Filled with a dangerous concoction of pathos and anger, the Dragoons tied up Skuzzoc and discussed their future. Trent, fighting his internal strife at the loss of his friend, took the initiative to search the one responsible for the loss of Blu. He found:
- Keoghtom's Ointment x 1
- Circlet of Blasting
- Necklace of Adaptation
- Fernian Ash Wand
Ness, the cleric who accompanied the Dragoons, began the purification ritual with Vendra’s help to remove the Darkness upon the land and the Cult Lair/Sanctum/Tiny Castle (120 ft x 120 ft with three levels). The holy light emanating from the priestess washed over the plighted land, dispelling and wiping away the evil that was embodied in the very earth around them. A warm sensation passed through the Dragoons and their wearied minds were eased, their bodies became rested.
Bud decided to go off and make food for his friends, smelling fresh fish and herbs. He dragged Skuzzoc with him, ensuring he could not escape his future punishment for the actions that resulted in the death of their friend.
While cooking with Skuzzoc, the inner father figure in Bud Towers, Hero of Our Time, came forth and tried to reach out to the troubled youth. He found that Skuzzoc is their age (17) came from a poor, broken home and neglectful parents. He knew some magic and was taken to Arcanum, but was kicked out in his 6th year. With limited resources and some measure of power, he went and tried to survive on his own, ashamed to show his face to his parents. However, he fell to the wayside and began down the path of evil and badness.
Rath explored the cultist’s lair and when he came to the center pavilion, he was inspired to write down all of the details he could find, noting an image that caught his attention (the symbol of the Cult of Abyssos).
As the party went through the sanctum, they saw that the place had dried blood, scuffle marks, boot prints, discarded and rusted weapons, and other indications of battle that had happened some time before. The signs were from years ago, maybe over a decade? Much of what was left was of little to no value, though the items that Skuzzoc used to survive looked much more recent and viable for use in cooking their dinner.
Trent explored and found the key to the chest containing Skuzzoc’s loot, learning from the wayward magician that his stuff was in a second-floor loft in one of the back towers. So, he headed off to meet up with Rath, who was cataloging every mark and symbol he could find. They moved closer to the tower, where Trent pointed out to Rath there were two levels with a ladder leading up to it. The ladder proved sturdy enough since they had the foresight to remove their heavy backpacks and Rath climbed to the top to find that there was a bunk bed and a very messy room.
Trent climbed the ladder to find Rath ransacking the room with reckless abandon. Under the mattress was a large chest. Trent put the key into the chest and quickly opened the chest, finding a massive treasure trove and luckily no traps. There was gold, silver, necklaces, precious stones, and other assorted items.
Trent; Bud Towers, Hero of Our Time; and Rath began to get tired and decided to camp for the night in the reclaimed hideout. As the day grew long, they began to discuss to the fate of this location. They thought of changing this ‘castle’ to be the “Blu Castle of Lazulia”.
The Dragoons went back to Lund, discussing Skuzzoc’s fate along the way. Bud Towers, Hero of Our Time and Rath decided to send Skuzzoc off to Yngis AKA Dingus in order to have him learn hard work at the jewelry shop. They were also mindful to do so with a warning about the consequences of hurting Dingus and/or stealing from him. Skuzzoc was to work hard and pay off all of the damage that was caused by his selfish actions.
Shortly after docking in Lund, they saw a familiar face, Phelindria, Head Priestess of the Great Shrine of Lumina. The head priestess asked the group about how they had fared at the island. After informing her that one of their party had fallen and she expressed her sympathies, then she asked about the ‘wyrm lord’ she had also come to investigate. When she learned that the false wyrm lord was simply a teenager with no self control and bad intentions, she said she was saddened to hear it, but was not surprised. Thanking them, she went on her way back to the Great Shrine. Soon after, Ness, the priestess of Lumina, asked who she was. This caused massive confusion as Ness should known the head priestess, but she did not recognize her and figured it was because she had snuck off for a few months, shirking her duties to be with her now-ex-boyfriend, Rhiyle. Then, Bud Towers, Hero of Our Time, went looking for the head priestess, but she had disappeared. They also heard some townsfolk worrying that the two young songstresses that the Dragoons had met on their way into the fishing village before had been apparently kidnapped. This was worrying, but there wasn't anything they could do about that now.
The Dragoons went to the town mayor, Fribbert Jimblejarm, to discuss the fate of Skuzzoc. He agreed that the Dragoons were free to take the criminal with them; he solely wanted him to be out of the town.
While relaxing with some drinks and a good meal at the tavern in Lund, the Dragoons felt a warm sensation, their Dragon Stones giving them the emotion of familiarity and the happiness of seeing a loved one after being away for a while.
