Where Dragon's Dare!

[SalmonMax]

Seelia's face lit up when she was given the stone, and she held it up over her head so light refracted through it and made a gleeful 'eeeee' noise.

 

Then she quickly glanced at the Wizard and dug around in her pouch. After a moment she came up with her pipes, a row of reeds of varying lengths strung together in such a way that they made a musical scale when one blew through them in sequence.

 

"The gem is quite nice, but since I may not put debt on my knight or queen, I offer these pipes in payment. They're well made, and once sung a mighty dire gibbon to sleep, letting a flock of trammel gnobolds past in safety! I cannot with honesty swear that they are definitely not magical in nature...a fit and worthy trade for a gem such as this!"

[Veral]

Yimtac takes the gem carefully, staring into it with wide-eyed curiosity. He turns it to and fro, appraising the worksmanship and the details of the magic cast upon it. 

 

Yimtac smiles a toothy grin as he finally realizes what he wants. "Aside from the chance to help my comrades in their individual quests, I seek knowledge. I would like to become a student of yours. I understand I may need to prove myself, and I am more than willing to do so. I am an Artificer, not a wizard, but I believe there is much I can learn from you." He chuckles, "Perhaps I could demonstrate my worth with a quest or two."

[Nina]

The Wizard listened to each in turn making no comment, only pausing  once to accept Seelia's gift and give her a deep bow. After each adventurer had spoken, he nodded and turned to the big fireplace walking over to it he placed Seelia's gift on the mantel then turned back to face them.

 

“Yimtac, the desire to add to your knowledge is commendable and is all that is needed for you to study here. However, I sense that your true desire is to prove yourself to yourself and in that I do believe that I might be able to accommodate.”

 

He crosses over to stand in front of Brarga, pausing to look a Seelia a moment, then to Brarga nods, “You are the consummate soldier, asking only for the success of your comrades, and nothing for yourself. If not direct intervention, hmm,” he rubs his chinand strokes his beard, “Advice. “ He turns and walks back to the table where he and the Elf had been playing, He looks down at the empty board for several moments.

 

Suddenly he spins back to face the band and points a long finger at Brarga. “Your Emperor fades, that is why your wars have stalled, which is not a bad thing in and of itself. But who shall be next? Several stand in waiting, each ambitious, covetous, each ready to resume the mantel of conqueror. Like Yimtac I think you need to prove yourself, and in so doing help your friends. I can point you in the right direction, I think.”

 

He faces Seelia, “Ah my little pixie, you gave me a gift in return for my stone yet asked nothing for yourself.”  He looks all around at the adventurers. “None of you really asked for anything. That is special. I will have to think on this, while you prove yourself.”

 

“And that leaves Kathra, the only one of you who really asked for anything, revenge. Which I can not give. But join your friends and prove yourself with them and I can show you how to redirect your hatred and anger and make something good of it.”

 

 

 

[Shameless]

Brarga nodded in response to the Wizard's assessment and response to their various requests, taking note of how he focused on all of them together, proving themselves.  He didn't indicate that they had to prove themselves to him, necessarily, and he understood it could easily be taken in general.  

Taking the sum of what he said as a whole, he asked calmly.  "How would you say we best prove ourselves, have you a task that you'd set us to?" it was acceptance that they hadn't, and a request for a means to do so, all in one.   He worked to keep his tone from sounding gruff, as when he was a soldier,  which wasn't an easy feat for him.  Through accomplishing together what he set them to do, they'd prove their worth to any and all, or at least it would be another step on the journey to do so.

[Asarasa]

Kathra folded her arms with the rasp of steel on steel as vambraces slide across breastplate. Though she kept her expression pleasant, leaf green eyes hardened to moss-covered stone and a fierce toss of her head flung forge-fire hair over a broad shoulder.

