TOPIC: Tyranny of Dragons: Continues Rot 3 2020

Finding the Dragon Eggs
Maria rose groggily from the floor, as her vision cleared, the sight of her own blood on the floor around her, mixing with that of the Drakes, caused horror and revulsion.
Slowly standing, and thankful to be alive, Maria watched as the another egg was smashed and the small body of the wyrmling fell to the floor. Something was wrong… In her minds eye, the black and white images provided by her darkvision saw nothing amiss, but the presence of the Gnomes' magical fire striking the Drakes suddenly flashed the grey world with a moment of colour.
Maria watched as the cleric moved to smash the final egg, and then it stuck her with a flash, gold!
“NOOOO!!”, Maria’s shriek had nothing to do with the pain of wounds and near death experience, and everything to do with the realisation that these eggs were gold. Gold Dragons, the natural protectors of races brought balance to the world, keeping their evil cousins at bay. Maria’s mind flashed back to Greenest, the huge blue dragon circling without a care in the world, as if it KNEW there would be no challenge to its power.
Unbidden, Maria’s mind saw a scenario where the gold dragon’s eggs were captured and held hostage preventing the dragons helping against their evil counterparts.
“NOOO!” She shouted again, and the halbeard seemed to hover in midair, the cleric undecided, the brief second seemed to last for an hour, as the cleric stayed his hand, and time seemed to speed up again. Maria barely noticed as the Cleric tended her wounds with his divine magic. So intent on checking the sole remaining egg for damage. It appeared fine, not so the other two eggs, their immature dragons unable to survive in the outside world, and the sickening smell of death in the air. Maria slumped down beside the egg, tears steaming down her face, hugging it, oblivious to anything else.
“It’s all your fault,” the voice she knew as Dave sounded petulant and irritated, “I just got an almighty CREIIIIARH just because of you.”
“CREIIIIARH?”
“you know CREIIIARH, err… yelling, err… telling off?”, the bird sounded really put out.
“You wear the feathers so I kinda expected a bit more sense, guess not. Anyway, the point is, that all this spirit guide nonsense has gone on long enough.”
“What do you mean?” Maria was nonplussed.
“Well its getting me into trouble with some spirit called Nar Ator, really unpleasant type. I need you to tell him I aint no spirit guide.”
“Who is Nar Ator? Another spirit, some new god?”
“Search me, he shows up here, giving me visions about stuff, all connected with you and the rest of these uprights. He seems to think its my fault.”
“What’s your fault?”
“Exactly! I wasn’t even responsible, it was your lot. I mean lets have a look at your actions over the last couple of hours…
You wander around this cave complex, killing everything you meet, you spend half an hour looking into the mouths of stone dragons, then you get up and go upstairs and allow one of the winged scaly things to nearly take your head off (and him you didn’t kill – why was that?), then you wander round some more, and the one with the bad singing voice seems to want to try on different furs, then you go back down stairs and the rest of your flock are still poking at the holes and mentioning something about traps. The only vaguely interesting thing was the Dwelf upright opening a big box and pulling out shinies! Then you decide that you want to have more scaly things throw stuff at you before you kill them. And then it really does go wrong…”
“What, errr… how…?” Maria’s voice sounded unsure inspite of herself.
“What do you mean HOW? What in the Great Nest did you think was sensible about throwing yourself down into the pit? The Dwelf upright already said it was a cage, and cages are never good! Then there was the rather obvious fact that nothing worth keeping in a cage is ever going to nice.
I’m a free spirit, so I sympathize with the need to do stuff on impulse, but I normally restrict that to checking out the odd upright, deciding to eat the left juicy bug before the right juicy bug, having the odd frolic with pigeons (stupidest creatures in existence despite having feathers although you run them a close second!), I NEVER put myself or my flock in danger.”
“Danger?” Maria’s tears over the loss of two of the dragon eggs, threatened again as she started to see where Dave was going with this…
“Yes danger, what did you expect them to do? Leave you, even bloody pigeons help each other out against a hawk, and they put themselves in danger doing so. That’s exactly what your flock did. They helped you even though you didn’t deserve it. Aint that what you were supposed to learn on that hilltop?”
“Err yes, no, control? A choice?” Maria was floundering under Dave’s uncompromising logic.
“So that’s settled then. You speak to Nar Ator, tell him you understand, and wont do it again, and tell him I aint no spirit guide. That sorted?”
“Wont do what again?”
“Put the flock in danger, you gotta listen to em, make sure you all work together. Bloody fur stuck in your ears? Stick to the feathers…”
A long pause developed, Dave apparently was gone or sulking, Maria didn’t know which, but the realisation of what her actions had caused struck with her.
Dave was relieved, that had definitely sorted it, the Maria upright was entertaining enough to be around, but way too much trouble, and that Nar Ator spirit was a real pain. Dave silently wished her well, she was going to need it if she persisted in using fur instead of feather.
Flying up the tunnel, Dave’s heart was lighter, his thoughts turned to a nice patch of ground where the worms were juicy, the place secluded and the chances of meeting anything more dangerous than a chrysalis unlikely…
“Well done Dave,” the Narrator’s voice seemed to come from nowhere.
“What do you mean well done? I’ve sorted it, the Maria upright will tell you I’m not a guide”
“Unfortunately Dave you are, and you will find you can’t go too far from Maria without feeling a need to come back.”
“I bloody can, there is this patch of worms…” Dave realised that as he’d been talking, somehow he’d turned around, and could see Maria and the rest of her flock gathering up the remaining egg. Turning round Dave flew off to the worm patch, only to get lost in the tunnels and arrive again to see the flock leaving with the egg.
Dave sat on a rock outcrop in the cave wondering exactly what plane of hell this actually was…

