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Shilsen's Eberron SH (Finished - The Last Word : 9/20/15)
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<blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 2822170" data-attributes="member: 198"><p><strong>Session 23 - Pra'xirek (or "A plan? You want us to actually have a plan?")</strong></p><p></p><p>While Gareth tries to mentally communicate with his sword and discovers that it apparently hasn't developed conversational skills yet, the others take care of healing everyone and examining the dead giants. They find that the largest one's chain shirt is finely crafted and remove it, since Dala says that it will be valuable. The giant also carries a brass cup the size of a bucket with inset opals. Imre estimates it to be originally worth about 1,000 galifars, but it is quite battered and now about half as valuable. The cup detects faintly of conjuration magic. Another giant is wearing a platinum ring engraved with a leaf pattern (worth about 2000 galifars). Between the three, they have four silver coins the size of the one recovered from the drow and another golden one. All five have a stylized picture of a tree and a tower above it. Dala and Imre surmise that by the system of symbology that the giant's used in their art, it would mean something like "the house of/in the forest". </p><p></p><p>While searching them, the Angels also notice that the bigger giant has a tattoo on his left shoulder, depicting a serpent wrapped around a gem (probably a dragonshard). Both Corven and Nameless recognize it as something they have seen in a book, which said it is supposed to represent the dragons of Argonessen. </p><p></p><p>After having taken what they want off the bodies, the expedition decamps, moving a few hundred feet away from the corpses. After they have remade the camp and started on supper, Six discusses the giant attack, pointing out that the alacrity with which the giants attacked, rather than showing any surprise at their appearance, implies that the giants have experience of humanoid-shaped creatures of their size. They also discuss what to do when they reach the city, some thinking that it would help to find a place near it to hole up and then investigate carefully.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p>The next morning, a couple of people mention a dream they had. It turns out that everyone in the group (except Six, who can't sleep) had a dream where a faint voice was speaking to them from a distance. They saw nothing and its words were unclear, but they realized that it was asking them to free it from its captors and promising great rewards. Though Gareth does not mention it to the others, he had a variation. In his dream, he saw Kizmet appear, floating in mid-air and glowing. He sensed great fear and anger in the blade and the voice faded away.</p><p></p><p>While they discuss the dream, Nameless identifies the magical cup. It turns out to be what the group quickly names a Bucket of Beer, which fills up with a gallon of strong beer thrice a day. "Oh well," says Corven at the news, "At least we have a backup if we ever need to retire and open a bar!"</p><p></p><p>The group breaks camp and heads out. About ten minutes later, they run across the corpse of a giant, evidently the one that had managed to survive the battle the previous night. It has been slain by multiple wounds, some from slashing and some from piercing weapons, evidently manufactured ones around the size that the group carry. The body has been stripped of equipment other than the hide armor and the greatclub. Six and Arrok cast around for tracks, and they agree that whoever or whatever it is that slew the giant had taken care to remove tracks. Six does find a partly obscured print of what is probably a boot-print form a humanoid the size of a human being.</p><p></p><p>The group continues on, traveling for an hour before crossing the hallucinatory terrain barrier. The difference between the illusion and the reality is much more obvious at ground level, making it clear that the scene depicted is sparser than the level of vegetation in the forest currently. Continuing on, it takes them another three hours to reach the edge of the city.</p><p></p><p>The forest ends right on the edge of the city, and the adventurers carefully look out and study the area. The city is about two miles across. The buildings are clearly giant-sized, though most are in ruins, with only a few dozen mostly intact. The largest one is in the center, standing about two hundred feet in height and separated from the rest by a wide space. This one is in reasonably good shape, though it seems like the sides are broken, as if it were originally part of a larger building. Unlike the rest of the stone construction, it has a large metal dome at the top, with small metal protuberances. The entire city has a huge crevasse around it, about 200 ft wide. A single stone bridge (about 30 ft wide) crosses it. There was evidently a wall on the inner side, which is in pieces now. Just as Luna had done earlier, they see smoke rising from a couple of places in the city. </p><p></p><p>The group stands around and discusses their options for entering the city, until suddenly interrupted. A voice from behind them says in accented elven, "Impressive, isn't it?" The speaker, a drow, steps out of the trees nearby. He is tall and muscular, with large white tattoos on body and face, as some in the group know Xen'drik drow tend to use. Unlike the drow outside the wall, his equipment is finely made. He wears a fine chain shirt, with small chitin us plates attached to the shoulders and upper chest. A coiled chain weapon hangs by his side, like the spiked chain Six uses, but without spikes and with a long blade at each end.</p><p></p><p>Though wary, the adventurers greet him, with those who understand elven translating. He introduces himself as Ek'ann, of the Ka'ki'kur clan. Arrok comments that it's unusual for Xen'drik drow to provide their family and clan names, Ek'ann's lack of response indicating that he doesn't understand the common tongue either. </p><p></p><p>A discussion ensues, with Ek'ann expressing interest in the group, saying that they must be from beyond the island. He says that though his people have never traveled beyond it, they know that there are "worlds beyond", unlike the "savages" beyond the wall, whom he seems dismissive of. He says that the city "Pra'xirek" (which translates to 'forest home' in giantish) belonged to his people as friends and servants of the Guardians, but they are now dispossessed by the giants. When they ask, he says that the Guardians are dragons, though only one is left. He dissuades the group from entering the city since they will be killed, saying that the local giants are quite violent. Nameless hazards a guess and says that they realized that since they fought some yesterday, though Ek'ann already knows that. Ek'ann admits that one of their patrols did notice the fight and slay the last giant, but he says those giants did not come from the city. He suggests they talk to the clan-leader Ghyrra, who will tell them more about everything.