Narrative

Day 41 began at about 07:00, when two dragons seemed to approach. One was lithe, with unremarkable features and a veridian hue. The other was the toothless dragon the party had seen before. By about 09:00, Greysocks was walking toward the town square but stopped a few streets away. The smaller dragon landed on a building. A black puff of smoke appeared, and a black smoke dragon manifested, apparently summoning the cobbler. Greysocks looked up at the tower, and the smoke dragon also looked up at the tower. The black smoke dragon waved a claw and disappeared.

Battle began. A ticking female stabbed Joel through. Inkysvagh the Horror ran off. [Unclear] Cezzerliksygh was killed. [Unclear] Neutron to chitra Entoldust Darkness Born was also killed. After the fight, the party revived the dwarf, who ran off home. Greysocks was reincarnated as an elf, and the jeweller was reincarnated as a halfling. The party returned to the cobbler’s shop and told them about the changes. Captain Sprat went to get clothes for the changed cobbler or cobblers.

The party sent Errol to Dirk’s dad and gave Errol the bracelet of locating. Invar cast Prayer of Healing. Two hours had passed since the dragon fled. Errol returned and reported that he had gone halfway from Sunset Vista to Azureside and found no bracelet. Meanwhile, the council was trying to convince the militia to “suit up.”

The party heard a large explosion from the Cheery & Cherry and went to the pub. Longfury was standing outside and made it clear that he was in charge. The party sent him off to the town square to attack a dragon if it appeared. Townsfolk then appeared to put out the fire. The explosion seemed too powerful for a gnoll, so the party investigated its cause. Moonshine vodka had helped the blast, and the party found cracked copper spheres, which they assumed had released fire elementals. Upstairs, under a desk, they found a wooden chest containing a crossbow, which Bosh took.

Screams came from the town square. Longfury was standing on boxes, taunting the dragon. The party told him to hide. By this point, three hours and ten minutes had passed; the time was 12:10.

The party sought an audience with the Pact Keeper. They learned or noted that no one had ever seen the matriarch leave their domain. They went back to the cobblers and advised calling a mass town meeting so the town could either evacuate or join the fight. Evacuation would take about half a day. As the party began spreading the evacuation message, the town darkened, and wisps of smoke started rolling over the ground and roads.

Geldrin and Dirk heard whispers in the smoke but could not make out any particular words. Townsfolk panicked. One turned around with woodlice streaming from his mouth, while others swatted at invisible bugs. The party guided everyone out of the village toward Threeleigh.

The name Perodita was noted. The smoke formed into a thirty-foot-tall dragon with beautiful green scales. It possessed people and spoke to Dirk. It declared that all of the Pacts were off and that it would kill everyone in every town. It said there was nowhere to run or hide, that it would devour the army first and then devour what she liked. It told Dirk, “I think you underestimate me,” called itself “the choking death” and “the mother of many,” and then choked some of the townsfolk.

The party sent a message to The Basilisk. Errol sent messages to Cardonald and Rubyeye, who said they were coming to the party. The message seemed to nearly get through but could not because there was a blocker in the area. They would try to get to Threeleigh, or perhaps out of the area. The party headed toward Donly and told Errol to get Dirk’s dad to direct himself toward Donly so they could meet up.

On the horizon, the party saw a green shape with three or four figures flying around it. Light returned to normal, suggesting the green dragon’s influence had about a ten-mile range.

The Basilisk wanted to meet in Donly or Sunset Vista because the blocker prevented teleportation to the party. The party instead headed to a hunters’ encampment in the Savannah after asking for landmarks. They reached a smallish settlement at about 17:00. A celebration seemed to be happening in town. The inhabitants were humanoids with dark skin and red tones, reminiscent of Dunnerai but with completely red eyes. They granted the party hospitality. Grinan spoke to the party first.

Morgana spoke to a dog named Hayes. Hayes said they had gone hunting; Aurouze and his two companions had not come back, though the hunters they went with had returned. Grinan came back with a really old lady, apparently the settlement’s leader.

