The Valarian Council
With their victory at the Grand Tournament behind them, the Party continued on their path towards Jotun, the capital city. Once they arrived in the city, they made their way too the Keep, to finally meet with the Valarian Council. As they entered they saw the gathered council, a group of some of the most powerful individuals in the Kingdom of Valaria, and Kingdoms beyond. Vysander was already beginning to explain the evolving situation with The Black Hand, and transitions to having the party explain their story once he notices them. Council members all began to shout out their opinions in response to the party's tale, until one member, Lance, silenced them all, and asked for the opinion of the new King, Silas Stagfell. The young King, still uncomfortable in his position, struggled to decide, but in the end agreed this matter had to be investigated, just to be safe. The party is also offered the job of being a personal mercenary group for the council. To act as investigators, defenders, and occasionally hitmen of the council members. The party accepts, and are ready to receive their first assignment.
The Party's first assignment comes from Vysander, who asks them if they are interested in becoming Dragon Slayers. Along with additional adventurers Vysander has recruited for the mission, the party is sent to kill a young White Dragon in the Frozen Wastes north of Jotun, to prevent the Dragon from becoming a problem later on as it grows older and more powerful. After journeying into the blizzard plagued tundra of the far north, thankful for their purchases of heavy clothing, the party, their extra companions, and a rather vexed scout/guide found a massive descending tunnel, the lair of the Dragon. After a long and bloody fight, with the Dragon attempting to bring down the cavern roof onto its attackers in desperation, the group hauled the wyrm's massive head back to the Ice-Stone Citadel. Vysander, impressed with the results, gives the members a sizable reward, and begins to plan where to mount the massive dragon's head in his study.
Lance, the mysterious Captain of the Crownsguard, approached the party next with a job. Recent activity in Vyvik has shown a new presence of drug dealers. Not wanting this new drug to be distributed to his potential new crop of soldiers and guards, Lance sent the Party to track down the supplier, and bring him to justice. After tailing dealers back to an abandoned warehouse, and a rather...unique plan to enter, the dealer and supplier known as The Chemist's warehouse went down in flames, as did his mysterious elemental. The party returned to Jotun, with the Chemist in tow, a reward and Lance's respect awaiting.
Lance had one more "job" for the party, less a bounty and more of being, guinea pigs. He had been looking to develop a new means of training, that could increase the difficulty, while making the lethality none existent. With the help of Alexandra Vai'Sorel, Jotun's Court Mage, he created a mindscape training program. Where trainees could enter a dream-like state, and perform realistic combat exercises in an illusory battlefield or dungeon. The Party's members of Glar, Storm, and Kevin Wood particpated in the first successful use of this training.
The final job Lance gave to the party included some familiar faces. The Flock, one of the mercenary groups who competed in the Grand Tournament. A band of several trained mercenaries who emulate the myth of The Raven's Flock. The Flock and The Party were tasked with looking into an outpost in the Frozen Waste that had been destroyed. Once the group came to the pillaged outpost, it became clear what had happened. A massive Frost Giant now occupied the space, eating its fill of the base's food stores, and delighting in the destruction it had caused. Once in combat with the enemy it became clear this was no average giant. A strange mutation had given the giant a regenerative property, and the strange addition of additional, yet useless, heads and limbs. Fire was the cure to this affliction, and once coordinated with each other the party and the Flock felled the mighty opponent. The group limped back to Jotun, to claim their latest reward...
Parent Plot
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