</p><p></p><p>The group quickly agrees, with a couple being surprised that Gareth says they shouldn't distrust Ek'ann just because those outside the wall proved untrustworthy. Dala and Arrok are both a little wary, but say they agree to go along. Once they agree, Ek'ann turns and claps his hands, causing five more drow to emerge from hidden places in the forest some sixty feet away. None of the adventurers are really surprised. Ek'ann comments that it is dangerous to be alone here, and then leads them towards the mountain, having said that their lair is at its base.</p><p></p><p>As they go, Gareth scans them and comments that two of them are evil, causing Nameless to ask whether water is wet. They continue to talk along the way. Six examines Ek'ann's chain weapon and finds that it works a lot like his own chain. Ek'ann comments at one point that it is interesting that they have "metal men" too, indicating Six, which interests the warforged a lot. When asked, he says that though there were never many here, the giants did have some metal men and were planning to build more. They were useful against the quori and their ability to manipulate dreams, since they did not sleep, and they were also used against the elves when they revolted. Nameless, Dala and Six discuss how valuable this information could be back in Khorvaire, considering the theories about the origin of the warforged in Xen'drik, especially if they can find material proof of it. </p><p></p><p>The group has gone most of the way around the city when some strange creatures appear over the side of the crevasse near them. Six of them are dolgrims, like those the Angels had fought in Sharn, with their squat bodies, doubled heads, and four arms. These have thick greenish-black scales on their bodies, unlike the ones in Sharn. Levitating out of the crevasse behind them is another creature, looking like a male drow to the waist and having the body of a scorpion below. "Drider!" shouts Arrok upon seeing it.</p><p></p><p>"Dolgrim!" cry the drow warriors instantly, charging the creatures as they climb over the crevasse's lip and slashing at them with long knives. Though a couple hit, the dolgrims' scales seem resistant to damage. From behind them, the drider calls out (interestingly enough, in the common tongue), saying, "Join with us. The drow will betray you. Work with the Three and we will reward you."</p><p></p><p>Nameless' response is to summon three bison. At his command, the two that can reach the dolgrim promptly rush forward and butt them into the air. The two startled dolgrim scream and wave their arms as they describe a short arc and disappear into the depths. Their screams fade away, with no sound of hitting bottom. </p><p></p><p>The drider says again, "We are offering you another opportunity. Join us!" Evidently not trusting the group's restraint, it casts a spell, creating a fog cloud that envelops much of the group. Gareth and Corven, still outside the area, move up but are unable to affect anyone, Gareth because the drow are in the way and Corven because he, as ever, fails to activate his wand. Ek'ann and Six both move out of the fog cloud and strike at the dolgrims with their chain weapons, Ek'ann actually wounding one while Six fails to trip another.</p><p></p><p>The four remaining dolgrim reveal a hidden ability, opening their mouths and vomiting streams of slime at those around them. With the various overlapping streams, everyone nearby is hit and feels the slime burn them. The effect also stuns many, including all of the drow except Ek'ann, as well as two of the bison. </p><p></p><p>Arrok and Luna quickly provide reinforcements, emerging from the fog cloud too and moving towards the fight. Nameless, on the other hand, figures that the fog cloud is good protection and remains within, simply summoning two hippogriffs, which attack the flying drider, one wounding it. Evidently not considering them a threat, the drider ignores them and casts a fireball, which scorches many of its enemies. </p><p></p><p>Despite its magical aid, the fight quickly goes against the dolgrim. Gareth shoves past a stunned drow and cuts one in half with two powerful swipes. Six trips another and wounds it, allowing the bison near him to finish the job of treading it into the ground. Ek'ann and Arrok combine to drop another. Corven finally gets his and to work and blasts the drider with a scorching ray, while Luna hits it with a bolt of call lightning.</p><p></p><p>With Nameless deciding to emerge from the cloud and add a volley of magic missiles, the wounded drider tries to take out its enemies via a method besides spells, moving forward (and being wounded by another hippogriff in the process) to vomit a much larger cone of slime over Nameless, Luna and Corven. Unfortunately for it, though all of them are hurt, they remain on their feet. Luna lashes the drider with another lightning bolt, and as it staggers, Corven hits it right in the face with a scorching ray. </p><p></p><p>With an anguished scream, it plummets downwards. A last cry of "You are fools! You will have to face the Threeeee..." fades into the depths with it. Nameless thinks for a moment and gives a command in the tongue-twisting language of the daelkyr. A momentary look of bovine surprise crosses the bison's faces, followed quickly by a combination of irritation and resignation. They charge toward the edge and leap out, before plummeting downwards in the same general area as the drider. "That's gonna hurt!" says Nameless with a satisfied smile, turning away from the edge.</p><p></p><p>Nearby, Ek'ann, Arrok and Six have finished off the last dolgrim, while Gareth has disengaged to heal himself. The group looks around at their enemies but have little time for celebration. A large boulder arcs over and slams into the wall of the crevasse, close to the group. Looking across, they can see a couple of large figures preparing to hurl more rocks. The group instantly heads into the forest, avoiding the couple of rocks that come their way. Nameless yells a command to the hippogriffs, sending them off to distract the giants. </p><p></p><p>Once they are safely away, Ek'ann leads them on towards the mountain, commenting only that the giants normally don't stay this close to the wall, but their fight and all the magical effects must have attracted some. As they go, the others ask about the Three. He says that they are a trio of mindflayers that have emerged from the depths of the crevasse recently, with a number of aberrations, and have been attacking both the drow and the giants. They are interested in freeing the Bound One, or so the drow believe. When asked about it, he says only that the Bound One is a creature that came here thousands of years ago and was bound by the dragons, but Ghyrra should be the one to talk about it. He also mentions that the Three can apparently affect creatures in some strange way by drilling holes in their brains and inserting a type of slime, which allows them to control them from a distance and see through their eyes. There was a small tribe of driders nearby, which were slain by the Three, with the drider attacking them being an example. This account explains the small holes in the heads of both the drider and the dolgrims that some of the adventurers had noticed while fighting them.