9th of Aestrun - continued-
Returning back at the boat, we tell William and Copper about our adventure and they tell about their time.
Dreslar is very happy that we returned his crystal, and offers us a ride back to the entrance of the cave, and even to Sarton if we want. We decide to return to Conwy and tell Fila about our findings. Liya does give a few messages to Dreslar that need to be delivered in Sarton. *
As we make our way back to the surface, we are met with the afternoon sun. On our way there, Liya and Erky explain what happened in the throne room, and show that they have stolen several gems. We, discretely, do not tell Mr Fila about this but do explain to him that: there is a group of Duergar, a nearly collapsed temple, and a very very unstable cavern under his mines and the rest of Conwy. He is deeply disturbed by this news, especially the latter, as he immediately starts packing his stuff to leave.
After this conversation, we make our way back to Gilda's to plan our route for the next days, have dinner and get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow at dawn, we ride towards Cozynest, grap some rations before leaving the city and be on our way. The rest of the evening, everyone takes some time to do their own things: drinking beer, drawing, writing or drawing octagrams with blood other things.
10th of Aestrun
Away we ride, with Derk and Kastanjesok pulling our cart, we leave Conwy for Cosynest. With a week of travels ahead of us, we make ourselves comfortable in our tent cart and share some stories. Thalmiir is very focussed on sorting out all the gems that Erky and Liya got from the Dao. Apparently, there is some kind of spell on them created by the Dao. He fears that the gems may be summoned back and therefore decides to disenchant a few of them. The sorted gems are locked in lead chests that he created the evening before, hoping to keep the magic out.
Walking alongside Copper, we talk a bit about him and about what he and William did while we were in the Duergars mines. He offers to let me fly using his magic and I agreed! It was really fun, I could see far, the planes on our left seemed to go on forever. While on the left I could almost see the path in the forest we walked when we were travelling to Beidon. After a fun 10 minutes, I landed back on the ground. We talked a bit about what would happen if one would fly up straight. If there would be a wall, or if it would just be cold. Neither of us was sure.
During our conversations, we also talked about what Conwy could do about the giant Magma lake underneath their town. Perhaps pillars, or metal bows, from the same enchanted materials as the boat? Whatever we talked about, there were some things Copper said that were pretty of unnerving. About tieflings, and how they could live underneath the city because it is hot anyways and about duergar 'not being worth so much'. I had noticed this earlier during our talk with Fila, but had dismissed it.
Anyhow, the days went fast, everyone did their own things and we liked to just watch the people that passed us on the road.
These were the short notes I made during the week of travel.
11th to the 16th of Aestrun
The first thing that happened during our days on the road was the gems disappearing from the bags and the chests Thalmiir had made. We were all a bit sad, but there were some nice ones left that Thalmiir had dispelled and we were happy with those.
During the following days, Thalmiir was busy with his armour, creating a new breastplate. The process was mostly him focussing on Morradin and the metal and that worked. Very fascinating, but I was afraid I would distract him.
Liya has made arrows from the obsidian shard she found in the mines, they look very very sharp and I would not want to be on the receiving end of those.
Ferrum returns to us on the 13th! We are all happy to see our friend and companion back and we gladly tell him the things we did. William and he catch up and after Thalmiir is finished with his breastplate, they spend a lot of time with the three of them. I thought I heard some things said in Giant and Elvish, but I was too busy trying to read in my study books, that I did not catch any of it. About that, I spend most of these days writing about our travels in one of the journals we found in the temple of Umbralee. The first one is almost full, I used the second one for drawing the maps and write out the details of the temples we visited, and the third one I have given to Ferrum. Maybe in Cosynest we can buy some new ones.
The day before we arrive, Thalmiir, William and Ferrum are being very hush-hush. Not sure what that is all about. But the next morning it became clear that they were planning to remove the arm of Ferrum that 'contains' Copper. Ferrum had a shiny new metal arm, and Thalmiir had the other one wrapped up under his arm**.
As they told us about what they did, I did feel a bit sad. I will miss Copper, I sort of understood him as we were both trying to understand our patrons, and I liked his straightforwardness and the conversations we had. But I was happier for William and Ferrum, who now both had the certainty that Ferrum would be the one waking up in the morning! And I know that Ferrums intentions are good, whereas I doubted those of Copper every now and then.
Overall, an eventful day, compared to the past few.
17th of Aestrun
Today we will arrive in Cosynest. Thalmiir has watched me quite a bit after the events of yesterday, but my thoughts about this were cut short as we start to see Cosynest in the distance.
What we saw was carnage. A large red dragon was soaring over the city, spewing fire over it all after which he/she flew away, northward. We all looked at one another and sprinted towards the flaming city.
Ferrum arrived first. He helps those trapped under rubble and runs into buildings to help guards save people trapped by the fire.
Thalmiir sprints away from the first buildings, running further into the city where he heals and helps as many people as possible, stabilizing and reassuring them.
William follows Ferrum and enters the burning building to save as many people as possible, after which he uses his lay on hands to bring them back from the brink of death.
