Episode 14
General Summary
The battle with the shadowy dragon continues, as a large shape looms on the other side of the portal. It seems as though whatever lies on the other side is attempting to claw through, and so Vasilii leaps into the portal with his blade raised, fighting back the creature and keeping it in the Shadowfell. The adventurers manage to slay the small dragon, and with its death, Leah closes the final shadow portal; restoring it to the Fey Crossroad it once was. Her weakened connection to the Feywild is now repaired it seems.
Veda recalls that a dragon of shadow was only a hypothesised myth up until this point, and so the group harvest a few scales and teeth to bring back with them. With the final shadow portal closed, the mist that permeated the forest seems to fully recede, making it much easier to see through the trees. Leah sends Nyx into the air to try and get an idea of where they are, and how they can get back to the city. With the mist cleared, Nyx spots the way to Kureta City's western bridge, as well as a camp site along the way.
The group decide to explore the camp site, finding it abandoned but only for a few months it seems. The set up of the camp suggests that it may have been where the deceased party from the City of Pain slept, before being chased into the Temple of Mortona. Finding nothing more than a set of studded leather armour, the group continue their way back to the capital.
By the time they leave the boundaries of the forest, the constant cloud cover seems to be beginning to show signs of dispersing. As they step onto the bridge, a small bird is seen entering the woods.
The party are greeted by Samson as they return to the city, who is somewhat surprised to see them again. They make their way to see mayor Tomias Stoutson, in order to relay what they have seen in the Deddo Forest, and to discuss his Writ of Patronage. The mayor is very happy to see the party, and seems overjoyed at what they have accomplished in the dead forest. The prospect of the forest returning to life with thanks to these adventurers seems to be excellent news to the mayor. The party ask the mayor a few questions about his patronage, before agreeing to return in the morning with their final decision.
At the mayor's suggestion, Leah, Veda and Eva head to the University of Magic to discuss the Shadow Dragon, with Godric and Atlas heading to Hammer & Rune to discuss their newly discovered runes. Along the way, the group run into a disgruntled Harmony, who seems particularly upset with the celebrity over something she did, claiming that she knows something is up, and she will find out what. A giggling couple nearby suggest that Harmony may be hitting the bottle again...
At the smithy, Atlas and Godric meet a pair of dwarves called Bracken and Fenna. Fenna is writing tickets for a line of customers, as the pair of adventurers loudly discuss their new finds. With everybody else out of the smithy, Bracken closes the shop to discuss business. The dwarves seem quite impressed with the discovery of two new runes, and offer a decent price for them. Both Godric and Atlas decide to have some sygaldry done for them, and are told to return in four days to collect their items.
At the university, the trio of ladies meet a fan of Eva's; a young halfling called Sissy. Sissy is a divination student, and is more than happy to escort the trio to her mentor; Adina, The Diviner. Along the way, the group walk past an interesting Kurete statue, which continuously melts itself down and then reforms a random object or creature.
At Adina's door, the High Professor of Divination beckons Sissy and her guests inside before even seeing who knocks. The High Professor is a blonde half-elf, with bright blue eyes - where the whites should be. She welcomes her new guests by name, without asking for them, before asking Sissy to leave. The trio explain what they have discovered in the Deddo Forest regarding the Shadow Dragon, the witches, and the Seed of Mortona. Adina takes in the news with a keen interest. She takes one of the Shadow Dragon scales, explaining she will bring this news to the university council for discussion. She will contact the group once she has some information. Before leaving the university, Adina speaks to Eva privately, with a somewhat dire warning...
The group meet up once more outside the university, before heading to The Lover's Nest for a quick drink. Whilst there, they catch a story being told by a young bard about the Dawn of Creation. A tale literally as old as time, possibly sheds new light on the adventurer's current situation. Finishing up their drinks, the party decide to unwind and so make their way to Beth's Baths.
Rewards Granted
- Shadow Dragon Scales & Teeth
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