Chapter 4 - The Dragon's Krypt

General Summary

After the battle at the first fort, the party was rejoined by Aaron Shand, who changed his mind and decided to join them again despite his better instincts. They went toward another Knight of Black Dragon base where the dragon was no doubt hiding. They were confronted by a werewolf and some of the knights, but the party vanquished them in battle. They took a rest from their fighting.
The party arose from their hour rest and began to strategize how to deal with the dragon at the fort. Kade suggested poisoning the creature with luring it out, but this plan failed as they had no want to have the dragon scent it out. Aaron decided to sneak in to the dragon's crypt to confirm it was even there. But as he travelled inside, he alerted some guards within the lair and was chased out. The party made quick work of the bandits, but they soon heard a thunderous growl with no source.

Green Dragon by Júlio Rocha

The dragon was Morkaz, invisible to the eyes of the adventurers. Morkaz asked the party for their reason of being there, to which they responded that they were there to slay him. Morkaz laughed, and offered a greater deal: they could join the Knights of Black Dragon and he would pay them with riches and high titles. The party refused this offer, believing that Morkaz was merely trying to trick them.
Morkaz then made another deal: they would give him Thelburg in exchange for their lives and being able to leave. He tried to entice Thelberg, reaching into her draconic instincts on the loveliness of gold and killing, which did start to sway her thoughts. However, the party told the dragon that they would never sell her out, and that they would rather fight him to the death. Morkaz sighed, and told the adventurers that failing to bargain would be their death. He then revealed himself and blew his terrible dragon breath toward them, injuring Cecil, Kade, and Aaron before they could strike.
The battle commenced. Aethelflaed, a Knight of Dragonbane herself, rushed toward Cecil to heal him and Aaron Shand rushed toward one of the fortress' towers to fight off the dragon. He used the high ground to try and snipe at the dragon. Aethelflaed tried to stand alone against while Cecil and Kade got themselves up, and Thelberg blasted the dragon with her fire spells. Finally Kade and Cecil got up and also began to attack the dragon with spells and the steel defender, named Ignus (who turned out to be immune to the dragon's breath).
Aaron Shand fired a crossbow bolt at the dragon, injuring it, but also alerting Morkaz to his position. The green dragon spread his wings, tanked a few attacks from the ground warriors, and laid his assault toward Aaron. Aaron was thrashed by the dragon's claws and was knocked onto the ground, unconscious and bleeding out. The dragon then turned his attention back to Cecil, Kade, Aethelflaed, and Thelberg. A myriad of ice spells from Kade, Aethelflaed's longsword attacks, unsuccessful divine blasts from Cecil, firebreath from Ignus (given from Thelburg), and fire bolts from Thelberg injured the dragon.

by DungeonDraft, Hero Forge

Eventually, Thelberg rushed to go check on Aaron, finding his unconscious body and trying to protect it. But the injured Morkaz saw her maneuver this way and flew toward her. The dragon snatched her and tried to flee with Thelberg in his hands. However, the party blasted spells and shot him with arrows, leading the dragon to crash onto the ground, dead from a last arrow shot from Aethelflaed. Morkaz was no more.
With the dragon slain, the party checked on their friend Aaron: he was also slain, gashed horrendously by the dragon's claws and left to die by the creature. The party mourned his death, and Aethelflaed mentioned that he was brave for his sacrifice and was to be remembered. The group took his body and placed it upon his oversized shield and brought it toward the Silver River. They made funeral rites, and then sent his body down the river, to "travel to the Hall of Warriors as the dragonlords of old had done." His body travelled down the river rapids, until they no longer saw him. After an hour of lamenting, the party returned to the dragon's lair to take it's goods and return to Slytoff Han to complete their mission. The captured the following loot:

• The sword Frost Brand.

• A Staff of the War Mage.

• A Sentinel Shield.

• Various types of Medium Armor.

They travelled back to Feller's Rock with the head of Morkaz and spoke with Slytoff. He revealed to them the truth: that the only reason they cannot get Fatebender is that Riley Woodhame still lives, but has been missing for a decade. He has searched for him all across the mortal plane, but he seems to not be on the surface of Talamh. Slytoff tells them to look over the note they grabbed, as he believes the name on it was a code. The note said:

“It is a shame, great Morkaz, that we have lost the woman Thelberg. She was of great interest to us. Unfortunately, our plan of capturing her with our werewolves went horribly. They failed their instructions and turned against us, bringing the woman Thelberg into their ranks. I pray they have not discovered anything else about her. Her dragon blood and ancestry must remain an utter secret. Otherwise, I fear she may start to develop ideas contrary to our plans. Keep in touch. If she is spotted with the Hearthstar agents, kill them on the spot.”

-Yknnkco Yaxgtp

Kade realized the name was a Caesar Cypher pushed by 2, and thus promptly went to work. Slytoff offered them drinks, and Cecil took one, but immediately spit it out after feeling intoxicated. Apparently it was Slytoff's formula for a Potion of Instant Drunkness. Once Kade finished the cypher, he found a horrible truth: the name was "William Wyvern." They were deceived! It turns out that William Wyvern has been collaborating with the Knights of Black Dragon!
And another truth was unveiled. Thelberg began to put her memories back into placed, and realized the reason why the dragons were interested in her. She discovered her memories belonged to a foe from long ago: Qenlynn Millerstone. Somehow, she was an incarnation of Qenlynn brought to life. This made Slytoff and Aethelflaed nervous, but Kade brought up how Thelberg did not need to follow the same path as the old Dragon Queen. He mentioned she could help them stop William Wyvern's plot. Thelberg, unsure about her future, agreed to help with the group for now, but feared the influence of dragons may continue to further tempt her. Thus, the party decided to stick together, even in Aaron's death, and stop William Wyvern's plot with the Knights of Black Dragon!

Date (in world)

August 13th, 5750.

Report Date

30 Jan 2021

Primary Location

Feller's Rock

Player Characters

Kade Krueger is a high elf artificer who hailed from the city of Avenve before moving to Lysandus. He served as a city guard in Wydon, but now he will see more life of adventure than he ever expected...

Aaron Shand is a human rogue, and more importantly, a wanderer. After the trauma he endured at Canmoore, he has decided he can no longer trust authority and has become immensely introverted. In battle, he often hides from the enemy with his trusty shield. But do not mistake that for cowardice: he has a formidable aim.

Cecil Kurtz is also from Gothai and a human cleric of the light. Who he follows remains a mystery, but he has been granted divine power to protect his allies and cut into the darkness of his enemies.

Aethelfaed Dragonbane is a half-orc Monster Slayer Ranger. She current works for the Knights of Dragonbane and proclaims that Wulfric Dragonbane was her grandfather. Though not as ferocious as he once was, her sense of justice and prowess remains ever true.

Thelberg was once a normal woman of Gothai, a merchant passing through, until stricken with the curse of Lycanthropy. Now cured, she is stricken with another strange transformation: the awakening of draconic blood within her, which has given her access to powerful magic spells.