</p><p></p><p>The group eventually reaches the mountain, which the trees abruptly stop short of. Ek'ann leads them to a set of concealed cave-entrances. Taking them past the curious guards at the entrance, he leads them down to the home of the drow, which consists of a huge complex of interlocking caves. After a sparse entrance area, they are quite well appointed and decorated with paintings, carvings and tapestries. Most of them depict giants, dragons and drow. While the giants and drow are shown in various situations, the dragons are almost always simply depicted singly on an ornate background or shown battling giants. One picture shows figures that resemble warforged, fighting on the side of giants against the drow.</p><p></p><p>As they proceed deeper into the complex, the group passes more drow, with Ek'ann deflecting all questions with a quick "They need to be taken to Ghyrra." In one large tunnel, they pass a pair of drow accompanied by two scorpions the size of big dogs, with a single specimen the size of a cow following behind. Nearby, they hear growling speech from behind a large door, which sounds like "Me hungry!" in bastardized giantish. When asked, Ek'ann says that it is a cave troll, a couple of which the drow have fighting for them.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, Ek'ann brings the group to a large, well-furnished chamber, containing a number of armed drow. At the end of the room is a large stone seat carved in the shape of a giant scorpion, where a short and slender drow woman is sitting. Ek'ann introduces her as Ghyrra, the leader of the Ka'ki'kur. She greets the group and asks them to make themselves comfortable. Once they have and she has sent for food and drink, she has a lot of questions about who they are. Like Ek'ann, she seems to know something about the world beyond the island, admitting that it is mainly because of magic and because of what the Guardians told her people. When Nameless asks who the Guardians are, Ghyrra begins to relate the history of the island, adding sections as the adventurers raise more questions. The explanation takes a long time, since she speaks no common, and those who understand elven must translate her story, as well as any questions that are asked.</p><p></p><p>Ghyrra says that Pra’xirek was one of the few outposts outside Xen'drik that the giants had just built when the Quori war occurred. The giants had planned for the city to be at the center of the island, which would also have a couple of ports and would be a stopping point for long sea voyages. However, the one port was destroyed in the war and the others were never made. When the elves here rebelled (upon learning that their compatriots in Xen'drik had), the giants prepared to use the magics they had used against the quori. They were destroyed by the dragons, though many giants fled into the forest and lived there, slowly descending into savagery. The dragons rebuilt the defensive wall the giants had begun, leaving the drow tribes on the outside. A family of dragons, who were sages and studied the stars, remained in Pra'xirek. They allowed one tribe of drow, who'd fought bravely against the giants, to live with them. These were the Ka'ki'kur. They lived in the city, as allies of the dragons, whom they called the Guardians. </p><p></p><p> Then, 9,000 yrs ago (which Nameless, Corven and Dala realize matches well with the Daelkyr invasion of Khorvaire), a strange creature from beyond the world invaded the island with an army. It slew a number of dragons, but the survivors managed to trap it using their magic (thus naming it the Bound One). Its army was destroyed, the few survivors fleeing into the mile-deep crevasse around the city. As centuries passed, the few surviving dragons began to show signs of strange behavior. They stopped returning to their homeland, which they had used to do. They also became paranoid, talking perpetually about the Bound One (saying it was speaking to them) and about some prophecy. They became suspicious of the drow and eventually drove them out, going so far as to bring some of their old enemies - the giants - back into the city. </p><p></p><p>That is the way it has been for the last two thousand years. The drow were forced to flee into the caves and watch the giants inhabit the city. From the caves, they would clash with the giants whenever possible. The few remaining Guardians, now warped by malice and the effects of the Bound One (or so the drow surmise), would sometimes fight for the giants. But gradually, the older ones died out, till there were only two left. The older and stronger one died in the last open battle that the drow dared to fight, devastating what remained of the city and slaying most of the greatest of the drow warriors and spellcasters. Now, only the last Guardian, named Tyrass, remains. He never leaves the central palace any more. </p><p></p><p>Ghyrra says that the drow have been plotting an attack for a long time, but have not acted yet, because they might be able to defeat the giants (of which there must be thirty or more) or the Guardian if they could face them individually, but not both together. An added wrinkle is that the Three have recently appeared, a trio of mindflayers that skulk in the depths and send their minions to harass the drow and/or the giants. Another reason they were waiting, Ghyrra says, is that their seers have foreseen that help would come from beyond the ocean, to "wash away the taint from Pra'xirek". The adventurers must be these people. She says that if they help the drow fight the giants and the Guardian, the drow will be very grateful and will pay them with magic and historical artifacts from the city. As a token, she gives each of the expedition-members a golden disk with a dragonshard embedded in it. </p><p></p><p>Along with the disks, the drow bring food and drink. As they are eating and drinking, Dala comments that it's probably not a good idea to ask what the meat they're eating is. Once they are done, Ghyrra suggests that they talk it over among themselves. Either way, they should stay the night here, since it is one of the "nights of memory" and they will see something that she can promise they have never seen before.</p><p></p><p>She has the group taken to a pair of large rooms where they can rest and talk. Dala is all for helping the drow, while Arrok is somewhat suspicious of them. Imre, Niff and the porters generally don't care, but many are uncomfortable about the drow. The Angels are unusually unanimous in their decision to help, at least partly because (as Nameless points out) if the Bound One is a daelkyr, the last thing they could possibly want is for one of those to be loose, especially near them. Gareth comments that though most of the drow are not evil, Ghyrra is, so the group should be careful how much they trust them. Arrok adds that if they do help, the porters, Imre, Niff and Dala should stay out of harm's way. Dala promptly refuses, saying she's the one who organized this expedition and is "not missing any of the fun".