16.3.3.7 Jogrothir's Rest, Broodmother, Drakesbane Horn

Sail southeast to Jogrothir's Rest we kill the spire drake brood mother. recover drakebane horn. and return to party with relics.

After breakfast it is decided that Zaxel, Yamiel, Varros and Luna will head upstream to the falls at the start of the river and see if the three of us cannot find Jogrothir's Rest. We sail on the raft for a couple hours until about 2 hours past midday when we reach the end of the rift valley. High above the valley stands a massive façade carved into the side of the cliff. Of simple design, it consists of four colossal tapering pillars flanking a dark opening, just below the doorway, a massive amount of white stains cover many of the surrounding rocks. On the valley floor below lie the rotting carcasses of two large, dragonlike creatures covered in forest green scales.   We have decided that the white stains are dragon guano and the matron of the wing of spire drakes was within using the Rest as her lair. Some Heal and Survival checks revealed that the two drakes were Forest Drakes and they had been killed by the marsh giants before they had been transformed into wights!   Zaxel spoke the words of an ancient prayer of Brigh and granted the four of us the ability to walk upon the winds. Swiftly and silently the four of us took air climbing the 120' to the landing platform above us. We took a couple of moments to prepare for the coming battle, Yamiel drinking a couple of his vials, Varros prays for magic fang and protection from energy (necrotic) upon E'Luna, Zaxel prays for the Blessing of Fervor and communal resist energy (necrotic). A pair of the Fire Drakes came with us, the other four remaining back at camp with the others.. safety in numbers they thought. Two of them could not resist the chance to see the shiny thing again!   The chamber is huge, a couple hundred feet squared at the side opposite the entrance is a throne with crushed giant remains.. we presume Jogrothir. The entire length of the chamber has a shelf 5' high 10' wide where the giants over the years have placed offerings and grave gifts.   Slowly we creep into the huge chamber, Varros and Luna deploying to the south of the door and looking around for the drake we know is in here.. but being to busy deploying his mobile bulwark to pay much attention to the ceiling.. the drake is not on the ground level. Yamiel and Zaxel deploy to the north of the doorway. All four of us sneaking as best we can.. Clearly so too is the Drake. Zaxel hears a single wing beat above him and points upwards.   Varros steps out from cover and takes a shot trying to draw its attention, Yelling "Focus Fire" hoping that if nothing else the noise will alert the drake above that something is within its lair. Luna remains behind the tower shield. Yamiel follows suit sinking a couple of arrows into the drake, Zaxel tries again the spike stones, covering the entire north wall with the spike stones.   The Drake bellows in pain leaping from its perch above and leaps down towards the priest that hurt it the most. Breathing its breath upon both Yamiel and Zaxel.. thankfully because of the effects of Zaxel's Prayer they are bairly wounded and not effected by the curse of the black motes that float around them as they take cover under the offering shelf. Varros unloads into the drake, still disdaining any form of cover or the shield. Boom, Click, Click (two duds) He quickly reloads the rifle as he takes another step closer. E'Luna surprises all of us and choose to Charge out into the chamber, reaching almost below the drake. Howling a Challenge and trying to intimidate the drake into attacking her and not her packmates (She gets a nat20 intimidate, followed up by an opposed nat1 on the will save by the drake)   Even though before the drake can act again both Zaxel and Yamiel unload into the drake, she still did not want the wolf within her lair.. How dare it call her that in wolfspeak. The Drake drifts down the last few feet to bite and tail slap at Luna. She is half dead but still standing. Varros bellows in Rage and unloads into The Drake. Yamiel charges with his acidic blade and long arms hurting the drake badly, Zaxel pulls his pistol and fires into the drake at almost point blank range. The Drake smiles a toothy smile and takes a huge chomp out of Luna, smacking her again with its tail sending her unconscious body flying as shes bleeding out. Varros yells again "Focus fire on The Drake!" and unloads into her. BOOM, Boom, Boom (19/19/20) The drake disapears in a shower of black motes that fade away in the sunlight.   We hear a crash from the Throne and See the Giant Jogrothir almost entirely reformed.. it crumbles back to the ground as the drakes magic animating it is dispelled. The crash we heard was its head falling off and hitting the Throne.   Zaxel gathers us all near the unconscious luna, ( Zaxel having pored a potion of healing down her throat so that she wouldnt rise as a wight in the last round of combat was by her side) channeling the positive energy of Brigh we are healed and restored. E'Luna is changed from that experience. Her fur now a dull silver color, no longer black as the night, she is larger as well.   The Fire Drakes come inside and fly right to the Shiny thing.. to them it was glowing with a beautiful light (they were Fascinated by it) to us with our magic detection eyes, it glowed radiating powerfully strong enchantment auras. We have found The Drakesbane Horn, the third of the Artifacts we are seeking to rekindle the forge! Also within the drakes nest we found a Dragonfoe Amulet, Elixar of Tumbling, Potion of spider climb, an assortment of junk that the spire drakes collected. Within the offerings we were able to find a few pieces of jewlery, some gemstones and an assortment of coins. Zaxel used his make whole ability to repair the damaged pot shards into pottery which we were then able to translate from giant to learn what they said.   They contained Jogrothir's thoughts on various events that took place within his lifetime. of particular note is one section that describes in great detail how he first lit the fires of Minderhal's Forge with dragon's breath. While he forced a dragon to breath upon the forge with the powers of his horn, he later speculates that if the forge ever went cold, it might be possible to rekindle the forge by igniting the Fire Geodes with a flame from a torch lit by a dragon's breath, Or even using the blood or glands of a fire-breathing dragon. Another section detailed the various hues of the sunset as seen from his throne, as he would spend every night watching the sunset.   It is perhaps a good thing that we rescued that flight of fire drakes last night.. They did tell us that their lair was a cave to the north and their matron was trapped deeper inside unable to escape from some big ones that have claimed it as their own. Perhaps if we help them flight of them out and rescue her, she will be grateful and willing to help us out should the horn not work as we expect.   The Fire Drakes told us that they were trying to kite the forest drakes back to their cave but the marsh giants attacked and killed the forest drakes. Then they went up into the scary place with the shiny thing, so the drakes stay away and tried to think of something to do.. The marsh giants left the cave as wights... scary things, thanks for saving us from that fate by the way! So the two that came with us, convinced the others to fly into the scary place and see if the shiny thing could help them out recusing mother. Well the spire drakes returned from the hunt just as the fire drakes were about to fly away with the shiny thing. The ten of their number were carrying the shiny thing were destroyed and turned into wights before they know what was happening.. The fire drakes scattered and flew west along the river towards home.. hoping that they could kite the spire drakes all the way north to their lair to help free mother.   We already know what happened next as we lived it.