A good read. A D20 is yours Inept

Love that post Tony.

Dave cussed himself, this is the thanks you get when you involve yourself in the affairs of the uprights. At least he had given his spirit follower a good telling off, which seemed to have had some effect, as they are now talking to one another about how best to approach the rest of the cave system.

“Och noo, I dunnae like the idea o’ sendin’ Elias off on his own, what if he gets attacked?” asked Flint.
“It is what I do brother”
“And the rest o’ ye are happy with this too” continued Flint and a round of nodding and general agreement.
“Well lead on Mr Cavern Crawler” said Flint.

Elias slipped down the rope ladder, all was clear and motioned the others to follow. They assembled at the top of the stairs.
“Okay Elias, good luck.” said Issy
“I’ll come with y..” Maria started to say but Dave gave her mind a thwack with his wing, he was getting the hang of this spirit thing.
Elias disappeared down the stairs.

A short while later

“I cannae believe this works, but Elias says the stairs open out into a large cave, and there are stairs leading down opposite this staircase and there are loads of dead bats on the floor.” Flint said to the rest of them adopting a pose that in another universe in another time would appear normal. Flint had his thumb in his ear and pinkie by his mouth.
“Ask him if he knows what killed them?” asked Maria.
“Do ya ken what killed them” Flint asked his little finger. A few moments later Elias appears carrying a dead bat.

“I dunno, here” and gave Maria the bat. It had died and that was about as much as the druid could tell. Maria passed the bat along to Issy, who examined it carefully.
“Do you see these puncture wounds here, looks like it has been killed by a flying creature that can cause puncture wounds”
“Like a bat?” offered Jebado without the slightest hint of sarcasm.
“Yeah” said Issy absently, and Maria nodded her head in agreement. Jebado looked round and only Elias and Flint were smirking.

They all followed Elias down the stairs this time, and waited at the bottom as Elias pushed further into the cavern.

Dave was impressed, so this is what a spirit thingy does, they shout and make their follower feel foolish by pointing out everything they do wrong. This he could get used too, although the lack of worms down here was worrying as he was feeling a little peckish.

“Elias says there are hundreds of thousands of bats hanging from the ceiling” Said Flint still with his thumb by his ear and little finger by his mouth. The group had a quick confab “Right, come back and try the other way” continued Flint into his little finger.
Elias moved past the group and headed down the stairs.

“Now you will see what a GM, I mean God can do”
“Hello Nar Ator” said Dave resigned to his fate.

Elias moved down the stairs and looked out into another cavern, he spoke his words to Flint and got nothing back, Elias tried again and again but nothing.

Meanwhile at the top of the stairs.

“His bin’ a while noo,” Said Flint shaking his hand and looking at his thumb and little finger, repeatedly putting them back to his ear.
“It’s not been so long, wait just a little longer” said Jebado. “Look” and pointed out Elias at the top of the stairs, who was beckoning them to follow. Down the stairs they went.

“So, why didn’t his whisper thing work?” asked Dave
“Ah, the GM, I mean Gods don’t like it when you can pull their best laid plans apart, by using the metaphysical rules to your own advantage”
“Ah you mean Gods are vengeful” said Dave feeling wise.
“Indeed, Elias is about to have a bad afternoon”

“Be careful down here this maybe a no magic zone” Elias said quietly. When they got to the bottom Jebado cast a small cantrip, to test this theory.

