Recap [present tense] Meeting the Drow The party leave the castle to go meet the drow diplomats. On the south side of the draw bridge are Joyce Orcshammer, her half-ogre guard named “Sweets”, and a white-haired scraggly looking elf who is friends of Rurrick named Merellian (the same elf they saw down in the sewers months ago). With them are elves of Thrinegrove who have decided to stick around as well as Eurik tribesmen and orcs who have shown up to guard Urd. The group escorts the party to the “Sleep Lizard”, a kobold tavern to the east located on the north side of the Commoner’s Market. The party goes inside to the dark tavern with short doors and ceilings, and they sit down at the bar and are served an acidic drink by the kobold bartender. The bartender says, “One moment” and leaves. In the dim tavern light 5 drow women, 4 drow men, all cloaked. They look very uncomfortable and shifty. One woman approaches, still cloaked. You catch she smell of blood about her. You notice the men are all carrying blades in one hand, and large bulky bags in another. A drow with gray skin, white hair, and black lips wearing a tiara approaches. She says, “I am Zebestra. Our offer is simple, we have an temporary alliance with the deep gnomes. Dree has been harassing both our empires and the deep gnome confederacy for years now, we’re sick of it. Our mother demands payment in kind. For every Drow killed or taken as a slave, we intend to kill or enslave ten times that many of their kind. Communally we, along with the deep gnomes, can commit 20,000 troops to a war effort. We’re staying in the basement of a burned-down brewery to the northeast side of town once just northeast of the mage’s row. You’ll know it when you see it. If you want to talk further, we’ll be there. Bring yourselves but no weapons. We bring you gifts as a sign of temporary friendship.” She stamps her left foot. All four of the men grab their bags set them in front of the party. Rurrick opens a bag and it is filled with goblin heads. She looks at you and says, “They haven’t been acting alone. Just as we suspect some Drow have aligned with Dree, some orcs and humans of Bonehammer have allied themselves with the goblins. Not many, but we’ve found some.” Zebestra turns to Urd and says, “It was good to meet you Urd Sahiva. I look forward to our conversation.” They cast darkness on the area and leave. The party pays the bartender a total of 35 gold to let them sort through the bags in a room, Urd doesn’t recognize any of the faces. Then the bartender says he will dispose of them. [past tense] The party returned to the castle, meeting up with some elves from Sehe on the way: Vulwin Quirona, Lorelei Gafaye and Elduin Gafaye. Lorelei says she is the aunt of Alaise Gafaye, a warrior from Sehe who came with Lorykorth "Lorie" Golndrom 9 months ago. Asking for an object of his, the Lorelei gave Rurrick a wooden toy sword of Alaise’s from when he was a child. Rurrick scryed on him and say a drow in plate armor fighting some Yuan-Ti, with him was a fire genasi, tiefling, and half-elf. Then Ron shared how he’d heard of a massacre in Gravelback last fall by Corrive in a library, which could have been where they went. Rurrick shared his knowledge about reincarnation magics. Lorelei and her group left, with Rurrick asking about what should he do if any of them need to be Reincarnated. After realizing it would likely mean he couldn’t fly any more, Ailekk told Rurrick to put him on the DNR list. Kalrithni, Volandra, Cassius and Ron stayed with at the temporary Indrasian consulate for the evening, while Ailekk, Rurrick, and Urd stayed with Horn and Uhkluk in Ailekk’s alchemy tower (Newt was there as well). In the night, Rirre visited Ailekk while sitting on his tower. She shared that she, too spent time growing up in the elemental plane of air after seeing her family butchered in front of her. She said she had pets there called “Vooms”, some sort of minor wind and dust elemental. During the conversation, Ailekk said he felt trapped by his own loyalty and sense of duty to his people,and Rirre assured him he was free. Unfortunately, Ailekk had no better ideas on what he should be doing. After a brief conversation, Rirre left. [present tense] Ailekk remembers [Feng tells him/them] a legend so ancient it had been passed down by easily a hundred generations, probably more, of the “Surokocra” meaning “Silver-bird”. Legend is, their people came to these harsh mountains and were given safety by the local dwarven lords who ruled (the Kiernard) to stake claim as long as they could defend their lands. While there, they found they found rampaging tribes of ogres, ruled by a Frost giant. They almost killed all of the