Session II Report

General Summary

The second loop continues as the party explores the city and tries to investigate both the recent dragon attack and the possibility of time repeating itself. Norros and Iris go to the Rolling Frog to find Surina and Trym Sylnala, the parents of Norros’ best friend. The Sylnalas are eager to help (and to see Norros after so many centuries) and lend their expertises in leylines, politics, illusion magic and illicit organizations. They believe that the only group powerful enough to be able to summon an ancient red dragon, intentionally or not, is a little-known cult that has had sporadic activity over the last 200-ish years called Calling of the True Five,

who gleaned most of their information and worship from Norros’ texts. This group is generally associated with Tiamat, but they don’t use the traditional symbol of a dragon with five heads; rather, their symbol is a crown-like shape with three peaks.     Norros recognizes this symbol from one of the Circle of Daggers, which he pulls out of his bag. Since they are trying to find the location of this cult, Iris uses Locate Object to look for cursed daggers within 1000 feet, and manages to sense one about 500 feet beneath the tavern they’re inside. Upon asking the Sylnalas if there were any known residences that far underground, the couple responds that there are unsubstantiated rumors of lizardfolk living under Wairwood, though no one has ever proven their existence.    

I very slowly pull out the big scroll on my back, find my quill, and write, “lizard people real??????”

Jefferson

  The pair inquires as to how to find this society, with Iris believing that, for every conspiracy, there is someone desperate to uncover it; Norros, on the other hand, spent a long weekend searching for the city centuries ago and never found anything significant. Surina tells them that there is a gnome named Gimble Waywocket who has been trying to find the lizard city for years, who may have the information that they seek. Finally, Iris and Norros receive a quickly-drawn map of the city from Surina with the strongest leylines marked.   Simultaneously, Pelos, Acolyte, and Lark brainstorm how to move the festival to somewhere else. They debate various ideas- did the dragon go for the town square specifically, or just for where the most people were?- but eventually decide that moving as many people as possible to as many locations as possible is the best approach. To that end, Pelos and Acolyte go to obtain some alcohol to smooth over the transition. Meanwhile, Lark mingles with the people in the square, meeting multiple members of the House of Ilix and House of Lords, as well as Governor Theodore Blüde himself. Lark then uses Disguise Self to impersonate an OSHA official in order to convince Governor Blüde that he needs to move the festival to a larger area.  

I’m a representative of the zoning district and having this many people in one place is just a fire hazard.

Lark Limeni

  Due to their successful deceit, Governor Blüde announces to the volunteers that the festival would be moved to the market square; at that moment, Acolyte and Pelos arrive with copious amounts of alcohol to help everyone be a little more amenable to the last-minute change. The party reunites and begins to spread alternative facts misinformation about the location of the festival, informing the city that the festival was in the market square, or still happening in the town square, or had been cancelled, or in Ouvertale, or in various smaller gathering areas. Norros, who is notoriously bad at talking to people, decides to get a higher vantage point and see if their plan is working, since they are on a time table. Before he goes, however, he buys 5 watches for ten gold each from random passerby so that the entire party is synced up.  

Remember, at 4:20, everything goes ablaze.

Austin

  While on the roof of a building, Norros notices a few things besides their plan causing general chaos and confusion as planned; specifically, there is an individual entering an alley that does not return and none of the normal suspicious activity that takes place during a busy festival is present, which is itself suspicious. Norros also uses Skywrite to announce that Wairwood is Under Protection, Cyssephei and Norros in Draconic. Finally, the party splits up to cover more ground, with Acolyte staying in the town square, Pelos going to the market square with the kids, and Lark, Iris, and Norros heading north, where they saw the dragon come from in the previous loop.   Lark, Iris, and Norros end up near Norros’ townhouse, which is near the northern border between Wairwood and Pruimont. However, the dragon doesn’t come from the North sky; an ancient white dragon emerges from under the ground in Wairwood’s residential district and takes to the skies, seemingly heading for the center of town and completely ignoring the message in the sky, as if the symbols don’t mean anything.  

This dragon can’t read; he’s just a dumb slut.

Austin

  Having determined that Norros is the better spokesperson due to his fluent Draconic and general experience level, he and Lark begin to chase after the dragon; Lark casts Haste on Norros, who has also Wildshaped into a draft horse in order to catch up to the rapidly flying dragon. Once they reach the white dragon, Lark uses their Radiant Soul to fly themselves and Norros up to the dragon, who is heading for the market square. Acolyte, who is determined to be the first to die, stabs himself at this realization.  

Will I get to the market square in time [for the dragon attack]?   No.   I stab myself.

Austin and Quinn

  Lark and Norros, hovering in front of the dragon, are the immediate victims of a vicious bite attack, leaving them unconscious but still alive. Lark awakens from their stupor with a miracle natural 20 and casts Cure Wounds on themselves and Norros. Once he is certain that Lark can hold their own, Norros uses Misty Step to appear on the dragon’s back. While managing to ride the white dragon, Norros notices that the dragon has ancient draconic runes burned into its scales, as well as scars and wounds indicative of an animal held in captivity and kept in “submission” by humanoids, including fresh cuts around the neck that are often caused by a small collar around a large neck. (At the same time, the dragon is still attempting to eat Lark, who is somehow avoiding their fate).   Before the dragon reaches the market square, where the largest group of people are watching the theater performance, Norros is able to ask it three questions— Who hurt you?, to which the answer is You; Where did we keep you?, to which the answer is I never saw; and Were there others?, to which the answer is Yes. At this point, the dragon reaches the market square, though not before Lark is able to escape its mouth and land safely on the top of one of the taller buildings, out of the way of the incoming breath weapon. The ancient white dragon breathes out a torrent of ice, freezing and killing a significant part of the crowd (though it does not kill Pelos, who is there). Norros notices, right before his vision goes dark, someone in the crowd fiddling with something around their neck.   Meanwhile, Iris is making herself a sandwich in Norros’ kitchen and casting Magic Circle around her watch on Norros’ counter.  

Is this the singular ‘you’ or the plural ‘you’?   Plural; the dragon is referring to humanoids as a group.   Okay, so basically, this ancient white dragon is ominously booming out, “Y’AAAAALL.”

Austin and Quinn

Character(s) interacted with

Trym and Surina Sylnala: Ayre’s parents. Surina is a leyline expert and a member of the House of Lords, while Trym is an expert at the various underground organizations in Wairwood. Both very old elven wizards. 
Governor Blüde: Governor of Wairwood. 
Ancient White Dragon: a white dragon that froze half the population of Wairwood.