“Nope all working fine here” said Jebado.

Elias moved off to the left, moving quietly, his mind distracted because of the failure of what should be the perfect method of communication now defunct. Elias made too much noise and was spotted by the Kobold’s, six of them took off and grabbed small boulders, whilst the other six drew their daggers.

“Er, Help!” said Elias and shot the flying Kobold closest to him killing him and backed off. Jebado moved in quickly and cast his magic at one killing him and took position behind Elias. Issy moved into the chamber killing one and took position on Elias’s right.

“It’s nice when you can see the fruits of your labour come to fruition” said Dave
“It is indeed, they are looking quite good now, good job Dave” replied narrator.
“Thanks man, entity, voice without form” said Dave.
“Don’t get cocky Crow”

The fight was over and Elias looked a little worse for wear, but none the less they had done well, much better.
“You okay Elias?” asked Flint.
“I’ll be okay” Elias replied and moved down the staircase.

“Now you will see what I meant about him having a bad afternoon Dave.”

Elias moved cautiously down the stairs, not noticing the trick stair “CLICK” part of the ceiling opened and rocks rained down on Elias making a lot of noise and causing Elias great pain, the others followed and entered a room Elias looked hurt quite badly but was at the front when six more Kobolds appeared to see what the noise was. Elias quick of the mark moved forward struck the one closest to him, killing it and moved back down the stairs. The others entered the room and took care of the other five, Elias came back up.
“Here, drink this” said Maria passing him a potion. Elias drank it and followed that by another. Looking much better he moved off the cavern came round to the back of the cavern full of bats.

Maria struck forward, moving quietly and cautiously into the cavern.
“What is she doing?” asked narrator.
“I don’t know” said Dave, then in panic of another dual reality experience said “I’ll sort it”
Dave cuffed Maria’s mind, showing her a trap she could easily have become a victim off, reminding her it is not her job. Maria made the trap safe and moved back.
“Nice job Dave”
“Thanks ma…..”
“Don’t start that again. Right, see Elias looking all healthy and well”
“Yeah”
“Watch this for vengeful”

Elias moved cautiously tying a rope to a sturdy stalagmite and lowered himself over the ledge. All the while talking to Flint, it was a rubbish pit, but it had books and shiny things so Elias used a little magic to bring things to him, but all he found was rubbish, he climbed back up.

“That wasn’t so bad” said Dave

“Luring him into a false sense of security. Don’t you dare think of warning him”

“What could I warn him of, I don’t know what’s going to happen” retorted Dave.

“Well don’t otherwise it will be you on the GM’s I mean God’s side”

“Who is this GM, you keep saying”

“Great Scot, don’t you ever mention GM again, I can get away with it but you Dave, oooh that’s a no no”

“I’m not seeing much in the way of vengeance” said Dave

“Watch!!”

Elias moved to the staircase, learning from his previous mistakes, moved carefully, and taking time not to get caught out by falling rocks. Satisfied that all was safe Elias stood on the first stair “CLICK!!” part of the ceiling opened and rocks rained down on Elias making a lot of noise and aggravating his previous injuries. The bats stirred, the not so looking healthy Elias moved cautiously down the stairs, checking, checking “CLICK” more rocks rained down on Elias, covered in dust and looking as bad as he did when he had been beaten up and stoned earlier.

“Now I get you” said Dave and made a mental note never to upset this “GM” thing whatever it is.

Elias was having a bad day, those rocks hurt, a lot. All that was down here was a cold store for meats and that was the whole complex done. Jebado suggested returning to Greenest quickly and everyone agreed.

Out of the cave Dave could stretch his wings and get that worm he had been dreaming about, it was lovely to be back on the wing. It gave him time to think.
“Here if I’m a spirit guide, aren’t I to have prior knowledge of events, so I can guide”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself Dave, get your people together first. Today was a step in the right direction.”

They arrived at Greenest, returned the stolen treasure they found and gave the town a bag of gems to help re-build. They received thanks and were told they had horses waiting to help them continue their journey.

Dave visited the boy who to Dave’s mind had caused all this spirit guide nonsense, because he had helped him. He was looking much better now, and had moments of laughter with the other children, but then seemed to catch himself and went back to being sombre. It is true time is a great healer, thought Dave.

They set off for Scornubel, six days ride from Greenest to meet Issy’s monk friend. Dave followed on the wing and found himself very much enjoying this part. It all went very well and much to everyone’s surprise nothing worthy of note happened.

