The Evil of Ravenholm - Chapter 2: The Ashen Mountains

[NayrVentess]

Before you all rest, Pelloth wracks his brain for a bit of knowledge on acid. He knows that soaking his weapon in the blood of the wyrmling won't do anything for it, only the weapons crafted by the Freg'll Trusn tribe can take on properties thanks to the blood of slain dragons. He also knows he has nothing to fear from the residue left on Hars, it loses its potency quickly unless properly contained.

Skerrik would happily divulge information to his new master, especially one as powerful to slay two of Sholoruk's offspring! "Yesz Maszter, I will tell you what you desziiire. My old Maszter, isz not like normal grey dragonsz, to the best of my.... no ledge? Yesz, no ledge. Sholoruk isz lazzy, he not leave his layer in a looong time, he hasz usz bring him food. He valuesz a good meal above everything elsze, although, like all dragonsz he adoresz treaszure alszo. Be warned though, he is a powerful thing, even though lazzy. With all thesze humansz coming into hisz layer recently, he hasz been very happy, free mealsz delivered to him. Many of the humansz have already been eated by Sholoruk." Daelos overhears the conversation and pipes in, "And let us not forget what we overheard before this fight began. It appears the humans are here searching for a book, or a tome. If it is the same one we are searching for, then something weird is going on." Skerrik shrugs his shoulders at Daelos' statement and then turns back to Gerash and smiles, at least you think his wide mouth sharp tooth expression is a smile, it could be a grimace. "Oh, and asz for when and why Maszt... old Maszter came here, it wasz many many yearsz ago, and he killed the old dragon who uszed this layer, it was a Iron dragon I think... He came here becausze...well, treaszure and food I think...."

About six hours later Grashuk would get up and inspect his sword that is still stuck in the dead dragons corpse. Wrenching it free, he would see that the weapon is dripping acid. At first thinking it to be left over from the draconic beast, Grashuk attempts to wipe it off, but it is not residue acid, the blade itself is prodcuing the acid, and it is potent indeed.

Freg'll Trusn Minor Acidic Broadsword +1

Critical: +1d8 acid damage
Enhancement: +1 to attack rolls and damage rolls
Property: All damage dealt by this weapon is acid
Power (Encounter*Acid): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. Deal ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends).  

[SporkMaster5000]

Gerash ignored Daelos's interjection into the kobold's explanation. He didn't care how "weird" the soldiers' search for the book was, he would be the one to get it. The temple of Zehir could wait for him to be done with it, and the Valletians could rot, as far as the necromancer was concerned.

More important now, however, was the dragon. Any full grown dragon would be trouble, even if it was a lethargic specimen. "If the dragon's only joys are food and treasure, I doubt we could get him to part with the tome easily, and with all this 'free food' I don't think he'd be up for barter. However, we may be able to catch the beast off-guard if he's gorging on the fallen. Hars, Grashuk, grab some of the humans."  

[iDragow]

discovering that the broadsword now dripped acid, Grashuk would give it a nod of approval before returning it to its sheath once more. Satisfied, he would turn to the others, wondering what's taking them so long to move out.

After Gerash's command, Grashuk would scowl just a little bit deeper than his usual expression. "I don't remember placing you in command," he would state matter-of-factly. However, he would also grab two of the human corpses; one for each arm.  

[Vorastrix]

Due to his elven trance, he was refreshed two hours before everyone except his surface cousin. After properly pillowing Hars, he would search the corpses for anything interesting or of value. After finished, he would attempt to sense the presence of magic, to limited success. When finished he would return to Hars side and wait for everyone else to awaken.

((i'm not entirely sure of the order, so i'll just do it second))

after hearing the Kobolds tale of the dragon, Pelloth would consider if he had read something about the beast before. If he had, the dragon was likely old enough to be a force to be reckoned with, if not, they could probably handle taking it down.

Quote:

Stealth: 13

Arcana: 15

History: 24

 

[SporkMaster5000]

"That's because I didn't ask your opinion on the matter," Gerash sneers smugly at Grashuk. He didn't really care if they thought he was in charge so long as they could recognize a good idea when they heard one. Of course, if the bugbear wanted to make a big deal about it he'd be happy to match wits with the beast.  

[joe-dude667]

As people started moving with some purpose, Cain placed his new friend back under the hat and stood up. He spent the entire 6 hours crouched in his corner, hurriedly muttering to the neck piece as he let the Kruthic run over his hands. If his legs hurt from crouching for so long, he didn't show it as his beady eyes scanned the room.

