Dragon Mountain - Twin Forks

GoldenEagle · Jun 17, 2003

You are in the town of Harker's Ferry, on the edge of nowhere. You have come here for the same reason, or perhaps different reasons; a druid looking for answers, an oracle searching for truth, a cleric looking for solace, a dwarf looking for his heritage, a spellsword looking to test his skill, a rogue (Rino) looking for treasure and a bard for a new story to tell. Old Friends meet again. In any case you are here…together again. (The amount of time you have been apart may have been minutes or years…that is up to you…just put it in the background J )

As you sit at the bar in the Spawning Trout (because all great adventures start in a bar) you see a blind man sitting at the bar talking to the bartender. A man of medium height wearing traveler’s clothes walks to the bar and gestures for the barkeep and pays for his own drink and buys the old man a round as well. The old man thanks the newcomer and begins to relate a story.

"Our town here, Harker’s Ferry, gets its name from the founder, a man named Harker. He originally set up his ferry here due to its strategic location for transporting goods ‘cross the continent.

For many years the town flourished. This was the best place to cross the river, and everyone knew it. One day a filthy ole man came up the ferry and asked for a ride across. He was turned away when he said he had no money. He again asked for passage when Harker barked at him, ‘We don’t need your kind around here old man; go back to where you came from.’

"At that moment the man threw off his rags and revealed himself as a powerful sorcerer, ‘I am Morten and you WILL grant me passage’. Harker immediately acquiesced, ‘Please powerful Morten, step aboard with my compliments.’

The old blind man is now standing and waving his arms as he tells the story. It seems as though he was there. He continues on.

"Morton bellowed, ‘You did not ask for your fare ferryman!’

‘Not from one as powerful as you’, replied Harker, lowering his gaze so as not to further offend the wizard.

‘ You would not grant me free passage in rags, but now it is okay; you are greedy ferryman and you must learn humility.’ And with that the magician built up his magic and cast a spell like you have never seen. He stopped the river itself from flowing and it had been flowing as long as anyone could remember!

The river has not flowed since and Morten strode away, never to be heard from again"

Having worked up a sweat the old man returns to his stool and begins to sip his ale.

"and THAT is why the ferry is in the mud"…

Snowtiger · Jun 17, 2003

Argon arrives: A non-descript elf of average height and average features wanders in through the front door. His boots are muddy and his cloak is dusty. "My god," you think to yourself, "a damned elf that isn't such a dandy." He heads to a table, puts his pack near his feet and sits wearily. As he is approached by the barmaid, you hear him request "Stout ale please, a trencher of your stew and brownbread as well."

Rino · Jun 17, 2003

Rino sits at the bar where he just finished his meal, while he is looking around he notices an old man waving his arm around. Rino tries to hear what the old man is talking about.

when he heard the story he walks towards the old man and asks: "is there more to tell about the interesting story my ears just picket up??"

Someone · Jun 17, 2003

The man of the picture shows up...

when he heard the story he walks towards the old man and asks: "is there more to tell about the interesting story my ears just picket up??"

..."You know, there´s a lot to know from what´s already said" interrups Telustiel with a smile. "First, there´s a guy, a mighty and powerful sorcerer nothing less, that wants to cross a river. I bet he had better ways to do it other than beg passage in a ferry. So we wonder, What was this sorcerer guy actually trying to do? Looking for a excuse to screw up that poor chap, the ferryman, of course! And not only him, but the fishers, and all the people who needed the water."

"But maybe misterious magicians have nothing to do to what happened to the river. Did anyone checked the river source?"

DM_Matt · Jun 17, 2003

A tall, handsome human walks up slowly. He is clad in furs and leather and appears to be in his 30s. His brown hair flows down to his shoulders, yet his beard is meticulously trimmed. His eyes are a piercing orange.

He says "There is nothing strange about the old and mighty taking on strange forms to test, torment, or otherwise toy with mortals. <transforms into an old beggar with his alter self at will> Often, the Old Ones have their pwn pet projects that keep them sane throughout the years, but no passion can healthily be all-consuming. Such activities are merely amusements <turns back into the form he walked in on>.