</p><p></p><p>After some time, Ghyrra and a few others come to tell them that it is time to see what she promised. The Angels tell her that they have agreed to help, which pleased her immensely. While leading them through the tunnels, she says that there are passages under the city that are still in existence. When the giants ruled the city, the elves were not allowed to walk in certain parts of the city, and would access have to them underground. The giants can't travel through the tunnels since they're too small, and though they've tried and managed to destroy some, much remains. The drow can use them to get the group far into the city, whether to places from which they can attack giants or almost to the central palace. Ghyrra adds that the Three have burrowed into the tunnels and sometimes unleash strange creatures in there to incommode the drow, but they don't usually utilize the tunnels.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, the group emerges onto the mountainside, through a tunnel some 200 ft above the one they entered through. It is night outside, but there are lights glowing above the city. As they watch, the lights expand into scenes that begin as misty shapes and gradually develop into perfect clarity. Ghyrra says they show visions from the battles between the giants and the dragons. It is a fascinating sight, as if a number of brilliant illusionists were at work simultaneously. At one point, a cloud giant wrestles a dragon. Elsewhere, a squad of giants hurl spells, bringing down a dragon, before three more descend upon them with fangs and claws flashing. A higher vision reveals a flight of half a dozen dragons, soaring through the air and breathing streams of dragon-fire as they go. If the visions were not completely soundless, they might seem as if the watchers were actually present during the battle, rather than watching moments of an age nearly 40,000 years old. Ghyrra comments that the drow have no idea why the scenes occur, but once every month they do.</p><p></p><p>The other thing that the group notices is that the palace has changed. The metal dome on the roof is now a raised globe over a hundred feet across, standing at the top of a 20-ft wide, metallic shaft. The protuberances on it are glowing softly. Ghyrra says that it is the Guardians' observatory, which they build some time after coming to Pra'xirek. Tyrass must be within, studying the stars as he is wont to do, especially on the nights of memory.</p><p></p><p>Luna promptly says, "I want to fly over and try to see the dragon." Her comment is met by various responses, ranging from, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" through "You're kidding, right?" up to "Are you fricking NUTS?!" Corven and Nameless, both of whom have read a significant amount of lore about dragons, hasten to explain to Luna about the amazingly sharp senses dragons have, how quickly they can fly, and the dangers of encountering a creature warped by close proximity to a bound daelkyr. Six points out that there are no birds in the area around the globe, presumably scared away by the visions appearing and disappearing in the air. Gareth says that if she is noticed and attacked, the group will not be able to reach her at all, leave alone help in any way.</p><p></p><p>Once they are done explaining, Luna looks around at them, and then says, "I still want to try it." As various palms smack foreheads around her, she changes form into a falcon and rises into the air, arrowing towards the globe. As she goes, Ghyrra comments to Corven, "Your friend is very brave - or foolish." Corven nods in a resigned manner and says, "Both!"</p><p></p><p>As Luna darts over the city, she notes that firelight is visible through windows and cracks in the roof of some of the buildings, indicating the presence of giants there. No giants are out on the streets, although a large head protrudes momentarily from a window or two, as giants look out at the visions in the air. </p><p></p><p>Reaching the globe, Luna finds that its surface is covered with large triangular metal sections. The protuberances are now revealed to be large lenses made of a translucent crystal, lit by both the visions outside and a glow from within. Each crystal is set in its own metal section, with Luna estimating there are twelve or thirteen in all. She comes to a landing near one and cranes her neck to peer in.</p><p></p><p>The crystal makes details unclear, but she is able to make out some details. The room she is looking into takes up the entire top half of the globe. It is currently occupied by a large reptilian form, which must be anywhere from thirty to forty feet from nose to tail-tip. The dragon Tyrass moves around the chamber, peering out of one crystal and then another. Sometimes, he stops to pull on large levers that are attached to the curved sides of the room. As he pulls each lever, one or more of the metal sections slides over or under an adjoining one, changing the alignment of the lenses. At one point, Luna has to do a quick sidestep to avoid having her tail feathers caught in one such sliding section. Ghyrra had said that Tyrass was originally silver in color but had begun changing. Luna notes that the dragon is mostly a dark gray in color, with only streaks of silver still marking its form. Although the crystal lenses make it difficult to be sure, she thinks she also sees large open sores on parts of its body.</p><p></p><p>Having carefully studied the dragon and deciding not to push her luck, Luna leaps into the air and flies back. She thinks for a moment that the dragon lifted its head at the motion, but can't be sure, and there is no alarm raised. Within a few minutes, she is back with her companions at the mountain. She quickly reports what she saw. Ghyrra suggests they return within and the group does so.</p><p></p><p>Once they are back near the rooms they have been given, Ghyrra then bids the group goodbye, thanking them again for their promised aid. She wishes them a good night and leaves. The adventurers spend a long time discussing options and exactly what it is that they are going to do. Ideas and strategies range from attacking a few giants at a time to weaken them, to charming a bunch of dinosaurs from the forest, shrinking them down and taking them through the tunnels to attack the dragon, to sneaking into the palace and going after the dragon while the drow attack the giants, to heading into the palace vaults (where Ghyrra said there are likely to be powerful magical items left from the giants or made by the dragons) and trying to recover items to use against the dragon. </p><p></p><p>Another area of concern is the question of sleep, with many fearing that the Bound One might affect them through their dreams (everyone is certain that's what spoke to them earlier). After discussing many options and realizing there just isn't any magical protection that will last all night, they reluctantly head to bed. Six, who is beginning to believe that half the problems with the other species comes because they sleep, keeps a very careful eye on them. He notices a couple move their lips at times as they sleep, but nothing really suspicious happens.