Aarakocra. One day, a silver dragon was flying in the sky, chased by a single larger green dragon. Under the silver dragons wings were three child dragons. The Aarakocra chief at the time, Suro, looked at those child dragons and couldn’t stand by idol. So Suro took his best people into the sky to defend the dragon. They all died, so did the larger silver dragon. But one child got away, and the non-warrior Aarakocra who stayed by ground spirited the child off to safety. The dragon was mad, angry, and vengeful. It hunted their people almost to extinction not just in the Kiernard mountains but across the lands, anywhere it could go it was so angry. Eventually it forgot, or more likely gained a new more powerful enemy. Over time, it forgot about them, but they didn’t forget. Hundreds and hundreds of generations passed. They even changed the word “silver” in their language to be “Suro”, and they named the child dragon they rescued “Surokocra”, meaning “Silver bird”. Over the years, Surokocra is legend in Aarakocra legend around the entire realms. She has defended their territories, and she is the reason why multiple tribes (of subspecies) now all live in the Kiernard mountains. Over the last several generations, she has seen those mountains as a safe haven that was relatively safe to bring tribes from other areas to live there. When Ailekk was a child, over 50 years she had brought hundreds and hundreds of Aarakocra there. She was always considered to by a myth and legend. But thinking about it, Rirre fits the bill. Queen Lightcrown’s Event Queen Lightcrown is a beautiful young woman in gorgeous crimson red dress. She has chocolate skin and curly hair, and a single collar around her neck. Hanging at her side, tied to her waist is a dagger scabbard inlaid with obsidian gems, with an ornate dagger in the scabbard. On the pommel of the blade is the symbol of Tiamatt inlaid into the make of the blade. She has beautiful bracers on, made of gold and inlaid with deep green emeralds. As the party walks in, she sits in the back in her group, listening and nodding, but not speaking or smiling. To either side of her are two creatures which don’t look dead, but don’t look not undead either. They have ancient plate armor breastplates but their heads and arms are fully exposed. Their flesh looks tough, and is heavily textured but not pierced or rotting. On each of their foreheads is some sort of symbol that was obviously carved into their flesh, their lips are shrivelled and sunken in together in a position you think is permanent. The have swords and their waists, and they stand to either side of Queen lightcrown full erect in posture, with their eyes darting about, seeing and looking at everyone. Queen Lightcrown’s guards are a dozen Dragon Knights, all dressed in plate mail with symbols of Shrave on their armor. Amidst all of this, in the middle is an adult green dragon, a familiar looking green dragon. Seeing him outside of combat, you recognize Lord Nivicras the Scary One from Guilds Town. He is scarred for a dragon, and you see patches of gray scales growing into his form. On his right arm is a giant, massive, symbol of Tiamat that was branded into his scales. On his fingers you see familiar looking rings, larger, but of a similar design worn by the mages in Dree that they used to syphon life from the minotaurs. Lord Nivicras a one single large scar, a series of four slash wounds running from ear to ear underneath his neck, as though a larger dragon at some point in his life had attempted to behead him with its claws. He looks around and says: “Small people. Thank you for coming. I know these are uneasy times and tensions run high, but thanks to the tireless efforts from Shrave patriots like Breschka and her intrepid heroes, the Raffolk Slayers, the events over the last couple of month are being investigated and culprits brought to justice.” Some people clap. He continues, “I encourage all of you to enjoy the food and beverages provided by our host, Princess Brescka. Meanwhile, after dinner I ask that representatives from Dravens, Thrinegrove, Gravelback, and Bonehammer stick around to have a private discussion with me. Queen Lightcrown plans on sticking around until tomorrow evening, so if you have business to discuss with… her, in person it must be concluded before that time. Now, everyone enjoy the company. If you don’t I’ll eat you.” People clap, cheer, bow, and some just shrink back as their asses pucker up. During the dinner, the party notice the following groups talking to each other: Dree is talking to Tarl, Vemk, and the Dravens Nobles (what’s left of them). Nards are talking to the Free Bullywugs and Aarakocra. Brescka (Dravens) is talking