Chapter 7 - The Dungeon of Strynovo
General Summary
It took the party a few hours to travel to Strynovo on horseback, but eventually they found a small village in ruins on the side of the mountain. It had been destroyed roughly 10 years ago. Investigating the ruins, the party suddenly heard a band of orcs walking around the town. The party stealthily followed the Orcs, coming across a cliff side on the mountain, and found an entrance through a waterfall. The orcs wanted to get through a root, and started to cut through it. Then, the party sprung an attack, killing the orcs and looting them. Thankfully, the orcs led them right to the Lair of Dispair.
Charles began to get afraid going into the lair, but the party assured him they would be alright. The lair was strewn with dead plants, broken rocks through magic, and the skeletons of old adventurers. Eventually in the caverns, the party came to a brick-built wall. Aldric looked across the wall and found a button to create stairs. Unfortunately, while stairs did come out of the wall, it also awakened armor constructs, which tried to kill the party. The party defeated the constructs going up the stairs, and then made their way toward a bridge. Aldric and Saphira spotted a giant crocodile under the bridge water, but Charles ignored it. A giant crocodile suddenly attacked Charles, but he avoided the creature's bite. Unfortunately, Aldric would be bitten and dragged into the water. Thankfully Charles rescued Aldric, and Saphira patched him up.
The next part of the dungeon was a chasm, with a single rock platform ahead. Charles chucked Aldric across. On the platform, Aldric saw the dragon, among the ruins, stalking. Aldric got a rope across to his allies, and they made a small crossing for themselves. The coast looked clear until the platform started to rock under their weight. The party tried to balance it, but they failed in time, and the stone started to collapse. Aldric thus cast Feather Fall and slowed their descent, but the rock shattered across the ground, alerting the dragon. Gorgek poked through the marble draconic ruins to see the party in front of him.
Gorgek gave a wicked smile, happy to find a new meal. The party tried to reason with Gorgek, telling him they just came to get the princess and spare him. Gorgek refused, saying he planned to devour her next out of spite. Gorgek told the party he hated humans and gnomes, for they had killed his brother, and wished to kill the ones before him. Then, Charles threatened Gorgek, telling him that the "Great Gold Dragon of the North" would certainly destroy him if he killed them. The lie nearly worked, until Gorgek wished for more proof. Then the lie fell apart, and Gorgek had enough of the party. Charles tried one more bargain: the life of his uncle, Mathias, instead of his own. Gorgek simply laughed.
"Has he not told you? Ungruld is simply an alias for Mathias. So no, human, I will not trade his life. Yours is more precious to take."
A battled commenced. Gorgek knocked over a pillar to try and squish Saphira and Aldric. The two dodged out of the way, but that was a diversion. He sprayed the two with his sulfuric breath, severely wounding Aldric and knocking out Saphira. The dragon then chased Charles. Aldric shot a force ballista from his cannon as the dragon chased at a pillar, causing it to collapse on top of the dragon. Charles did the same, cutting down one and having it land on Gorgek. The dragon was crushed by the pillars, but he quickly got out of the rubble and chased Charles along the fallen pillars. The knight Charles battled Gorgek one-on-one as Aldric tried to shoot it from a distance. Suddenly, a spring of water erupted from the ground, starting to flood the place.
Saphira then awakened from her injuries. She crawled on top of a pillar to avoid drowning and began to blast the dragon with her Guiding Bolt. Charles led the dragon away from the party, into a clutter of pillars. However, Charles got cornered. The dragon slashed and bit Charles over and over, while the knight got overwhelmed. Aldric kept blasting on the pillars, Saphira cried out to her goddess for healing, and Charles fought his best against the monster. The dragon, about to give a killing blow to Charles, was then blasted by Aldric, dying in a hideous roar.
The party then found Princess Durkavna-Natalia within an anti-magic room. She asked them about Ungruld, and if they had been followed. From the distance, Charles saw some orcs coming down the cavern. Princess Durkavna realized it was a trap. Aldric then overlooked the third Winterstone they uncovered, realizing it was a fake. The group came quickly out of the cell, seeing that orcs were starting to investigate the dungeon. With them was an astral projection of Mathias Mane, dressed in mages robes, telling the orcs what to do. The party thus tried to sneak away, but one of the orcs spotted them. The orcs tried to attack the princess, but Charles, Aldric, and Saphira defended her. The princess herself cast powerful ice magic to defeat the orcs, though got injured quite badly. Eventually the orcs were killed, and the party had to figure out a way to get out of Strynovo. Apparently Ungruld had collapsed the entrance, meaning they might die if they could not escape.
However, it was Aldric who found an exit, finding a hidden wall beyond the Princess' cell. The party used it, making their way through traps (which they figured was used if the princess tried to escape), until at last they escaped Strynovo. That night, the Northern Lights turned a deep red, showing the party that someone was manipulating a Winterstone. Saphira gave the Queen a message via sending, telling her that Mathias Mane was Ungruld, that the Princess was safe, and that Ungruld planned to use the third Winterstone for evil. Then, the party used featherfall to safely descend the mountain, travelling back to the destroyed village of Strynovo in a race against time...Rewards Granted
The party defeated the dragon Gorgek, thus leading to the end of the Gor dynasty of dragons. They collected from his horde the following:
- 500 gold pieces.
- A large diamond.
- A faux Winterstone.
Missions/Quests Completed
The party succeeded in rescuing Princess Durkavna-Natalia on time, as well as vanquished the dragon Gorgek who had attacked the city of Fenebach. They also uncovered the true identity of Ungruld, it being an alias for Mathias Mane.
Date (in world)
December 16th, 5699.
Report Date
28 Jun 2020
Gorgek, vengeful toward the humanoid species on Talamh after the Dragonblazers killed his brother, had a bloodthirst. His thirst would be quenched eternally by the party.
Player Characters
Charles Mane is a human fighter of noble birth, hailing from the Kingdom of Goth. However, because of his lazy lifestyle, his family hates him, including his scheming uncle. Now in his 50's, he is now on a quest for glory.
Saphira is a half-elf life cleric, devoted to the mercy of Cardia. She finds herself on a quest to help the people of Icenglav to extend care to those who seek it.
Aldric Gemcutter, a gnome artificer from Avenve, finds himself looking for new inventions and ideas. He now travels in Icenglav to discover new possibilities, and uncover the secrets hidden beneath the snow.
Princess Durkavna-Natalia, the heir to the throne, was a powerful sorceress who could control winter at her grasp.
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