Narrative

Day 32 began with the party travelling to meet up with the army. Indengu told them scouts had been sent to check out the encampment, and the party stopped about 1 hour away. Corterius, a general, returned at about 10:00 and reported that so far the scouting had gone unnoticed. The encamped group seemed relaxed. The observed forces included 50 or 60 smaller salamanders, 10 larger salamanders, and one larger purple-scaled figure with 4 or 6 arms carrying a large trident. The notes also record gnawing statues, Goliath slaves, and “made of fire creatures? #”.

The party planned to look like sickly Goliaths so they could fool and distract the enemy and attack the Excellence. They told Errol that when he was told to return to the mother, he should instead go to Corterius and start the army’s advance from a different direction. A green dragon naming note said consonant endings in ik and x seemed common, and someone used the name “Sallinx.” The ratio was recorded as one big creature to every seven-ish small ones. The party requested to see the big boss; they had not been given a name, only told to come to the location to check on status.

Near the Barrier, the party smelled an oasis. A female statue of Valentinhide was present, with a bigger version standing in front of him. “Great exhausted” was noted. The Lord of Brass Citadel was described as a visitor from the Mother of Many.

The bird was sent to the camp. Lortesh was described as “untruly end,” and the party could not control him. The reward promised by the sphinx was delivered, and he would deliver his side of the bargain. Armies approached and asked whether they were mine. The party became more subservient and said no, Sir, knowing he would know if they were lying.

Goliaths began to be freed from their tents. Dirk’s dad was a few tents away. Someone saw through an illusion and laughed because the caster had made themself look meaner. The attack began, with Goliaths attacking outside the tents. The Lord of Brass Citadel tried to go to the front line, and Eliana had to go with him.

A green dragon descended on the armies. “My Frizzlesing” was noted as a day of music and mirroring the surroundings. The Dunnensend army killed the dragon. An elemental died saying, “You betray me, I was meant to avenge you.” The party killed it. The Dunnensend army was successful.

Dirk’s dad was okay. Rubyeye took Valenta back to her lab to repair her, and they needed a few days to recuperate. The Excellence killed was the leader of the Brass City. The Earth Excellence was Treamen, and a jagged purple crystal skull was recovered. Invar inspected it and found it was a magically crafted artifact, made from Treamen’s skull and from shield crystal.

At 22:00, the party located a command tent and a locked chest. The chest contained a load of platinum coins. One side showed a domed city tower, and the other showed a snake wrapped around a stick. There were 1,000 words in Ignan around the outside: “to commemorate the fall of the labour in the name of the lord Searean”.

Dirk’s dad wanted to return to Salvation to rest and gather armies to attack the Goliath city with some of the Goliaths from the city. Zane Peacemaker Dirk was noted. It would take 5 days before they could get to the city.

The party checked on the dragon. Dunnensend soldiers were in a row beside it, and an officer with a mule-shift table and scales was handing out pieces to the army. The scales were devoid of flesh, as if carved. The dragon was the same size as the others but had bird claws for legs, and wings extending down its tail like Lortesh.

The party asked for the dragon’s head to be chopped off. Dirk questioned one of the city Goliaths. The Goliath said it was not a city. Rebels said they needed to take the tower, and the tower was in a field. The people had worked for the dragons for generations and believed the dragons were gods. Rebels had killed one of the young dragons, and she had killed 1,000 Goliaths in revenge. The questioned Goliath’s job had been to tend the lizards that fed the dragons; otherwise, the Goliaths themselves would be food. His friends had called him Poolface, but he changed it to Thunder as a stronger name.

People, Factions, and Places Mentioned

People and name-like figures mentioned include Indengu, Corterius, Excellence, Errol, Sallinx, Valentinhide, the Lord of Brass Citadel, Lortesh, the sphinx, Dirk, Dirk’s dad, Eliana, Rubyeye, Valenta, Treamen, Invar, Zane Peacemaker Dirk, Poolface / Thunder, and lord Searean.

Groups and creatures mentioned include scouts, the army, salamanders, a larger purple-scaled multi-armed figure with a trident, Goliath slaves, Goliaths, rebels, dragons, a green dragon, an elemental, Dunnensend soldiers, the Dunnensend army, and the party.

Places mentioned include the encampment, the Barrier, the oasis, the camp, the Mother of Many, the Brass Citadel / Brass City, Salvation, the Goliath city, the command tent, and the tower in a field.

Items, Rewards, and Resources

The sphinx’s promised reward was delivered, and he would fulfill his side of the bargain.

The party recovered a jagged purple crystal skull from Treamen, the Earth Excellence. Invar identified it as a magically crafted artifact made from Treamen’s skull and shield crystal. A locked chest in the command tent contained many platinum coins marked with a domed city tower, a snake wrapped around a stick, and 1,000 Ignan words: “to commemorate the fall of the labour in the name of the lord Searean”. The army also harvested carved-looking dragon scales, and the party asked for the dragon’s head to be chopped off.

Clues, Mysteries, and Open Threads

The enemy encampment included salamanders, a large purple multi-armed figure with a trident, Goliath slaves, gnawing statues, and possibly fire creatures. The identity and nature of the purple figure and the statues remain unclear.

The party used or heard the name “Sallinx,” and the notes suggest ik and x consonant endings may be a green dragon naming convention. The Lord of Brass Citadel’s relationship to the Mother of Many remains significant.

Lortesh was noted as “untruly end,” and the party could not control him. The armies’ question about whether they were “mine,” and the need to answer subserviently because he would know if they lied, remains tied to an unclear authority.

The Excellence killed was the leader of the Brass City, and Treamen was identified as the Earth Excellence. The elemental’s dying words, “You betray me, I was meant to avenge you,” suggest a broken expectation or allegiance that is not yet explained. Treamen’s skull being made into a jagged purple crystal artifact from shield crystal remains significant.

The platinum coins commemorate “the fall of the labour in the name of the lord Searean,” but the event, lord Searean, and the domed city tower and snake symbols remain unexplained. Dirk’s dad intends to gather armies in Salvation and attack the Goliath city, though one city Goliath said it was not a city and rebels said the real target was a tower in a field. The Goliaths’ generations of service to dragons, their belief that the dragons are gods, and the young dragon’s revenge killing of 1,000 Goliaths remain major open threads.