The feeling emanated from a beastman in the corner of the tavern. He asked “what is wrong with this lasagna?” and placed the Eye of Lazulia on the table. Rath approached him and asked him his name. They learned that his name is Gregg, and that he found the Eye of Lazulia on the shore the previous day. It gave him visions of the past and a sense of destiny. Rath pulled out Blasnir’s Fury, the stone, which resonated with the Eye. Rath looked him in his eye and asked, “So, do you want to save the world?”
After a short discussion with Gregg, the beastman joined the Dragoons. They ordered a round of drinks and discussed the past, their quest, and where they were going next. Rath rambled on for a while as the others' eyes glazed over. They decided to charter a ship and head to Marabin to offload their captive onto their old pal, Dingus.
Hours later, after spending a handful of hours helping out on the boat, Bud impressing the crew with his great strength and stamina and Trent negotiating with some vermin to leave the boat alone, the Dragoons docked at the city and went to see Dingus. Even though he is terrible at everything else, apart from cooking and useless trivia, he seemed to be doing very well with the gem business. The party noticed new paint on the door, a new sign, polished display cases, and even more improvements had already been made in Yngis’ remodeling efforts.
Dingus was introduced to Gregg and Skuzzoc, explaining that Gregg was ‘the new Blu’ and Skuzzoc was now going to be in his service. The Dragoons ordered some things, specifically a moon stone circlet for Trent and a tombstone saying “Blu, who died in service to Lazulia, Dragon of the Goddess, Lumina.”
And~ then they went to Aagbah’s (
Crazy Aggbah’s Discount Magic Item Emporium)… Rath waited outside. Bud Towers, Hero of Our Time tried to haggle with the kooky shopkeep to break the law and teleport them to Arcanum, which they noticed his tent was somehow connected to. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he took out Earthheart and tried to make it flourish. Earthheart, being confused as to what he wanted, did nothing. So, they gave up on the teleportation plan and instead began to barter for magic items (only a ‘Handy Haversack’ was of interest to Bud).
Next, they walked to the Transfer Spring, eliminating some minor, monstrous, nuisances along the way in their Travel Montage. When they arrived, it was dark. There was the one guard with a staff and a broken arm along with Ol’ Hobb.
Bud Towers, Hero of Our Time, threw Ol’ Hobb a can of beans, who gladly caught it with eager fingers. He expressed his gratitude and looked ready to eat them when Bud threw him the special beans. With the vigor of teenage boy on prom night, he read the label and nearly cried with excitement. Ol’ Hobb reached into his bag and tossed 11 gems at the Dragoons. Bud Towers, Bean Hero of Our Time, gave him all of the cans he had left, totaling 12 cans. Side Quest Complete!
The Dragoons jumped onto the teleportation pad and Ol’ Hobb began scribing runes in the air, activating the ancient magics inside the circle. The Dragoons were warped into the city of Arcanum and rested at the inn for the night after parting ways with Vendra for now.
The next morning the group went to
Drenton and Jack’s Arcane Armaments to retrieve the new Bulette Shield for Bud Towers, Hero of Our Time. Trent spoke to Jack, to the magic wand vendor, paid his balance, and retrieved the Blessed Branch, an experimental magical item that can use both arcane and blessed magic.
They continued to shop for a while and then went to meet the headmaster of the academy. Arriving at The Academy, they met with the secretary, Mirabella. She told them that the headmaster was away searching for information on the Fire Dragon, but that he would return today or tomorrow. She then directed them to Vendra who brought them into Vaylin’s office to cast a spell to communicate with him through a bowl of silvery liquid. The Dragoons explained what had transpired and Vaylin relayed that he was still looking for information on the dragon, but would get back to them as soon as possible (likely in the next day or two).
In his absence, Vaylin had left Lemarra (who had traveled with him in his adventuring days), the Premier (like a Dean) in charge. The Dragoons were brought to speak with the Premier in a grand audience chamber where they saw Eva, the priestess they knew from their home town of Northvale. Things soon went south when Lemarra accused the group of trying to gain power to overtake the flying city of Arcanum. She called for the guards to throw the party in the dungeon…
Lemarra began the ambush by using her magic to hold everyone in place. Only Gregg, the newest Dragoon, was able to withstand her magical restraints, only to be knocked about by some guards. The chorus of nearby mages in attendance created a wall of magical force to further keep the group from escaping or doing harm. From behind them a voice came out and calmly asked the group to surrender and go be taken to the prison cells. The group fell prey to their magics and went willingly into bondage. We end our session with the Dragoons behind bars. How will they escape? What is in store from them? What is going on?! Find out next time on the next episode of The Legacy of the Wyrm Lords(tm)!
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