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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DMZ2112" data-source="post: 6550871" data-attributes="member: 78752">Dragons of Menace - Dragonlance Session Report 2 – 2015 Jan 21 & 28, Feb 11Dragons of MenaceSession Report 2 – 2015 Jan 21 & 28, Feb 11Kirinor, the 2nd of Deepkolt, 352 ACThe party scattered into the streets, reconvening at the inn -- a place called the Mead and Measure -- only after they were certain they were not followed. They celebrated a job well done in their cups -- all, at least, except Leagh, whose work for the evening was not yet done. He slipped from table to table at the Mead, seeking to learn as much as he could about recent goings-on in the occupied town.Over the course of the evening the party found a new ally in Shebe, a half elven druidess. Bryn, ever the mean-spirited lout, dripped acid into some poor patron's ale and was tossed out into the cold by the watchful barman. Flynt and Uri were grateful for their rescue, and if Flynt was standoffish with his non-Silvanesti rescuers, Uri made up for the snub with a round of drinks.Meanwhile, Leagh brought back to the table word of a dwarven trader in need. His wagons had been commandeered by the Blue Dragonarmy, and the miners in the Vingaard Mountains were starving for lack of foodstuffs. After some discussion about the best course of action, it was decided that Leagh would use the documents he had stolen from the guardhouse to forge a writ from the dragonarmy Captain in command of Maelgoth, releasing the wagons into the care of Tuttle, who would be in disguise as a Blue lieutenant thanks to the Alter Self spell.Their roles in the farce decided, the party went to their beds. Leagh, once again, continued to work.Misham, the 3rd of Deepkolt, 352 ACThe next morning, the party scouted out the town livery, where the wagons were being held, and Tuttle prepared his magical disguise. Bearing Leagh's forged orders, he entered the barn and managed to convince the soldiers on guard of his legitimacy. The soldiers ordered the stablehands to move the wagons into the yard, and the caravan was under way.Maelgoth's main gate was no more an obstacle, and Tuttle, his wagons, and the party reconvened on the road out of sight of Maelgoth's great defensive forts. A short distance further on, they found the dwarven merchant just where he said he would be waiting.The dwarf – who introduced himself as Dolbinn Fire-Eye, named for the ruby in his left eyesocket – loaded the wagons with the party’s help and got underway. However, their trip together was short-lived.Their small caravan crests a hill, and in the lowland beyond a broad, thick forest extended as far as the eye could see. In the distance, a double tower rose high into the sky. Dolbinn reined in his oxen with a surprised shout, for there was no forest in all of Hinterlund, not least there by the Gold River.As the caravan approached the edge of the forest, three robed figures stepped forward from the trees, where they were invisible a moment before. They were robed in white, red, and black, the colors of the three Orders of High Sorcery, and welcomed the adventurers to the Forest of Wayreth, which was where the wizards required it, when they required it to be there. It was past the time for Bryn and Flynt to take their Tests and either join the Orders... or pass from the world.Flynt chose to take his Test alone, without risking his new companions, and was led into the forest by the white-robed Silvanesti woman. Bryn opted to be joined by his companions, who acquiesced with surprising ease. That night, the student mages and their companions rested, feasted, and prepared themselves for what would come in the morning.Bakukal, the 4th of Deepkolt, 352 ACBryn's Test required him to open a magical puzzle box using his skill in elemental evocation. He was told that the box was empty, and that its solution was simply sought so that its creator's techniques could be further studied. However, once open, the box revealed a diamond larger than both of Bryn's fists together.Despite being tempted to steal the unexpected jewel, Bryn decided it was too great a risk and left it in its box for his proctor to find. The proctor poorly concealed his disappointment in Bryn's newfound self-restraint, but continued the test nonetheless. He informed Bryn that picking up the jewel would have stripped him of his magic, and then explained that for the next stage of his test, Bryn would have to carry the diamond to its resting place in its creator's crypt, below the Tower, where its curse would be lifted -- or not, depending on the whim of the long-dead evoker.Bryn tried everything in his power to avoid carrying the gem himself but ultimately all of his strategies failed. He was forced to lift the stone from the coffer with his hands, and as had been foretold its power stripped him of his magic and left him a crippled husk, at the mercy of his oft-abused companions.And yet, acting as true heroes, his companions did not take advantage, and helped Bryn limp through the wraith-wracked catacombs of the Tower of Wayreth to the tomb of the ancient wizard. There, Bryn's power was restored, and the undead evoker tested Bryn's skill in a spell duel. Despite the spirit's great power, Bryn narrowly prevailed, and was rewarded with his long-dead opponent's black robes of the displacement.(Flynt's test is still ongoing, being handled asynchronously via e-mail, so that story will have to wait for another day.)Bracha, the 5th of Deepkolt, 352 ACUpon taking their leave of the Wizards of High Sorcery and the Forest of Wayreth, two in their number now true wizards in their own right, the party found that the Forest deposited them high in the Vingaard Mountains, within view of Rayne's Drop, their destination.They found the mining town bustling, full of miners and other folk who apparently had nothing better to do than drink the day away. The small taproom was down to small beer, and while the supplies Dolbinn and the heroes had brought with them were gratefully received, they were light on the alcohol.The trouble was that the Red Dragonarmy had rolled into town -- specifically a platoon of soldiers and dragon-men from the south, led by a black-robed wizardess and her great rust-scaled brute of a mount. They had commandeered the mine, and while the people of Rayne's Drop knew the soldiers were looking for something, they had no idea what it was. There was much mirth regarding the trouble the Dragonarmy must be having with the original kobold and troglodyte inhabitants of the caverns beneath the mine -- caverns that the miners had thoughtfully breached upon the soldiers' arrival.The party quizzed Dolbinn on the presence of any local monasteries, and while he was not aware of any he did recall that his niece studied martial arts under the tutelage of an old hermit who lived outside the town. He promised to find her for the party while they investigated the mine. The party also encountered Tharivol, a Kagonesti outlander bard of valor traveling through the mountains, and invited him to assist them against the Dragonarmy.It was decided that Bryn would present himself to this black-robed wizardess as the leader of an unscrupulous band of adventurers and ask if they could be of any assistance in clearing the mine. This plot worked, no doubt in large part because of the bored inattentiveness of the wizardess in question, and the party struck out for the mine.</blockquote>

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