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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MarauderX" data-source="post: 2221539" data-attributes="member: 9990">Session 32:  Leaving Paradise Felvonni relayed that the Litorian high priest, Jolenta, had asked for their help with either matter.  Would they help to end the new plague that had been released by their race and protect them from the duergar?  Or could they instead take on Felvonni’s task and seek out Thermoleth and ask the powerful dragon for aid in person if she was alive?  The group pondered Felvonni’s dilemma and agreed to assist her.  They asked to talk amongst themselves in private to determine which task they might be more effective with.  Felvonni agreed and stepped outside to give orders with subtle hand gestures that likely were more admonishing than her loudest yell could ever be.  They dismissed the idea of tracking down the evil the Incabulos Litorians had unleashed in lieu of finding an actual dragon, which to them was mere myth until now.  The party pondered the wisdom of waking up a dragon that had been sleeping for millennia to assist the Litorians, another elder race, to defeat a slave race.  Thovaas mentioned that the duergar were undoubtedly evil and deserved swift justice, whether by his hand or another.  Jerrin wondered what they should say when they met this dragon and wanted to ask Felvonni more.  Felvonni stepped back into the magically lit stone house.  The group told her that they would venture to the mountain where Thermoleth was alleged to reside.  Curious, they asked what dragons were like and what they were capable of.  Felvonni sat with her legs folded and began her recollection of dragons during the War of Abandonment.“Gigantic titans, they loomed over a field of battle with humans and scatter them with every breath they unleashed upon them.  They would strike without warning in the night, using magic to send the humans into panicked disarray.  They would assault armies as they mustered in the spring or when they were about to disband in the fall as a means to demoralize the army, laying waste to legions in less than an hour.  The war was a concern for all, and as it began, sides were drawn more sharply, leaving no room for neutrality as we were to find out.  The war naturally garnered the attention of Bahamut, the deity director of the dragons, who had decided to aid the slaves in seeking their independence.  Indrisideous had led an establishment against Bahamut’s wishes, as Indrisideous had garnered the unexplained power to ascend to the throne as deity of the dragons.  To do so, Indrisideous forced four other dragons to merge with her in a dreadful occurrence that could be felt throughout the world.  All magic ceased on this day when Indrisideous became the deity Tiamat, the dread lord of dragons.  That day dragons were struck with a life-changing force that painted them with either bold colors or that of glistening metal.  This defined who they were and would worship from that day forth.  The two deity-lords would now oversee a split domain and have been at odds ever since.  The dragons fought as loners; they each raised and supplied their own armies of orcs and other foul creations.  When one dragon moved to engage the elf-led armies the others stayed their hand to see the outcome.  Many of us think the dragons viewed this as an experiment and didn’t take the war seriously as a threat.  They used the war to let their political rivals crumble as they used their resources in battles they thought might be pointless.  The hoards of treasure and diplomatic favors that they had saved up began to be cashed out as events unfolded.  The dragons never led their forces into battle, as it was a relative sign of weakness to the other races that this particular dragon required the assistance of its minions.  Instead, the dragons urged their forces to decimate human settlements and lay siege to elven strongholds while the dragon would personally engage an entire army by themselves.  This haughty approach proved dangerous soon enough as the humans came in droves to wear down the enormous creature.   The dragons considered their size and strength to be the least useful of their assets.  Their great and expanding knowledge of the arcane became ever more prevalent as they introduced vile magic that caused diseases.  Their human subjects, though few, were more useful for testing these hideous malignancies.  Perhaps they thought that these plagues would annihilate the slave-folk, or at least thin them out to a point where they were again safely contained.  However the elves, even though they had lost the skies to the dragons, worked diligently to counter these damaging contrivances.  The elves became more of a factor as they intertwined themselves with halflings and humans.  Weapons became harder to trace, something we had always focused on, and with the sabotage of our libraries we lost the catalogs of most of the things imbued with magic by the elders.  We were winning a war of attrition waged by the humans and elves in our lands when dragons intervened.  It was the silver dragon Herria-Delatitus that invaded first with her armies.  Many of her followers had already infiltrated our ranks as our mindset was most closely aligned with the world in which we all dwell.   We had even sponsored foul pixies and other of the faen to remain in our lands unharmed.  We were betrayed, and the fey were among the first to poison our shared lands with their bitter magic.  The fey and the armies of Herria-Delatitus were also the first to feel the wrath of the forest under our tempered control.  She came alone soaring over our holdings, just a dragon always does.  The sun winked out as clouds collapsed around her, and in a moment she was fleeing for refuge from the very sky she thought she owned!  Ah, the sight was beyond belief as many a head snapped up to see the mighty dragon grounded, weakened for her own army to see!  And there she died, a most wretched death for a dragon, as the forces of the earth itself impaled her, holding her fast, while our own meager army swarmed over her like ants.  And such was her end, and not a piece of her flesh did we spare.Bahamut had likely witnessed this shameful event.  