#60 - Tarnished Copper

Journal of Clarion Tritone, Champion of Dol Arrah, Vassal of the Sovereign Host - Zarantyr 11th, 999 YK 

I was very worried to leave Sorethyress the Viridescent, the great green wyrm—whom we had freed from her stare into the dark mirror and the eyes of a demon in what appeared to have been Khyber—alone while we would face whatever Raster-Reshizak, the copper dragon, who had obviously claimed sovereignty over her lair and had undoubtedly prepared for our arrival outside. Sorethyress was unquestionably amongst the most powerful creatures in the presence of which I had ever been, as much as she now felt small in comparison to the great red dragon, Lucerix, who we glimpsed through the portal at the other end of the Tunnel we had crossed while some aspects of us walked the depth of the most forsaken Khyber.

I had just promised her that I would watch over her until she had recovered. Magnus seemed to think my promise foolish, for her full recovery in his opinion could take many many months if not years. I was worried that our absence from her side could provide an opportunity for the copper to perform some gruesome act upon the still-weakened dragon.

At least we had been able to undo the three ghouls that had been chained to the bottom of her pool and were surely intended to weaken her. My hasty attack on them had left me with far more damage than had been necessary and reminded me to practice more patience.

As the diminutive demonic servant of Raster-Reshizak entered the lair and would thrust another finger of the obviously hapless green dragon into the waters next to me it became clear that we could no longer delay our encounter with the copper dragon who had brought Sorethyress’s younger kin into his power.

We made our way towards the exit, vividly discussing whether we should abide by the dragon’s ruling that we were to come without our weapons. As much as it pained me to break my word and march into this battle with full gear I was convinced by my companions that the dragon had no other goal than to overwhelm us with all of his powers, no matter what other pretenses he might offer.

As we were about to leave we were met by Thrisst, the female green dragon we had first encountered on the way into Sorethyress's lair. She had been sent by Raster-Reshizak to ensure that we would come without weapon,s making it very clear to her that he would kill her brother should we deign to disobey. Thrisst asked about the condition of Sorethyress, whom we knew to be her aunt. The moment we told her that we had freed Sorethyress and were doing our best to hasten her recovery, she brushed through us to see for herself. She returned shortly and informed us that Sorethyress had instructed her not to interfere with us and that she would remain in the lair for as long as she could reasonably pretend to have been looking for us without enraging the copper and endangering her brother. She did not fail to assure us that she held us entirely responsible for her brother’s safety. We kept our weapons.

"If my brother dies, you die," Thrisst warned us.

A still weary Matheurixivilum could be convinced to use some of his magic on Rendar, again allowing him to walk the walls with ease. I asked Dol Arrah for her blessing for our mission and we proceeded. With Matheurixivilum’s help, Rendar’s spider-like abilities to climb and plenty of rope, we were able to readily execute our plan of arriving at the entrance plateau at the top of the chasm swiftly and unnoticed until the last second. The waterfall under which we climbed provided good cover until the last small climb unto the plateau, during which we accidentally clanged our weapons, inadvertently making so much noise that it seemed as if we had purposely attempted to announced ourselves.

Immediately, I sensed the presence of three undead, who would turn out to be reanimated Aundarian warriors. Once upon the plateau we also became aware of the presence of the dryad to our left and, given his garb and almost undead features, clearly a necromancer at the other end of the bridge which crossed the ravine. The necromancer was also not human. A lizardfolk and likely a shaman of some kind, if I recall the name humans have given them.

The young copper dragon was perched 16 feet above our level, surveilling and mockingly commenting on our loud arrival from his seat above the cave mouth with its portcullis that marked one entrance to the lair of Sorethyress the Viridescent. The green dragon’s badly hurt brother was entirely in his power—Raster-Reshizak half perched upon the dragon in demonstration—and he swiftly displayed his superiority by dissolving a third of the poor dragon’s digits with the acid of his breath after we had received the other two as “invitations” to meet the copper beast at this place.

Even though Raster-Reshizak was a young dragon, he was still a dragon, any of which is a formidable opponent. In addition to that we had learned from Matheurixivilum that this cunning creature was well studied in the use of magical powers, an impression that his appearance almost seemed designed to reinforce. Most markedly one of the dragon’s eyes appeared extremely unusual for it looked more like a magical orb of obsidian than an eye, and half of the dragon's horn-plated face was darkened by its presence.

He repeatedly ordered that we would drop our weapons. We were able to very slowly but still successfully move away from the subject. He never agreed that we would keep our weapons but we never dropped them. He then explained that he had only found us curious and had wanted to learn more about us. Obviously only a very partial truth, yet I have many stories to tell that in my opinion would not compromise our position but it seemed that my companions, particularly Magnus, had no interest in hearing any.

Increasingly ill-amused by our evasion of his questions and unwillingness to accept his sovereignty over these parts of the land, he demanded that we open the chest filled with the Sorethyress’s treasure, which had been left by Brelish government envoys over the last few years and which we all knew was heavily magically guarded from claws that were not Sorethyress’s.

I was still studying our tactical position, which I was sure my companions were eagerly doing as well, hoping to see an opportunity for us to carve out an advantage through some stroke of luck or lapse of attention on the part of our assailant. I volunteered to open the chest, but explained that I could do so only with the help of my music. Deeply suspicious and wary of my proposal he still allowed me to do so.