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p>When they awake the next morning, the adventurers realize that all of them had exactly the same dream as before, with the voice asking them to release it and promising them many things in return. Nameless, who spent some time in the dream swearing at the voice in daelkyr, is fairly confident that it is unable to affect them now, though he's not sure whether that is a permanent situation.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="shilsen, post: 2822170, member: 198"] [B]Session 23 - Pra'xirek (or "A plan? You want us to actually have a plan?")[/B] While Gareth tries to mentally communicate with his sword and discovers that it apparently hasn't developed conversational skills yet, the others take care of healing everyone and examining the dead giants. They find that the largest one's chain shirt is finely crafted and remove it, since Dala says that it will be valuable. The giant also carries a brass cup the size of a bucket with inset opals. Imre estimates it to be originally worth about 1,000 galifars, but it is quite battered and now about half as valuable. The cup detects faintly of conjuration magic. Another giant is wearing a platinum ring engraved with a leaf pattern (worth about 2000 galifars). Between the three, they have four silver coins the size of the one recovered from the drow and another golden one. All five have a stylized picture of a tree and a tower above it. Dala and Imre surmise that by the system of symbology that the giant's used in their art, it would mean something like "the house of/in the forest". While searching them, the Angels also notice that the bigger giant has a tattoo on his left shoulder, depicting a serpent wrapped around a gem (probably a dragonshard). Both Corven and Nameless recognize it as something they have seen in a book, which said it is supposed to represent the dragons of Argonessen. After having taken what they want off the bodies, the expedition decamps, moving a few hundred feet away from the corpses. After they have remade the camp and started on supper, Six discusses the giant attack, pointing out that the alacrity with which the giants attacked, rather than showing any surprise at their appearance, implies that the giants have experience of humanoid-shaped creatures of their size. They also discuss what to do when they reach the city, some thinking that it would help to find a place near it to hole up and then investigate carefully. *** The next morning, a couple of people mention a dream they had. It turns out that everyone in the group (except Six, who can't sleep) had a dream where a faint voice was speaking to them from a distance. They saw nothing and its words were unclear, but they realized that it was asking them to free it from its captors and promising great rewards. Though Gareth does not mention it to the others, he had a variation. In his dream, he saw Kizmet appear, floating in mid-air and glowing. He sensed great fear and anger in the blade and the voice faded away. While they discuss the dream, Nameless identifies the magical cup. It turns out to be what the group quickly names a Bucket of Beer, which fills up with a gallon of strong beer thrice a day. "Oh well," says Corven at the news, "At least we have a backup if we ever need to retire and open a bar!" The group breaks camp and heads out. About ten minutes later, they run across the corpse of a giant, evidently the one that had managed to survive the battle the previous night. It has been slain by multiple wounds, some from slashing and some from piercing weapons, evidently manufactured ones around the size that the group carry. The body has been stripped of equipment other than the hide armor and the greatclub. Six and Arrok cast around for tracks, and they agree that whoever or whatever it is that slew the giant had taken care to remove tracks. Six does find a partly obscured print of what is probably a boot-print form a humanoid the size of a human being. The group continues on, traveling for an hour before crossing the hallucinatory terrain barrier. The difference between the illusion and the reality is much more obvious at ground level, making it clear that the scene depicted is sparser than the level of vegetation in the forest currently. Continuing on, it takes them another three hours to reach the edge of the city. The forest ends right on the edge of the city, and the adventurers carefully look out and study the area. The city is about two miles across. The buildings are clearly giant-sized, though most are in ruins, with only a few dozen mostly intact. The largest one is in the center, standing about two hundred feet in height and separated from the rest by a wide space. This one is in reasonably good shape, though it seems like the sides are broken, as if it were originally part of a larger building. Unlike the rest of the stone construction, it has a large metal dome at the top, with small metal protuberances. The entire city has a huge crevasse around it, about 200 ft wide. A single stone bridge (about 30 ft wide) crosses it. There was evidently a wall on the inner side, which is in pieces now. Just as Luna had done earlier, they see smoke rising from a couple of places in the city. The group stands around and discusses their options for entering the city, until suddenly interrupted. A voice from behind them says in accented elven, "Impressive, isn't it?" The speaker, a drow, steps out of the trees nearby. He is tall and muscular, with large white tattoos on body and face, as some in the group know Xen'drik drow tend to use. Unlike the drow outside the wall, his equipment is finely made. He wears a fine chain shirt, with small chitin us plates attached to the shoulders and upper chest. A coiled chain weapon hangs by his side, like the spiked chain Six uses, but without spikes and with a long blade at each end. Though wary, the adventurers greet him, with those who understand elven translating. He introduces himself as Ek'ann, of the Ka'ki'kur clan. Arrok comments that it's unusual for Xen'drik drow to provide their family and clan names, Ek'ann's lack of response indicating that he doesn't understand the common tongue either. A discussion ensues, with Ek'ann expressing interest in the group, saying that they must be from beyond the island. He says that though his people have never traveled beyond it, they know that there are "worlds beyond", unlike the "savages" beyond the wall, whom he seems dismissive of. He says that the city "Pra'xirek" (which translates to 'forest home' in giantish) belonged to his people as friends and servants of the Guardians, but they are now dispossessed by the giants. When they ask, he says that the Guardians are dragons, though only one is left. He dissuades the group from entering the city since they will be killed, saying that the local giants are quite violent. Nameless hazards a guess and says that they realized that since they fought some yesterday, though Ek'ann already knows that. Ek'ann admits that one of their patrols did notice the fight and slay the last giant, but he says those giants did not come from the city. He suggests they talk to the clan-leader Ghyrra, who