(5.24 PBP) Vault of the Dracolich (IC) Redux

[Steve Gorak]

A tall man enters. His skin has a sliver shimmer, slightly bluish, and his dark long hair seems to flutter without movement. He silently acknoleges the stares that cross his and pulls a chair. Without pausing for a breath and rather laconically he says "Greetings, I am Aywin". Without appearing to catch his breath, he sits and surveys the room and its people.

 

[Tonguez]

The social web was stabilizing with cluster formation adhering to expected behaviour patterns: food gathering, localized introductions, focus questions and trust building.

Seated around the fire, the Orc Urgan Magall and the elder Loklafd - Seal Tribe, Supporting Imani - formed a major center of focus and others had started to gather with them. Fetching food and then pulling up chairs. Amongst them the temple clergy, the newly arrived silver-skin and the warrior Merrick, socially engaged, humming along with the drummer Shamal and offering up a chair in the circle.

Merrick drew interest as he seeded discussion with the rumour of a Dragon Cult -> and Shade-9's Memory triggered: he had tracked signs in mountain caves, abandoned villages and scattered ruins, arcane signatures indicating the rise of an extreme threat of corruption and civilian death.

A second cluster was forming after the dwarf Bjorn entered, carrying a weasel on his shoulder. His first contact was not with the people around the fire, but with the hyena lurking beside the food table, with whom he shared a piece of cheese. A Druid [87% probability], with an affinity for nature and reticence with people.
Except that Bjorn was not the only dwarf present and both were apparently of the same clan Ironshield. Shade-9 had not been surprised to see Torhak emerge from behind the table, chewing on a sandwich like he had always been there. The warforged had come across Torhak before, he knew that dwarven names often aligned to the dwarfs nature and Stoneveil was an apt name for one who could blend into the background like a boulder in shadow.

Peripheral Alert: Spatial Manipulation detected.
​

A warping of the air caught Shade-9's attention, no noise, no movement, just a displacement as the red haired man shifted to the table - a teleportation - used to fetch a sandwich and then to move back to his own space. Like Shade-9 he remained apart, observing.

“Environment remains stable. Threat indicators: dormant." Shade-9 hummed as he processed the clustering vectors, heart rate variance, tonal patterns, and physical cues. "Capability Assessments ongoing - includes divine, arcane, martial, stealth, and primal capability.

Mission Parameters Updating: Wizard Imani not yet arrived.
Dragon Cult: rumours confirmed. No clear indicators”​

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The halfling woman who had been sitting on the spiral staircase, hopped down and began to ring a bell, gathering everyone's attention. She didn't speak, however, and didn't need to. She simply looked up the stairs, as a man descended, clad in colourful robes:

"Hail, Heroes of the Realms!" called the Wizard Imani, Sage of Hap, using the stairs as a stage, so that he could be seen by all those gathering.

Seeing that he may have overblown his initial greeting, he cleared his throat and quickly moved to the point, "I have gathered you here today at great expense. Some years ago, I traveled with an adventuring group known as the Company of the Sunlit Sea. Like many of you, we hunted for treasure and lore. One item in particular caught my - caught our - attention: The Fabled Diamond Staff of Chomylla*. Said to unlock the ancient secrets of Elf Loremasters of Uvaraen**. This item we tracked to a forgotten temple of the once-dead god, Bhaal. We had no idea what trouble we would find inside."

*

Spoiler: dc15 INT Arcana (Trained Only) on the Diamond Staff

The Diamond Staff is one of 3 long-lost Lorestaffs of the elves of Uvaraen. It is made of magically elongated diamond, and each facet is inscribed in a long-forgotten ancient elven script. The staff is said to house a remnant of the personality of it's creator, Chomylla, and her vast knowledge of ancient elven magics.

**

Spoiler: dc15 INT History on Uvaraen

The elves of Uvaraen were ancient lore-keepers who were wiped out by the cataclysmic arrival of a shooting star. Chomylla was an Uvaraenni who is said to have escaped the catastrophe.

After a dramatic pause, he continued, "The Cult of the Dragon and one of their terrible creations - the Dracolich, Dretchroyaster*** - had discovered the temple before us, and made it into a lair. My friends and I braved the dangers of the Dracolich's chambers and caverns in search of a way to claim the staff. Unfortunately, we were forced to turn back when a trap was triggered that left me burned beyond healing."

***

Spoiler: dc15 INT History on Dretchroyaster

Dretchroyaster was a venerable Green Dragon who was famed for his love of hunting Centaurs. Over a century ago, he devastated the Dalelands and battled an adventuring company called the Merry Mauraders. Like most ancient dragons, stories suggest that he often sleeps for centuries at a time. It would be better if he were sleeping. You really hope he's sleeping. But he's now a dracolich? Do dracoliches sleep?

"My friends and I were able to leave this lie and followed other pursuits - the Cult of the Dragon knew not what they held. But of late, my divinations have revealed that the Cult have discovered the staff, and are pouring eldritch energy into it in an attempt to unlock the secrets and power of all Uvaeren. We cannot allow the ancient knowledge of the Lorelands to fall into the hands of the Cult. Such magic in the service of evil will have grave consequences to our world."

At this, many of the gathered adventurers nodded their understanding while others began to shuffle their feet, concerned about what was obviously next: "I have brought you together to do what I and my adventuring companions could not: You must enter the Vault of the Dracolich and recover the Diamond Staff. The fate of the Dalelands - and the rest of Faerun - may rest in your hands."