As I summoned a servant that could open the chest for me without anyone being harmed I played a song telling of the greatness of metallic dragons and how they are destined to rule the world, hoping that the copper could for a moment lose himself in some reverie that could give us a chance to overcome him. Once the vibrations had gathered and interwoven into the form of my helper I commanded for it to open the chest. The top of the chest swung open, a sigil at the front began glowing and the magical wards energy unleashed itself upon and banished my servant, who I knew was of no form that could be harmed.

The chest was now open and the dragon peered greedily and eagerly at its content. My hope was that he would not be able to contain himself and drop to our level to examine the content more closely. I gravely underestimated him, he did no such thing, but ordered us now to remove objects and show them to him.

Cypher advanced to the chest, touching one of the objects within, but not moving it, which he had learned in a most humbling manner right after our initial arrival at this place, when the dryad had magically suggested for him to do so. He seemed deeply engaged with the object and ignored the copper dragon's repeated demands for him to go ahead and remove the object from the chest. I was not sure if he had a plan but was studying the constellation within which all actors were arranged.

Here the increasingly impatient Magnus took another step towards our assailants. It was one step too many for Raster-Reshizak who, with a dark smile upon his scaly, mischievous features began casting a spell focused on Magnus. To his great surprise the dark energies that had begun emerging from his hands unceremoniously dissipated. Aleae, as she later explained, had acquired the power to fully counter another’s caster’s spell—a power that would prove incredibly helpful again towards the end of our battle as the necromancer on the bridge would attempt to greatly empower Raster-Reshizak with a hastening spell that was all too familiar to Aleae and which she could not allow to complete.

Shorty after this, Rendar, Aleae, and I found ourselves engulfed by a mighty inferno as we were the target of a ball of fire the dragon thrust upon the ground upon which we stood. Rendar seemed to grow what looked like strange, thorny crown on his head, taking a look down the bridge and seeing the necromancer focused on him I could only assume that he had placed him under some kind of charm. Alerting the others to stay clear of Rendar, I thrust myself at the first undead Aundairian warrior who was after Cypher (he had begun climbing the rock leading up to the dragon), seeking to swiftly provide them, one by one, the peace they had been so gruesomely denied. Channeling the divine powers of my beloved Dol Arrah into my blows the first undead was quickly diminished.

The dryad cast a spell to entangle Rendar, me, and Aleae. It was hard to tell whether she did so to help us or whether she would continue to abide by the will of the copper dragon who had her tree in his magical grip—but none of us were harmed by it. Rendar found himself compelled to attack a surprised Magnus who had engaged the other undead warrior and pierced him with an arrow in the shoulder.

Magnus was rushed by the dryad and by the time I was able to steal away another glance from the once formidable Aundairian champion, they had both disappeared. I would only much later learn that she had taken him through the trees right to where Raster-Reshizak had made his initial stand and thus played a major part in the success of our efforts. Just as I thrust the radiantly glowing dragonhawk-banner into the the second undead warrior for the last time before he collapsed I saw that Rendar was now taking aim at Aleae who appeared to have contented herself with her position amongst the vines from where she wove powerful spells. I rushed over, deflecting the arrow with my shield before it pierced her.

We could only hear the fierce battle that was raging atop the porticus between Cypher, Magnus and the copper beast. A moment later the dragon flung himself into the air and with a loud rumble landed on the other side of the bridge right behind the necromancer.

It was here, that we would again learn to thank Aleae’s newfound power to end a spell prematurely, for if the necromancer had succeeded at hastening the dragon magically it could have well been the end of us all.

Render had finally been able to shake the charming force that had driven him to attack his companions and was engaging the last of the undead right by our end of the bridge where I now joined him. Raster-Reshizak must have found us a ready target right at the center of his view down the bridge. He took a few mighty steps in our direction causing the bridge to shake under every one of them and clouds of acid came gushing from amidst his bruised jaws.

I felt the intense burn of the dragon’s acidic breath as it poured over Rendar and I both. Once again I found myself hearing the voices of the Host as they carried me through my state of unconsciousness. It must have been no more than an instant after I was incapacitated that Cypher used his artifice to return me to the battle. Dol Arrah had recently provided me with powers that would allow me to return life to the hurt and weary, so before I rose I grasped the arm of the mortally wounded Rendar who had fallen right next to me and I channeled divine powers that healed the worst of his wounds and who in turn undid the pitiful state of the last of the once mighty Aundarian warriors.

A great series of fiery rays filled the space between Aleae, the copper dragon and his necromancer. The necromancer dropped and succumbed to these burns, Raster-Reshizak was hurt and immediately lunged himself off the bridge and right in front of the still entangled Aleae. Looming over her, she looked quite small and the dragon, young though it was, never seemed so large. Aleae spent all her energies to break free from the vines, then ran with her spell-enhanced speed faster than the eye could see, out of reach of the mighty beast that would have surely ripped her in two had he managed to get his claws into her.

An old copper dragon would be
considerably larger than Raster-Rashizak

Infuriated by her escape, he flung himself into the air again, now dropping next to Cypher who was able to parry most of his assaults. I became aware of a blood-drenched and barely standing Magnus who was again focused on a last-ditch effort preparing to unleash his blows upon his enemy in a fiery rage. I managed to land my hand on his shoulder and heal a portion of his barely recognizable back, which had been bathed in the dragon’s acid breath.

