TOPIC: Tyranny of Dragons: Continues Rot 3 2020

Cawwarkieeeiiee or Dave as his name translates is a Crow. A Crow’s days are spent on the wing and nights pass roosting in a tree, normally surrounded by hundreds of others all eager to swap stories of the day involving particularly juicy worms.

Today Dave had been on the wing enjoying the thermals (even though this is a fantasy setting, birds know about thermals they are just waiting for the supposedly self aware, sentient beings they call the “uprights” to catch up). Dave did not usually involve himself with the affairs of the uprights, and most of the time the uprights returned the favour. Uprights are very particular about fields, if you want to upset the uprights, all a Crow or any other creature with avian connections has to do is land in a furrowed field. Never have creatures been more agitated, they have even taken to dressing straw in clothes. Dave had not been having a great day, one of the small uprights kept firing a wooden stick at him every time he swooped down, Dave didn’t like to give up so after a few hours of this it was a great relief when the small upright, was shot at by other uprights. Dave watched them pass and set about getting that worm, finally the prize was his and he hopped over to the small upright because it hadn’t moved for a while.

An arrow was sticking out his side and he didn’t look very well. Dave’s sense of civic duty kicked in and he flew towards the closest building, uprights do like buildings, but not so much if they are on fire, other uprights were lying on the floor with arrows in them. Dave felt compelled to land close to one of them, an upright with long brown hair and lines drawn on his face from hard winters making him look older than he probably was, the man whispered words to him, and Dave understood them. He had to find someone called the Governor, he flew as hard and as fast as he could, luckily it was only a couple of miles, he landed next to the upright that matched the description of the one called the Governor, and said
“Governor, the Arbottle farmstead has been overrun by a group of humans and Kobold’s they are heading your way. Find my boy, he may survive.” Dave had no idea where that came from, but the Governor started shouting out instructions, and he understood every word of it, this was amazing. The one called the Governor, moved away so Dave thought it safe to assume he was dismissed, he flapped his wings and flew back towards his worm. Landing he searched the area where he last had it, but it was gone. The one that got away, damn! Dave looked at the sky and noticed for the first time it was almost night, he’d stayed too long. He settled down for a night in tree closest to him.

Dave was awoken by the sound of Human voices.
“Shame about the Arbottle’s, they were a good family, they didn’t deserve this”
“No one ever deserves this”
“Eric!!” they shout. Dave sees the men poking round the hedge rows as if the boy is hiding but they are not approaching the boys position, he flies from his spot and flies around the boy making as much noise as he can. The other uprights notice this and come running over.
“He is weak, but alive”
“Let’s get him back, and this can be a light in an otherwise dark day”
“You ever seen a crow do that before?”
“Nah but good job he did” They placed the boy on a stretcher and carried him supporting his weight between four of them. They broke out into a jog and then they ran, swiftly covering the ground. Dave unsure why felt compelled to follow, he just wanted to make sure this Eric boy would survive. As they approached the big settlement of uprights, Dave had an epiphany this place was called Greenest. A silly name for a large upright settlement, as the surrounding fields are greener than the settlement, so it is not the Greenest but is called Greenest, uprights go figure.

The men ran into Greenest and entered the keep, where the healers took the boy, Dave tried to get a closer look and overheard.
“He’ll be fine, you got him here in time, the Governor said to help hold the gates of the keep open as long as you can to get as many survivors as you can” The man waived his hands over the Eric boy and the boy was lifted by an unseen force and carried inside. The keep was swarming with people coming and going, it was very noisy and Dave was just not feeling himself. Flying to a tree just at the back of the stream behind the keep (does everything have a name, Dave thought) and settled down for the night.

As you will remember Dave had already followed our plucky adventurers fight and was last at the mill where we will pick up the action.