The party told the settlement that what had been seen in the Aire was not only Azureside and that Azureside would fall. They said they needed as much aid as they could muster. The leader or old lady warned that a headlong attack was not the way to do it. Those the dragon had wronged could be the party’s greatest allies.

A tower appeared in the flames, with many green dragons flying and hundreds of Goliaths living below. The vision or account said that “her mistress demands the pain.” This had been going on so long that the Goliaths were no longer in as much pain, so she needed to cause more people pain. The Goliaths had some resistance, and a small group was fighting back. Because the dragon was not at home, it was the best time to look around, find a trapped ally, and look into other things and corruptions.

The old lady or leader had attacked the dragon once. She had respected the dragon and her churches. She transformed to Searu, and her staff changed into one of Searu’s arrows.

The Basilisk appeared and said the party was nothing but trouble. Emmeraine was under attack. The father at Dunensend was mobilising an army, and Muthall was mobilising to Emmeraine. A Hearthsmoor fisherman had reported a beast plaguing the town, and about an hour earlier four towers had sprung out of the ground, making a new barrier around Grand Towers.

Galdenseell was still not providing aid. All contact had been lost with Snowsorrow, and Perens were going missing. The Basilisk had been contracted by an interested party who wished to lend her aid: the Peridot Queen. The Peridot Queen was out to get things for herself, so she would help only until something better came along. Agents in PineSprings had run into undead creatures. Godmount pills might help, though the note adds that “he’s an idiot.” The party did not think they should bring the barrier down. The Basilisk and the others would coordinate the defense of the other towns. The Basilisk would arrange to meet the Peridot Queen by Trade Smells and get Cardonald to come get the party and take them back to the army.

Morgana sent a pigeon to the crows. Searu’s Arrow was identified or described as a +2 spear. Once per day, it could turn an attack roll into an automatic critical hit. If all three strikes hit a target in consecutive rounds, the target was slain. The arrows returned to the fire place. Hayes was told to look after the leader.

Cardonald arrived, and the party teleported to the army. During sleep, Eliana saw cracked eggshells all around. In the dream, dragons were around them in the eggshells near a cave entrance. A bigger dragon shape felt safe and secure at the same time. The toothless or no-lip dragon came over and nuzzled Eliana. Eliana rolled over and had six legs. Other dragons were deformed. The mother ate one of the dragons and left. After the sleep or dream, Eliana had disadvantage on Wisdom, Charisma, and Intelligence for the rest of the day.

People, Factions, and Places Mentioned

People and name-like figures mentioned include Greysocks, the lithe veridian-hued dragon, the toothless / no-lip dragon seen before, the little dragon, the black smoke dragon, the cobbler, the ticking female, Joel, Inkysvagh the Horror, [unclear] Cezzerliksygh, [unclear] Neutron to chitra Entoldust Darkness Born, the revived dwarf, the jeweller reincarnated as a halfling, Captain Sprat, Errol, Dirk’s dad, Invar, Longfury, Bosh, the Pact Keeper, the matriarch who has never been seen leaving their domain, Geldrin, Dirk, Perodita, The Basilisk, Cardonald, Rubyeye, Grinan, Morgana, Hayes the dog, Aurouze, Aurouze’s two companions, the really old lady / settlement leader, Searu, the father at Dunensend, the Hearthsmoor fisherman, the interested party, the Peridot Queen, Godmount, and Eliana who had the eggshell dragon dream.

Groups and factions mentioned include the party, the council, the militia, townsfolk, gnolls, fire elementals, the cobblers, the Pacts, the army, the hunters at the Savannah encampment, the humanoid settlement with dark skin, red tones, and completely red eyes, Dunnerai, hunters who returned without Aurouze and his companions, green dragons, Goliaths, the Goliath resistance / small group fighting back, the dragon’s churches, Muthall’s forces, Galdenseell, Snowsorrow, Perens, The Basilisk’s agents in PineSprings, undead creatures, the crows, and deformed dragons in the dream.