Amongst a series of blows and spells from all of my companions the rotten creature found himself swiftly overwhelmed. “No, no, NO, NO, this cannot be!” he roared in outrage and despair and made an attempt to escape his demise by launching into the air, spreading his wings, and sailing through the air away from us.

Thinking quickly, Cypher let out one last barrage of magical missiles hitting the blood-dripping, fleeing beast squarely in its chest, ripping him from the sky. A cacophony of breaking wood filled our ears and marked the spot where the creature would leave this world.

#59 - Return to the Lair

It took some quick convincing, but eventually Magnus relented and the PCs began their retreat back toward the way they came. Upon returning to the bone-and-brain demon who was battling Sorethyress through the dark mirror, they decided to attack it again. This time, with some success. Weapons and spells began to penetrate and impact the creature, and it finally turned against them as well, slashing with claws and even lashing out with some sort of mental, transparent whip. Doing so turned it away from the green dragon...

A pair of banshees rose up from the dark abyss at the center of this place, and Rendar had even spotted something large and menacing working its way steadily up the spiral stairs. The banshees were dispatched, but not before their horrid screams disintegrated the forms of both Magnus and Rendar!

The brain demon finally retreated, greatly wounded. The PCs tried to finish it of, but the towering black shape of some sort of giant-sized humanoid was enough to prompt them to escape. Back through the mirror they went....

Magnus and Rendar were unconscious, blood leaking from orifices from their experience. The others "awoke" back in their bodies, and Cypher quickly discovered that his iron defender, the homonculous Rungo, had been disabled by something—and cast down into the murky water below.

Sorethyress herself, the great green dragon, now lay in a deep sleep. No longer was she transfixed by the dark mirror—the PCs had driven away the demon who had engaged her. However, the pseudodragon Matheu reappeared, still weakened by his ordeal, and told them what had transpired after they had entered the realm beyond the mirror.

"There was a corpse...that was not a corpse, there, beneath the water. When you entered the mirror, it rose up and came to examine your bodies. It was a copper dragon, young but quite studied in the arcane and possessing obvious necromantic powers. With him were three dead armored humans. He studied you for long moments, so I slipped out and found the two young greens, seeking their help. I tried to convince the female, Thrisst, to investigate. Her brother, a male, seemed stricken by some spell."

"Then, I returned, and found the copper dragon performing a ritual. He had summoned a quasit—an implike minor fiend from Khyber. Then the green came, and when the copper detected her, they began to fight and their battle took them outside."

Evidently the copper dragon had even picked through their equipment. In fact, several of the PCs had discovered that some of their prized possessions were missing—including the map that allowed them to find their way to Sorethyress's lair, and would also help them find their way out again!

Wishing to rest but also to exit the lair, and wary of the dryad's warning, should they leave again—the PCs found another tunnel high off the ground and used rope to reach it. There, Cypher set to work repairing Rungo. Rendar used the power of his Mark of Finding to locate their missing gear—and he felt the presence of one of the items above them, far enough way through the earth to be on the surface. As Clarion and Aleae stood guard, Rendar and Magnus followed the tunnel as it wound upward, slowly working its way toward their possessions.

The passage ended at a solid wall of hard oak at the top of a short flight of stairs. There, the dryad emerged from the wood and speak with them and warned them again that she could not allow them to leave. She explained that the copper dragon—the "intruder dragon"—had made her tree sick with a spell and he was thereby holding her hostage and forcing her to fight for him. If she disobeyed, he would allow his spell to kill the tree—and her with it. Rendar and Magnus tried to convince her to help them and they said they would help kill the copper dragon, but she feared the dragon's death would not save her. Only he can break the spell on he tree, she insisted. If he died, she would die as well.

Magnus said that Sorethyress was no longer in her trance, but she was sleeping. When she awoke, she would surely have the power to heal the dryad's tree. They just needed to defeat the copper dragon so Sorethyress could be allowed to sleep in safety. The dryad knew this, for she and Sorethyress were allies, but she feared challenging the copper dragon would fail and with it, her tree. She could not be convinced. Magnus and Rendar returned to the group and they made camp in the uncomfortable tunnel.

Soon after, a quasit appeared—a little gray, vaguely monkey-like little bat-winged creature with curling horns and a nasty face. It was a messenger from the copper dragon. The little demon handed over something to Clarion, who stood closest at his sentry post: it was the long green-scaled digit one one of the young green dragons, wrapped in a strip of parchment which turned out to be a piece of the map Three had given the group so they'd be able to find their way through the Dragonwood to Sorethyress's lair.

“I represent Raster-Reshizak the Knavish. He wishes to speak with you. He does not wish to harm you unless you force his claw, for you have piqued his interest with your presence here.”

The copper dragon clearly had the green dragons at his mercy now.

The quasit stated that Raster would present the PCs with three riddles. If they could answer one of them, he would allow them to rest in the cave for the night. If they could answer two riddles, he would require only two among them to come and meet with him in the morning. If they could answer all three riddles correctly, he would let them all go—to leave Sorethyress's cave unmolested. They agreed, and the quasit went away and returned with a potion, which it splashed upon the wall. A magic mouth formed on the cave wall, speaking in the copper dragon's voice.

The riddles were:

An untiring servant it is,

Carrying loads across muddy earth.

But one thing that cannot be forced,

is a return to the place of its birth.

This one they answered correctly, and quickly.

She got it in the woods and brought it home in

her hand because she couldn't find it.

The more she looked for it the more she felt it.

When she finally found it she threw it away.