will tell them more about everything. The group quickly agrees, with a couple being surprised that Gareth says they shouldn't distrust Ek'ann just because those outside the wall proved untrustworthy. Dala and Arrok are both a little wary, but say they agree to go along. Once they agree, Ek'ann turns and claps his hands, causing five more drow to emerge from hidden places in the forest some sixty feet away. None of the adventurers are really surprised. Ek'ann comments that it is dangerous to be alone here, and then leads them towards the mountain, having said that their lair is at its base. As they go, Gareth scans them and comments that two of them are evil, causing Nameless to ask whether water is wet. They continue to talk along the way. Six examines Ek'ann's chain weapon and finds that it works a lot like his own chain. Ek'ann comments at one point that it is interesting that they have "metal men" too, indicating Six, which interests the warforged a lot. When asked, he says that though there were never many here, the giants did have some metal men and were planning to build more. They were useful against the quori and their ability to manipulate dreams, since they did not sleep, and they were also used against the elves when they revolted. Nameless, Dala and Six discuss how valuable this information could be back in Khorvaire, considering the theories about the origin of the warforged in Xen'drik, especially if they can find material proof of it. The group has gone most of the way around the city when some strange creatures appear over the side of the crevasse near them. Six of them are dolgrims, like those the Angels had fought in Sharn, with their squat bodies, doubled heads, and four arms. These have thick greenish-black scales on their bodies, unlike the ones in Sharn. Levitating out of the crevasse behind them is another creature, looking like a male drow to the waist and having the body of a scorpion below. "Drider!" shouts Arrok upon seeing it. "Dolgrim!" cry the drow warriors instantly, charging the creatures as they climb over the crevasse's lip and slashing at them with long knives. Though a couple hit, the dolgrims' scales seem resistant to damage. From behind them, the drider calls out (interestingly enough, in the common tongue), saying, "Join with us. The drow will betray you. Work with the Three and we will reward you." Nameless' response is to summon three bison. At his command, the two that can reach the dolgrim promptly rush forward and butt them into the air. The two startled dolgrim scream and wave their arms as they describe a short arc and disappear into the depths. Their screams fade away, with no sound of hitting bottom. The drider says again, "We are offering you another opportunity. Join us!" Evidently not trusting the group's restraint, it casts a spell, creating a fog cloud that envelops much of the group. Gareth and Corven, still outside the area, move up but are unable to affect anyone, Gareth because the drow are in the way and Corven because he, as ever, fails to activate his wand. Ek'ann and Six both move out of the fog cloud and strike at the dolgrims with their chain weapons, Ek'ann actually wounding one while Six fails to trip another. The four remaining dolgrim reveal a hidden ability, opening their mouths and vomiting streams of slime at those around them. With the various overlapping streams, everyone nearby is hit and feels the slime burn them. The effect also stuns many, including all of the drow except Ek'ann, as well as two of the bison. Arrok and Luna quickly provide reinforcements, emerging from the fog cloud too and moving towards the fight. Nameless, on the other hand, figures that the fog cloud is good protection and remains within, simply summoning two hippogriffs, which attack the flying drider, one wounding it. Evidently not considering them a threat, the drider ignores them and casts a fireball, which scorches many of its enemies. Despite its magical aid, the fight quickly goes against the dolgrim. Gareth shoves past a stunned drow and cuts one in half with two powerful swipes. Six trips another and wounds it, allowing the bison near him to finish the job of treading it into the ground. Ek'ann and Arrok combine to drop another. Corven finally gets his and to work and blasts the drider with a scorching ray, while Luna hits it with a bolt of call lightning. With Nameless deciding to emerge from the cloud and add a volley of magic missiles, the wounded drider tries to take out its enemies via a method besides spells, moving forward (and being wounded by another hippogriff in the process) to vomit a much larger cone of slime over Nameless, Luna and Corven. Unfortunately for it, though all of them are hurt, they remain on their feet. Luna lashes the drider with another lightning bolt, and as it staggers, Corven hits it right in the face with a scorching ray. With an anguished scream, it plummets downwards. A last cry of "You are fools! You will have to face the Threeeee..." fades into the depths with it. Nameless thinks for a moment and gives a command in the tongue-twisting language of the daelkyr. A momentary look of bovine surprise crosses the bison's faces, followed quickly by a combination of irritation and resignation. They charge toward the edge and leap out, before plummeting downwards in the same general area as the drider. "That's gonna hurt!" says Nameless with a satisfied smile, turning away from the edge. Nearby, Ek'ann, Arrok and Six have finished off the last dolgrim, while Gareth has disengaged to heal himself. The group looks around at their enemies but have little time for celebration. A large boulder arcs over and slams into the wall of the crevasse, close to the group. Looking across, they can see a couple of large figures preparing to hurl more rocks. The group instantly heads into the forest, avoiding the couple of rocks that come their way. Nameless yells a command to the hippogriffs, sending them off to distract the giants. Once they are safely away, Ek'ann leads them on towards the mountain, commenting only that the giants normally don't stay this close to the wall, but their fight and all the magical effects must have attracted some. As they go, the others ask about the Three. He says that they are a trio of mindflayers that have emerged from the depths of the crevasse recently, with a number of aberrations, and have been attacking both the drow and the giants. They are interested in freeing the Bound One, or so the drow believe. When asked about it, he says only that the Bound One is a creature that came here thousands of years ago and was bound by the dragons, but Ghyrra should be the one to talk about it. He also mentions that the Three can apparently affect creatures in some strange way by drilling holes in their brains and inserting a type of slime, which allows them to control them from a distance and see through their eyes. There was a small tribe of driders nearby, which were slain by the Three, with the drider attacking them being an example. This account explains the small holes in the heads of both the drider and the dolgrims that some of the adventurers had noticed while fighting them. The