Session 101: Do you want a revolution? Report
General Summary
In a dark swamp, after being led, blindfolded, through the swamp for quite a distance, they group were led to stand before a massive ancient mangrove tree. The tree spoke to them. "Welcome to the swamp, Princess, We have heard much of your recent exploits." Roisin answered with "Information must flow quickly, about what we've been doing." It is not so much that the news has spread quickly, more that I have good friends who are good at understanding what is going on in various places. I have heard through the grapevine that the evil infesting Triliobarn had been dealt with; it's amazing how talkative grapevines can be. It's good to see you visiting. The question, however, is how you feel about the usurpers currently in charge of your uncle's city, here in the swamp." "Well, I don't really like them. It wasn't generally my plan to start tearing down the corruption straight away." "You have a mission for your other Uncle, I understand. How urgent is your mission, do you have a few days to perhaps help us out a bit?" "Roy, do you think we could spare a few days?", Roy responded "Uhh, yeah, I think we can", and Bastion added "I mean, our goal is to capture the attention of your father, and I'm sure us messing with things elsewhere might get some attention." The Bearded One continued. "He would likely send troops to invest the city, but it is harder to lay siege than he might realize, especially this swamp." With a gesture to a tree nearby, the tree moved aside and waved to Roisin. "I have a great many friends in the swamp. They have been my friends for a very long time. You never know when one of the trees might decide that a foul construct needs to be ripped apart or buried in the muck." Roisin asked "How can we help?".
The Bearded One answered. "There is a creature in the swamp, far beyond I and my friends' ability to handle. I has been here since long before I awoke. I need your help because it has been released from its ancient bonds, and it has agreed, in return for this release at the hands of your father's servants, to eliminate the rebellion that is about to begin. These people around you are good citizens of the city, and with help the lizardfolk of the swamps and a few of my natural friends, we are going to destroy the evil that infests this city, built by my good friend, gone now many years. We are going to return your uncle Crewthis, also a friend of the swamp, so that the city lives in cooperation with the swamp, rather than trying to destroy, and so the city is led by one who honors The Source, rather than one who sows corruption. We need your help because while we can handle the forces within the city, have friends within who will open the gates, or throw them down if need be, this creature of the swamp, I and all of my friends in the swamp could not hope to stand against it. I will send a very few of my children to help you. They will give their lives to keep you unharmed as long as possible. All we ask is that you do your very best to destroy this creature, this, well I should probably warn you, dragon." "What type of dragon?" "Perhaps one of the worst kind, it is a dragon birthed on the Steppes to the north of the mountain wall beyond the swamp. A creature of the wastelands, twisted by foul magics from its original form into something potentially far more powerful. Hated and hateful of all things, even other dragons. I cannot harm it at all, but there are those with you with magical power, who might be able to cause it harm. I do not know if you can stand, but if you cannot, then all is lost. Will you help us?" Bastion asked "If I may ask, what does it breathe." "It breathes magic." "So not one source of energy, like fire or lightning" "It does not breathe the elements, it spits forth magic, dark arcane energy, raw and unrefined. When it opens its maw to unleash destruction, a section of the swamp is transformed into its wasteland home, dead and blasted clean. Will you help us?" Roisin now answered. "Yes." The tree seemed to sag at this. "Thank you. You do not know the devestation it has already wrought. In its waking, over a thousand of the trees, countless small creatures, and the land itself murdered. I felt its release in my roots, as the land cried out in pain. It is controlled for now, it conserves its strength as your father's servants feed it energy and arcane magic. It is growing stronger and time is very short, if it grows much stronger than it is, then I fear even you will not be able to defeat it and all will truly be lost. Your father, in his reckless abandon, has awakened a force of destruction he cannot comprehend. It will not stop at defeating our forces. It will destroy the city, lay waste to the entire swamp, then move on to lay waste to the world. Whatever has taken your father's mind, it is insane. The dragon is not far away. We are fortunate that you came to us, for by dawn it will be here, and I will die, along with all who stand with me. Even now all of my children and my friends are gathering to stand with me. A few of these humans will lead you to where it has stopped for the night. You have a bit of time if you wish to prepare, but not much. If we can help you in any way, you have but to ask. I know that you prefer to fight with magical assistance, this one here has some limited resources. What they offer would have been used in the fight for the city, but this is more important, so what they have they will give you, little as it may be." A man stepped forward. "We don't have a lot, but we'll give you what we have. We hoped it would help us reduce losses attacking the city, but, well, The Bearded one says, if you can stop the dragon, it will send more trees to compensate. I don't know if you understand what that means." Roisin answered "I don't think I do" "The living trees are the Bearded One's children, and if it sends one of them into the city, it won't return, so it's trading some of its children for this. We don't have a choice, though, you have to survive. I have some potions, if those would help." "They will" "OK, gather round, looks like there's five of you, can the Ogre use potions?" Roy interjected "He's not an Ogre" "Oh, I'm sorry, I guess he's just a big man, that's kind of cool actually."