This one they came close to getting right, but ultimately failed.

The light one breaks but never falls

His brother falls but never breaks

The PCs had answered "dawn and dusk" but the answer was "night and day," not good enough. One of three riddles had been answered, so the PCs were allowed to rest in the cave but they were required to exit, without their weapons, and speak with him in the morning. True to his word, the dragon made no attacks during the night.

Magnus, who's had dealings with dragons before (if not many), could tell that the copper dragon—presumably the very one behind Sorethyress's near possession—was afraid to come into the cave now that she was no longer entranced by the dark mirror. Sleeping she might be, but a dragon her age was quite powerful. By all reports, Raster was a young dragon still and despite his necromantic powers, would be no match for the great green wyrm.

#58 - Dragons and Deceipt

As told by Magnus of the Island of Seren.

These dragons were lying to us.

Filthy sneaky green dragons always lie. Just like in the old story we heard from the river captain, green dragons are tricky. As we stood here at the mouth of the cave, I told Clarion and Rendar that I was sure the dragons lied about everything and that Cyper and Aleae were in grave danger. I thought that those green dragons, young as they are, were usurpers like Garcerix, and that Sorethyress is an old dragon like Lucerix, and I bet she was in trouble from these new greens…

Finally Clarion agreed with me and he headed down the hall to see what he could see. It was't long before he comes back having been detected by the female. At least he could report that they’re all well down where Cypher is “healing” one of the little dragons.

And then, soon enough, Cypher reported that he was finished and that we could return. We did, and the little greens seemed to have actually been truthful...so far. Cypher had freed the male wyrm from the circle of power than bound it, and the other was telling us that her “aunt” was in the next room—ensorcelled by some sort of mirror and unable to move.

Size comparison between an old green
dragon and an average-sized warforged.

I asked for our gem back so that we could prove to Sorethyress that we came from the king of Breland and that we were there in honesty. Soon enough, we were making our way forward, leaving the young greens behind us. There were vapors filling the passage around us and we soon entered a huge chamber filled with mist, gas, and a large pool of water likewise tainted by venomous fumes. The gas seemed to affect Clarion and Rendar somewhat. Strange, as warforged don't even breathe.

Half submerged in the pool was a huge green dragon, wreathed in noxious gas, with her head arched up toward a ledge up the wall. She was breathing hard and the poison was venting out of her open mouth, filling the cavern all around her. A few seconds confirmed that she was not otherwise moving. I scampered up the wall and saw that she was indeed lost, looking in a mirror: a mirror of polished black stone, part of a flattened side of a huge chunk of obsidian. The last time we had seen such reflective black rock it was deep underground—and Halbazar was affected by it.

The rest of the party followed me and Cypher started to circle the huge block of mirror-stone. He learned that it had small runes all  over it and that there was lots of magic involved. He said it was Goblin in origin. Matheu the pseudodragon was there too—he was stuck staring into the mirror and he said to us in our minds (his body not moving), “I cannot look away."

The demon behind the dark mirror
was as much bone as flesh, with
brain matter visible through its spine.

With permission, we draped a cloak over him and got him away from the dark mirror. I said we should do the same thing for the Sorethyress, but all the rest of them thought that she was engaged in some kind of contest with her mind and that breaking her gaze might hurt her. This was not our goal."

As we looked into the mirror, we all eventually see some bone-demon on the other side, it seems to be staring right at Sorethyress. A second, smaller, almost monkey-like demon also lingered in the dark reflection, though we could not all see it at first.

Either way, the bone demon seemed to be the source of our problem, at least with Sorethyress. Rendar, who had stayed below, circled the large cave, crossing the lake and finds corpses of two other smaller dragons on the other side. Sorethyress has had an interesting year! Meanwhile, Cypher put on the Emperor's Key and commanded the mirror to "open," whatever that's supposed to mean.

Rendar soon joined us and just as quickly approached and put his ear against the mirror. His body froze in place and we could see his reflection moving on the other side of the mirror! Soon enough, we all experimented and found that we could cross back and forth from one side to the other. Although it looked physically present, the bone demon was insubstantial and we could not seem to affect him.

We explored the tunnel and found a path back away from the mirror face. There was an intersection and the glimmer of fire across the hall.  Some twisted stairs came up to this level from a deep chasm and we saw a ghostly apparition walking, then flying, up the stairs toward us. Singing. An elf woman and then another in rotting garments. They both seemed to recognize Aleae in some way and targeted her first. They used their voices like a weapon, and the scream from one of them created a sensation in me like no other. I became...bodiless for a few moments, if that makes any sense. When it was over and I reformed, the pain was a memory, but it was stronger than any I had ever known. I did not like this place and its lack of physical things.

We killed the banshee and its sibling. By this time we had all notice that we had thin tendrils of magic connecting us to our bodies in the real world, to the mirror we had come from…. I sure hoped we would stay connected to it!

We pressed on down tunnel towards the fiery glow.

Soon enough we saw a HUGE DEMON covered in fire and horns and with huge bat wings from its shoulders. Even in our spirit-like state I knew I had never been in the presence of something more dangerous, more powerful, except for one....

The demon was standing still, facing another mirror wall and beyond it we could see a dark space....a cavern or nighttime valley, and within it, just behind the glass, a massive red dragon sitting there. Not sitting, but perched, staring back through the mirror just like Sorethyress, but even more angrily, fire belching from its mouth.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but I knew deep inside me though I had seen him with my own eyes only once before: It was LUCERIX HIMSELF, squaring off against this mighty demon.

