As the group makes their way down the Stairwell to the bunks, the find a room with numerous bunks and an adjoining open showering room. A concept new to some of them. The group discusses where to head and decides to make their way to Mirganda in the morning in order to restock before continuing on to Crystalvayne.
That night they each took advantage of the library's vast resources and grabbed a book or two for reading.
- A Study of the Forsaken, Ajax
- The Foundation of Brogduro, Ashe
- Wandering the Wild Ways, Eressil
- The Dreams and Imagination of the Dragon Lord, Rhone
- The Celestial Peaks of Arborea, Zendrynn
As the group makes their way to Mirganda, a violent storm is predicted and the group must prepare for the night, delaying their journey. With adequate prep time, they are easily able to handle the storm, and continue on. Despite the expert pathfinding skills provided by Eressil, the group managed to stray off course just enough to have run into some peaks. Instead of taking the long way around, they decide to fly over the rocky terrain in order to save time.
As they are flying, they noticed the signs of a town ravaged by attack. Charred buildings with partially destroyed walls, scorch marks along the roads, and everything covered in ash and soot. After Eressil retrieves the others, they make their way into the town to investigate.
As they are flying, they noticed the signs of a town ravaged by attack. Charred buildings with partially destroyed walls, scorch marks along the roads, and everything covered in ash and soot. After Eressil retrieves the others, they make their way into the town to investigate.
Ashe and Zendrynn investigate one of the buildings to discover, this area is the main work area for a mining company that trades with Mirganda for food goods. They find a map with detailed routes leading to Mirganda and Crystalvayne. They may be able to head directly to Crystalvayne with this and not lose any time.
While that is happening, Rhone and Ajax head towards another building, where they see a hand slightly protruding from the Ash and Soot on the ground. It starts to move a little. They work to dig out a rather tall blue skinned woman. Meanwhile, Eressil heads towards the pit to see what is down there. As she makes her way down, she starts to see dead bodies similar in appearance that are littering the walkway. all the way down to the Elevator device that allowed these people to travel further down the pit. She flies back up after determining the pit is too deep for her to see down.
When she gets back to the others, Rhone worked to heal to near dead woman. Upon cleaning more of the ash off, they get a better look at her. She stands over 7 feet tall. Her skin is pale blue in color, with darker blue patterns that cover her lean muscular body. Her eyes are opalescent blue in color with dark blue pupils, and her hair long and black. She is a Goliath. Her people are live in the desolate areas of the mountains.
Ashe comes back at this time as well, and heads to investigate the pit with Eressil. As they make their way further down, near the bottom of the pit, they find a larger group of dead goliaths littering the area, almost as if they were running out of the tunnel at the bottom, only to be slaughter upon getting out.
Rhone: What happened here?
Anax Ilea (Goliath Woman): *rasping whisper* Dragon...Lord...attacked in the night.
Rhone: Why were you attacked?
Anax: *nearly fainting* Pivotal Point....Breaking Barrier
She looks safe, but is still fairly close to death. After being healed by Zendrynn far from death, she is able to move and respond better to the party's questions.
Party: When were you attacked?
Anax: I do not know. They attacked in the middle of the night. I have no idea how long I have been here. It was three of the Dragon Lord's subordinates and an army of followers. They came from all directions.
Party: What do you know of the Dragon Lord?
Anax: Our people have stories that we pass down the generations. They tell of an ancient threat that we protect the world from by using some form of barrier.
As they are talking, Zen walks away to compose herself, and Rhone follows in order to comfort her.
Party: Could you lead us to where we can find more information about this barrier?
Anax: Only the Chieftain or the Royal Scholars would know more. I can show you the way.
Party: I promise we will make the Dragon Lord answer for what he has done.
Anax: All of my people are gone...I will avenge them and destroy the Dragon Lord myself.
Upon realizing there is nothing else worth investigating in the pit, Eressil grabs Ashe out of nowhere and flies out of the pit, only to meet back up with the others. Eressil comes flying out of the pit with a screaming Ashe in her talons. Upon seeing this, Anax grabs a large rock from the ground as a means of self defense against this new beast before her, and her pray. Ashe sees this and starts to grab her Axe. Luckily the party is able to calm the tension before anything happens. Ashe learns that Anax is a sole survivor based on what can be seen around them.
They set off for the Chieftain's building, and as they make their way they notice that only Goliath bodies litter the streets. Meanwhile Ajax sees that Anax does not have a weapon and offers her his quarter staff as a means of self defense as well as hoping to ease her nerves and gain trust.
Party: What can you tell us about those who attacked you?
Anax: The strongest of the ones I saw, was well worn in his year and he had a scar over the top of his right eye. His eyes seemed cold and still like the mountains. I underestimated how dangerous he truly was. I saw another that he called out to: a man named Heardo. He was a warrior in the truest sense. Covered in heavy metal armor from head to toe, and he wielded one of our weapons. [Glaive] All the while, he looked as if he regretted what he did, but he did it still. He was honorable. They mentioned another, but I never saw that one. The name called out was "Boice". The army numbered in the thousands. Humans, drakes and creatures that looked to be a mixture of the two. They were dark and had long snouts on their faces. [Black Dragonborn] They used magic, and were able to spit acid and fire.
Zendrynn notices the damage look similar in nature to Patadorn, with the exception that most of their buildings still stand due to being made of stone and slab.
The Chieftain's Building
They finally arrive at the Chieftain's building, only to see piles of bodies. Piles built up in a way that show it was not natural. Someone placed the bodies like this. Anax has to resist the urge to run into the building out of concern for the Chieftain, her grandfather. Ashe notices that according to the book she read at the Dovan Temple, that the notion of falling ash and soot does not make any sense. The area is rocky and has few trees. All the buildings are made of stone. Where is the ash coming from?