Wrath would be the reply, and in the course of the coming years the metallic dragons lay waste to our borders and mounted a magical blockade to render us ineffectual.  We pleaded to remain beyond the scope of the war, replying that Bahamut had already taken on an impossible task and that we would take issue with new policies once a victor had been declared.  Instead the dragons changed their tactics and a scorched earth policy began.  They laid waste to our beautiful gardens, our lush jungles, and exterminated the sentient trees that had inspired us for eons.  Our lands were once where you now have nothing but desert sands.  But that was a long time ago.  Sniff.My high-priestess Jolenta had a profound urgency in her voice when last we spoke.  Tomorrow I leave to aid in breaking the siege that they are under in the center of the valley.  She said the duergar have managed to piece together machinations to thwart our own magical constructs, and that these things never tire.  The Incabulos had been cast out only a week before, and their exodus had left the walls with scanty defenses.  Before they withdrew the Incabulos had also unleashed an elusive creature that has claimed duergar and Litorian alike.  Although both sides have sustained substantial casualties, it is unlikely the duergar will break off their attack as long as they have their new walking devices to press their advantage.  It is our hope that it would be in Thermoleth’s interest to aid us as we once had common foes.  If you meet her, be sure to humble yourselves in her presence as a lord of magic.  She can and will see through any disguises, so show yourselves plainly for what you are.  Tell her that you have come on behalf of the Litorians who now fight against their servants known as the duergar.  And be sure to mention the inventions the duergar have manufactured, as Thermoleth may have interest in them for her own devices.  Lastly she may doubt your word, rebuffing everything that you may tell her as she would rather remain undisturbed with her comfortable hoard.  That is when you must show her this.”An exquisite locket rested in the middle of Felvonni’s open palm.  It glimmered as she held it still, and it seemed as though light slowly pulsed over its surface.  Within the locket was a mystical message that would only show itself once when opened, and she insisted that the locket be shown only to Thermoleth.  A mithril chain from the single loop on the locket dangled below her hand as the group looked at each other nervously.  Felvonni did not look surprised, as she knew it was a leap of trust to accept the locket as a package for delivery.  Thovaas stretched out his hand and collected the chain and locket then placed it around his neck.  Jerrin and the others asked what they should do when meeting the dragon and what to expect.  Felvonni told them to be truthful as it was likely Thermoleth would not be fooled by magic or other means.  They might expect several tests meant to prohibit the foolish from attempting to visit, but it had been some time and her ways may have evolved as much as the Litorians.  The group also asked about tapestries that had been woven by the elders and in particular a tapestry that brought them there.  They mentioned Chautauqua, Kargam, and other sites indicated on the map, and asked whether there was something about the others as well.  Felvonni asked if the group had the tapestries and Jerrin fibbed at first.  His face was flush then he nervously sank his fingers into his curly hair.  He corrected himself, saying that he didn’t personally have the tapestries.  As if she expected it, Felvonni nodded and inquired no further, merely saying that she wished she could have a look at them.  The night had stretched into the early hours of the morning and the group decided to rest fully before leaving.  As they tried to slow their quickened pulse and struggled to find sleep, Quentin sketched what the dragon might look like as Grimnyr let words compose themselves around a meter for a new poem.   * * * * *In the morning the party left with Thovaas leading, the Armor of Incabulos shining brilliantly in the late morning sun.  They retraced their trek into the valley and as they walked they kept a wary eye out for any sign of trouble.  As they passed along open fields with thinning trees, a sign of trouble found them.  An arching arrow descended from the sky, and was heard whistling over Thovaas’s head before it landed to his left.  At once the group looked to their right, scanning for movement out to the horizon.  Grimnyr hoisted his axe and swiftly sprinted outward to where the sniping arrow had come from.  A hushed warning came from Quentin not to advance just before he disappeared from view.  Alex pointed when he saw a large head raise itself above the grasses and into view.  Then it stood upright and Alex knew they had seen this type of beast before.The T-rex lumbered slowly, walking parallel to the party.  The group moved closer across the open field between them and the T-rex, cautiously casting spells to enhance their abilities and speed.  That was when Alex whispered for the group to stop advancing.  A second tail curled up into view and a moment later the head of a second T-rex emerged.  The party paused as the two T-rexs turned in their direction.  Another arrow came out of the sky and clacked on Thovaas’s armor, breaking the intensity of the moment.  With the sound one of the heads twitched and the nostrils flared; it had heard and had now picked up a scent, and likely the closest thing to them was the party.  Quentin and Alex fired several arrows into the first beast as it strode forward.  Jerrin completed his call for aid, and a celestial crocodile sallied forth towards the two large lizards.  Thovaas readied his lance once more and prepared to charge as he and Grimnyr moved forward.  The humongous lizards ran to them, closing the distance between them and the party in seconds as their muscular legs covered fifteen feet per stride.  The T-rex’s heads bobbled side to side as their eyes locked in on their target, and their jaws clicked as they drooled with anticipation.  More arrows sank deeply into the dinosaurs’ hides as they towered over the group.  Grimnyr ran and leapt through the air, descending with a tremendous blow as Thovaas drew the Sword of Zurn, a blade made to defeat reptiles.  