Shards of Animus Hunt: Dragonier
Dragonier.
The very name is enough to fill people with dread, isn't it? For years now, the fallen Kingdom has remained explicitly the domain of the supposed dread dragon Heth. Sighted only once at the end of the war between Dran's Iron Tide and Rune and its allies, Heth attacked the combiend forces of the nation and converted a great many soldiers into wights before disappearing once more.
Griva Brassbringer, in her efforts, believes that there may be answers in Dragonier to the Shards of Animus' mysteries, and that its possible that their presence in Dragonier, perhaps, could explain why Heth woke from his slumber.
Of course, she has no idea if this is true, but it *is* possible.
Divination over the ones she has, she says, indicates 'something' of interest in the middle of the fallen kingdom, and you're being dispatched into one of the deadliestr places to the living: one of Dragonier's former flying cities that had long since crashed to earth called Luxorn.
... it is there, in the heart of the city, you may find some answers.
One of Griva's allies, a gnomish theurge of Navos by the name of Farland, will be accompanying you. He's prepared the teleprot scrolls.
"I was in Luxron before the fall once. Lovely city," he beams a smile up at the lot of you as you meet outside of the city gates. "I've several teleproters and invisibilites prepare for us to shield us from Heth's legions. Master Mikilos, I trust you'll be able to evacuate us swiftly if it comes to it."
Mikilos smiles tightly. "I'll certainly try. Somewhat depends on what we end up fleeing. But yes, I do have a number of spell prepared for emergency exits." He ponders a few moments. "Don't believe I've been to Luxron before... went on a small tour of the country with my grandmother, but that was near a century ago."
"Rhar protect! No lesions on pack!" She can shield. That's what her big round stick is for, and she lifts it up to prove it.
Tiasa stretches a bit, the storm clouds that make up her breastplate raging a little. She glances around a little, "I have never been within, should prove...informative." she says her tail swishing back and forth, as her wolf sized lizard companion plays with the Sith's tail.
Iskandar has been to Dragonier before. It's one of the places all adventurers simply must go, once they reach a certain level of skill and experience. Or so he explains loudly to anyone who will listen. "Flee?" He frowns slightly, rubbing his beard. Then he brightens, "I think you mean to say...when we make our daring escape! After retrieving the shard and covering ourselves in glory!"
Mikilos quirks a brow and Iskandar and supresses a smile. "We speak of fleeing legions of greatful fans at our victory, of course. Or perhaps fleeing a really dull speech of congratulations from some offical, probally a duke or baron."
Tiasa nods her head, "Shhall we go?" she asks as she looks at the others, sooner there, the sooner to return.
Farland takes a moment to cast spells. A bunch of them, actually. One invisbility spell, another invisiblity to *undead* spell, activating some kind of contingency..
And then he begins to weave a teleport. The firt of a few, actually, given the distance to Dragonier and the city in question.
First to the edge of the Desolation, where oyu are greeted by the distant site of the towering everstorm, then to Dragonier's border, where you are greeted byy the abject silence of a ladn so blighted that the wildlife barely even thrives, and then to a city.
You appear, then, in the grand city...
... well ,it *was* a grand city. YOu're in a plaza. And you are not a,ll alone.
all around you are corpses, but faqr too flesh-covered to *not* be the infamous legions of Heth. His wights.
They seem ... dormant, at the moment.
The plaza itself is a grand central place, buildings stretching far off in each direction, a grand fountain with a dragon that may have once spat water dominating it, wings outstretched and rising into the aiqr. Definitely dried up.
The buildings here tall, all around you.
The stench of rot is *overpowering*.