"Are we going now?" The Kenku squawked at the group. "We've got some more things to kill, don't we?" Yet again Cain wasn't paying attention to whatever the others had been talking about, but no one was holding a bone. Maybe the bone they were looking for belonged to those two little dragon's mummy? Hopefully they'd have to kill it first. Tharizdun would reward him with so much power for killing a big Dragon, if that damned elf didn't get there first...  

[Arc Vembris]

Hars rises stiffly and works to bandage the worst of her wounds. Only once she is battledressed she works to set her face in order, resuming the delicate features of the elven maiden.  

[NayrVentess]

Pelloth attempts to recall any information about the dragon Sholoruk. The drow is in luck, he has indeed read about a lazy dragon living in the Ashen Mountains, but only due to a coincidental mention of the draconic beast in a book a few months back. All Pelloth knows is that the dragon does indeed like to eat, a lot, but he isn't too old, as far as dragons go, you know you can expect him to be a little larger than a horse, although his belly will most likely be the largest part of him. Supposedly the dragon very rarely leaves his lair, and instead sends his minions, kobolds mostly, out to hunt for him, and bring back livestock and plundered food goods. In the past, a few adventuring parties have attempted to take Sholoruk out, but instead just ended up feeding the beast with fresh meat (themselves), and a selection of magical items.

Daelos stretches his legs and jumps up, giving the dead men in Grashuk's arms a curious look. "What're you going to be using them for?"  

[SporkMaster5000]

"I'm not sure if bait or a distraction would be more accurate. I'm just expecting to catch the beast with his mouth full and his guard down," Gerash explains to the elf. He turns to the Hars, "I suppose if the fearsome warrior is done passing out in the middle of the battlefield, we should head for the dragon's lair before more kobolds come to kill us," he looked at Serrik expectantly, seeing as he was the only real navigation they had.  

[Arc Vembris]

"You have nothing to worry for me, corpse, I'm fit as a fiddle. Let's go."  

[NayrVentess]

With six big scary figures all waiting for him to lead them, Serrik shifted nervously, and gulped dramatically. He then nodded his head slowly, "Oh-kay, Maszter and Masztersz friendsz, I will szhow you the way. Follow." The kobold then headed slowly towards the northern exit from the room, and began to descend, only looking back once to check that everyone was following him. When he realised that they indeed were, he turned back around and picked up the pace slightly.

You all follow Serrik for a few minutes down the slowly descending corridor. A slight odour begins to hit your nostrils, and bits and pieces begin to crunch under your feet. You assume them to be bones, dry and brittle after being licked clean and sucked dry, not even a smidgen of marrow left. "Thesze bonesz left by young onesz, Szholoruk would not leave bonesz, he eatsz everything. We are near..." Serrik begins to get slightly more agitated as you near the end of the corridor, and soon the seven of you exit the passageway and find yourselves in a huge underground cavern. The first ten or so feet of ground extending out from where you are is still the man made substance that was common back in the corridor, but after that the natural cavern floor takes hold. A few pillars stand near to you also, but further in they are replaced by stalagmites varying from 5 foot to 30 foot in height. A slow moving river can be heard by all of you, and seen by Pelloth deeper into the cavern. The drow can also see that the cavern goes back for a long, long way and the sides are pretty far away also.

Daelos tuts, "Where do we go from here?"  

[SporkMaster5000]

"Where does the dragon lair?" Gerash asks the kobold as a partial response to Daelos's question, keeping his voice low, just in case the answer was "here." He wouldn't put it past their little guide to be that stupid. Hopefully they wouldn't have to tote the dead bodies too much farther or his plan would start being cumbersome.  

[Arc Vembris]

Hars shines her lantern about, trying to get a sense of the terrain. She searches not for the dragon itself, but for solid footing among the stone floor of the cavern, loose rocks that might trip her up, and the incline down to the stream.  

[joe-dude667]

After the walk down, Cain looked around confused.

"Where are we now? Shouldn't there be a dragon here?" He asked disapointedly.  

[NayrVentess]

Hars can see that the terrain isn't too treacherous, for a fighter as trained as she, the slightly damp rocks and occasional loose stone won't be a problem. The incline down to the stream is very slight, with the light from her lantern, she can see that the stream itself is barely a foot deep, and only a few wide.

Serrik also keeps his voice low as he answers Gerash's question, "Juszt up there, to the right isz the layer. If you want, put bodiesz down just past the sztream. Szholoruk may come out." Following Serrik's outstretched arm, Pelloth with his darkvision can see a large cave in the side of the right cavern wall.