With that, a few potions were distributed. Roy then called upon the powerful magic he had developed somewhat recently to grant an extended rest to Himself, Bastion, and Boris, before the group marched out to meet this dragon. A few trees joined them, along with some rebels. It's normally difficult to travel in a swamp, but this swamp almost seemed to be helping. A trip that they estimated would have taken a day on their own, took only an hour. Approaching the enemy camp, they could see a formation of constructs gathered before a sleeping dragon. The dragon was covered with all kinds of warts and blemeshes, boils, and pustules; it's scales unnaturally sharp and jagged; it's flesh seemed to be rotting away at the edges. As they approached, the dragon lifted its snout and began to sniff the air, waking.
The party quickly prepared, then charged forward to attack, just as Boris conjured a spirit guardians with support from the Rainbow Lash. The Dragon roared as Roy conjured a blast of lightning and thunder among the soldiers guarding the dragon, severely damaging two and melting four others into slag. Bastion, as large as Jeeves, began to fly up to the dragon and punched it in the nose with a thunderous crack, to which the dragon simply stared at him, so Bastion delivered a powerful uppercut, but the dragon still looked unimpressed. The dragon beat its wings, knocking Bastion to the ground as it flew up in the air. The clockwork soldiers began to attack, with a rapidly increasing whine one struck the prone Bastion in the head. Boris called upon divin favor to increase his strength, speed his arm, and guide his attacks, then fired a bolt of rainbow energy at the dragon before striking it twice with his hammer. The dragon responded by striking Boris with its tail, slamming the halfling into a tree. Jeeves strode up to the soldiers and with two rapid strikes ran two through with his pike. The remaining soldiers accelerated with a rising whine, striking Jeeves with one of its four attacks before Boris magical gavels battered it into junk. The dragon flew down, and vomited forth a beam of raw magical energy that struck Bastion, Boris, Jeeves, Roy, and one of the trees. Boris used another divine boon to avoid any harm; Bastion used a boon to reduce the harm, but his Citrine gem absorbed the energy; Roy dodged aside and his magical armor field deflected some, Jeeves dodged aside completely, and the tree died outright. Boris suddenly began sinking deep into the muck, discovering that he seemed to weigh more than normal while in water. Some rebels fired crossbows, and a few even struck vulnerable points. Roisin chose to climb a tree, but was struck by a rebel behind her, a well disguised clockwork assassin who spoke "Your father says Hi"! The assassin struck Roisin twice, poisoning her, piercing her, and very nearly killing the princess with a cowardly sneak attack from behind. Roisin finished climbing the tree and called out "Assassin!" pointing at the creature below, then ordered Jeeves to attack. Jeeves turned to the nearest solder and ran it through. Some of the other rebels fired on the assassin, striking repeatedly, but the solidly built construct shrugged off most of the blows and even reacted by stabbing one of the rebels. A tree moved close to the assassin and tried to slam them but accidentally crushed the leg of a rebel instead. The Assassin scrambled up the tree, and stabbed Roisin again. One of the rebels accidentally shot an ally, a tree crushed a clockwork soldier. Another soldier revved up with a whine, and made 4 swings at Bastion, but all missed. Roy moved forward quickly and conjured Nathur's Hail of Pins and Pain, striking the dragon, but also struck Bastion. Roy also used a divine boon to free Bastion, who had been trapped by the magic. Bastion flew up and punched the dragon in the head twice then activated a defensive field. Boris also flew up toward the dragon, called forth several divine blessings, and conjured a supercharged Bolt of Glory that blasted the outer layer of flesh completely off the dragon, leaving nothing more than a skinned and burning corpse that fell into the swamp raising a massive cloud of steam as the holy fire was quenched. Out of the cloud of steam arose the original form of this creature, an ancient black dragon which roared in fury. Jeeves moved back a bit, used mystic union and a pintel thistle to cure the poison afflicting Roisin, and consumed a potion. A Rebel shot at the dragon, miraculously striking between the scales. The Dragon roared again, and all of the rebels fled in fear. Boris and Roy ignored the fearful roar, Bastion used a divine boon to protect himself, and Roisin steeled herself against the fear. The dragon flew up to reach Bastion and Boris, then spewed forth a gout of powerful acid that dissolved several rebels, but thanks to more divine blessings Boris and Bastion manged to survive. Roisin gulped a potion that granted protection to Bastion, temporarily making him immune to harm, then ran down the tree while dodging a strike from the assassin, slogged around a tree closer to Roy, and ordered Bastion to attack. Bastion punched the dragon in the head again, something the dragon basically ignored. The living tree swung at the assassin, but missed. The assassin rushed over to Roisin, but could not quite reach her. The other tree moved behind Roisin, and swung at the assassin but missed. The remaining soldier ran at Jeeves, but missed. Roy moved up, conjured another hail of pins and pain, which the dragon mostly dodged, and fired a bolt of flame at the dragon, searing its black scales powerfully. Bastion called forth magic to speed his movement, and punched the dragon once more. Boris called on The Source to make his weapon holy, then threw his hammer at the dragon, striking with considerable impact and drawing its attention. Jeeves dropped his pike, summoned his longbow, and fired two arrows, striking once. The dragon responded by slapping at Bastion with its tail, but missed. As the dragon prepared to attack, it shrugged off Boris' spirit guardians and reared back.