Dave had a great view into the Upright, spinning wheel thingy:- Mill that was the word, the shortest one with a beard, the one they called Flint had been stabbed, downed, brought back up, encased in vines and roots.
“Come on brother get out of there” shouted the one tall one with pointy round ears, what was it? Dave felt sure the answer would come to him, but it was obvious even to Dave the Crow that these two were not brothers, unless their father was kinky or their mother was dirty, and Dave gave a little Crow laugh. It sounds a bit like “ AaahRR, AaahRR, RRR”

“Brother to the Death!!!” Shouted the one called Flint, great beard thought Dave, the half elf had tried, there was real effort there, but nobody can grow a beard like a dwarf. A Dwarf and Half Elf, Dave moved one of his wings giving himself a pat on the back, why are they calling each other brother, strange uprights. The one called Oz backed off, the Teifling called Issy was firing sling bullets at the men inside. The one the call Maria, seemed to have taken some constructive criticism on board and had stopped leading with her face, she had very pointy ears, could be the sister of the (not a) Dwarf Half Elf, Dave was sure no name existed for such a creature and decided to call him a Dwhaelf (pronounced Dell Well ph). The tiny one Jebado was peering through the window at the side of the mill. The fight was over quickly and as in tradition of all good stories, backup arrived just as soon as they were not needed.

These boys are good for a bit of entertainment thought Dave and flew after them. Dave flew into the keep, and perched on a handy sticky out stick and watched the group get some rest. The Governor came over to them.
“I need to ask another favour of you, can you go outside and bring back a prisoner we can interrogate, we need information about who and why this is happening.”
“Er, do you have a really good Cleric?” says Elias
“You see we make the corpses, we don’t really do prisoners laddie” says Flint
“I reckon we could do it” says Issy
“All on one, and one for all. Concentrated fire” they shout slipping into the building. Dave takes his position behind the keep,, they’ve come out this way twice before no need to think they will change their plans now.

Soon the group emerged, and snuck around the side of the keep. Keeping low and quiet they moved cautiously on. They stopped and Dave flew on a little bit landing in a tree further on but with a good view of the group and a good view of three human, uprights. A low guttural growl came from below the tree as a huge slathering dog/rat./cat creature looked at Dave seeming to take exception at his presence. Dave was having second thoughts about this tree but the creature slunk off.

Jebado moved forward he seemed to radiate power, and two of the humans fell asleep, the leader looked round at his fellows, before he could move, Maria rushed forward drawing back on her bow and firing on the run, the arrow flew striking the one left standing. It all looked over, when four Kobold’s returned from whatever it is they were doing. Jebado says his words of power again targeting the human who remained sending him crashing to the floor asleep. Elias runs forward and hits the Kobold furthest away from him with an arrow killing it outright. The kobolds used their slings hitting the Dwhelf and striking Maria. Flint enraged by his “Brother” taking a hit runs forward releasing his crossbow killing the one who hit Elias. This was over quickly and they quickly secured four for interrogation three humans and a Kobold. The creature had been moving silently towards the group, and Dave had been too engrossed in the action and forgotten about it. They hadn’t seen it, and it looked like Flint was going to take a huge hit, Dave flapped his wings and shouted “Behind you” but what came out was “CAW, CAW” the noise made half the group turn round ruining the stealth and surprise the creature had worked hard to achieve, annoyed it went to bite the dwarf scoring a hit, it fell quickly under their concentrated efforts, but did they thank Dave? The answer is no!.

They got back to the keep and they were going to rest for the night when a massive blue dragon appeared striking fear into almost all who saw it. Elias, Issy, and Oz made a break for the exit, Maria moved towards it but cautiously keeping an eye on the dragon wary of its’ next move. Jebado cast a spell at it hitting it but having little effect, like a fly on a mountain. Flint was up the stairs and out on to the roof of the highest point of the keep.

