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Misereor
Learned Scribe
164 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Sep 2015 : 11:17:45
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Chapter 29: Everything that has a beginning has an end
In a rare moment of reflection, the players come to suspect that besides killing a few Purple Dragons, the wiping out of an entire order of Cormyrean Paladins might draw some unwanted attention.
Leaving most of their ill-gotten goods behind, the players make liberal use of spells to get north across the mountains and out of Cormyr.
They then set off for the final location of their map, the Dragondowns. This is a former section of the Frozen Forest, near the Great Glacier, which was levelled by a cataclysm some 6-700 years ago.
Arriving at the centre of the area, the party they find that something has kept the vegetation from growing back, leaving a large crater surrounded by a field of boulders from pebble sized and up to 10' high. Obviously dark magics have been at work here (or it might just be permafrost). After setting up camp and doing some preliminary scouting of the area, the party eventually start preparing for the Harod's ritual to open the way to the Dragon treasure.
Harod spends a few hours attuning himself to the eggs of Tiamat and Bahamut, and gathers the party's supply of Dragon eggs to him. He also animates a handfull of humanoid corpses to stand guard "in case any wandering encounters are drawn by the ritual". Despite numerous opportunities to do so, none of the players bother observing the ritual in detail (using Detect Magic/Good/Evil, Spellcraft, Knowledge Arcane/Divine, etc), so none of them notice that it is a ritual of darkest necromancy, except for Arthas (*sigh*) the Blackguard, who experiences a "tingly" feeling, but doesn't give it another thought. Even when Harod starts breaking Dragon Eggs and visibly drawing something from them (life energy), the party doesn't react. Players really can be dense sometimes...
As the ritual comes to an end, a series of slight tremors hits the area. Over the next few rounds (giving the players opportunity to cast preparation spells, which they don't), they gradually increase in strength, until a skeletal claw the size of an Ox cart suddenly bursts from the ground at the centre of the crater. The "Dragon Treasure" has awoken.
As the colossal+ sized Dracolich frees itself from it's icy prison, everyone takes a few steps back, except Harod who shuffles forward a bit, with a smile that can only be decribed as deranged.
Miserably failing his save against Dragon Fear, his voice trembles as he offers mighty Ashardalon, also known to Orcs everywhere as 'Mountain Breaker', his loyalty and a meal of warm blooded humanoids and their treasures besides.
DM's note: I think it was actually only when Harod's player made a sweeping motion with his hands towards the rest of the individuals around the table, rather than the zombie plastic figures, that they figured out he might not have their best interests in mind.
The party scatters in all directions, except for Arthas (*sigh*) who charges and Harod who responds by Lightning Bolt'ing him. Miriam the Monk/Shadowdancer uses her high movement and Ring of Chameleon Power to gain some distance and make a Hide roll somwhere in the high 40's. Brotor Broadback has his Cohort Tiny (played by Timothy's player, since Timothy decide to leave) use a wand of invisibility on the pair of them.
Long story short, most of the players and NPCs are lifedrained and eaten (gotta fuel that breath weapon dontcha know), including Harod who failed his save versus paralyzation when the Dracolich looked at him, and it didn't have the patience to wait for him to come to again. So the Mountain Breaker is free again, but isn't affiliated with the Cult of the Dragon, whom Harod happened to be representing by request of the Dungeon Master.
The only survivors are Brotor and Miriam who, due to their high movement, are able to escape the range of the Dracolich's blindsense. A group of Cormyrean War Wizards and their bodyguards who teleport into the midst of the carnage, intent on bringing the players to justice, are also munched in short order. Ashardalon takes off, and is not seen again for years.
Finishing up.
Miriam and Brotor return home to Torland's Hold, where they find Timothy, who is not all that interested in running a Freehold.
Brotor's story.
Brotor takes over joint custody of the Hold along with Miriam. In time he finds his long lost brother (the reason he joined the Legion in the first place) and discovers that it was he that sold him into slavery. Shortly thereafter, the party has a new Kinslayer.
Timothy's story.
Timothy finds that he is happy working as an administrator and not aventuring. He uses his amassed fortune to build a big house and brings out his family from the Keep for a better life. Since he is neither as feared nor notorious as the rest of the party, he is able to live a quiet life.
Miriam's story.
Disillusioned with Bane, after a few years Miriam joins the order of the Long Death. She makes numerous attempts to assassinate Brotor, but it seems she doesn't really put her heart into the effort. The two eventually settle down into a permanent feud, that some claim has definite sexual undertones. A local Bard starts writing a romantic ballad about the affair, but suffers mysterious Dwarven Waraxe related injuries, that prevent him from finishing his work.
Nickarus's story.
Having failed in his bid to convert the population, but succeeded in worsening racial tension, he becomes disillusioned. After a few years, he joins an adventuring company out of Melvaunt and eventually disappears on an expedition somewhere north of the Dragonspine Mountains. There are persistent rumors that he faked his own death (mostly by the other players).
The party become part of Knowledge; Local History.
DC 5: "I know the name. Isn't that one of the Lords of Torland's Hold?"
DC 10: The party consisted of former Legionnaires and were instrumental in thwarting a Hobgoblin invasion of Glister.
DC 15: You never really leave the Legion, so they couldn't have been "former".
DC 20: The party were responsible for the killing of several Demon priests and subsequent power struggle in Palischuk, Vaasa.
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What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder, stronger, in a later edition. |
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Campaign Notes: Zhentil Keep, Resurrection