GAME: Tiasa rolls fort: (10)+12: 22
GAME: Mikilos rolls fort: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Rhar rolls fort: (15)+17: 32
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+9: (8)+9: 17
GAME: Iskandar rolls fort: (10)+13: 23
Mikilos is a wizard. He works with sulfur, dried body parts, and teleportation. Nausea isn't a problem. -IF- he's prepared for it. A plaza filled with fermented corpses? Not the arrival he had in mind. "Hurk! Hurrlaaggg-*splatter!*"
Halani has been quiet. Things happened that have rather fundamentally changed her perspective on things. She's along because sitting out this grand task doesn't feel right, but the eagerness to go forth is absent. As is her need to often interject. And so she was more or less silent for the entire trip. Upon the final teleport into the city, upon the first detection of the foulness in the air, Halani immediately holds her breath even as the elven wizard begins repainting the plaza.
Tiasa wrinkles her nose and shakes her head, "Smells like a butchering yard that hasn't been sanitized." she shakes her head a bit.
Iskandar pats Farland on the back. "There there." His voice is nasal, he's doing his best not to breathe through his nose. "You'll be all right." He glances around and then reaches behind his back, under a half-cloak. He produces a small but sturdy looking shortbow and knocks an arrow. "Is this where we were supposed to..." Iskandar pauses as he notices Mikilos also seems under the weather. This doesn't bode well. "If we can find someplace for them to recover..."
Rhar isn't sure about all this magicky movey stuff. Wouldn't it be easier and safer to walk? Or fly? Then they'd know before they showed up in the middle of a plaza of mostly dead things. That stink. Or maybe her own awesome aromatics act as a personal smellshield?! Ha! All those people who said that bathing was -helpful-!
Gurr snorts. Rhar belches. Gurr eyes up at her.
"Gurr say excuse me."
Farland lets out a sigh.
"...well, hopefully they won't notice that. Thankfully, these undead are feral and unintelligent. Now, this is one of the old population centers of Dragonier, as you can see. Those who did not escape wound up like ... like that..'
He points at a woman's rotten form on the ground, wrapped around the child she died trying to protect. They are both unmoving, but far too fleshy to have rotted properly. Definitely a wight.
The city is silent. Dead silent.
"I couldn't get us any closer to the palace than this. Given the dangers, their treasury is likely mostly in tact and perhaps whatever Griva's divinations have indicated are there, even if there's no promise, but at the very least it would provide us some protection."
Halani raises her hands, then shifts her fingers about in very deliberate patterns. "Then maybe we should get moving. Quietly." Then her hands drop and she tightens the bindings about her wrists and hands before raising them up again with an afterthought. "Which way?" <handspeech>
Mikilos sighs and spits, digging in his pouches a moment for a bit of mint to chew. Helps with the aftertastes and helps cover the smell... not if he could just remember what type of mint he grabbed this, and if it's poisonous... Starting to comment, the wizard glances to Halani, and just nods in agreement.
Farland gestures down one of the streets.
He nods to Halani, then begins to head that way. "Stay close. It's a sphere. They can't hear us due to the hiding spells I put on us, but they won't last if we make TOO much noise or get seperated."
Tiasa cocks her head to the side and shakes it a little. Her lizard companion stays close to the Sith as she wrinkles her nose some more. She arches her back, "WEll shall we?" she asks, she wants to get out of here.
"Gurr move silent!" Rhar assures with volume. She makes sure her bir round protecting stick and sharp pointy hurting stick are ready... then takes up the lead to move the way Farland pointed.
Iskandar moves out along with the others, sticking close and keeping his bow lowered, but ready. "The treasury," he muses in what is for him a soft voice. "How will we get in? Aren't they built to keep rogues out?" He pauses and then grins crookedly. "Even heroic ones such as ourselves?"
GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (14)+24: 38
GAME: Tiasa rolls perception: (20)+13: 33
GAME: Halani rolls perception: (8)+24: 32
GAME: Rhar rolls perception: (9)+21: 30
GAME: Iskandar rolls perception: (19)+12: 31
GAME: Stjepan rolls perception: (16)+21: 37
GAME: Stjepan rolls fort: (15)+14: 29
Stjepan brings up the rear, looking pretty stoic, as he progresses. He's watchful, particularly so he doesn't step on anything squishy.