"By stone and fire, Wizard, revenge and justice aren't always strangers," the dwarven paladin asserted stoutly. "And anger in itself is not a foul thing. Another name for it, or perhaps its kin, is passion. And as you say, it is how it is nurtured and directed that will prove if it be dross or true gold. My vow abides, but aye, I can be patient in forging my vengeance as a most worthy weapon." Kathra nodded and stood up. "And in the meantime, allow me the opportunity to prove the worth of myself and my vow."

The brawny but beautiful dwarf woman smirked with vivacious fatalism. "But be it known, my patience, it is not eternal, whilst the Dead King, he is, and the danger at Life's End will not always be contained. It and he will require a most final intervention."

[Nina]

"Very little is eternal in this world..." the old wizard mumbles as he moves past the group pausing to look at the singer once more. "Pay attention and keep your embellishments within reason."

 

He stops at the door and faces them all again, "To answer your question Brarga, I think you will find plenty of ways to prove yourselves without my direction. I shall return you to your start, just keep your eyes and ears open and opportunity shall find you."

 

With that a gnarled staff pops into existence in his hand and he slams it onto the floor and the tower shakes and...

 

Everyone is standing exactly where thy had been when they used the original stone, their mounts and gear all around them, the Inn behind them and the day ahead.

[Shameless]

Brarga looked around, making sure his companions were all there and alright out of reflex.   As a leader and a former soldier, he would always look to his allies' safety over his own first, it was how he'd seen it done and been taught to do.   Seeing they were all fine, he placed the new stone in a secure pocket, and nodded.  "Right, so that didn't go as planned, but I do think it did go well.   He did actually see us, even if our means of getting there was unconventional."  He looked to Tandal.  "Thanks for that.   Will you be joining us for what comes next?"

 

[Asarasa]

"As for what comes next..." The thickly built dwarf woman clapped her hands, the burnished leather of her gauntlets making a loud smack. "Let us meander our way to the town square and see if there are any postings in need of a band of hale adventurers like ourselves, and that may present us the opportunity to prove ourselves to a certain Wizard."

Kathra stalked over to Anvil and mounted her fey and fierce wargoat with a practiced motion. "Our visit to said Wizard went much faster than I expected, aye." She nodded at Tandal with a wry smile. "There is most of the day left and I feel like I've lingered at this inn enough lately."

[Nina]

Chapter II

“In which our heroes find a purpose”

 

Kathra studied the boards, perusing the dozens of paper, parchment, vellum, and one bark, note offering jobs. All of them were simple guard/escort jobs, except the bark note, that one was for scaring off crows from a farm collective.

 

Kathra was disgusted, the rest of the party had followed her into the city, took one glance at the board and retired to a nearby drinking establishment, leaving her to read the offers. None was attractive and none would on the surface lead to proving themselves to the wizard or anyone else for that matter.

 

Of course, anyone of them could, under the right circumstances, lead to something adventureous, but the chances were small and there was no indication which might do so. Kathra threw up her arms in frustration and headed to the alehouse the others had gone to over an hour ago.

 

It was crowded inside but strangely cool. That puzzled Kathra a bit, it should be overwhelming with heat from all the bodies, then she noticed a large block of ice suspended from the ceiling with two imps floating on either side slowly flapping their wings pushing the air past the ice colling the room. She looked around and found her friends and pushed her way through the crowd to join.

 

Not only the alehouse was crowded but the city was overflowing as well. the dozen merchants and their entourages from the Inn were present and so were another dozen or two who saved money by camping in the field. All were in the city, trading. In a week, maybe two most of them would be heading through the Three Leaves bearing riches and goods to their waiting realms.

 

Kathra sat and a serving boy plopped a plate of meat and cabbage and a double tankard of ale that she hadn’t order in front of her, but before she could say anything he was swept away by the sea of bustling patrons still standing.

 

“We ordered for you,” barked Braga.

 

Just then Tandal slid in between Kathra and Yimtac dragging a stool, without fanfare he bent low over the table and pitched his voice so that only they could hear, “I was chatting up a plump maid at the Red Martin, when I overheard some talk. A dragons been spotted by the South Falls. A mottled Dragon!”

