Session 54: The Scale Council Report
General Summary
30th of Deep Winter
Elder Scale Lhamboldennish Baradad tells the party that to meet the Elder Scale Council, they must first bathe and be clothed in finer clothes. Vrion has to explain what a bath is to Bubbles. Misamsa is brought up.
After bathing, Virion and Mystan get into formal wear (including ceremonial war paint for Mystan, and nothing for Bubbles), they are ready to meet with the Elder Scale Council.
Passing through the halls, the Elder Scale takes the party into an adjoining building through guarded double doors. It is huge, with intricately carved posts holding up the roof. Statues of stone and copper depict mythic figures, braziers fill the room with the scent of tobacco and herbs, and in the center is a raised dias atop which a throne of solid bronze sits. To either side are semi-circles of five lesser chairs--only those to the throne's right have people.
Four of the five seats to the right have people, with the middlemost chair empty. Elderly people, almost all dragonborn save one human, sit in the chairs. They all have dragon-scale gorgets, displaying the head, forelegs, hindlegs, and tail of a wingless, cat-like dragon. The midsection is missing, and when Lhamboldennish sits his gorget completes the sequence. None of the Elder Scales wear armor or carry weapons. Instead they wear silk shirts, trousers, and skirts with dearskin coats, all decorated elaborately with designs of feathers, talons, and paints. None of them have headdresses, but they do wear tattoos and paints depicting scales on their noses/snouts and other symbols of rank and status across their faces and arms. Some seem to swirl with magical power.
In the bronze throne, however, is the Master-General himself. Chief of the Raan Chiefdom Morfras Raansthyr, also known as Alfonso VII Raanson, wears a dragon bone gorget displaying the full visage of Raan the Bronze. His robes are silk, his head has a crown of dragon's teeth, his armbands and coat more decorated than any on the council. A cape of exotic furs sits about his shoulders, and a more intricate design dots his scales than any of the others. Rather than tattoos or paints, his scales are carved with intricate draconic designs. These sigils almost glow a faint green against his bronze hide, only his green eyes more piercing. He is a half-dragonborn half-dragon, his horns black as night and his wings wide and leathery. From around the throne curls a tail complete with a rudder-like fin. His right hand holds an ostentatious shield covered in dragon hide and feathers; his left is empty.
Attendants give everyone the White Drink in ornate shell cups. It tastes like black tea and chewing tobacco. Selina recognizes the Master-General as having hidecarved runes of power.
The proceedings are in Draconic, and Mystan casts Tongues on Bubbles and Virion. Once everyone has drank, the Master-General begins the proceedings by introducing each member of the Scale Council:
- Head: Elder Scale Nyildritillish Rashirith (Silver Dragonborn man), a Draconic Sorcerer.
- Forelegs: Elder Scale Krilkedirdath Wurash (Bronze Dragonborn enby). a Peace Cleric.
- Body: Elder Scale Lhamboldennish Baradad (Bronze Dragonborn man), an Ascendant Dragon Monk.
- Hindlegs: Elder Scale Nofra Calderon (Human woman), a Redemption Paladin.
- Tail: Elder Scale Shiamtash Higrax (Topaz Dragonborn man), a Life Cleric.
Mystan bows cordially and responds first, "I am Talon Co'oqulian Mystan, I am here before you because some of us were ambushed by a lycanthrope and while we managed to best them, unfortunately the two of us," he gestures to himself and Selina, "were afflicted. We are seeking assistance and aid in removing the curse."
Virion then steps forward and bows similarly, "Sir Virion Sylvenne of Seaton, associate of Talon Co'oqulian Mystan."
"Hunter Bubbles of the Javan Runners," they say with a bow.
Finally, Selina gives a courtsey and says, "Selina, of the Outcasts of Tratainciym’aryzzyreph," Seklyn's draconic is of a different accent.
The Master-General says that they can absolutely help the party, but questions why they are so far afield when Seaton is under siege. Mystan explains that they are seeking Blackrazor, Frostbite, Wave, and of course, Whelm. When the Master-General hears this, he not only commands the Elder Scale Council to heal them, but also states that should they retrun Whelm to his left hand, he will personally reward them each with whatever they want (within his power). In addition, he will make Mystan a Senior Talon and assigning him to work alongside Senior Talon Delmirev.
The Elder Scales first ask Talon Co'oqulian what he saw in his dreams the night after he was bit. He explains that he saw a bison, and a stampede overwhelemed him. They ask if the bison had anything strange, and Mystan explains that the bison had red eyes and huge horns in the shadows.
"And Selina, what did you see in your dreams after you were bit?"
Selina explains that she saw a bear, and it almost overtook them, but then they were the bear, protecting their family. There were long horned things in the forest.
