Bones and Roses
General Summary
When the Order of the Stone Gauntlet returns from their expeditions in the north, they find the situation at Kapital less than ideal. While their alliance with Piper's Ferry, in the competent hands of Maximus, keeps their organization well-fed, and the recent exploits of the Order of the Stone Guantlet has provided allies and resources, things back in the Caves of Chaos are... chaotic. Azrael is dead, and Chuma has not been seen since he departed to Bard's Gate to make a mysterious trade deal. Koheleth and Karga have journeyed south to the Rift, and although they haven't written back directly, their adventure seems to be going well based on the influx of travelers to the caves. TyrKek has grown even more obsessive in his hunt for the nichny since his brother's death, which he partially blames on the recent rise of the Pale Master; he has even launched a tyrannical crusade against the ancient necromancer, which "inspired" Tobias to take a step out of the limelight.
Although the guild has significant resources at its disposal, the collapsing leadership of the organization is a threat within and without, especially when their allies are endangered. Kapital's oldest ally, the grippoli of Pondhome, have been a constant source of labor, trade, and valuable resources. Although Mizzryn has aided them in defending against the attacks and schemes of the Poisoned Cup, a different ally contacts the armorsmith about a threat not just to the grippoli, but to the entire swamp.
The Court of the King Crab met with the grippoli to inform Kapital of a serious, serious threat.
Adventurers from Greyhawk recently traveled into the swamp to slay the black dragon Asterax. These adventurers were very powerful and came with a small legion of well-equipped soldiers. Although the dragon was driven away, abandoning its lair, something else remained. Something that corrupts the water, changing the swamp's wildlife, and endangering grippoli and crabs. The King Crab grows sick from acid and poisoned waters; although her magic is powerful, it is not enough to keep the darkness at bay forever. Her court and the grippoli alike beseech the Order of the Stone Gauntlet to track down the source of this corruption, centered in the infamous Bonefields, and destroy it before its changes become permanent and the swamp's inhabitants are corrupted forever.
Below is a summary of the events, observed by the knights' commander and recorded by Lady Death's Tomekeeper.
Note: Translated into Common.
The Knight of the Rose
Shade, you ask to hear my story. I know not who or what you are, but I will grant this request. The story of my life is long. The story of my death is shorter, but it weighs heavier on my heart. In lifetimes past, I served with another order, but, during my death, I was pledged to the Platinum Fist of Greyhawk. For decades, our order lived true to our ideals. Though the salt of sea-winds were distant, I felt I had found a home again. We marched into the Brackwater Swamp to hunt the Midnight Terror. I have slain other dragons before, but none were as cunning as this Asterax. She spent millenia collecting old magics and unleashed her full fury upon us. Although we came well-equipped, her power was far greater than we thought. Even my arms and armor wavered 'neath her acid words; I cannot replace them, but I knew my soldiers were suffering. We could not sustain a campaign against such a dangerous foe. It is my great shame that I was seduced by promises of power. The shifter Creo, under the guise of a Gabbie Collows, offered strange tinctures that would ward us against Asterax's magic. I did not know what it would cost me and my soldiers. For a time, we were protected 'gainst the dragon's acid breath. We shifted the tides of battle, and, bit by bit, we drove the swamp-scourge from her lair. However, my body itself was changed forever. Skin and bones, all turned to sludge. Only once before had I felt such pain. It was an agonizing transformation, my mind's eye cloudy and blinded. All that remained of me was my armor, the metallic core of my new form. Of my soldiers, I mourn those who died to Asterax, but I am grateful they were unchanged by Creo's alchemy. Some were raised by the necromantic power of the Bonefields. Others joined with me, creatures of formless acid. All were mindless, changed forever. I know not why I remained, only that I did. With the dragon fled, the swamp was a thing to be corrupted, with me as its conqueror. Life withered 'neath my boots, the waters thick and sickly green. I waged a bloody war 'gainst the crab-king and her servants. Slowly, slowly, the scales tipped in my favor. In my distraction, others came to the rescue. I was freed from my waking curse by... heroes, I suppose. I do not know them, and they do not know me. I watched as they rent my form with blades and spells, silently willing them to end it. I watched, uneasy, as my body summoned pernicious magic 'gainst them. Bit by bit, they felled my twisted thralls and reduced my cursed body to nothing. As I assumed Asterax's form, I felt despair for them. The dragon's aura incensed their emotions, turning them against one another at this most crucial moment. My acid bite crunched through their bones, and, one by one, these few heroes fell as my wounded body struggled to maintain its shape. My salvation was a lone crossbow bolt. That final shot, from miles and miles away, ended my curse. Not all my saviors lived, but I am grateful that many of them did. Perhaps they will stop this "Gabbie Collows" from repeating these horrors.Est Sularus oth Mithas. My honor is my life, and now my life is ended.
Rewards Granted
Mistfrog Oil
Ashvine
Ashvine
Crafted from the Ooze Dragon
Heartbeater FlailCharacter(s) interacted with
Report Date
02 Sep 2023
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