[Shameless]

Brarga looked up, at that, and turned his gaze to Tandal.   "How large of a dragon, did you happen to hear that?"  Dragons could be problematic creatures, especially older larger ones.  He'd heard stories of them decimating armies, and that it took heroes to bring them down.  Tales of dragons were of obvious interest to him, but he did take them with a grain of salt.  "Exactly what did you hear, Tandal?"

[Nina]

"Well probably not really big, It's still colorless but, since it's apperently been seen a few time over the last week it's probably look for a place to lay it's clutch."

 

Tandal gleefully rubs his hands together, "If we hurry we can maybe find the nesting spot and grab the eggs, but i do mean hurry. Once this gets around every adventure group will be dropping what they have to go after this beast."

[Asarasa]

Kathra dug into her meal and ale with gusto as she listened to Tandal. Her deepest ire she reserved for the undead, but dragons were always a danger. The idea of selling the eggs she found somewhat distasteful. Either someone wanted to hatch a dragon to train it for a weapon of war, or some alchemist or sorcerer wanted the egg for some nefarious ends or experiment.

But ridding the Bowl of a breeding dragon might draw the Wizard's attention, which they had just learned reached far beyond his Tower.

"Large or small, a dragon is a danger, no doubt!" Kathra proclaimed. She downed the rest of her ale, belched politely into the back of her fist, then slapped the singer on the back. "And it's a sight better than idling in Verslun." She gave Tandal a wry grin. "You haven't happened to 'acquire' a hearthstone that's tied to someplace closer to the South Falls, have you? No? Then this time, we ride."

[Veral]

"Dragon eggs are ok. I'd prefer to get my hands on some dragon skin or other parts, for a suit of armor or other items to be made. Too much effort to raise and train a dragon. If we leave now, we may have a leg up on the competition." Yimtac speaks quietly so as not to reveal the target of their quest. He pushes the empty plate from in front of hip, takes a last gulp of the coffee he had with breakfast, and grabs his backpack from it's resting spot under his chair. "Lead on. Hopefully we all return safely."

[Shameless]

Brarga sighed.   "Let's hunt, then."  With most of the party on-board for this adventure, he looked only to Seelia.  "You've been quiet, what do you say to this quest? We'll find the beast and slay it, harvesting anything useful.  If it's laid a clutch, then we'll decide what to do with them then, if we find them."

Brarga began going over what he knew of fighting a dragon in his head, knowing they'd have their work cut out for them.

[Nina]

Understanding dragons is impossible. They are wild, savage animals for the first hundred or so years of their life. Lone monsters that prowl and hunt throughout the mountains where they make their homes, full of rending claws and tearing teeth and their most feared weapon, the magical breath which can raise a fortress or burn whole villages to the ground.

 

Physically, at this age a dragon resembles a large lizard with wings, though it is not a reptile. Its body tends to be wide with along neck and a longer tail. The are usually brown or grey at this stage in life. Sometime after a dragon reaches the age of one hundred years and before they turn two hundred the wild creature will nest and lay eggs.

After the dragon lays its eggs, usually in a well-hidden place, it will abandon them and go on a hunt for food, lots of food, to replenish its body and strength. It will never give its abandoned progeny even a single thought.

 

It is at this time that a dragon’s form will start to change. It will grow slimmer, even as its size increases and it will start to change colors, going from a solid brown or grey to a mottled color with many hues of blue, black, red, green, and white mixing it up. The creature once wild and savage, will begin to display cleverness and cunning, as its intelligence grows. During this period in its life its breath will also undergo various transformations to where it is a crap shoot as to what one will breathe from one moment to the next. This stage of a dragon’s life can last several hundred more year and they will lay one or two more clutches of eggs. Once finished reproducing the dragons color will settle and the beast’s intelligence will equal that of a humanoid. For the remainder of its life, it will continue to grow in intelligence, wisdom, and size. It will also settle into a single territory and begin to hoard. But dragons’ hoards are for another day…

 

At Brarga’s pronouncement they went about preparing and within the hour the party accompanied by the troubadour was on its way south. The South Leave was beyond the crater lake some fifty miles as the crow flies, about eighty miles if one followed the roads.

