==== V2 Session Fifty -- 15 May 2009 -- "The Dragon's Breath" ==== [[v2session49|(Previous Session)]] [[v2#session_notes|(Back to V2 Index)]] [[v2session51|(Next Session)]] ^ Player ^ Character ^ Race ^ Class ^ | Dave | [[Freyrik]] | Human | Warlock/11 | | Ken | [[Ash]] | Aasimar | Paladin/10 | | THF | [[Likami]] | Human | Monk/6, Tattooed Monk/5 | | VW | [[Heilli]] | Human | Illumine Soul/5 Soulknife/4 Psion/3 | | Chris | [[Yosi]] | Wood Elf | Barbarian/11 | | //Val// | //[[Allie]]// | //[[Lesser Aasimar]]// | //Favored Soul/10, Ranger/1// | === May 1113 === [[Manorgrax]] arrives in [[Stillsquall]] and sends messengers to each of the party members to have them meet him in town at "The Sand Crab" tavern. Only [[Ketamine]] fails to show (after apparently throwing something at the boy who tried to deliver the message). [[Manorgrax]] tells the party the following: * His divinations have gone black. * The last thing he saw was the Yuan-Ti building a magic circle somewhere in [[Mosamor Marsh]]. * He suspects that they are readying some kind of epic ritual -- but he does not know its purpose. * He believes that [[Kevin Arcana]] has a role to play, but is uncertain of the details. * He discusses [[Mosargrax]]'s attack last year. * He discusses the [[Oathstone]] and its role in the Lizard Wars. In regards to [[Mosargrax]] and her [[v2session39|Creation Day attack]], he admits he is confused by her motivation and says, //"Power is always a delicate balance. Even beings such as us have enemies. To reveal our presence with no reason is to risk bringing chaos and death into this realm. Even though [[Mosargrax]]'s heart is black, she prefers to rule in secret than to wage endless war to maintain her control."// Finally, he talks about the [[Oathstone]] -- and the balance of power that teeters now that it's been destroyed. He is certain that his pact with [[Mosargrax]] was the only thing preventing a new Lizard War. At this point, a man wearing obviously magical armor, shield, sword, and bow enters the tavern and asks the party to "send the dragon outside". [[Manorgrax]] cannot see or hear him and is a bit confused. Despite the party's warning, he goes outside -- where the man has taken to the air and begins firing arrows at the dragon (still in human form). [[Heilli]] establishes a mind link with [[Manorgrax]] so that he can "see" his opponent -- which allows the dragon to go on the offensive. He leaps into the air (changing shape into his natural form in the process) and the two combatants begin a massive aerial battle. With the the party essentially helpless to assist, they are left saving the innocents from the collateral damage that spreads into the village. From the mind link, [[Heilli]] learns that the man is known by dragonkind as the [["Dragonslayer"]] (or often simply "the slayer"). In addition to carrying a trio of artifacts -- known as "The Scale" (armor), "The Fang" (longbow) and "The Claw" (longsword) -- the slayer appears to be immune to dragon breath. **In the end, the slayer is victorious and [[Manorgrax]] is killed (and beheaded)!** After the battle, the Dragonslayer lands and begins casually cleaning his weapon. The party approaches him to demand an explanation, but he says nothing more than "He was a dragon" -- a statement delivered without a hint of emotion. [[Yosi]] (who had been held back up to this point) then charges to attack and learns that while the man may have prodigious skills against dragons, he is possibly vulnerable in a man-to-man fight. This theory, however, cannot be proven as the man quickly takes to the air and flees [[Stillsquall]]. Shortly after the fight, while the party continues to help with the cleanup, [[Kevin Arcana]] teleports in using some sort of portable teleport circle. He tells the party that [[Manorgrax]] had sent him a message telling him that his future was somehow linked to the party's -- and that it somehow involves //"The Charm of Making"//. After Didrik returned from the Yak Folk enclave and reported that //"The Charm of Making"// was used to construct their gates, Kevin did some research -- from which he learned that the Dwarves had a copy of the spell and had built an underground temple to keep it safe. While Kevin is uncertain //where// this temple is located((He suspects it is located under the [[Den'dray Hills]] -- where the Dwarves lived before being chased out by [[Mosargrax]] a thousand years ago)), he knows of an ancient teleport circle that can be used to travel there. Once the party agrees to make this trip, Kevin adjusts the teleport circle he used to arrive in [[Stillsquall]] and the party steps through -- where they find themselves in the lava-filled ruins of the "Temple of the Prismatic Flame". In the temple, they fight Salamanders, a pair of Stone Golems, and four Wraiths. During the fight, [[Likami]] notices that Kevin Arcana (who is always in some kind of constant pain) flinches when [[Allie]] uses [[Merthúvial]] in combat. They also find a magical field of prismatic fire shielding a black metal tablet. After some brute-force attempts fail to retrieve the tablet, the party begins searching the ruins for some kind of mechanism or clue to bring the fire down. In a ruined library, [[Freyrik]] locates a non-magical scroll titled "Ritual of the Five Elements" -- which appears to be instructions on how to dismiss the prismatic flame. However, with the temple partly in ruins, [[Allie]] has to cast a //Commune// spell to find the precise order for the five elements to safely bring down the field. Once the field is down, [[Freyrik]] examines the metal tablet and determines it is, in fact, "The Charm of Making". By casting the spell, a caster can bring forth a magical substance known as "The Dragon's Breath" -- which has both divination and conjuration powers. More interestingly, the tablet is a "permanent scroll" -- which allows it to be cast as many times as desired. This comes in handy when [[Freyrik]] finds it extremely difficult to invoke the scroll. However, after several failed attempts (and one dramatic mishap), he finally casts it and summons a magical fog that quickly fills the chamber. When both [[Kevin Arcana]] and [[Heilli]] deliberately step //into// the fog, the others follow suit -- whereupon each person experiences a surreal (and possibly prophetic) vision. * [[Yosi]] sees [[v250yosi|a vision of Mosargrax]]. * [[Ash]] sees [[v250ash|a vision of demons]]. * [[Allie]] sees [[v250allie|a vision of Merthúvial]]. * [[Heilli]] and [[Likami]] share [[v250twins|a vision of the Yuan-Ti in the jungle]]. * [[Freyrik]] sees [[v250freyrik|a vision of the Id Portrait]]. * [[Kevin Arcana]] does not reveal any details of his vision, but says, "I know what must be done!" ==== ==== ^ # ^ Challenge ^ CR ^ | 6 | City Ablaze Skill Challenge | 6 | | 6 | Advanced Salamanders | 9 | | 1 | Stone Golem | 11 | | 1 | Stone Golem (damaged) | 9 | | 4 | Advanced Wraiths | 6 | ^ ^ Total XP (each) ^ 2,60012\\ 3,40011 ^ [[v2session49|(Previous Session)]] [[v2#session_notes|(Back to V2 Index)]] [[v2session51|(Next Session)]]