Chapter 7 - The Lair of Ji-Kull

General Summary

The party, now proclaiming themselves the Great Khans, returned to the capitol Tsino, and reported to the High Governor they would be safe from the Kaita Horde. The High Governor rewarded them with headbands of honor and gold, while Hu-Long was gifted a powerful sword called Flametongue. Meanwhile, Ki-Ku went to the slave market and bought a mute dragonborn slave called Zeke. Then after recuperated their supplies, they found a portal to the capitol of Ukasan, which was de-commissioned. They re-activated it and stepped through.
The adventurers met some of the guards of Ukasan, not thrilled that some foreigners came through the decommissioned portal. However, talking with the King of the Ukasan, Nyandek, they learned that the Ukasan were willing to ally with Pung and Tsino if the dragon hording their local Pool of Healing was vanquished. The party agreed to the terms. Nyandek also learned the party desired to revive Goldbloom and so the king gave them a fishing net. He said, "spread the ashes on a carp you catch, and let it jump up the river."
In the early morning the party dispatched toward the old monastery. It took an entire day to walk up the stairs on the mountain where the dragon was. Hu-Long polymorphed into a bird to scout, seeing the dragon and wyverns around the mountain. When he returned he told the party what was ahead. Thus the Great Khans proceeded cautiously, bypassing a gargoyle trap at the entrance. They fought off fire snakes and fiery elementals, as well as half-dragons, that got on their way.
Across a rope bridge, the party was also assaulted by wyverns. In the chaos Ki-Ku blasted with his Wand of Wonder a strange affect against a wyvern turning one into stone, while the second was tied up with ropes by Hu-Long and Bastion. Bastion and Hu-Long used the ropes to have the wyvern submit to them, until the creature finally bowed and submitted. The tamed wyvern was then named "Leafra", and Bastion used it as a mount. They crawled through more of the monastary until they had to fight some feiry Salamanders, which burnt and wounded them substantially.
The salamanders would be vanquished however. The party proceeded through the hallways and came to the garden, where the red dragon Ji-Kull was "resting" (though the party saw through his deception) on his gold. The party split up, with Bastion keeping watch on top of Leafra, Hu-Long and Sorn approaching the dragon, Kiu dived into the waterfall to catch a carp, and Angska and Ki-Ku kept watch.
Hu-Long tried to negotiate with the great adult dragon Ji-Kull, trying to get him to attack the Lich Queen Si-Wang, but the dragon Ji-Kull revealed she was working with him. The moment Hu-Long stated his intentions to revive Goldbloom, the dragon was angered, stating,

"I will not allow even a child of the gold kin to breath. Now die, for insulting me in my resting place!"

Ki-Ku tried to throw a fireball at the dragon to wound it, but the dragon shrugged off the fire damage and laughed. Thus the dragon went on the attack, blowing his feiry breath and wounding Sorn and Bastion, while the party scrambled. The dragon used his claws and terrible maw to knock out Hu-Long, and Ki-Ku was knocked out after trying to get on top of Ji-Kull. Angska was gravely injured, and Bastion, riding the wyvern, could hardly do any damage to the dragon's hide. Things took a turn for the worst.

Dragon Carp by Feig Felipe Pérez

But then, as Kiu spread the ashes on the carp, he saw the fish swim up the river. He climbed out of the water. The party, beaten and terribly wounded, saw a brilliant light as the great carp leaped over the waterfall, and in the air it transformed with a golden sheen. The wings grew, and the fish's body stretched, until finally it revealed a young golden dragon, ferocious and deadly, to stare down Ji-Kull. Ji-Kull grew angrier, and the young golden dragoness stood her ground. Goldbloom was alive again!

Date (in world)

April 14-16th, 1A 3510.

Report Date

25 Apr 2021

Player Characters

Angska is a human Druid of the Stars. She is an accomplished astrologer in her home village in Shikaizu, but in recent days has received visions of a coming doom to Pung. She seeks to restore her homeland's calendar to finish the pieces.

Bastion is a Goremu Cavalier, a living terracotta warrior in a sense. He was designed with the ideals of bushido in mind, and has taken it upon himself to serve his country despite the wars of the Six Kingdoms raging.

Hu-Long is a Dragonbord Bard of Valor who has been low on money and seeks opportunity for work. He loves his own music and seeks fame and fortune to the very end, hoping to be a star in the eyes of everyone.

Ki-Ku is a homeless wanderer after being driven away from village to village for his unstable magic as a Wild Mage. He is thus constantly searching for food and money, and seems to relish in that lifestyle.

Kiu is an Open Hand Monk, coming from the monastery of the Long-Quan. He was sent out on his pilgrimage to fix the imbalances in the local region of Tsino, and has displayed mastery over the art of Kung-Fu.

Sorn Zavirr is a Dark Elf draconic sorcerer, sent by his superiors to learn more of the dragons of the surface world and uncover the meaning behind his gift.