to Shevorth, Kantun, Sehe, Mozmon, Gravelback, Indra, and Seddriz Shevorth are talking to Kantun, Sehe, Mozmon Mozmon is talking to Seddriz Tarl and Vemk are talking Drow to no one (except Urd) The Fight Breaks Out Ailekk and Ron go by the Indra delegation, Cassius moves to the southeast where Volandra is in a corner with her back to a wall. Urd goes with Rurrick to speak to Queen Lightcrown. Rurrick pushes his way through the bullywugs talking to Lord Nivicras and says to him, “Stand aside worm.” From here things happened quickly. Ron moved to the south to be near Cassius even as the dragon’s tail lashed out, bludgeoning Rurrick. Rurrick, changed into an elk, bashing into Lord Nivicras causing some damage. Urd made a plea for the creature to stand down. Queen Lightcrown’s necromatons moved off from her a measure, then Lord Nivicras lit into Rurrick with a bite and two claws, killing the elk and leaving Rurrick bloody on the floor. He then stepped back. Post Game Initiative: Ailekk 22, Ron 21, Dragon Knights 19, Rurrick 19, Urd 16, Cassius 12, Queen Lightcrown 11, Nivicras 4. The ballroom is 3 stories tall, with slanted windows at the top and giant columns supporting the domed roof. Statues of saints and heroes from Dravens history are built alongside the upper walls, and there is a balcony overlooking the ballroom. In just a few seconds, the lively gathering of diplomats has gone from being a tense but peaceful situation to the beginning of a bloodbath. Nivicras the Scary One towers over the hunched and ripped up form of Rurrick, acting diplomat of Thrinegrove. Rurrick sees his own blood and hears the heavy breathing and growling of the worm before him. He can taste his own blood in his mouth. On one knee struggling to stay upright he can see well the rings on the dragon’s fingers, looking back behind him to see Queen Lightcrown with a familiar looking collar around her neck. She is looking directly at Rurrick even as she takes the dagger around her waist from the sheath and place it in her lap. She looks at Rurrick with a cold, indifferent look [Urd & Rurrick Insight Check]. Urd, standing behind his comrade can see the bloodthirsty look in Nivicras’ eyes. Off to the left and right he can see some elves have come out of the crowd and are not fleeing. In front of him, the hobgoblins and bullywugs have split into their respective groups with the hobgoblins to the left and bullywugs to the right. The bullywugs are splitting their attention between the bloodied dwarf on the floor and the ferocious looking green dragon, of whom they are obviously frightened. The hobgoblins are much more collected. The leader among them, a shorter looking hobgoblin who is almost as broad has he is tall shouts, “Defensive formation number 8. An attack on us is an act of war” and the hobgoblins around him draw their weapons and organize themselves around him. Behind him Urd hears Breschka say, “Send the message now Ma.” Ailekk sees all of this and more. He sees Breschka say something into Ma Thornberry’s ear then stride forward towards Urd. Behind her the two diplomats of Shevorth begin to walk behind her but she shakes her head and they back off, although they don’t look happy or convinced they shouldn’t intervene. Ailekk sees the Queen Lightcrown’s two creatures keeping an eye on both her and each other, their fingers twitching and making arcane gestures, or maybe they are using sign language. Ailekk isn’t sure. He also notices most diplomats are starting to flee to the south. Off to the southwest he sees Rirre say something to the Aarakocra with her, they all take flight and start moving to the south, she takes flight and perches on the west balcony. Ailekk, still standing near the Indrasian diplomats and hears Pixi tell 6 of his “diplomats” to “mind the hobgoblins, Vatcher and I will take out the bullywugs.” Near them the farmer dwarves of Seddriz and scholar dwarves of Gravelback begin moving to the south, trying to stay out of the event. Cassius and Ron are off to the southeast with Volandra. Who is busy taking out her weapons, she looks at them and says, “If we do this the dragon dies first.” At this point Ron looks up at Nivicras and sees the familiar looking rings around his giant fingers, and notices the collar around Queen Lightcrown’s neck. Behind them they hear a cracked voice, “Better late than never I suppose” turning their heads they see Kalrithni standing there, one hand on her sword. “What are we doing boys?” Nivicras roars, “Knights, seize the dwarf. It looks like I’m having Nard for dinner.” He then looks at the Indrasians soldiers moving towards the hobgoblins and bullywugs, “And you Vinarr scum should kill your enemies where they stand.”