“Just who do yer think ye are!!” waiving his fist at it, the dragon moves off turning abruptly and unleashing a fiery death upon four of the keeps defenders removing them from this mortal coil.
“Come back here ye!! Yer a Poor excuse for an intelligent creature.” The brother is moving at great speed across the top of the parapets trying to get Flint out of harm’s way. You can see it is taking effort for him not to run, as the dragon flies off turning quickly again and destroying four more souls, before finally taking off and leaving for good. A cheer goes up.

They group slept and so did Dave. Feeling refreshed Dave went to see if he could see the boy. He was sitting up in bed, obviously feeling better, but mourning the loss of his whole family. Shame thought Dave. He was flying back waiting for the others to move, when the gates were thrown open and people spilled back out in to the village.

The group of adventures met with the Governor, gathered provisions and set off into the new day, Dave followed them. A good few hours later they saw smoke rising into the sky. Cautiously they approach, it is a robed human with two protectors in leather armour and four kobold’s doing all the hard work.

Never thought I'd be reading anything from the viewpoint of a crow!

Have a D20 Dave

THEN


"Focus.", said the old woman.

"Ouch!!!", said the boy.

Another sharp swing from the old woman's knotted walking stick connected with the boy's arm.

"And again. Focus!", she said.

"Ouch!!!", said the boy again.

The old woman paused and stared at the boy with her green-grey eyes.

"If you ever wish to master Tempus’ Lash, then your level of concentration is key."

"I can do it. It's just that I've never tried this when being hit!", replied the boy, rubbing his arm.

“And so, what would happen if you were in combat and…for example…you were attacked… by…a…large blue dragon? Screeching from the skies, breathing eldritch blots of star-bright lighting from its cavernous maw? How would you cope?”, said the old woman, her eyes ablaze with knowledge, her voice cracking with foreboding.

“Grandmother. You speak with certainty. Is this going to happen…? To me…?”

She huffed. “As you know, I know and see many things, my pup. Some things happen. Some do not. But all must be weighed and measured.”

“...Were you as hard on me as you were… with my father?”, asked the boy, aware of the pain both she and he felt at the mention of his father’s being.

The old woman gazed up at the stars. “I wish I were”, she sighed. “Then, he may still have been here.”

A long, uncomfortable and shared pause stood between them.

“And again. Focus!” said the old woman, swiping the gnarled stick gripped in her black-taloned hand, more ferociously than before, towards the boy.

He winced. But better prepared this time for the following pain…

NOW

“panicpaniccantthinkstraightconcentrateicantitsfearfearfearbreathecomeonbreathelordtempouslordtempusiprayforyourstrengthohgivemeyour strength pleasegivemeyourstenrghthedragonisheresheknewsheknewshe…knew…she…knew…I…can…do…this…gather…your thoughts. Focus.”

“Focus.”

“Focus.”

A bolt of purple threaded from the talon tips my hands, screaming across the sky, like one of those fireworks that we used to celebrate the Calling of the Blade…

…and struck the chest large blue dragon, perched atop the keep, its beating wings forming a shadow upon the panicked townsfolk and ill-prepared soldiers on the streets below. The bolt lit the dragon up, like a cyan shard of scales.

It grimaced in pain.

I’d hurt it!

A bit…

But I’d hurt it!

And then, a cavalcade of attacks came. From the magicks of the gnome and the trickery of the tiefling amongst others.

And then, as suddenly as it had arrived (and caused a town to be virtually decimated), with the kind of look a being offers an annoying swarm of gnats, it looked at us – and left.

She knew!

She knew.

She knew?!

What else did she know…?

Another nice post. A D20 is yours my friend.

We had decided on a plan, Issy will cast an illusion and make it look like the humans weapons are still there whilst moving them with an unseen servant. Then we shall attack. Issy bravely moved forward and cast her magic. Whilst waiting I took the opportunity to look around and I saw a very familiar crow, I could have sworn I saw back at Greenest. My ponderings on this meant I was slightly behind the others when it came time to move as I ubiquitously looked everywhere other than Issy for the cue. They moved in and my brother shot and killed a Kobold and moved closer taking a ping off his helm with a well aimed shot from another of the little blighters.

