air.

The two Stormwalkers walked up toward the gangplank. We said a small hello and Eshka gave me a gift she had made of the purple worm tail barb, the one that holed my armor. Now its length had been oven and fused with a wooden club, sharpened on the narrow end like a stake. She said I could study it to bond with its power, that it would protect against all forms of poison. It could even absorb, once each day, venom delivered by injection, then store it for my own use. Knowing that the green dragon breathed poison the way a red blows flame, I was happy to have the gift. Indeed, its name in the language of this land would be translated as "poison-shield," or more correctly, "shield against the breath of the green wyrm."

We agree to meet in Wroat, the capital of this kingdom, in a few days and to continue searching for a path to a cure for Seren. They suggested that if I happen to see any dragons, I should ask about the fate of Seren and the dragons we know by name. I took the idea, I would not have thought of that.  How are they so informed about our secret mission?  I know only that fate guides me.

After a little chatter we got on board and the trip was easy, fast and safe. The cabins had decent bunks, too. Not many bugs and quiet on the river. I slept the dragon sleep every night. Also, the food was plentiful. I think I will get fat as I get older. Sleeping in leaves and eating dried meat is no way to live.

On the trip we passed a great old castle and heard some tales. Glyphstone, it is called? Anyway, it was older than this "Last War" even, older than all the human nations on this continent, but now it was a ruin. We'll probably see it on the way back too. The story the chatty gnome captain told of it involved angels who once led great armies from one of these Khorvairian nations. The land of Thrane serves a force called the Silver Flame which is like, yet not like, a god. It sounds more like a misunderstanding of the collective might of dragonkind, or maybe a great silver wyrm was its founder. Well, after these angels' time in the war, there is now a legend told that one of them did not return to the heavens but went into Glyphstone Keep instead and never came back out. This land is full of stories. 

Cypher spent time learning about my new purple worm club and he explained its use to me better.  I spend time becoming attuned to it. I am ready to use it.

We also heard an interesting version of an old shaman’s parable about what dragons thought of the humanoid races when we showed up ages ago. It is a tale that also shows what each dragon is like, how each color is different from the others. These mainlanders need to study up on their dragon lore, though; they get a lot wrong and maybe even oversimplify things. Here is the mainland version:

Metallic dragons

Dragon Parable

Long ago, ten children of Eberron gathered on a beach beneath the Sentinel Moon, there to discuss the fate of mortals.

Red and Gold agreed: "These lesser, softskin creatures are meant to be serve, be commanded, or kept aloof. Those who defy us or lack respect declare themselves unfit and become food."

Green disagreed. "Mortals should be manipulated, for their wits are dim. We need not roar, but merely whisper, to command them, and they will think their ideas are their own. We will reap the rewards, as our mother intended."

Copper concurred, to a point. "Men are for sport, for recreation if not for food. Befriend them or trick them as you will. Or let them walk where they please as long as it isn’t our lairs. Slaughter is needless. Interaction is useful."

"Leave them alone," White said. "But freeze them if they leave us not alone."

"Melt them," Black rejoined. "Whenever it pleases, for they are beneath us. We are Eberron's children, they are her castoff toys. Dissolve their forms so she can remake them."

Then another spoke. "The world would be enriched by gathering the dreams of mortals and dragons alike.” Silver was concerned always with dreams. "Slay only those who would slay in turn."

Chromatic dragons

Brass joined in. "Men have words to share and ears to hear. Dissemination is for demons, not mortals. Their lives are brief enough, let them burn brightly before."

“Yes,” Red said again. "Let them burn.”

"I would hear them as well," Gold added, swayed by Brass’s words. And that is where Red and Gold did not agreed.

"Mortals live but a moment," Blue said, seldom speaking. "Let them be industrious, to craft treasures and gift them to us. It is surely our mother's design."

Bronze, who had been silent, raised his wings. "I would hear more about them first. What do they think is their destiny?" 


The rest of the voyage was easy. Rendar started up a card game involving dragons. It was quaint but was no real test of skill and strength. Clarion wanted to play a different sort of strategy game; he spent a lot of time carving wooden pieces, too. I even managed to engage the pseudodragon, Matheu, when he wasn't invisible. He likes to listen, not so much talk. He is a curious one.

We also spoke about battle strategies, as a company. And I realized, strangely, for the first time, that I truly was more powerful in the company of these new friends. They were nothing like my kin and my tribesman, and maybe we were not equal to a true warband of Firebrings, but we are a force to be reckoned with. As they say back home, our hoard is more than the sum of its coins, and I am greater with them than I am alone.

It was on the third day that the captain told us that we were getting close to the town at the mouth of the river. Woodhelm. Suddenly, everyone remembered that they forgot to really listen as to where the map started, the one Three had given us. I had something about the first sight of town, but not much else. Luckily Mattheu reminded us about a wyvern skull in the thickets on the west side of the river.

That evening, we saw the lights of town and soon spied the skull—and Matheu perched nearby—as predicted. A gnome rowed us to shore and dropped us off. I was so happy to be in the trees, small as they were. It had been a while since I’d really been out in the woods, I am looking forward to an above ground adventure and I am very curious about seeing a green dragon. I could hardly sleep in the nook I found in the branches.

In the morning, Clarion and Cypher put their heads together over the map and made a plan. Cypher and he would each mark the trail with the map, Cypher was to use spells to help his efforts. I was going to dribble hunter’s markings on the trail as we passed, to allow us a way out if we got lost. On the first night, some wolves stalked us. We didn’t get lost, and the wolves soon ran off.

On the second day, we almost got lost—and found a place on the map where the splitting trail didn't match up. We reasoned it out and I think we made the right choice, and only lost a few hours backtracking.

The path led us to a deep gorge, where a bridge reached across a gorge that led to a ledge with a cave at the back and a big chest spilling coins all over the ground. The lair and the offering, as we had been told. A stream emptied out into the gorge and we noticed a second ledge about twenty feet down from the lip. All around the lower ledge were spider webs. Big ones. Clarion noticed a couple of human-sized bundles at the right hand side, wrapped up in cocoons. One of the bodies wiggled a bit; still alive. We all agree that rescue was our first priority. I like these people because we hardly have to mention that sort of decision, we all agree.

Matheu appeared on a tree on our side of the bridge and said, “There is a door here.” He indicated the very tree trunk he was perched on. Indeed, as he says it, I could make out a door, always there, just hard to see. The door led into the tree and down a ladder to the ledge below. Curious. Who would make that?

We climbed down the stairs around the end of the little chasm, lots of webs. Under the bridge, Aleae uses fire to burn the webs, clearing a path. She should use fire more. The ledge passed under the waterfall and below us is another, smaller cave opening, also concealed by the waterfall.

We reach the wrapped figure and we cut her loose. It is a she-elf in woodsman’s clothes, she had been spider-stung in the belly. Perhaps she was from the first party sent to investigate the dragon’s lair. Too groggy to speak, we hoisted her up as Matheu announced us in our minds: “Spiders are coming."

True. There were lots of spiders, some of them very big, and they start pouring out of the webs at the far end, where we had walked by already, and some over the top of the rim. Even some spider-ish-looking men appear at the rim.  Bad news.

I had my new poison-shield that should help if I get bitten, but the rest of the party had no protection, and there were a LOT of spiders, more than I could ever imagine.

We have to get out of here.