Date: 20th Harvester 609 CY Attendance: Wulrakas, Cat, Daron, Virgil. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recap: The sun rises over the Flaeness, yet the stars remain in the sky, fluctuating like miniature strobe lights. The party immediately comes across a problem: the purported site of the ritual is some distance away, and the green dragon Alyxa can only carry so many people. They decide that Cat (plus his army of tomcats) and Virgil will ride on the dragon's back; that Wulrakas will be carried in the creature's claws; that Darron will use Cat's Ebony Bat statue. This leaves Elmer and Alena out... Not content with leaving the Alena with the vagabond Elmer, Cat ends up causing a fight. Alyxa, frustrated, attacks Elmer as well, and the man is mercilessly slaughtered where he stands. Taking to the skies, the group glides over the Dreadwood. Eventually they see a enormous portal in the distance, housing an equally enormous skeletal dragon within. Shadowy beams of light dart from the gaping portal from time to time, and the entire area is encased by pedestals connected through thirty foot walls of fire. In the center of these firey walls is a magically bound Dragonborn, who writhes against his invisible bindings. And, on one nearby pedestal, a red dragon perches. On his back is a woman in a dark red robe. The skeletal dragon -- clearly a Dracolich -- shoots a beam of unknown energies at Alyxa. She crash lands near the front of the portal, unconscious. Darron swoops down on his bat to join his comrades, who are virtually unhurt. Darron is also the first to act; he scales the opposing pedestal, taking aim at the Dragonborn held within the walls of fire. He kills the helpless creature in two shots -- one through the neck and the other through the forehead. The majestic beast-man's head drops to his chest, and blood flows down his torso. This triggers the nearby portal to begin collapsing. Perhaps Darron figured the Dragonborn was the conduit to the ritual -- in which case he was right. What proceeds is a battle between the Dracolich, who seems bound to the portal, and the dragon-riding woman in red. Cat's army is frozen and killed, but the essential party members make it out alive. Victorious, the group watches as the portal collapses entirely, severing the Dracolich's head from its body (which was on the other end of the portal). As they begin to search through the wreckage, Wulrakas falls into a nightmare-fueled slumber. Darron ensures that the Dragonborn is safe and props him up on one of the pedestals. Unbeknownst to them, Alyxa awakens and tries to take advantage of the party's weakened state. Cat is rendered unconscious from a blast of poision breath, but Virgil and Darron's retaliation is swift and merciless. Alyxa falls to their magic and blade. The stars above dim, and the daytime sky looks normal once more. Yet something is off; everyone can feel it, as if the world has inexorably changed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Experience: Alena – 0 XP (82,650 XP total) Wulrakas - 7,000 XP (154,750 XP total) Virgil - 7,000 XP (125,850 XP total) LEVEL UP 13 Cat - 7,000 XP (138,500 XP total) Daron - 7,000 XP (104,500 XP total) LEVEL UP 12 Inspiration - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loot: 800 gold pieces ("Lion," Keolandish Currency) 1,500 silver pieces ("Hawk," Keolandish Currency) 120 copper pieces ("Sparrow," Keolandish Currency) Medrash's Breastplate: Platemail. Dark red in color, with black and gold trim. Black spikes on shoulders. Very regal in appearance; looks like ceremonial armor for someone very important. Lacks a helmet. (Magical) Red Cape: This hooded cape was worn beneath the Crimson Matron's robe. Looks to be a regular cape until held, when faint traces of magical energies can be felt. (Magical) Spellbook: The grimoire wielded by the Crimson Matron. It looks to be in pristine condition, though at first glance it appears to be little more than a leather-bound book. Strange Journal: Found on the Crimson Matron. A pocket-sized journal written in code. It will take some time to decipher. In addition, the party has gathered souvenirs and potential crafting items from the corpses of the three dragons. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: CHAPTER 4 COMPLETE. Expect some... interesting changes. For 3 chapters the party's been tracking a dragon and his two retainers, and now all three are dead. Where do they go from here? What was the ritual about (because clearly the dragon was already a Dracolich when they arrived, meaning it must have served another purpose)? What role does Clifton's patron play in all of this? Why is Woolie heem sleepy all of a sudden? What the heck is the metaplot, anyway?' Oh yeah, chapter 4 will be written on the Obsidian Portal at some point as well. Keep an eye out for that to get an idea about what the heck has happened the past few months. Finally, we MIGHT have a session next Wednesday. I got a vague idea of a holiday one shot in mind, similar to what we did for Easter (for those of you that were there). That's about it.