Besides, he's telling the truth. I was there. Two hundred years ago, it was. Morten 's energies slew the kindly spirit of the river and replaced it with a baleful fey, and the river will not yield profit for mortals, at least until the spirit is satiated or itself replaced.

I know a lot about the project of the Old Ones. I have on of my own. I hear that Dragon Mountain has returned to our world to again work its fell plans. Has anyone else heard of such a thing?"

GoldenEagle · Jun 18, 2003

The Old man turns to the gentleman (Rino) sitting at the bar. " I have lots of stories about this old place..." he pauses and he hears the mention of the mountain.

Looking around the tavern you notice that the crowd is small, but with the mention of the mountain everyone goes silent. The barkeep stops midstride carrying food to the dusty elf in the corner and turns to look at the old man...and then...all at once the room bursts into laughter

"Ohhhh Dragon Mountain...its a kid's story.." the bartender laughs
" the place of magic and riches...fairytale" comes from a man in the corner
" NOT AGAIN! Do we have to hear this story EVERY WEEK?" from the serving wench.

"Don't listen to them" says the old man as he reaches for Rino's arm and motions for him to take him to a table with the group. Once there he sits down and begins in hushed tones,

"It's true...It's all true"

"Before the Beginning of History, in a place far from here, it was born. A place of mystery, enchantment and danger.

A mighty dragon, his name so powerful it cannot be spoken aloud, had a lair on top of a mountain. The lair was filled with gold, platinum, jewels, diamonds and more. He kept this lair for an age untouched and unmolested by any mere mortals.

One day a powerful skeletal Lich Lord came to the mountain. On its peak the battle raged for 50 days and 50 nights. In the end both lay dead and the treasure unclaimed.

Finding the mountains is nigh unto impossible as it moves in and out of our plane, staying only for a short time. This cycle is repeated every twenty years and the mountain appears in a different place each time. The location can be discerned from certain artifacts, but the location and identity of these items is lost to the ages. All someone must do is find it and wealth beyond compare would be theirs! Tell me, are you going to find the mountain?

Calim · Jun 18, 2003

An older man in his mid to late 40's sits at a table eating his dinner and drinking his ale. He is dressed in robes that obviously at some point were white. His beard is very well kept in a braid in dwarven fashion and his age has caught up to his middle as he obviously likes to eat. You also see hanging from his belt the most interesting Morningstar you have ever seen, as you look at it, it seems to be covered in writing of some kind and the Morningstar and the writing have no curves whatsoever, they all seem to be right angles.

"Faery Tales and Fish Stories is all that is." The older man says lustily, " No such place and you are fer knowin it," and with a grunt the man finishes his ale and sets it down a bit loudly.

Sir Osis of Liver · Jun 18, 2003

Vanger Thwakiron

Suddely the door is thrown wide, banging loadly agianst the wall, and in steps a rather angry looking dwarf. He is tall for a dwarf and very muscular. His bronze skin makes him look as though he was birth from the very stone hus race is renown for working with. His face is shaven, excpet a small well groomed patch on his chin. Trailing out from under his gold and sivler helm is a thick brown braid. He is wear no visible armor, just a heavy black leather vest, pants, and a black silk cloak, his steel shod boots make load thuds as he steps in. Gripped tightly in his right hand is a great double headed warhammer, it's head blazing with eldrich flames, and stapped to his left a beutifully made shield bearing an emblem of a dragon claw gripping an anvil. He points the hammer at the table were the others sit and bellows,"I would have words with you wretches!" Vanger quickly strides across the room and dropps his hammer down on the table. A second later his face splits in to a grin and he laughs heartily, "It's good to see you all, how do you fair my friends?"

Snowtiger · Jun 18, 2003

The dusty traveller perks up and says "Vanger! You old coot! It figures that stories of magic and loot would drag you into the bar!!" A grin splits his face for the first time and he heads over to the table of friends.

Someone · Jun 18, 2003

Telustiel greets the newcomers raising his glass of wine.

GoldenEagle said:
The location can be discerned from certain artifacts, but the location and identity of these items is lost to the ages. All someone must do is find it and wealth beyond compare would be theirs! Tell me, are you going to find the mountain?

"And why do you want to know?" says the half-elf. "If the mountain really exists -and I´m not saying it doesn´t- would you help us to find it?"