...there is a lot of squishy.
the thing that stands out the most to all of you is the silence. This is a dead city, in a dead place. There is no life here. Not even a rat. It's just ... dead.
Nightmarishly, entirely dead.
Even the rotting corpses do not draw flies. Not a one. Not a single buzzing insect as far as the eye can see or the ear can hear.
You press through the town, navigating the dead that lay strwn in the streets, where they wandered until they finally ran out of will to drive further...
Mikilos hrmmms softly, partly for idle frustration, partly to not be too starteling when he breaks the silence. "I don't like it. Undead don't just fall still. They seek out whatever food they use, try to follow whatever order they were given... or wait paceintly as guardians. This is a -lot- of guards, just waiting for... well, *us*."
"If waited for us, would attack!" Rhar points out. "Wait for others, so we safe?" It seems logical to her. Gurr may have a differing opinion as he eyes everything warily while they move along.
GAME: Stjepan rolls knowledge/religion: Trained Use Only: 0
Iskandar grimaces as he steps over an outstretched arm. "Or they could be waiting to see what we do. What we find." He shakes his head. "Still, there's nothing for it but to press on."
Stjepan shrugs. "Maybe they're just not in use. Empty meatbags waiting for fell energy." He just tries to avoid squishing things as he moves forwards.
GAME: Halani rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+6: 20
GAME: Mikilos rolls knowledge/religion: (1)+15: 16 (EPIC FAIL)
Halani watches the unmoving bodies of the undead as the group carefully picks its way towards the treasury. "This place," she begins signing, gesticulating with her hands and fingers, "It is so dead even the undead are starving. It is like they are hibernating. Conserving what life energy they have managed to consume." She pauses a moment, taking care with her footing as they pass relatively close to one such body. Then she adds, "If they sense us, they will chase." <handspeech>
"Who else knows what she's saying?" says Farland, glancing towards the others. Hopefuly. He clearly understood, but Handspeech is not as well understood by some. He lets out a breath. "The spells will hold as long as nothing unsuual happens."
OH GOD HE DIDN'T. NEVER SAY THAT, FARLAND.
...nothing happens. Whatever jinx he incurred doersn't lash out.
Up ahead, you see the Dragon Palace...
GAME: Mikilos rolls knowledge/local: (4)+15: 19
GAME: Stjepan rolls knowledge/local: Trained Use Only: 0
Stjepan looks at Halani for a moment, frowning without comprehension. He looks at Farland in alarm. He hisses: "Don't saaay that!"
"Not say anything," Rhar points out with Halani. "Where go? Go faster. Get stuff. Get out. Hit things with sticks." She isn't a tactician for nothing!
Mikilos mmms softly. "Very handy language to learn. This place is... extra dead. Too dead even for undead. So what little life we bring... they will come after us if they sense us." The elf peers ahead at the Dragon Palace. "I've read tales about his place... mostly mystery political plots losely based on real events. Not sure how much was fictionalized, but the entire place is designed for dragons. Expect massive rooms, large halls, and very big doors."
GAME: Iskandar rolls knowledge/local: (9)+6: 15
"The Dragon Palace..." Iskandar murmurs in a slightly awed voice. He glances at Mikilos as he explains, and then purses his lips. "Sounds like a wondrous place. Not very defensible, perhaps, but wondrous nonetheless."
It is not the dragon palace, of course, where Good King Hyraxis once ruled, but it is it and smaller. Still? It is an impressive, dominant site. You pass into an open court and the great, round building with gaps in the walls and tall spires and domes sits before you. It's brightly colored stone exterior has faded with time, but it's artistry is enough to have made any dwarf envious. The gaps in the walls are artfully constructed for the dragons to pass through, rather than any defensive purpose. Who needs tall walls when you have dragons? Given events, they perhaps ought to'be rethought that.
Either way, the courtyard is strewn with the bodies of fallen wights and you navigate carefully through to the gap in the entryway, carefully pushing in to the open exterior of the building, then towards an open, double door set in its side.