He was moving about but his eyes never left the demon. This was the time of the prophecy! This was the time where men can truly aid the dragons. I flew into a rage and attacked the demon with my mace, though it towered over me at twice my height.  I charged and his fire burned me. I make a perfect swing, and it passed through his form like smoke. But he felt it—just barely.

He shrugged and grunted and a few of little demonic minion dogs popped in out of nowhere and tried to drive us off. The rest of the party did not share my desire to kill this demon or die in the trying. They focused on the dogs and are yelling for me to flee.

Never.

They killed the minor demons—by now it seems we were becoming slightly more "solid"—and launched attacks at the greater demon itself. I continued to burn in his flames and mashed at him with my maul. We seemed to be dragging him into this realm, or we were being dragged into his. Our attacks were at least distracting him.

Lucerix seemed to notice the demon’s disarray. The great red dragon redoubled his efforts and flame spewed from his jaws as he snarled. This was the glorious partnering of man and dragon. We shall help him to victory! I would die here.

And then, Lucerix spoke, and his voice rolled through the mirror. "SEREN!" he roared, and I knew he meant me. He could not see me, or us, I think, but he could feel our presence. None is greater than Lucerix. Through spouts of flame and moments of intense struggle against the demon, Lucerix spoke these words:

“The Defiler has already come…he has weakened Seren…

...and divided the Light of Siberys…  

Find the descendant of Vensharatryx. She lives yet. 

The Defiler fears what she...can reform…”

My glorious rage drove me beyond the words of my dragon lord. I would continue to fight this demon until I was dead or Lucerix has won… I continue to pound at his smoky form and burn with every swing. I did not want to hear what my lord was telling me but I did (or do) understand: this battle was not for me. The demon was greater than us...for now. If it could hold Lucerix in place, it was mighty indeed.

Yet dragon-fueled rage kept me going. The demon's flames continue to burn. My friends were shouting for me to flee with them. The others had even discerned another figure there, standing at the base of Lucerix, but I wasn't paying attention. My lord had, I was trying to understand, given me a new mission.

#57 - Spiders and Dragons

Excerpt from the Cypher's Codex: The Scrawlings of a Warforged Scholar

We were about to be overrun by a contingent of overly large spiders and humanoids with distinct arachnoid features. In addition, maneuvering single-file on the lower ledge of the precipice was tactically disadvantageous for the more martial fighters in the group. Once I noticed the ambush I immediately set up an arcane springboard to propel the party up onto the wide opening in front of the dragon’s cave. Most of the party was able to navigate the springboard without incident. Aleae proved too weak to make it all the way to the safety of the ridge but her eladrin agility allowed her to grasp the wall of the cliff a few feet below the top. She was quickly overtaken by a spidery foe who could walk on walls and remained in place against the wall for the remainder of combat. Fortunately, her chaotic magic does not require firm footing, as she remained a participant throughout the battle.

Ettercaps: shepherds of
not-so-innocuous spiders 

Rendar, however, never even made it to my springboard before its arcane energy was exhausted. Unwilling to release the unconscious elf woman they had rescued from the webs, he stayed below to fight off the numerous foes. It was an incorrect move, however, as the elf turned out to be the illusionary form of the dryad that inhabited the (diseased-looking) tree above.

She disappeared from his grasp just as he was overrun by the enemies. Ettercaps, spidery humanoid monsters of an unknown origin to me, quickly pinioned Rendar with sticky webbing and it took all of his strength to simply remain active. He was not my concern, however, as the battle on the dragon’s cave opening commenced.

As we were attacked from three sides by spiders and ettercaps, an unseen druidic magic user ensnared the party with instant organic growth. I did not attempt to break free at first, choosing instead to expend as much artifice as I could early in the battle to help my companions. 

The true form of a dryad
is plant-like and alien

Just as I was about to infuse Magnus’s weapon with fire energy, the dryad revealed herself to me and provided unexpected strategic aid. She pointed out several weapons protruding from the chest of treasure that, which was sent in fealty to the green dragon Sorethyress by the valiant Brelish agents a year earlier. The dryad told me that they could help in the battle and that it was safe for me to use them. I ordered Rungo to break me free of the entangling vines holding me in place and ran forth to retrieve the weapons. As I opened it, a powerful blast of untethered magical energy was released from the wooden chest. I realized instantly that I had set off a trap of considerable potency. With the practiced skill of years of artifice training, I channeled all of my life force into containing the blast. It took me several seconds to dissipate the energy, whilst which I was unable to contribute to the battle, but no one else was harmed. 

We managed to disable or fend off the remaining attackers with fire and weapon, and lend aid to Rendar down below. Aleae fought her side of the battle almost entirely from the side of the cliff wall, clasped in vines but managing to expel her sorcery. Clarion used tones of sonic magic to frighten or otherwise ward away some of our foes, and for reasons not yet explained, Rendar was given the capability of defying gravity and walking up the walls with his hands free. With the battle concluded, the pseudodragon Matheu soon vanished again.

I explored the portcullis blocking the entrance to the dragon’s cave while the rest of the party repaired themselves, noting that nothing would open it aside from the control mechanism which we could not find. Instead, we chose to explore the cave opening underneath the waterfall. 