Places mentioned include the town square, the tower, the cobbler’s shop, Sunset Vista, Azureside, the Cheery & Cherry pub, the Pact Keeper’s domain, the village being evacuated, Threeleigh, Donly, the horizon where the green shape appeared, the Aire, the Savannah, the hunters’ encampment, the smallish settlement where a celebration was happening, the tower in the flames, the Goliath settlement below the tower, Emmeraine, Dunensend, Hearthsmoor, Grand Towers, Snowsorrow, PineSprings, Trade Smells, the army, a cave entrance in the dream, and the fire place associated with Searu’s Arrow.

Items, Rewards, and Resources

Items and equipment mentioned include the bracelet of locating given to Errol for Dirk’s dad, clothes fetched by Captain Sprat for the reincarnated cobbler or cobblers, the wooden chest under the upstairs desk at the Cheery & Cherry, the crossbow inside the chest taken by Bosh, cracked copper spheres found after the explosion, moonshine vodka that helped the explosion, Searu’s staff that changed into one of Searu’s arrows, Searu’s Arrow, Morgana’s pigeon sent to the crows, Godmount pills, and eggshells in Eliana’s dream.

Spells, magical effects, and combat effects mentioned include reincarnating Greysocks into an elf, reincarnating the jeweller into a halfling, reviving the dwarf, Invar’s Prayer of Healing, the black puff of smoke and manifestation of the black smoke dragon, the black smoke dragon waving a claw and disappearing, the ticking female stabbing Joel through, the assumed release of fire elementals from cracked copper spheres, the town-darkening smoke and wisps rolling along the ground and roads, whispers in the smoke heard by Geldrin and Dirk, woodlice streaming from a townsfolk’s mouth, townsfolk swatting invisible bugs, the thirty-foot green-scaled smoke dragon possessing people, the dragon choking townsfolk, the area blocker that interfered with messaging and teleportation, the green dragon’s apparent ten-mile range, the flame vision of the tower, the old lady transforming to Searu, Cardonald teleporting the party to the army, Eliana’s cracked-eggshell dragon dream, and disadvantage on Wisdom, Charisma, and Intelligence for the rest of the day.

Searu’s Arrow was described as a +2 spear. Once per day, it could turn an attack roll into an automatic critical hit. If all three strikes hit a target in consecutive rounds, the target was slain. The arrows returned to the fire place. The exact wording of “all 3” and whether this refers to arrows, strikes, or consecutive spear attacks is preserved as uncertain.

Strategic resources and communications mentioned include Errol’s attempt to locate the bracelet halfway from Sunset Vista to Azureside, the council trying to convince the militia to suit up, the proposed mass town meeting, the half-day evacuation estimate, guidance of the village population toward Threeleigh, messages to The Basilisk, Cardonald, and Rubyeye, The Basilisk’s preferred meeting points of Donly or Sunset Vista, the hunters’ encampment landmarks, hospitality granted by the red-eyed settlement, advice that those wronged by the dragon could be allies, the opportunity to look around while the dragon was away from home, The Basilisk and others coordinating defenses of other towns, The Basilisk’s planned meeting with the Peridot Queen by Trade Smells, and Cardonald taking the party back to the army.

Clues, Mysteries, and Open Threads

Two dragons approached at the start of the day: a lithe dragon with a veridian hue and the toothless / no-lip dragon previously seen. The relationship between these dragons, the little dragon on the building, and the black smoke dragon that summoned the cobbler remains unclear. Both Greysocks and the smoke dragon looked up at the tower before the smoke dragon disappeared.

The battle left several name-like entities uncertain or only briefly described: the ticking female who stabbed Joel, Inkysvagh the Horror who ran off, [unclear] Cezzerliksygh who died, and [unclear] Neutron to chitra Entoldust Darkness Born who died. Their affiliations, species, and connection to the dragons or smoke are not stated.