Scornubel a large city and Dave had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it here, maybe he could get his spirit follower to put him up in her lodgings, he decided to ask next time they meet as they have been in the Inn all day, and Dave had been stuck outside in the rain.

Maria and Elias had talked quite excitedly on the journey about visiting an armourer as soon as they arrived, but they had not left the Inn since they arrived. Dave felt sure if anything had happened he would be the first to know about it, so what were they were doing instead?

Slight correction mate, the city you journeyed to is Elturel. Scornubel is a little further East.

Here's the Map:




A picture of the city:



Nice post again, a D20 is yours

The group left Scornubel and arrived at the right place Elturel, taking lodgings at the Floh Grube Inn. They set off looking for Leosin Erlanthar and Ontharr Frume Flint’s friend.

“Well this is going to be fun for me” said Dave to no one in particular.

“How so?” asked narrator

“Jeez, you can just appear anytime?” said Dave

“Only when narration is required”

“Whatever”

“You seem grumpy”

“It has been seven weeks, seven long hard weeks. I was a normal average happy crow, with simple needs, with simple thoughts, the occasional thought about worms, well mainly thinking about worms. Okay only thinking about where my next worm was coming from, it’s hard being avian worms are our natural high.” Dave hopped round the ledge. “So in these last few weeks, I have become a spirit guide, learnt that these are the lunatics I have to guide. My spirit follower is a loose Mangonel, see that’s the other problem, how do I know what a Mangonel is...... It’s crazy.”

“Calm down Dave”

“Calm Down!! So I guide this rag tag bunch, and make them into something resembling competent then that God turns up and picks on ‘em and now, now I’m stuck outside unable to see what’s going on” Dave finally venting the crux of his frustration and anger,
“Ah I see, I can help you there” said narrator

“Help me how, you are a voice without form”

“Don’t get tetchy with me Dave. Now listen you have recently discovered how to smack Maria’s mind and how to show her things. Well it is a two way street Dave, you can see through her eyes”

“I can?”

“Yes”

“How?”

“I’ll teach you.”

“Right then yer scunners, let’s go and find ma mate Ontharr” said Flint. They all got up and followed Flint, except Maria.

“Er, why is she not going” Dave thought out loud, Nar Ator had shown him how to see through the eyes of his spirit follower, and he had been watching the group. Now he came to think of it Maria had not said nor done anything. “I think I’ve broken my upright!”

“No Dave, you have taken too much control and suppressed her, she is off having a learning experience.”

“I thought I was to do the teaching.”

“You are!”

“This is too complicated, what is going on and more importantly what is happening.”

“Okay Dave, you have taken too much control, suppressing Maria’s thoughts, doing so means that Maria has flicked into your brain and is experiencing what it is like to be a Crow, this she thinks is a vision.”

“Right so she is flying me at the moment.”

“Quite possibly so”

“Er how do I get back”

“let go” Dave let go and instantly returned back to his body, he was on a roof top about a mile from the Floh Grube. Dave quickly got his bearings and returned ,he caught up with Flint and the others and saw Maria hurrying to catch up.

“That was not successful Nar Ator!”

“It was, Dave just you were a little strong, it takes time to master this, not so strong and you will get the hang of it.” Dave followed them through the streets of Elturel towards another Inn.

“I’ll do the talkin’ here” said Flint.

”What is your business here” asked the man on the door.

“We’re here ta see Ontharr Frume!!” exclaimed Flint joyously

“He is very busy, is he expecting you?”

“No laddie, but tell him Flint from the Mountain is here to see him” the door man disappeared

“Not so strong now Dave gently, GENTLY” Dave concentrated and held back and within a few moments he saw through Maria’s eyes, it felt very different this time, and he knew he must have it right when she spoke to one of the others. He knew he was not part of it, he was just an observer.

“Well done Dave”

“Mr Frume, extends his warmest welcome and bids you to join him at his table, they followed the man through. A huge beast of a man at least six feet tall and lean with arm muscles that could crack a nut placed between the fold of the elbow between the flexors and biceps, lept up and greeted Flint.

“Flint, good to see you!! Good to see you finally got rid of that choke hold over you”

“If you are referring to my time with the guard , it is now over as I joined with my brother and came here ,,,,,,”

“Who cares, all that matters is you are here now!! The first rounds on you!!” with that he ordered three drink’s for everyone. They quaffed and they quaffed some more. A short while later Leosin Erlanthar walked in and greeted them all, whilst passing out purse’s to the group for the work they carried out at the cultist’s camp. Issy and Erlanthar caught up and drank ale along with Ontharr.