group eventually reaches the mountain, which the trees abruptly stop short of. Ek'ann leads them to a set of concealed cave-entrances. Taking them past the curious guards at the entrance, he leads them down to the home of the drow, which consists of a huge complex of interlocking caves. After a sparse entrance area, they are quite well appointed and decorated with paintings, carvings and tapestries. Most of them depict giants, dragons and drow. While the giants and drow are shown in various situations, the dragons are almost always simply depicted singly on an ornate background or shown battling giants. One picture shows figures that resemble warforged, fighting on the side of giants against the drow. As they proceed deeper into the complex, the group passes more drow, with Ek'ann deflecting all questions with a quick "They need to be taken to Ghyrra." In one large tunnel, they pass a pair of drow accompanied by two scorpions the size of big dogs, with a single specimen the size of a cow following behind. Nearby, they hear growling speech from behind a large door, which sounds like "Me hungry!" in bastardized giantish. When asked, Ek'ann says that it is a cave troll, a couple of which the drow have fighting for them. Eventually, Ek'ann brings the group to a large, well-furnished chamber, containing a number of armed drow. At the end of the room is a large stone seat carved in the shape of a giant scorpion, where a short and slender drow woman is sitting. Ek'ann introduces her as Ghyrra, the leader of the Ka'ki'kur. She greets the group and asks them to make themselves comfortable. Once they have and she has sent for food and drink, she has a lot of questions about who they are. Like Ek'ann, she seems to know something about the world beyond the island, admitting that it is mainly because of magic and because of what the Guardians told her people. When Nameless asks who the Guardians are, Ghyrra begins to relate the history of the island, adding sections as the adventurers raise more questions. The explanation takes a long time, since she speaks no common, and those who understand elven must translate her story, as well as any questions that are asked. Ghyrra says that Pra’xirek was one of the few outposts outside Xen'drik that the giants had just built when the Quori war occurred. The giants had planned for the city to be at the center of the island, which would also have a couple of ports and would be a stopping point for long sea voyages. However, the one port was destroyed in the war and the others were never made. When the elves here rebelled (upon learning that their compatriots in Xen'drik had), the giants prepared to use the magics they had used against the quori. They were destroyed by the dragons, though many giants fled into the forest and lived there, slowly descending into savagery. The dragons rebuilt the defensive wall the giants had begun, leaving the drow tribes on the outside. A family of dragons, who were sages and studied the stars, remained in Pra'xirek. They allowed one tribe of drow, who'd fought bravely against the giants, to live with them. These were the Ka'ki'kur. They lived in the city, as allies of the dragons, whom they called the Guardians. Then, 9,000 yrs ago (which Nameless, Corven and Dala realize matches well with the Daelkyr invasion of Khorvaire), a strange creature from beyond the world invaded the island with an army. It slew a number of dragons, but the survivors managed to trap it using their magic (thus naming it the Bound One). Its army was destroyed, the few survivors fleeing into the mile-deep crevasse around the city. As centuries passed, the few surviving dragons began to show signs of strange behavior. They stopped returning to their homeland, which they had used to do. They also became paranoid, talking perpetually about the Bound One (saying it was speaking to them) and about some prophecy. They became suspicious of the drow and eventually drove them out, going so far as to bring some of their old enemies - the giants - back into the city. That is the way it has been for the last two thousand years. The drow were forced to flee into the caves and watch the giants inhabit the city. From the caves, they would clash with the giants whenever possible. The few remaining Guardians, now warped by malice and the effects of the Bound One (or so the drow surmise), would sometimes fight for the giants. But gradually, the older ones died out, till there were only two left. The older and stronger one died in the last open battle that the drow dared to fight, devastating what remained of the city and slaying most of the greatest of the drow warriors and spellcasters. Now, only the last Guardian, named Tyrass, remains. He never leaves the central palace any more. Ghyrra says that the drow have been plotting an attack for a long time, but have not acted yet, because they might be able to defeat the giants (of which there must be thirty or more) or the Guardian if they could face them individually, but not both together. An added wrinkle is that the Three have recently appeared, a trio of mindflayers that skulk in the depths and send their minions to harass the drow and/or the giants. Another reason they were waiting, Ghyrra says, is that their seers have foreseen that help would come from beyond the ocean, to "wash away the taint from Pra'xirek". The adventurers must be these people. She says that if they help the drow fight the giants and the Guardian, the drow will be very grateful and will pay them with magic and historical artifacts from the city. As a token, she gives each of the expedition-members a golden disk with a dragonshard embedded in it. Along with the disks, the drow bring food and drink. As they are eating and drinking, Dala comments that it's probably not a good idea to ask what the meat they're eating is. Once they are done, Ghyrra suggests that they talk it over among themselves. Either way, they should stay the night here, since it is one of the "nights of memory" and they will see something that she can promise they have never seen before. She has the group taken to a pair of large rooms where they can rest and talk. Dala is all for helping the drow, while Arrok is somewhat suspicious of them. Imre, Niff and the porters generally don't care, but many are uncomfortable about the drow. The Angels are unusually unanimous in their decision to help, at least partly because (as Nameless points out) if the Bound One is a daelkyr, the last thing they could possibly want is for one of those to be loose, especially near them. Gareth comments that though most of the drow are not evil, Ghyrra is, so the group should be careful how much they trust them. Arrok adds that if they do help, the porters, Imre, Niff and Dala should stay out of harm's way. Dala promptly refuses, saying she's the one who organized this expedition and is "not missing any of the fun". After some time, Ghyrra and a few others come to tell them that it is time to see what she promised. The Angels tell her that they have agreed to help, which pleased her immensely. While leading them through the tunnels, she says that there are passages under the city that are still