 

The quickest route available without resorting to magic was to hire a boat and go south across the lake and down the river. Unfortunately, it seems all the boats had already been hired.

 

And so it was that our troop of heroes found themselves on the road. Brarga was leading with the rest grouped behind him, with Tandal bringing up the rear, actually riding side saddle like a maiden with his lute balanced on his knee plucking at the strings.

 

Renn put heels to her mount and pulled up beside Brarga. “This dragon is already mottled which means this isn’t it first laying, this is an adult not at young one. Are you sure this is a wise move?”

[Shameless]

Brarga looked over to Renn, and his yellow eyes narrowed.  "Wise? perhaps not, it is a bold one though.    It is also a  task that needs doing.  Better to slay the dragon before it gains more power, while it is still within the means of our strength to slay it."   He shrugged his shoulders, and nodded.   "I'm choosing to trust Tandal's information on this, as far as it goes, after all, he did make good on his part, if in an unorthodox way.  We did get the meeting we desired, even if the answers we received weren't what expected.   Tandal asked to accompany us on our next adventure, and so he is getting his wish.   He'll get a tale worth telling and singing, one where he himself plays a part, provided we return from this."

He offered her a toothy smile.   "That, is where our teamwork comes in." 

"The battle ahead won't be easy, but until we get closer, and see the area where it lives, I can't formulate some elaborate battleplan.   "Provided we get to it before it becomes whatever it will be, we only have savagery and instinct to contend with, which our wit and preparation can match.   A Dragon's claws, fangs, and strength, well, that we must combat with our own."

[Asarasa]

"Aye, betimes, too much wisdom stays the hand, and nothing gets done," Kathra added, riding up on Renn's other side on her gleaming white war goat. Gauntleted fingers idly tapped on a steel clad thigh in time to Tandal's plucking. "There's enough dangers out in the world to let another brew when we can do something about it. This seems one such to test out mettle against to see if we are ready to face greater ones. And if it turns out to be too daunting... well, we aren't the only ones seeking the dragon. It needs be, perhaps we can form a coalition of adventurers to end the threat."

 

And perhaps, plant a seed for a greater coalition to  retake Land's End...

[Nina]

It was fifty miles from the walled trade city to the South Leave if you could go in a straight line, by road it was more like seventy. Crossing the lake and going down the rive would have been faster but there were no boats to be had. The party was woefully behind any other group that was heading to the south and the dragon, they had lost half a day with their trip to the wizard and then gathering supplies. 

 

Brarga decided to travel straight overland following the lake and the river, even without the road all th way they could make the journey in a day and a half less if they pushed the mounts.

 

It was early afternoon when they finally got underway and they rode hard. They rode that first day until long after dark and the stars shown above. they stopped for food and to catch a few hours rest, more for the mounts than themselves, then they were back in the saddle hours before the rays of the sun began to peek over the crater wall.

 

They rod all day stopping only to rest the animals. they ate cold meals in the saddle and made good time.  It was late in the day when they approached the Falls, the cracks in the crater wall where the river emptied to the South below.

 

The river itself was wide a fairly uniform one mile across widening to about three miles beginning about a mile and a half from the actual falls. The river flows rapidly a boat just going with the current can make three or four miles an hour add a sail and you can easily double your speed. The water is virtually never ending the source is the central crater to which all the ice and snow melt runs down too and then drains the lake via the river to the falls. along the  banks on both side are Horse paths which are used to tow the boats back up the river against the current.