Greysocks was reincarnated as an elf, and the jeweller was reincarnated as a halfling. The notes do not state whether these transformations were voluntary, necessary because of deaths, or accepted by the affected people. Captain Sprat fetched clothes afterward.

Errol took the bracelet of locating to Dirk’s dad, but after going halfway from Sunset Vista to Azureside he reported no bracelet. Whether the bracelet failed, was blocked, was absent, or was somewhere else is unresolved.

The Cheery & Cherry explosion was more powerful than expected for a gnoll. Moonshine vodka contributed to it, and cracked copper spheres were found afterward. The party assumed fire elementals had been released, but the exact device, trigger, and responsible party are not confirmed. Bosh took the crossbow found in the wooden chest upstairs.

The Pact Keeper and the matriarch remain important. No one had ever seen the matriarch leave their domain, and shortly afterward the smoke dragon declared that all Pacts were off. The exact relationship between the Pact Keeper, the matriarch, the Pacts, and the green dragon’s threat remains unresolved.

The smoke over the town caused whispers, panic, woodlice streaming from a person’s mouth, people swatting invisible bugs, possession, and choking. The thirty-foot beautiful green-scaled dragon named or associated with Perodita called itself “the choking death” and “the mother of many,” threatened every town, and intended to devour the army first. Its claims, range, and identity remain central open threads.

The blocker in the area interfered with messages and prevented teleportation to the party. The Basilisk wanted to meet in Donly or Sunset Vista because of this. The source, range, and nature of the blocker are not identified.

The green shape on the horizon had three or four figures flying around it. When light returned to normal, the party inferred that the dragon had about a ten-mile range. The identity of the flying figures and the exact effect ending with the light shift are not specified.

The Savannah hunters’ settlement contained humanoids with dark skin, red tones, and completely red eyes, reminiscent of Dunnerai. They were celebrating and granted hospitality. Their identity, culture, and reason for the celebration are not stated.

Hayes the dog reported that Aurouze and his two companions failed to return from a hunt, although the hunters who went with them did return. What happened to Aurouze and the two companions is unresolved.

The old lady / leader said a headlong attack was the wrong approach and that those the dragon had wronged could be the party’s greatest allies. The flame vision showed a tower, many green dragons, hundreds of Goliaths living below, the dragon’s mistress demanding pain, Goliaths developing resistance to the long suffering, and a small resistance group fighting back. The trapped ally, other things, and corruptions to investigate while the dragon is away from home remain open objectives.

The leader had once attacked the dragon, had respected the dragon and her churches, and transformed to Searu. The link between Searu, the dragon’s churches, Searu’s Arrow, and the old lady’s past attack remains unclear.

The Basilisk reported multiple simultaneous crises: Emmeraine under attack, the father at Dunensend mobilising an army, Muthall mobilising to Emmeraine, a Hearthsmoor fisherman reporting a beast plaguing the town, and four towers rising around Grand Towers to make a new barrier. How these events connect to the green dragon, the Pacts, and the wider barrier crisis remains unresolved.

Galdenseell was still not providing aid. Contact with Snowsorrow was lost, and Perens were going missing. Agents in PineSprings ran into undead creatures. The reasons for Galdenseell’s refusal, Snowsorrow’s silence, the missing Perens, and the undead in PineSprings remain open.

The Peridot Queen was willing to lend aid through The Basilisk but was explicitly acting for herself and would help only until something better came along. The Basilisk planned to meet her by Trade Smells. Her motives, price, and reliability remain suspect.

The party did not think they should bring the barrier down, while four new towers had created a new barrier around Grand Towers. The strategic consequences of keeping, lowering, or altering barriers remain unresolved.

Eliana’s dream of cracked eggshells, deformed dragons, the toothless / no-lip dragon nuzzling them, Eliana having six legs, and the mother eating one dragon before leaving caused disadvantage on Wisdom, Charisma, and Intelligence for the rest of the day. The dream’s source, whether it was a warning or influence, and the identity of the mother dragon remain unresolved.