Jebado cast his magic sleeping two kobolds.

Issy moved up taking on the three unarmed humans, I moved up firing on the fly missing my target, dropped my bow and drew my sword. Oz and Maria were nowhere to be seen. Issy struck one of the humans knocking them senseless, whilst one of the other humans took flight. I assessed the situation and came to the decision that my friends had this under control and set chase after the fleeing human.

I could not catch him up and regretted my earlier decision to drop my bow, what I could do with is a throwing weapon and I came to the decision to get four daggers for situations like this. I ran after him and saw that one Kobold had also run away, once again my distraction cost me as my quarry darted between some trees and I lost sight of him. I looked back for the Kobold and he had gone too. I was totally useless in this fight and ashamed I returned.

“How’d you get on Elias?” asked Flint.
“I’m sorry they got away.” I replied.
“We need to move then, in case they return with reinforcements” said Flint.
“Does a Dragonborn shit in the woods?” asked Jebado.
“When you got to go, you got to go” said Oz.
“You missed a whole fight” said Issy
“Sorry.”
“Where’s Maria”
“She returned to Greenest, to be with her adopted family.”
“Oh”
“She decided this whilst you were having your ablutions”
“Yes”
“That must have been some dump, to make her want to go home”
“We need to move” Flint reminded us.

We moved to a safer locale.
“Tell us what we want to know”
“What do you want to know?” Asked the captured human bandit.
“Everything”
“When I was four, I hid my sisters doll, I was angry with her for having five colours in her hair and I wanted mine done, but she said”
“Err, can we move this forward a few years please.”
“It was my uncle’s funeral, and my ma’ had always liked the candlesticks but he hated her for not marrying better, she was his star girl, well anyways I thought”
“Look can we get to the information about why you and the cultists’ attacked Greenest”
“You said everything.” The bandit replied forlornly.
“I didn’t mean, how you turned into a scumbag”
“Let me at ‘im” said Issy “Tell me or I’ll kill you, resurrect you and kill you again”
“I was going to, no need to get all uppity. Anyway aren’t you supposed to be the good guys?”
“We are the good guys” said Oz
“It’s not very good, killing people resurrecting them and then killing them again, in fact that is downright mean.”
“You can see she is a Bard”
“Yeah”
“So how is she going to resurrect you.”
“She never said it would be her doin’ the resurrecting Cleric”
“Oh, ‘cause I’m Dragonborn, I’ll be okay with this plan, talk about stereotyping”
“I didn’t mean to upset you, just that she said”
“It’s okay, I’m used to it.”
“I am sorry”
“Forget about it”
“I know I like to ask a lot of questions, it is in my nature. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF ANY DIETY CAN WE GET THE INFORMATION” said an irate Jebado
“You didn’t ask nicely” said the scumbag bandit
“PLEASE” shouted Jebado
the evil scumbag bandit blurted out in a hurry “I was with a bad crowd when we came across the cult of the dragon they said see the world and have as much treasure as you can carry what was I supposed to say to that what with me upbringing and all so I joined up but Greenest was the first place I hit I swear it the main camp is North of here” and took it a big gulp of air.

We moved away,
“What we going to do with them”
“Killllllllll Themmm” said Issy
“Er, okay that is one option, it doesn’t sit too well with me” said Flint
“He’d Kill you given the chance”
“She’s right I would!!” Shouted the terrible evil scumbag bandit.
“Thank you Mr ear wiggy, this has nothing to do with you”
“It does actually”
“What?”
“It has everything to do with me, it is for the want of another song “it’s all about me baby””
“HOW DARE YOU!!” Shouted Issy “HOW DARE YOU QUOTE THAT CLASSIC BARDIC TROUPE MCFLY AT US, THEY ARE A SYNERGY OF GOODNESS, I’LL KILL YOU WHERE”
“Nobody’s killing him” Said Jebado
“Cheers Gnome”
“You are not doing yourself any favours here, now shut it.”