While Elder Scale Lhamboldennish leaves to fetch a sacred bundle, the others speak to the two who were cursed. To Seklyn, they ask that she give up her illusion of control. Not her family and desire to protect, but her belief she can control her surroundings. To Mystan, they ask that he give up his stubbornness; that is what the curse eats at in his soul. He must be like the water and the willow, not the stone or the oak.
They also reveal that based on the dreams, the orgin of the curse is the Demonlord Baphomet, King of Beasts.
They cast the spells and blessings, and then Greater Restoration. Two demonic spirits, one a bison and one a bear, appear. Bubbles goes first, slashing at the Bison Curse Spirit with their silver acid sword. They hit twice, and the Bison is already bloodied. They then Action Surge and attack two more times. The first hits, and somehow the Bison falls prone. They then hit it for a fourth time and murders it. The Bison Spirit dissapates into a cloud of smoke.
Selina then uses a lightning breath weapon, targeting the Grizzly Bear Spirit. She then starts using unarmed strike attacks, using flurry of blows. Blasts of elemental energy go flying. He explictly wants to get this thing's attention. Scale Lhambodennish recognizes the style and is appreciative. Virion then casts Firebolt at the bear spirit, and misses. He then steps forward and attacks with the Sunblade (and Bladesong), searing at the spirit. He steps back.
Mystan turns to the Bear Spirit and uses his breath weapon. Despite the bear succeeding, Mystan rolled maximum damage! He then uses his War Cleric abilities to make an attack as a bonus action, swinging with his Duskcrusher. The bear is now bloodied. The Grizzly Bear Curse Spirit then turns to attack Mystan, it's slashes and bites deflected easily by Mystan's armor. Now, Bubbles gets to go again. They start slashing at the bear. They hit once, nearly killing the Curse Bear Spirit. Once more, they hit, and the bear spirit dissapates into ash.
After the ritual is over, Elder Scale Krilkedirdath Wurash asks Seklyn (in draconic) where he got that gold dragon hide belt. As they are a peace cleric, Selina trusts them. As Elder Scale Krilkedirath inspects the belt, they discuss the empire. It is revealed that while the Order of Raan weilds the dwarven Whelm, the Empire has the Orb of Dragonkind. Should the Order fail to recalim Whelm, the Empire could use the orb--which controls dragons. This is but a microcosm of the Order's predicament; members of the order used to be from noble families, trained in Port Ountzous. Now they are meritocratially chosen by the empire and trained in Kocia Stronghold. The Master-General and Talon Council are partial to the empire; the tenenant of Order has triumphed all others. Selina and the Elder Scale are but a few of those who would question whose order. The Elder Scale also mentions that they would hate to see the Order's place in the empire replaced by the Guards of the Royal Bloodline. They also reveal that the belt was made from a gold dragon who was killed not by Aryz or by people, but by whatever creatures fought and hunted all of the dragons who used to live on the Salmon Coast. Between Raanite religion around the Thunderers and Seklyn's understanding of the Jan Pana people, she supposes that the legendary Thunderbird(s) atop Thunder Mountain most likely hunted the dragons.
Mystan overheard all of that.
Virion is out for a dramatic walk on the cliff-coasts.
Meanwhile, Elder Scale Nofra Calderon approached Bubbles. She compliments them on the sword, and asks where they got it. Bubbles revealed it was from the weretiger, and the Elder Scale looked at it. The sword is half the weight of a normal sword, and has Jan Pana designs that denotes it as of elven origin from the far west, beyond the Sea Princes. If you click on the pomel sigil, an illusion makes the sword look normal. It must've been made by or modified by Jan Pana to fight fiends and/or Sea Princes/the Empire.
In the interim between now and departing, Selina performs for coin and Bubbles hunts for magical arrows. They earn and find nothing respectively. The party does look for magical tattoos! Seklyn, though, is broke, so she has to mooch off of Mystan, as do Bubbles and Virion. They all get a 25% discount shopping with Mystan. Mystan gets a Shadowfell Brand Tattoo (Beneathworld Brand Tattoo). Selina gets Eldritch Claw Tattoo, and Virion a Barrier Tattoo. Meanwhile, Bubble's is a Tattoo. All the tattoos carry beneath world iconography such as dragons and the ocean.
On the 31st, the party sails off further south. Eventually the Sea Ghost passes the Empire of the Silver Crown as the coasts become more tropical coasts and autumnal forests. The banners of trade vessels change from the draconic red, gold, and blue of Keoland to light blue flags with three silver crowns. Eventually they will depart from the coast and sail due south, turning west at the equator and making for the open ocean...