 

A mile before the river widens is the great bridge and the docks. The bridge is wide enough for four caravans to cross at a time, made of basalt, granite, and sandstone, fortified with timber and magic. The docks are constructed of the same materials and aside from normal piers, have complex netting and hook mechanisms to catch and draw boats to safety so they won't crash into the bridge or pass under and over the falls. A small village rests on the west side of the river and the east side has a complex of warehouse, stable and work shops.  There are a few taverns and ale houses on both sides and a small inn on the west bank.

 

As the party come into sight of the bridge and its complex of docks they see dozens of boats moored at the piers. More than what would be usual. the docks are a roil of chaotic work trying to sort the boats. The stables are over crowded and there are groups of adventurers crowding the workshops, particularly the weapons smiths.

 

Spoiler

You have not yet entered Bridgetown. but are close enough to glean that several groups of adventurers are already here.

 

[Shameless]

It had been a long ride, but it was unavoidable.  Of course, there were others who spared little expense, getting there before, but chances were, if they were still there, that something had either happened, or changed."Thankfully we prepared ahead of time."  Brarga said with an annoyed grunt.   He knew there'd be other parties going after the dragon.   Materials were valueable, and the reputation that came from slaying the beasts was substantial.   He let out a sigh, and looked to the others.   "We aren't alone it would seem.   Keep a mind to your things, and stay out of trouble.   We'll need to find somewhere to stay, or barring that, somewhere outside we can make camp.   Everything in the city is likely to be marked up due to short term scarcity, so keep that in mind, and only get what's essential."
 

He looked to Renn, and nodded.  "if you would, Take Tandal with you, and see about gleaning any new information, if something else has happened, and such.   Seelia and I will see about finding us somewhere with reasonable rates to stay and stable our mounts.   Kathra and Yimtac, I want the two of you to remain outside with the horses and gear, until you hear from Ren or I."   He gave anyone a chance to voice a concern about the division of labor.

[Asarasa]

"Aye," Kathra agreed, patting the downy, silvery-grey hair between her wargoat's horns. "Luck be with you, Brarga, in finding us a place to stay here." She sniffed at the redolent air of the press of bodies, over burdened stables, and busy dockside. "We'd be better sleeping under the stars yet again."

She had expected other adventurers and gloryhounds to be seeking the trail of the dragon. But so many! For glory, for justice, for vengeance, it mattered not. The powerfully built dwarf woman had no right to demand it, but a part of her couldn't help but feel a spike of resentment that she hadn't been able to raise even a tiny fraction of such a host to aid her in retaking Land's End from the deathly grasp of the Dead King.

Guiding Anvil with her knees, Kathra gathered up the reins of her companions' mounts. It would be easier for them to move through the roiling crowds on foot. She nodded towards a particularly garish painted wrought iron sign above a smithy. "Yim and I well stay near about there."

Her jade eyes rove over the crowd, curious to see if she recognized anyone of particular renown. Or simply a food cart offering any fried savouries.

[Nina]

The party wondered this way and that each on his or her own for a good two hours before they all found them selves back at the stable where they had left their mounts.

The town had been raucous, there was never more than a night guard or two and having so many adventurers was definitely over taxing.

The party had learned little and seen a lot. Fight, gambling, bragging, but very little dragon hunting.

 

Kathra was the last to return bearing a sack full of folded flat breads stuffed with meat cheese vegetables and sauce, enough for everyone. And she had news.

She had seen and talked to several adventures she had recognized and learned that the dragon had been spotted as much as two weeks before but there were discrepancies in the sightings. Some say the dragon was a small one not yet mottled with a grey coloring. And other groups says that they had seen the beast and that it had molted but was more bronzish in color and bigger than the first sight, still another sighting say the dragon had a green cast to its scales and a wingspan twice what had been described by others. The various sightings were the cause of numerous arguments, fights and one attempted murder.

 

Also the adventurer parties were still in town because they had no clue where the dragon was going to nest. It had been seen flying above the falls but had disappeared into the falls on several occasions and had not flown into the mountains on either side.

 

All in all Kathra believed that most of the adventures gathered here were more interested in drinking and bragging than in hunting.