In the end we decided to leave them tied to a tree and let whatever nature/ fate have in store for them happen.
We moved off North.
“Not liking the look of this.”
“What’s up Elias” asked Flint.
“A natural bottle neck and a good place for an ambush”
“I could go for a sandwich”
“Not a hambush Oz, ham comes from pigs not bushes. An Ambush”
“Sorry”
“Can we go round”
“Yup”
“Let’s do that then”


We arrived at the Dragon cults main camp, and split up, trying to find our own kind to extract information from them. CAW, CAW there was that crow again, I’m sure it’s following
We re-grouped and put our information together.

1. The dragon cult are trying to bring Tiamat back.
2. They are looting trying to gather as much treasure as possible for her horde.
3. They take prisoners; some convert but if they don’t life is short and not very sweet.
4. There are two Dragon warriors who are very nasty.
5. The leader of this part of cult is well protected and wears purple robes. We saw her back in Greenest.

We also came across a monk friend of Issy’s who had been captured and beaten, but all of that is part of his plan to get information.
We made a retreat back to Greenest.

The Circle of the Moon
The village was saved. Its people terrified, bedraggled, some of them homeless, but they were alive.
Maria reflected on the events of the last few hours, scarcely believing it was over. After dealing with the fight at the inn, the group returned to the keep. Without warning an explosion of energy wrecked one of the towers, men died in agony. The dragon had finally decided to reduce the keep to ashes. Its forked lightning breath dealt chaos and death wherever it touched the keep.
Taking to the battlements, only Maria, Flint the Dwarf, his half elf dwarf brother appeared immune to the gut wrenching fear the creature generated. The Dwarf, filled with the rage of impotence screamed at the creature urging it to fight him fairly. Maria and others fired arrows futilely at the creature, watching them bounce from its armour like toothpicks striking plate mail.
To his credit, the mage mastered himself and summoned magic to strike the dragon obviously believing this to be his last act on Faerun. The gods it appeared had other thoughts. Maria felt at one with natures wrath. The dragon’s mere presence destroyed balance, its actions were those of oppressor of the weak, and destroyer of the innocent. Not one for prayer, Maria steeled herself for more attempts to inflict harm upon her foe. Feeling the primal desires for violence swell, it might almost have been fate. As soon as it had arrived, the dragon departed, and with it, the invading marauders of the cult.
The relief was palpable. Scouts were sent out to ensure this wasn’t a trap, or temporary respite. It wasn’t, they had retreated.
The governor quickly sent word to Beregost, and Waterdeep. Messengers still streaked in smoke, crying black tears of relief ran with renewed vigour down the old road west. The sword coast had earned its name this day…
After a number of hours of frantic activity, the governor announced it was safe. Details of villagers were set to building fortifications around the town, whilst others put out fires and still other kept watch. Maria spent the time with her foster parents but somehow their frightened faces and panicked eyes made staying with them almost painful. Maria felt the hot white rage burn again. She had a brief vision of the old white bear, she had been shown in the Greenwood. Her mother had told her it was a creature of pure madness, unpredictable and incredibly strong. Such a creature was nothing if not resilient. Maria felt her skin burn, she could swear that faint hairs were becoming thicker. The burning subsided.
The Governor summonsed the group again. He wanted a scouting party to venture forth and scout out the enemy encampment. Offering payment and supplies, the tired looking man seemed on the edge of collapse. He had lived through an appalling event, and, to his credit, saved many of his villagers. The relief poured out of him in waves.
Even as the group agreed to the terms, Maria was sure that she needed to be away from Greenest, she had the feeling that she must be in the wilds in order to make sense of what had transpired, she had experienced other fleeting visions, flashes of places, and images of anima of power. The bear, snake, wolf, boar, all seemed to call to hear.. Burning skin and flashes of the white bear danced about her as she set off with the others.