"LANDWALKER ENTRY" reads a sign above it.
Rhar is walking on land! Well, Gurr is. That means the door is for them. "Doors!" she helpfully points out for everyone, then heads straight for them! Just because they've thwarted heroes and adventurers for ages, she's not afraid of them!
Following a path through the immobile wights is somewhat nerve wracking, at least for Halani. That thought of all of them rousing at once, at some creature's command... or maybe merely at the scent of flesh and Life is the stuff of nightmares. So she does her best to concentrate on each step, making sure to refrain from kicking pebbles, stones, or eidolons forbid.. a body. She gestures up at the sigh, just in case anyone missed it.. then follows Rhar.
Stjepan keeps walking, then heads straight for the door. Somewhere along the way, he's tied a rag around his face to keep the worst of the smell away. It doesn't work too well, but it makes him feel better.
Mikilos continues quietly with the others, idly ponding what other entrances might be labled. 'Planeswalker entry'?
Iskandar pans his gaze up and around to take in the side of the building. He blinks and looks at Rhar and then looks past her in the direction she is headed. "Yes," he agrees as he sees the doors for himself. "Well spotted." Then he focuses on the sign. He casts another look up. "I wonder where is the dragon entry."
Inside, then.
You pass under the sign and move into the building proper, immediately beginning to follow a ramp that climbs up, up, up into the building proper, soon finding yourselves in a ring that overlooks a central throne room. Well, were it for humans. For Dragonier, it's something else. You're overlooking a massive raised platform designed for a dragon's comfort, and indeed, who better to lay upon it than a dragon?
Becaus ethere's a dragon there right nwo. A very, very dead dragon. r
... undead, anyway. A wight-dragon?
Is that even possible?
Clearly. It seems formant.
Farland gasps quietly, "Look there, upon the wounds of its back."
Indeed, larwge sections of its back are missing, as if rent apart with great force and its spine snapped before being dropped back on the dais. Discolroations indicate the blood spatter.
"I don't kno where the vaults are in this place, but I suggest we avoid rousing that one, don't you?"
Stjepan rumbles. "Seems wise." He looks around slowly. "And we'd better get on with the looking, too." He does a slow turn, trying to get a better sense of the place.
Mikilos nods in agreement. "Might know where to find such things, might perhaps even be helpful and friendly. But I very much doubt it. Far more likely near mindless and utterly hostile." He considers. "But i fear we may have to get close, the entrance to the vault is likely near the dias."
...carefully, you pick your way through the fortress. It's quite lawrge, full of grawnd openings (for dragons) and more humble ones for thier mortal 'friends'. You are uninterrupted here in this city of the dead, allowing you to take your time, pickig your way through the grand spires and then down below, down a set of stairs that reveals that, above you, the floor would open to allow the dragons to descend in to them. It gives new meaning to 'open floor plan', does it not?
Finally, you reach, after considerable time and effort searching, a large doorway flanked by twin statues of dragons. The doors are *huge*. Upon approach, runes along the edge of the door light up.
"PRESENT YOUR EYE, WINGED ONE, SO THAT WE MAY KNOW YOUR WISDOM." <draconic>
Mikilos reads the runes, sighs, and rubs the tips of his ears, a sure sign or stress. "....it says we need an eye. Almost certainly a dragon eye. And I can't say i have one of those handy... but fairly confidant is at least one on that dias mentioned earlier."
Stjepan's eyelids close. "A fucking eye? Right. Yeah, I know where one of those is." He turns, sets hiself, and stares back at the way they've come.
Rhar looks back towards the dead dragon dias, heretofore known as the DDD. "Rhar, Gurr fetch dragon! Drag dragon back. With eye!" It's not quite a sudden U-turn, as Gurr may have some concerns, but Rhar nudges him around to head back thattaways! Whole dragon is less mess, and who knows?! They might ask for toes, next!