Liya goes in and tries to ask what happened, what is going on and why this would happen to the city. Apparently they had been hunting this dragon for a while and this might be its revenge.
I ran after Thalmiir, catching up with him after a while as he sits down to heal a group. While zigzagging through the streets I try to stabilise the people that are unconscious, hoping that Thalmiir or William can wake them up later.
After an hour or two after the attack, people have moved towards the open places to rest. We make our way towards the marketplace where we strike up a conversation with one of the headguards, Captain Hardstone, a female half-elf. She tells us about the city, how it was sort of founded by a group of adventurers called 'The Black Sheep". They run the city and have gone away about two months ago to hunt this red dragon down. They haven't been seen since. She knows that the lair of the dragon is to the north-east of here, but no more.
We are quite unsure of what to do. Liya got a good look of the dragon and is quite certain it is at least an adult. We are not sure if we can take it down, or even find it for that matter. What is strange is that this dragon is found here, within the planes instead of in its natural habitat: the mountains. It must have fled from something..... Not a fun thought.
As we are uncertain of a lot of things, we decide to message our old gold dragon ally, Urudill. Thalmiir sends him a message as we set up our camp outside of the city proper. His response is short and clear, stay there, we will meet. The evening and night are quiet on the north side of Cozynest, no one eager to follow the way the dragon left.
18th of Aestrun
In the morning, it is easy to see the damage done by the dragon. A large part of the city is not functional, but Liya manages to go around and buy some studded leather while we wait for a sign from Urudill.
As we are at our camp, Ferrum tells us about his and Williams past. About how they met, how William was his student, how he died, how William had walked through a desert to find the tinkerer Betty. It is Betty who created his body, but it did not awaken until the 'Arcane storm' hit her workshop and awakened Lucan as Ferrum. It was quite a tale. We learned Ferrums true name, his last name I had already heard in the temple after he asked his question. But he prefers to be called Ferrum over Lucan.
Overall, quite a tale, about how William is now teaching Ferrum to be more socially secure, and how they travelled together. And about how Betty tried to trick him into being a servant, which was why Ferrum was so angry about Thalmiir calling him his 'servant' all that time ago when we met Erky. A lot of pieces fell into place that morning.
After a well deserved short walk in which we gathered our thoughts, Urudill arrived in his human form. We tell him about our findings and ask for his advice. He is certain he does not want to fight this dragon alone if it comes to a fight. Therefore, we go along and our tactic is 'Eerst praten dan slaan".
With this in mind, we take our cart and head to the north, towards Baferton.
19th and 20th of Aestrun.
We travel together with Urudill towards the dragons' nest. It is clear it is getting closer and closer as we can see the presence of the dragon affect the ecosystem. There are tremours, there is the smell of sulphur, everything has a slightly yellow colour and it is getting warmer by the hour.
Liya is tracking the dragon, as our surroundings are getting uncomfortably hot.
Nearing the end of the 20th, we reach the home of the dragon. Looking at the size of the hole, it is an adult dragon at least. Liya wants to sneak in, quick on her feet as she is, but is quickly taken back by the heat and sheer size of the pit. After this, Thalmiir, Ferrum and William decide to go for the diplomatic approach and ask entrance in return giving a large gem. The ground shakes and we take that as a sign they may enter.
Urudill, Liya, Erky and I wait patiently outside, hoping we will not get a distress message from Thalmiir.
After some time, the men arrive back at the top of the pit. A lot has happened and they seem to have a lot on their mind. We sit down, and they tell us the following.
They had travelled down the pit and met with the dragon. He asked why they were here and they stated that we did not want anyone to suffer or be in pain and that they had brought the gem as a sign of goodwill. The gem they had taken with them was worth 1000gp, or 100pl, with which they could buy 100 words to say to the dragon. William spoke, and asked the following questions:
Why are you here?
The south has turned his back on the dragons, we are being enslaved once again, like many hundreds of years ago. I am not welcome where I am from, I have fled and do not wish to return. I have made this place my home for now, but you filthy creatures entered this place as well and decimated this new place. Stop yourself before you come here to try and stop me.
Is Ikadosh planning a new attack?
It was always planned, especially after losing the last war.
Would you fight by our side if we were to attack?
As much as it takes to take back my old kingdom. I will fight by your side, but when this is all over, we will be enemies once more.
Are there other dragons that fled?
There are more, but not many. Few survived
What about Metallic Dragons?
Hundreds of years ago, when the Undead King started to rise, the metallic dragons fled to the north. I sense that there is one with you right now.
Are you planning on leaving?
As soon as the south is free. Until then, I will stay here.
Will you stop your attacks if we provide you will no longer be disturbed?
I will not attack the villages, but I will hunt in these woods.
Contact you?
I think you are capable of contacting me.
Name?
Karazoth.
And with all that to think about, we sit down to take a rest.
_______________________________________
Things we know but Nimueh does not.
* Messages to family and ?????
** Thalmiir talked to Copper, he did not seem pleased.