I remained above ground last, carefully lowering Rungo down to the cave in a harness when the dryad appeared before me again with a grave warning. She told me with great clarity that we were not to return there or face grave danger again. She was almost apologetic in her tone and I probed her as to her purpose in orchestrating an attack against us. She said that the “intruder dragon” had forced her to cooperate with the spiders to protect the cave’s opening. When I pressed, she confirmed that the dragon she spoke of was not in fact Sorethyress, but then she vanished from my sight. I wasted no time in climbing down to the cave opening. 

 Aleae was most distressed that I did not make use of a rope harness but I told her that I had calculated my climbing abilities to be sufficient to take the risk of falling compared to the risk of perturbing the tree spirit further.

Inside the cave we encountered a green dragon. An actual full-sized, although its body was no longer than fifteen feet from snout to tail. I had much knowledge of dragons, of course, from my various studies. One can not touch upon the academic study of magic without learning of dragons, not to mention all histories of Eberron begin far enough back in the Age of Dragons. This dragon was not Sorethyress, however, and in fact seemed to have no interest in speaking to me, even in its native tongue. I do not think I have ever seen Magnus appear as excited as he was then. The dragon expelled a cloud of poisonous gas in front of us as a warning, and this prospect of quick death did not seem to dampen the Seren's mood.

Magnus and Aleae were able to converse with the mighty beast, who turned out to be just a child in dragon terms, and he showed us his sister, a nearly identical green dragon lying nearly lifeless on the ground of the cave completely circumscribed by an arcane circle. The dragon took the Brelish ruby that was supposed to prove our providence but would not accept our allegiance as truth. 

Instead he demanded we prove our honesty by saving his sister. The logic of this escaped me, although green dragons are known to prefer riddle over force. I went to inspect the ailing dragon and the arcane markings but was rebuffed by the brother. My attempts at diplomacy failed me but Aleae was able to convince the draconic beast that I was his best chance of saving the female dragon. He acquiesced, but only allowed Aleae and myself to stay, hissing at the rest of the party to return to the mouth of the cave "...or die." When they had acquiesced, the young dragon clasped Aleae and forced her against the cave wall in his claws. He spoke to me to heal his sister or the eladrin would die.

I only hope that Aleae’s proclaimed faith in my abilities proves to be true. Not even a warforged’s resilient alchemical makeup can survive the disabling toxins of a green dragon’s poison. The eladrin would likely succumb even quicker.

#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.

#55 - Recreation and Royalty (Part 2)

The special dinner event with Three and Princess Haydith continued.

Soon some of the PCs were approached by a hobgoblin woman who introduced herself as Irakas. She was part of the Darguun delegation, whose presence the PCs were not informed of. Her attire was vaguely shamanistic, but clearly Dhakaani in design. She called herself a dirgesinger—an oral storyteller and historian of the Dhakaani culutre—and expressed an interested in hearing more about their involvement with Governor Trazzen.

Through this conversation, Cypher and Rendar provided a fairly thorough, if incomplete, account of their involvement with Trazzen. Irakas said she couldn't believe this was the Governor Trazzen—the traitorous ruler of Paluur Draal from thousands of years ago—for he was defeated and presumed dead, sealed in the mountain behind gates "that only the Emperor himself could open."

The warforged and half-orc exchanged glances, and finally Rendar revealed the presence of the Emperor's Key. This conversation occurred mostly in the Goblin tongue, with Aleae present—it is one of the few languages she didn't know. She glimpsed the medallion that he wore around his neck but didn't properly understand all that was said in front of her. To her deep consternation.

Lesh Haruuc, hobgoblin
ruler of Darguun

With the Emperor's Key revealed—and the manner of their acquiring it kept vague—Irakas became politely insistent that the artifact be returned to the heirs of Dhakaani. More specifically, to Lesh Haruuc, the chief warlord and nominal ruler of Darguun itself. She said she and her three companions would be able to escort the PCs to Darguun and to the capital city of Rhukaan Draal safely, so they could return the Emperor's Key to the lesh. Irakas was clear about this: that the Key did not belong to them, but rather to Darguun, and it should be given back. She said she would not try to take it from them. Their choice was: give it to them or carry it directly to Darguun's ruler.

The coveted
Emperor's Key

Once this was imparted to the others, both Magnus and Aleae distrusted the Darguun delegates the most. They said they expected the hobgoblins would inevitably try to take the Emperor's Key by force. Perhaps killing them would be the solution. But the others, especially Cypher and Rendar, disagreed that that was a wise option. Then again, they all liked the idea of being rid of the Emperor's Key, for it had brought—and perhaps still would bring—many enemies after them. In the end, it was decided that they needed more time to figure this out, especially now that they had a new quest—seeking the green dragon Sorethyress, on behalf of Three and the Brelish crown. Toward that end, Cypher spoke to Three directly about the situation, keeping specifics vague. The King's Protector agreed to talk to the Darguun hobgoblins and request that they allow the PCs to carry out their errand for him before they pursued other inquiries.

Soon after, the dinner was concluded and the PCs went and watched the performance of "Boranel's Triumph," a dramatic play performed by House Phiarlan and a local actor's guild in Galethspyre. This was the production's debut, which they intended to bring to Wroat next, then Sharn, if all went well. The show depicted the events up to and including the Battle of Brey's Crossing in 976 YK, often considered a seminel event in the history of the warforged, wherein King Boranel's was so impressed with the loyalty and stamina of his warforged guards, it inspired him to declare the Warforged Decree several years later. At the battle, King Boranel and only a handful of his warforged bodyguards managed to hold the bridge that spanned the Brey River against overwhelming Thrane forces. It was acknowledged, by Three himself and by this production—if not official historians—that that numbers were manageable due to the efforts (and numerous traps) laid down by a unit from the Brelish Engineers Brigade.