A while later it finished and feeling merry the setback for the Floh Grube, on the way taking in an armourers work shop where Elias brought a new set of studded leather, for the knocked up price of 60 gold, he was too drunk to haggle. Flint wanted some splint mail but they were out. They went to the weapon Smith, there Flint bought a war hammer, and they brought some potions of healing. They made it back to the Inn and went for an afternoon nap.

A boy was despatched by Leosin Erlanthar, to bring the adventurers back.

They arrived, this time they were taken through immediately, and wine and ale was waiting on the table for them.

Ontharrs’s low deep voice quietened the guests down. “I am here to offer you all a place with my faction we are called the Order of the Gauntlet. The Order is ready to lash out the moment evil acts, and not a moment before. When evil breaks laws, agreements, or becomes commonly accepted codes of conduct, the Gauntlet strikes hard and fast, without waiting for the blessings of distant temples or the permission of rulers. Evil must be met in the field and smashed, or it will swiftly overcome all. My friend Leosin would like to tell you about his faction.”

Leosin stood up, “As you can see we are more than happy to share and work together, but I am here to tell you about the Harpers. The Harpers is an old organization that has risen, been shattered, and risen again several times. Its longevity and resilience are largely due to its decentralized, grassroots, secretive nature, and the near-autonomy of many of its members. The Harpers have “cells” and lone operatives throughout Faerûn, although they interact and share information with one another from time to time as needs warrant. The Harpers' ideology is noble, and its members pride themselves on their integrity and incorruptibility. Harpers do not seek power or glory, only fair and equal treatment for all.”

Flint stood up “I will join you Ontharr, The Order of the Gauntlet sounds a good fit for me, if you’ll have me” The man mountain got up and put his arm round Flint and hugged him.

“Have ye! It would be our honour to have you with us!!” He raised his goblet and toasted Flint and everyone drank to his honour.
Issy stood up and said “My friend Leosin, I will join with you and the Harpers, if I am acceptable”

Leosin stood up and hugged Issy “More than acceptable my lady” he raised his cup and everyone toasted Issy. Elias, Maria, Jebado and Oz kept quiet whilst they mulled over the offer.

A short while later and the party in full swing, Leosin and Ontharr pulled the group aside. “You have done wonderfully so far and seem to work together well, much better than most newly formed groups normally do” Dave filled with pride and sense of achievement “we ask now that you travel to Baldur’s gate to become guards in a caravan of the cult and obtain as much information as you can.”

“Och Ey, well doo it, ‘course we will” said Flint

“In that case don’t drink too much as your boat sails at dawn”

They stayed about another hour before returning to the Floh Grube, grabbing 6 hours sleep and assembled at the boat.

“That’s the tiller, that’s the sail, that raises the sail, in reverse to lower it. Okay got all that good”

“Is that it, that’s all the instruction we get”

“Have you never sailed a boat before”

a chorus of “no’s”

“Ah I see, in that case the river flows in the direction you want to go and the wind is blowing that way too, so you should move fairly quickly, if something gets in your way, turn.” With that the man got off the boat

“Oh yes almost forgot, at Baldur’s Gate dock at C50, happy trails”

Everyone looked at everyone else “Er” Issy and her unseen servant took the tiller.

The first day was uneventful the same as the second day but on the second night Dave was woken to a rustling in the trees, Bandits and that cultist woman they had seen at Greenest were moving in on the boat. Dave reached out to Maria but she was fast asleep and he couldn’t raise her. “Caw! Caw!”

Jebado and Flint were on watch, on hearing Dave’s cry saw they saw the grass moving, quietly they woke everyone and waited. The cultists had lost the element of surprise, half of them waded through the river and moved up to the boat and attacked Flint, the other half came from the bank and attacked Oz, Issy and Jebado.

The high ground gave Flint an advantage as the first attacke came in missed him Flint popped the top of the cultists head off. The others possibly disturbed by this sight missed him.

Issy took a hit and Oz killed one, Jebado cast his magic killing three outright and burning two others badly, Issy took one of those two out. The battle in mere moments from being outnumbered now favoured “The band of Dave” (that’s not a bad name for the group) Elias took this and fired an arrow at the Cultist woman he hit and it was a good shot, she cast her magic at Jebado and set him on fire before running away. For the remaining cultists it was all over mercifully quickly for them. In the morning The band of Dave set off for Baldur’s gate. Flint docked the boat a C50.

To be continued.