While Rhone and Zendrynn stay outside to offer prayer and blessing for the recently decease; Anax, Ashe, Ajax and Eressil (still in her Wildshaped form) make their way to enter the building. As they get closer, they can easily see inside through the large building due to its incredible openness. A feature that would only be found in a throne room for a culture such as the goliaths, where all members of a town or city would treat each other as family.
Eressil has soot starting to cake onto her in her wild form, and thinks of it as a slight armor. It has not hardened and caked anywhere near enough to offer any valid protection though. They see a pair of large stone thrones on a raised pedestal in the middle of the building with giant tapestries hanging from the walls, telling stories of past heroes and revered events. In it's corner's they see several rooms. Two of which have the doors open and the one with a partially closed door.
As they investigate the rooms, they find one to be trashed with nothing worthwhile left. Another has a trail of blood leading into what looks like it would have been a secret cubby. Upon looking closer, they see yet, another dead goliath that looks to be a scholar by trade. Then they head towards the final door, that was just slightly ajar.
In this room, they find the General Council area for the Chieftain and his Advisors. Bookshelves line the walls with topics covering the local area, goliath culture, the history of their people, the Dragon Lord, a group known as the "Unburdened". Meanwhile Eressil is investigating and notices the Giant hole in the middle of the room, and decides to fly up. Atop the building she finds the body of an large goliath adorned in ceremonial looking garb. She starts to pull him towards the opening, and as she tried to lower him, her strength gives out, and they come crashing to the floor. At that moment, she changes out of her Wildshape and back into her true form.
Anax and Ashe both make their way out of the room to see what the noise was. There before her, Anax sees an unknown elf standing over what looks to be her grandfather's body. She draws her quarterstaff and runs towards Eressil, meanwhile Ashe starts to yell Eressil's name. Anax recognizes this, and halts, but is still cautious of Eressil, with her staff pointed at her neck.
Ajax, still in the room, looks through the book about the Dragon Lord. It mentions the Dragon Font in the Dragon Lord's Castle, which is not too far from here, and another one that is stored in this town, safely away from the reaches of the Dragon Lord.
As he comes out of the room with the book, Anax is starting a ritual used by her people upon the death of one of their own.
Anax taps a hand to her head, then to her heart. And finally after spilling a little of her own blue blood and spitting, the prayer is complete.
A Gathering of Spirits
A glowing beam of light comes down on top of her. It pulses and undulates with the beam starting to glow brighter. First it is Ajax, Eressil, and Zendrynn that start to see Spirits rising up from the dead bodies, and coming from all directions. They make their way into the throne room only to converge into the beam of light, as it grows larger and larger. Finally Rhone and Ashe see these spirits. A sense of calm and peace washes over them, as if the spirits are safe and though, they may have lost their lives, they are making their way to a better place.
As the last spirit is pulled into the light, finally a spirit rises up from the Anax's Grandfather's body.
Thol Ilea (Spirit of Anax's Grandfather): *sigh*.....Drudech eyu dosvina. (translates to "My little pebble")
Rhone casts comprehend Languages.
Thol: We were not able to protect you.....but we can still save you. The Dragon Lord is making his move. We cannot do much now, but we will always be with you. Do you remember the Prayer of Earth?
Anax: Yes grandfather.
Thol: Whenever you need help, just remember the prayer.
As Anax remembers the prayer, a Goliath Glaive materializes in her hand.
Thol: You will be our source of vengeance and good within the world. The Dragon Lord is misguided in his ways and he can be saved.
Anax: What about our family?
Thol: They are all your family now.
As the Goliath Chieftain acknowledges the group as her new family, the bodies of all the goliath dead start to dissipate into the air.
Thol's Voice: Your first step can be found underneath the throne.
As this is happening Eressil, starts talking to the plants due to boredom.
Eressil: How did that body get on the roof?
Plant: Several of your kind flew through the air, dragging him up there. Please miss, we are starving. We need water.
Eressil starts to water the plants. After her grandfather's spirit fades, Anax asks, "How to destroy the Throne?" And at the exact same time, Rhone asks, "How do we get under the throne?"
Immediately after this, Ajax casts Fireball upon the throne, leaving it charred, but barely damaged. Ashe takes her Axe of Smiting and starts to work her way through the throne. As a path below the throne becomes clear enough to walk, Anax immediately starts to make her way down the stairs.
Below the Throne
She enters into a room with 4 pillars in its Corners and immediately in the middle, a cylindrical pedestal with a large crystalline dome on top of it. Within the dome can be seen what looks like a rock the size of a human fist, glowing with a red aura. Ashe walks forward and pokes the Crystal dome. A wave of magical energy is unleashed and flings Ashe back into the wall. Realizing the Crystal Dome is magically warded, Eressil attempts to cast Dispel Magic on it. They remove the Crystal dome and place it in the back of holding, and the rock below it is exposed.
What appeared to be a rock, was actually a Twenty-sided Dice with Glowing Red Arcane Runes exposed on every side. Ashe pokes the Dice and starts to experience a deep sense of joy. Not quite addicting, but incredibly comfortable none-the-less. Ajax then grabs the object and gives it to Anax. This is one of the Dragon Lord's Artifacts according to the book Ajax had found upstairs.
Rhone casts Identify on the Dice and finds some information out, about it:
- It is sentient.
- It can alter its roll in case anyone tries to cheat with it.
- When you touch one of the sides, a slight magical effect happens. This is always the same based on the side touched.
- When you roll it, a much greater magical effect happens.
After talking with the Dice, Rhone rolls it and disappears before everyone's eyes, only to return a minute later.