Of which Cypher had been a part.

Since returning to Galethspyre from their Seren islander sojourn and dalliance with bulettes and a purple worm, Kard was no where to be seen. But the Carnival Master, Mussfinch, did remark to them that their cleric companion had returned earlier that evening to Davenn's Arbor of Abominations, where the PCs had previously visited. Kard had agreed to return to "The Mourning Twins," one of (or a couple of) his former countrymen to speak in private. That is the last they'd heard of him.

The next morning the PCs returned to speak with Three and with Princess Haydith. Three gave them a map of sorts, a gleaming ruby, and some instructions for their secret mission:

• They are not to touch the tribute left in front of Sorethyress's cave, once found. In addition to incurring her wrath, Brelish mages always ward the offering with spells to protect it. It would be unwise.
• Once Soretheyress is found, show her the ruby—which cames from Queen Wroann's very scepter—as proof that they are the crown's emissaries.
• They are not to provoke Sorethyress, merely determine the reason for her silence. She is a very old and very cantankerous green wyrm but has always been true to her word. 

Aleae spoke in private with Haydith, for the eladrin had seen the girl looking troubled the night before, had seen her reading and rereading a letter in her possession. They had an agreement: Aleae would allow her to look into the crystal orb she carred—an Eye of Thelanis, which could pierce the veil between Eberron and her home plane—if Haydith would tell her what troubled her. There was girl talk, and Haydith did seem deeply fascinated with what she saw in the eladrin's orb. Their meeting included with Aleae giving the girl some curious and risky advice on how to deal with her brother, whose letter it had been. Haydith's older brother being King Kaius III, the ruler of Karrnath.

The PCs had been given a choice of transportation methods for their journey to the Dragonwood. They could either take horses provided by the King's Citadel and follow the river to its source, or they could take a journey by riverboat upstream. They opted for the latter, and so that morning they went down to the docks to board the vessel in question.

There they found a curious river craft, aptly named the Sweet Scrag, for it was a gnomish elemental steamboat from Trolanport (Zilargo) with a carved, grinning, bow-and-ribboned female sea-troll as its figurehead. Its captain was a white-haired, topknotted matronly gnome woman who introduced herself as Deelera Dela Raladaran. She worked often with the Carnival of Shadows, had ferried them on the water before, and knew both the Master and Mistress of the Carnival. She came highly recommended.

#54 - Recreation and Royalty (Part 1)

Amidst the constant drizzle of rain, the PCs arrived by boat back at Galethspyre. When they were identified by the people at the docks, small pockets of crowd gathered to watch them. Not only were the known from the Korrangberg Chronicle, they’d earned a reputation from both the Carnival of Shadows and the elemental battle at the warehouse. Children continued to follow Clarion, for he alone had earned a reputation as a dispenser of sweets.

Cypher’s confused condition as “Claviger” seemed to fade away as they arrived as well. It was a matter of continued discussion, especially for Cypher himself. He seemed to retain some memories that were not his own. Notably, he cited the object of Claviger’s quest: a byeshk scimitar of great renown, at least from long ago. Known as Vaarza’Gresh (“Razor of Giants” in Goblin), it once wielded by Governor Trazzen, the greatest ruler of the Dhakaani city of Palurr Draal. It was said to be able to deliver devastating wounds to both aberrations and giant-kind.

The PCs had only a short time before the special dinner event with Three, the King’s Protector. Concerned about Cypher’s state, they inquired at the Brelish garrison. Lieutenant Terrek listened to their concerns but said he could only request that the artificer who’d examined him come speak with them again. He was not to be found at this time.

Then the PCs brought their tickets to the Carnival and were escorted by the elves, invisibly, around the city to the outdoor Arcadium, the temple of the Host and apparently the venue for the dinner event. A wide courtyard encircled the primary chapel, a nonagon-shaped building with shrines to each of the nine gods of the Sovereign Host. This is where Clarion, Aleae, and Kard had visited before. The rain had stopped and now the clear night played host to countless stars and several moons.

Tables were arrayed with food. Servants came and went. Phiarlan minstrels played music. Many guards of the King’s Citadel stood watchful. A House Vadalis handler was there with a massive, white-flecked dire bear, presumably some form of entertainment. Various and unusual guests, many of whom who’d clearly won enough shadow pieces, were in attendance. There was a quartet of hobgoblins—three males and one female—in Darguun armor, a lone Silver Flame knight, a table of Brelish veterans, and a pair of unusually-clothed foreigners who some guessed came from the continent of Sarlona.

Eventually, the PCs approached the head table, where Three, the King’s Protector, sat beside his charge and the other special guest of honor: the young Princess Haydith, sister of King Kaius III. She was part of the foreign exchange of royals. While she now lived in King Boranel’s court in Breland, two of Boranel’s children now lived in Kaius’s court. She was dressed darkly in aristocratic Karrnathi styles but also wore a scarf of Brelish blue. She looked and was a brooding teenager, but she seemed fond of her Brelish hosts. Also sitting with Three and Haydith were Mussfinch and Lady Amaryllis, Master and Mistress of the Carnival of Shadows.