 

Renn took the offered food and unfolded the bread and moved the ingredients around then plucked the little bits of tomato out placing them on a cloth she had spread on a barrel. “We are standing in a  volcano; most have forgotten that. It could be that there are lava vents behind the falls that lead into the mountain. That might be where the dragon is nesting.” The young warrior priest took a bite, chewed and nodded in satisfaction.

 

Tandel gazed at both Bragra and Yimtac, “Alright I have to ask call me ignorant, but are you two okay with the thought of killing the dragon and stealing it’s eggs?”

[Shameless]

Brarga looked at Tandal, his bright yellow reptilian eyes unblinking for a moment, narrowed into slits, and then shook his head.  "Why should it Tandal?   We are not Kin, and we all know a dragon is definitely a threat to peace.   I have long fought against those."
 

He looked to Renn and Kathra.  "I think you may be right, especially if they're seeing it dive into the falls and not come out.  Chances are there's a cavern and other exits from there, and that's how it gets in and out.   If it's already changing colors, or Gods forbid, there's actually two of them, then we should get a move on.  Is there a way to get behind the falls on foot?   I wouldn't want to try to get in the way it does."

[Veral]

Yimtac sighed and nodded along with Brarga at the statement regarding the dragon's relation. He smiled a toothy grin, "Maybe I can fly in, if I'm quick enough and get a rope or something to indicate a way in, or maybe we can use magic to figure out another way in. Regardless, we need to move out very soon. If we can find a way in without flying that would be the best way, but we need to be ready just in case. Tindal, let's discuss the Dragon eggs at another time and if the dragon is a threat to the peoples of this region, it must be taken down and quickly." He stood up, downed the rest of his drink, "I say we leave as soon as we are all ready, and I am ready."

[Exile_Jeane]

"Oh, aye. Ye Best. That is that better wisdom then I've heard from most in this village," offered a female voice from the entrance to the stable, it's owner going from pretending to watch foot traffic outside to inserting herself into the conversation. 5'7, black-haired and Grey-skinned, her Grugach blood was obvious as was her profession as a warrior of the riskier school of combat, sturdy frame bedecked in weapons and travel ready clothing sans armor. The tall dwarf had caught her eye, worthy of curiousity, and she hoped the rest of the party might have a similar degree of focus. Time to see if her gamble was right.

 

"Sooner or later, more of these buffoons are going tae put the work in actually searching the land, and discover where the beastie lairs. Spook her. Slay her. Spoil the hunt. And then the rest of us will have sap on our faces," she continued after a pause, strong veins of a Slyvanian-accent running through her words as she drew close enough to drop her volume, hands out and away from her weapons, "I've put the time in searching the rim and mountains nearby after seeing the beastie nae kill itself slamming into the waterfall headfirst. Found a tunnel leading tae a cave that smelled like something big was sleeping beyond. And Marida of Radha Wood is nae fool enough tae step into a cave alone that might have a brooding dragon in it. I'll show it tae you and help kill anything inside in exchange for my fair cut."

 

She smiled, the expression out of practice on her features, hoping she wasn't making a mistake approaching this group. If there had been a goliath band in the area... Well, arrow shot out of the bow now. 

[Shameless]

Brarga turned to see who had barged into their conversation, surprised to see a Grugach barbarian.  Here she was, providing them with a way to the beast's lair, potentially, asking only for her fair cut.   "That eager to fight are you?"  His deep rumbling voice wasn't teasing.  "As you have given your name, Marida, I shall give you mine.   I am Brarga Bloodaxe.   I lead this party, such as it is."  In the end, his knowledge of tactics and such had made him the choice for this, at least in battle situations, and Brarga wasn't so proud as to not delegate things he wasn't the best at.  The warrior before him was one who clearly sought and possessed strength, which would serve well on this hunt, but her honor and intentions remained yet unproven.

"I am not opposed to you joining us, and as we share and share alike, your terms are acceptable to me.   I would however know why you choose to approach us with this offer."