in existence. When the giants ruled the city, the elves were not allowed to walk in certain parts of the city, and would access have to them underground. The giants can't travel through the tunnels since they're too small, and though they've tried and managed to destroy some, much remains. The drow can use them to get the group far into the city, whether to places from which they can attack giants or almost to the central palace. Ghyrra adds that the Three have burrowed into the tunnels and sometimes unleash strange creatures in there to incommode the drow, but they don't usually utilize the tunnels. Eventually, the group emerges onto the mountainside, through a tunnel some 200 ft above the one they entered through. It is night outside, but there are lights glowing above the city. As they watch, the lights expand into scenes that begin as misty shapes and gradually develop into perfect clarity. Ghyrra says they show visions from the battles between the giants and the dragons. It is a fascinating sight, as if a number of brilliant illusionists were at work simultaneously. At one point, a cloud giant wrestles a dragon. Elsewhere, a squad of giants hurl spells, bringing down a dragon, before three more descend upon them with fangs and claws flashing. A higher vision reveals a flight of half a dozen dragons, soaring through the air and breathing streams of dragon-fire as they go. If the visions were not completely soundless, they might seem as if the watchers were actually present during the battle, rather than watching moments of an age nearly 40,000 years old. Ghyrra comments that the drow have no idea why the scenes occur, but once every month they do. The other thing that the group notices is that the palace has changed. The metal dome on the roof is now a raised globe over a hundred feet across, standing at the top of a 20-ft wide, metallic shaft. The protuberances on it are glowing softly. Ghyrra says that it is the Guardians' observatory, which they build some time after coming to Pra'xirek. Tyrass must be within, studying the stars as he is wont to do, especially on the nights of memory. Luna promptly says, "I want to fly over and try to see the dragon." Her comment is met by various responses, ranging from, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" through "You're kidding, right?" up to "Are you fricking NUTS?!" Corven and Nameless, both of whom have read a significant amount of lore about dragons, hasten to explain to Luna about the amazingly sharp senses dragons have, how quickly they can fly, and the dangers of encountering a creature warped by close proximity to a bound daelkyr. Six points out that there are no birds in the area around the globe, presumably scared away by the visions appearing and disappearing in the air. Gareth says that if she is noticed and attacked, the group will not be able to reach her at all, leave alone help in any way. Once they are done explaining, Luna looks around at them, and then says, "I still want to try it." As various palms smack foreheads around her, she changes form into a falcon and rises into the air, arrowing towards the globe. As she goes, Ghyrra comments to Corven, "Your friend is very brave - or foolish." Corven nods in a resigned manner and says, "Both!" As Luna darts over the city, she notes that firelight is visible through windows and cracks in the roof of some of the buildings, indicating the presence of giants there. No giants are out on the streets, although a large head protrudes momentarily from a window or two, as giants look out at the visions in the air. Reaching the globe, Luna finds that its surface is covered with large triangular metal sections. The protuberances are now revealed to be large lenses made of a translucent crystal, lit by both the visions outside and a glow from within. Each crystal is set in its own metal section, with Luna estimating there are twelve or thirteen in all. She comes to a landing near one and cranes her neck to peer in. The crystal makes details unclear, but she is able to make out some details. The room she is looking into takes up the entire top half of the globe. It is currently occupied by a large reptilian form, which must be anywhere from thirty to forty feet from nose to tail-tip. The dragon Tyrass moves around the chamber, peering out of one crystal and then another. Sometimes, he stops to pull on large levers that are attached to the curved sides of the room. As he pulls each lever, one or more of the metal sections slides over or under an adjoining one, changing the alignment of the lenses. At one point, Luna has to do a quick sidestep to avoid having her tail feathers caught in one such sliding section. Ghyrra had said that Tyrass was originally silver in color but had begun changing. Luna notes that the dragon is mostly a dark gray in color, with only streaks of silver still marking its form. Although the crystal lenses make it difficult to be sure, she thinks she also sees large open sores on parts of its body. Having carefully studied the dragon and deciding not to push her luck, Luna leaps into the air and flies back. She thinks for a moment that the dragon lifted its head at the motion, but can't be sure, and there is no alarm raised. Within a few minutes, she is back with her companions at the mountain. She quickly reports what she saw. Ghyrra suggests they return within and the group does so. Once they are back near the rooms they have been given, Ghyrra then bids the group goodbye, thanking them again for their promised aid. She wishes them a good night and leaves. The adventurers spend a long time discussing options and exactly what it is that they are going to do. Ideas and strategies range from attacking a few giants at a time to weaken them, to charming a bunch of dinosaurs from the forest, shrinking them down and taking them through the tunnels to attack the dragon, to sneaking into the palace and going after the dragon while the drow attack the giants, to heading into the palace vaults (where Ghyrra said there are likely to be powerful magical items left from the giants or made by the dragons) and trying to recover items to use against the dragon. Another area of concern is the question of sleep, with many fearing that the Bound One might affect them through their dreams (everyone is certain that's what spoke to them earlier). After discussing many options and realizing there just isn't any magical protection that will last all night, they reluctantly head to bed. Six, who is beginning to believe that half the problems with the other species comes because they sleep, keeps a very careful eye on them. He notices a couple move their lips at times as they sleep, but nothing really suspicious happens. *** When they awake the next morning, the adventurers realize that all of them had exactly the same dream as before, with the voice asking them to release it and promising them many things in return. Nameless, who spent some time in the dream swearing at the voice in daelkyr, is fairly confident that it is unable to affect them now, though he's not sure whether that is a permanent situation. [/QUOTE]
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