Three, the King's Protector

Introductions were made, and Three—himself a paladin of Dol Arrah, like Clarion—was both polite and only mildly authoritative in his role as the King’s Protector. Cypher mentioned his having been part of the Battle of Brey’s Crossing, the event that cemented Three’s role as personal protector and friend of King Boranel. Three remembered that a unit of artificers and trapsmiths had been especially helpful that day, in 976 YK, and it was their cunning traps that made manageable the Thrane forces that King Boranel and his warforged guards staved off at the bridge. Three thanked Cypher for his service, though he downplayed his own military role, and also thanked the rest of the PCs for their involvement in the earth elemental attack. He said he might have a job for them, given their great skill, their spiritual affiliations, and their growing reputation for opposing malicious agencies.

Three asked if they would be interested, but provided this caveat: The mission involves imparting a state secret of sorts, and he would have to have their agreement in advance that they would accept it—or else he would say no more of it. The only thing he could offer before the decision was made was that it concerned the Dragon Wood—the sizable forest up the river northeast of Galethspyre.

Meanwhile, Magnus asked Lady Amaryllis about his dragonbone mace, since they had talked about this before and the red-eyed eladrin had told him to find her again later. She said there were principally two ways to "unlock" the hidden powers of this weapon—which Magnus himself had recently admitted to his companions was named the Defiler's Dread: (1) She could give him a map to one of two manifest zones where Risia, the Plane of Ice, overlaps with Eberron. One site was in the Graywall Mountains, while the other was in the Starpeaks in Aundair. Alternatively, (2) she could have the weapon sent to her cousin, Lord Syraen of the Winter Citadel—the eladrin feyspire that is stuck within the north woods of Karrnath. A powerful spellcaster and the lord of the feyspire, if anyone on Eberron could coax the magic from the weapon, it would be him. However, Amaryllis warned Magnust that this would require him to agree in advance to pay Lord Syraen whatever it was he required in turn. "It will not," she said, "be gold. It will likely be a service of some kind, and it will not be an option to refuse it." (Aleae shook her head, understanding more than anyone just how risky it is to owe a fey lord any debt.) Even so, Magnus agreed to this and he gave the Defiler's Dread over into the lady's care.

During their conversations, Princess Haydith asked the PCs challenging questions that strayed into uncomfortable political grounds. Three tried to quiet her, but she persisted. In order to distract her from this, Aleae offered to show the young human a glimpse of her homeland in Thelanis. Intrigued, the young princess followed her.

Green dragons typically lair in woodlands.

The PCs briefly discussed Three's offer and finally agreed to it. Three explained the situation.

"The Brelish Crown has an agreement with a dragon named Sorethyress the Viridescent. She is an old green wyrm who has laired in the Dragon Wood since well before the Last War. In the early days, she fed on livestock, and sometimes even farmers and explorers when they crossed paths with her. But Queen Wroann—the first ruler of Breland and King Boranel’s own great-grandmother—negotiated with the green dragon and the two formed a pact.

"The conditions were:

• Sorethyress was not harm the Brelish people. Invaders, of course, were fair game—and during the course of the Last War, various Brelish military leaders were able to lure enemies into her domain where she presumably slew and devoured them.
• In turn, loggers were not to cull from the forest any more than was necessary. They could not cut down more trees than they planted. In addition, tribute was given to her once each year: a sum of gold or a magical treasure—often both—which were delivered to the mouth of her cave.

“But Sorethyress has not been heard from in over a year. Last year's tribute remains where it was placed, untouched. The King has become concerned. He asked me to send a small company to investigate the matter. This I did more than a week ago. They have not returned. I am...concerned. Before I request a larger military force approach—which if all is well, the dragon will not respond well to—I am more inclined to send a smaller, professional reconnaissance team."

"The mission is merely one of information. Find out why Sorethyress has not been heard from, why she did not collect her tribute. It is possible she is merely sleeping and all is well, but King Boranel feels uneasy about it. He wishes to investigate the matter."

The pseudodragon that the PCs had spotted more than once also made an appearance at the table. Perching like a cat on the furniture, he appeared and disappeared on a whim. The Carnival Mistress introduced him as Matheurixivilum. Matheu for short. He was known to them and often came and went when the Carnival of Shadows traveled.

Matheu spoke telepathically—and with appropriate arrogance, given his nature—to the PCs. He said he was a sage and a scholar from Argonnessen, and that he insisted on accompanying the PCs on their journey to the Dragon Wood. At this, the Carnival Master and Mistress only shrugged. Matheu was a mysterious friend of theirs, but also a free agent. In truth, no one would know more about dragons than one who is kin to dragons—though it also seemed like he might be a selective sort of sage.

Finally, Lady Amaryllis made an offer to Aleae concerning her own quest. She said that after the 7th of Zaranytr (two days hence), the Carnival would be moving on and would travel next to Wroat, the capital of Breland. There, on behalf of her cousin, the aforementioned Lord Syraen, she would be meeting with emmisaries from Pylas Pyrial (the feyspire in Zilargo) and Shae Jordial (the feyspire under siege in Darguun). It was Amaryllis's understanding that the two feyspires have a plan to test their theories concerning the nature of the grounding of all the feyspires. Amaryllis told Aleae that she would be willing to sponsor her attendance at this meeting—and thereby represent the Rose Queen of Shae Loralyndar—if indeed the PCs carried out the task Three had asked of them.