Caldefor/StoryHour/02-21-2008

From Aphonion Campaign World

The large group of reinforcements heading to Clawfast may well suffer from the Bonewater Dust as they close in on the Dragonhold.

Approaching the Shadowline, with Lord Varlan in tow. He seems excited. We also have a goblyn in tow, who is nervous. He takes Buzz's hand and approaches cautiously. We have emerged near Circle Waterside, and we come out nearby a village, but still on some unreclaimed land. Spring crosses through first, and gives Buzz and Varlan an illusory welcome with Ghost Sound.

Varlan seems interested and bewildered, and walks along with Buzz following psionic crystals embedded in the tower. The rest of us scheme for ways to break the news to Varlan and what we might use against Dragonhold Ripgut. We also want to investigate the site of Ripgut's death battle.

As they walk, Varlan can read inscriptions in Celestial that protect the tower. He recognizes that he is in a powerful place, and that a Hastur is present. Buzz convinces him that the tower's residents might not realize who they are, or that the defenders know Buzz and Varlan have no violent intent. Varlan is scared of being killed by the Hasturs, knowing they don't take prisoners.

Lord Varlan clearly does not favor destruction or evil. He also has lingering feelings about his mother's heritage. Buzz gives him a detailed Psionic lecture about the crystals. Varlan seems to be able to hear the psicrystals, meaning he has some latent psionic ability, like many celestials.

After a celestial is brought to speak with him he collapses into shock, to rest for a while as we investigate the site of Ripgut's battle. We also begin brainstorming dealing with the Eums of Dragonhold Ripgut.

We decide to spread rumors among our soldiers, to be picked up by the Chaos Champion and her minions. We want them to believe that Lord Drakal orchestrated Ripgut's ambush and death, turning her against him and hopefully the Eums.

Battle Site:

Evidence of a good sized battle. Handful of local people are present, many dead cattle. Those driving the cattle were mostly slain or injured. The dragon's corpse is scattered about. Most of the right front leg is intact. Some scales have grayish-black powder embedded in them, obscuring the bearer's alignment. Ripgut also hurled a small casket from himself in the battle, to get rid of it or hide it.

We begin dissecting dragon pieces and bringing back evidence. Sideh and Buzz go off to town to get a cart and mules to bring back items to the tower. They get the good graces of a mule. We manage to harvest some dragon parts and the casket. Some random bones start dragging the casket away, but we destroy it with positive energy and see a quasi-lich that seems to be watching us from across the shadow. Shooting needfire into the shadow seems to have drawn the attention of some lesser demons. The quasi-lich hunkers down and casts defensive spells (Shield).

After loading up we get out and head towards the Tower. The casket contains the phylactery of Drakal the dracolich. We can use it to weaken him, kill him permanently, or blackmail him into doing our bidding. We'd like to use him to take out Lord Bastion, the vampire, clearing the way a bit more for our retaking of Caldefor territory.

Leaving the Dracolich's phylactery at a tower is safest, and might let them research how to use the phylactery to connect or gain power over the dracolich.

We need to make ourselves look self-interested, not Good. Our plan is to get Drakal to clear out Bastion's manor for us to then use, ostensibly.

Next step: Send a message via the quasilich to the dracolich desiring a meeting to discuss terms because we have his phylactery.

The raid on the clingfire supplies was countered, and the Chaos Champion is falling back to the Shadowland.

Lord Varlan reacquaints with a Celestial and does not pass out. We start the slow process of convincing.

To get to Drakal we toss a letter over the Shadowline saying "We have the phylactery and we want to negotiate."

We get his support, but he wants evidence that we won't continue to hold the phylactery.