After hours of travel Maria had recovered enough to be of assistance. Not that a scout was needed to find the trail left by the army of cultists.
As night fell, the group happened upon a number of humans and kobolds encamped, obviously as a rear guard. The group decided it was high time prisioners were taken and questioned. Maria barely heard, it took her entire concentration to advise the half elf that she must go back to the town, her family needed her. The half elf looked surprised and obviously assumed she meant the farmers… Maria had no such intent.
Moving quickly away as the group launched a surprise attack on the marauders, Maria watched as the wretches were quickly overpowered by her friends, and then the visions returned, and ran quickly into the gathering darkness…
Hours later at the top of a hill in the overlooking the Wood of Sharp Teeth, Maria entered the circle. Ancient stones marked a place of power, and Maria felt her heart calm. Inside the circle her mentor Stillclaw sat waiting. Around him various herbs, berries, and unguents. A sickly sweet smell filled the air.
“Welcome Initiate. You have felt the call. Now is the time of decision. Follow the moon and embrace the power of the animal spirits, or seek out the sacred strength of the earth itself and let it nourish you. The choice is yours.”
Waiting silently the older druid sat seemingly inattentive. The rational part of Maria seemed confused, but her instinct had no such doubts. Stepping fully into the circle to stand before the druid, the clouds covering the moon seemed to sense her decision and parted. A shaft of pure silver moonlight seemed to bath Maria, her soul made a decision to join her determination and rage with that of the animal spirits around her. Growling an impossibly deep roar, Maria’s form changed. Instinct became flesh, as she felt the raw power of Bear. The smells of the hilltop, and the acute hearing of the bear were hears, as was the awesome strength and vicious claws. She felt an urge to hunt and protect her territory, she felt connected with the world around her in a way that was almost telepathic. She felt powerful and aware…
It was then she noticed the bird.
It was watching her, and something about its posture seemed strange. Incanting swiftly a coil of vines lashed out and captured the bird before it could leave. Maria called out, finding her crow speech with ease.
“If you are a spy crow this is your last trip.”
“What me, no… err… the name’s Dave, I aint no spy!”
“So you say, what are you doing here?”
“Me, err, well I followed you. Saw you in that upright place killing all those stinkers. You wore the feathers… Owls are some of my best friends by the way. You obviously want to be a bird with all those feathers – cant fault you…”
“But WHAT are you doing here?”
“Err well, I was curious. You left the rest of those uprights and seemed to run off, so I followed. Thought it might be interesting to see why, and it was. Didn’t realise you uprights can change into furry ones, actually if when you loose that fur can I have it, great nesting material. ”, Maria noted the Crow was babbling. If it was a spy, it was a poor one, and her senses told her that it wasn’t duplicitous by nature. She released her spell, the vines restraining the creature dropped away.
“You are free to go”, Maria hoped the bird would leave her to the rest of the ritual. But it showed no desire to leave.
“now that’s better, we can talk properly now, interesting trick by the way, never seen an upright do that before with leaves…?” Something had changed. Looking round there was no sign of Stillclaw or his herbs.
“Whatcha looking for?” the bird seemed curious.
“my mentor” Maria had replied without thinking, still shocked to not see her guide.
“No one here but you Upright”, the crow sounded very sure of itself. “you came up here, ate some berries and stuff, howled at the sky the changed into a big furry, then you started talking to me.” Light dawned on Maria.
“Are you my spirit guide?” Maria was surprised and a little confused.
“nope, I’m Dave, and it’s time we were going, dawn soon, and the we need to be away”. Maria watched the bird flex its wing and begin to fly east (towards Greenest).
“You coming upright?” the bird named Dave took off and headed towards her damaged home, Maria had found her spirit guide, it was decidedly not what she was expecting…