Grimnyr then unleashed his full fury and might, his axe diving into the taught flesh of the dinosaur time and again with ease.  Working quickly the party slashed, stabbed, shot, clawed and bit the T-rexs.  Jerrin, now assuming the form of a massive ape, tore the first beast’s mandible from its head and slung it aside, letting the beast writhe violently in the grass before it died.  The second beast snapped its jaws into the celestial crocodile.The group brought down the second enormous reptile quickly before it got to choose another target.  Immediately the party began scanning the grasses and trees for wherever an archer may be hidden.  Quentin darted from shadow to shadow, coming to the crest of a gentle hill three hundred yards away.  His eyes continuously searched his surroundings for any signs of a humanoid that might have fired the long, heavy arrows at Thovaas.  Finding nothing he returned to the site of the fight.  The others compared the teeth of the two T-rexs with those they had taken from the first they had defeated, noting that they were about the same size.  They saw the T-rexs had been pawing through an old carcass of another strange beast, one with three horns sprouting from a hard carapace.  Satisfied that there was nothing left for them there, they decided to move on.  * * * * *Traveling back through the crevasse that had led them to the valley, Quentin was the first to see that the way back was now guarded.  Slapping Thovaas’s mount to wake the leading paladin, Quentin called for a halt.  It was clear there were more than half a dozen tall, dark humanoids over the exit from the valley.  Each had gangly legs that carried massive upper bodies, and one of them noched an arrow in a thickly wound recurve bow.  Another held onto four leashes that held back two hyenas and two skeletal recreations of themselves.  The group burst into action.  Alex maneuvered to the edge of the jungle growth where he fired an arrow as Quentin sank into the shadows after doing the same.  Thovaas spurred his steed forth to close the distance to them and Jerrin, still in ape form, walked with his knuckles around the pond on his right.  Grimnyr then made his way up the trail and launched a spell that burst with a shimmer as the smell of spices filled the air.  Several of those on top of the wall were suddenly dazed and the one with the leashes dropped them to babble and murmur in a language none understood.  Arrows came down from the wall, many of them clanking against the armor Thovaas had donned.  A spell was cast at Jerrin and at a few others but each resisted in turn.  Two of the dog-like beasts dropped their bows in order to engage Thovaas.  One of them wrapped its flail around his leg and dragged him from his saddle then the other attacked with a morningstar that glanced off of the knight’s armored chest.   Thovaas stood as more blows were driven aside by the armor then attacked the beast with the heavy flail until he fell.  The morningstar-weilding creature knocked Thovaas down in order to try to pummel him into the ground, but suddenly his steed landed its hooves on the dog-beast’s shoulders to snap bones.  Thovaas slashed the beast one last time before pulling himself onto his mount once again.  On the other side Grimnyr met one of the hyenas halfway, leaping through the air to split its skull as he landed.  Jerrin summoned forth a cloud of fog to obscure the site of the caster on the wall before guiding Tempest forward with him.  They and Grimnyr met another of the massive dog-like beasts, knocking it to the ground with a surprising strike.  They moved closer to the stair on their left to chase after the caster as one of the skeletal creatures raced to engage Alex as he shot arrows at open targets.  The other skeletal creature pursued Quentin as he had come forward, just as the prone beast rolled off of the ground to give chase.  Grimnyr saw the spell-slinging beast at the top of the stairs, and as their eyes locked Grimnyr felt a spell effect wrap around his body, holding him in place.  Quentin raced to find a shadowed corner near the stair and breathed as sigh of relief.  Jerrin moved in to intercept one of the beasts as it came towards Grimnyr just before it ran away, still confused.  The spell casting creature then darted into the fog bank, hoping to hide from Quentin and Jerrin as they raced after him.  It jumped clumsily from the wall to hit the ground below before attempting to limp away.  Quentin leapt after him, rolling with the fall and tumbling to his feet to catch the fleeing creature.  Grimnyr shook loose from the spell that had befallen him and whirled to also give chase to the spell caster.  Thovaas reared his steed to kick at the archer beast before he swung a final blow across its chest to topple it from the wall.  Galloping down the steps, he raced across the open ground to where Alex was giving ground to the skeleton that had bloodied his arm.  Alex wielded his rapier in one hand and a dagger in the other, but his blows were not nearly as effective since the creature had no flesh for him to pierce.  Thovaas called forth the power of Heironeous, which only got its attention at first, then with a second calling blasted the skeleton with fiery might turning its bones to ash.  Grimnyr growled at the spell casting creature as it begged for its life.  Grimnyr turned his axe blade to the side and hit the caster as hard as he could in the face, knocking it unconscious.  Jerrin grasped onto the remaining skeleton and tackled it under his large girth.  Soon a skull popped away from the spine and the rest of the bony thing fell apart in his arms.  Quentin stabbed one of the beasts that had clawed Jerrin and the creature slumped forward.  The last dog-like beast stood on the stairs and unwrapped first one whip, then a second, and lashed Quentin across his back with the knife-like tips.  Jerrin and Quentin worked in tandem against the thing, and Grimnyr suddenly descended from the sky to fell the creature. Squeals and yips were heard before the few living beasts ceased breathing.  Surveying the battle field they began collecting the weapons as Thovaas bound and gagged the spell caster.</blockquote>

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