Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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“Good advice” Tetrevess says.
Chadderlay and his cat familiar fail to notice the group of lizard men sneaking up on them from the tall grass further from the river, but Tetrevess sees them as they subtly mive through the rushes. There are at least five.
Sam smells lizardfolk, but follows the trail of footprints they've left toward the water, looking at the ground, as the reptilian enclose feom behind the group.
(Helpful?)Spoiler:
I'm trying to have them give you a quest. It's harder if you're trying to kill them, but if it happens, it happens. Just, if you k ow what I'm saying here, it might go smoother.
“(In draconic) If you are trying to catch us by surprise, Lizardfolk, it won’t work. We were actually looking for you. But not to hurt you, unless it becomes necessary.” Tetrevess addresses the group.
"The warming speaks forked-tongue." comments the first lizard man to emerge from the tall grass. "Scalesneer has seen true." Decides another. "Our vengeance is nigh." (Draconic is funny sometimes. "Revenge", "justice", "reward" and even "freedom: could all be valid translations of this word)
Looking to Samogri, whose prowess is evident, even as his huge size has been abandoned, thanks to the coatl, the secind lizard man intones a solemn plea: "scales from afar, we beseech you. Our tribes are scattered, broken by a black dragon, newly arrived upon the shores of our island home. The locals call him by the name 'velvet'." (this word spoken in phonetic common).
A third lizard continues "He has killed many and taken some alive. Our king wishes them returned and the dragon driven from the isle..."
"or killed," Concludes rhe first, Then waiting for Sam's reply.
<if you agree as a group, you'll have to figure out how to get there. It's like a four hour boat ride. Lizard folk can awim. They have 15 minites underwater breath. They're basically marine iguanas. There is actually an inn on the river where you could grab a poleboat if you need one, but if you don't have to, you can skip it.>
"Sam, you might be able to better converse and find out things about them."
Chadderlay recalls his cat familiar, Mister Fancy, and picks him up, cradling him in the crook of his arms and petting him gently.
Speaking in draconic “ do not worry we shall kill this dragon”
“(Draconic) It so happens we seek allies in this land. As Sam has said, we will kill this dragon and rescue your villagers in exchange for an alliance with you. We will need a boat to reach the island, and details on the dragon’s lair and capabilities. Perhaps we should talk to Scalesneer? “ Tetrevess says. He briefly explains the situation to anyone who doesn’t speak draconic.
The lizards consuder briefly, then ascent, "Yes. The shaman will want to meet you as well, before you see the king." says one lizard, tasting the air at the conclusion of his words.
To Sam, he adds, "You will have no issue finding our island," he holds an outstretched finger toward the horizon over the grass-choked water. "The warmlings in your company, if they need assistance, there are others nearby. People come and go. They find food there. At this place they can find a boat."
Walking towards the water's edge, the lizard folk transition to swimming, propelled by their tails as they writhe un a serpentine motion, arms dragging along their sides as they slip among the reeds. The final lizardman stops just before entering and tells Samogri "please, don't dawdle. The tribes are desperate."
<you guys dont need to roleplay rent8ng a biat at an inn. If thats your plan to get to the island, just pay 50gp and you get 40 back if youbreturn the boat by tomorrow, l0 less for each day beyond that. If you have another way to get there, thats great, just say so. I know i never gave out a broom of flying or anything, but in fairness, nobody asked for one either.>
Oli says, "I didn't catch all that. Am I the only one that doesn't speak their language? So, what's the plan?"
---------------------------------------------
ooc: Did the lizard men talk in Draconic the whole time, or do we assume it was common when no language is specified. like when Tesservett specified (Draconic)?
(After the lizard men go) “Well, I can give us all water breathing if you’d like to swim, but I’d prefer a boat myself. I have a few options of magic that I could do, in a pinch. But I am still wanting to keep a bit of a low profile. Let’s just rent the boat for now, I’ll give us all water breathing anyway on our journey, it may come in handy if we run into trouble.”
he ritual casts water breathing (12 hours duration) on the group after we rent the boat (he pays for it) and we head to the lizard folk village.
Tetrevess translates for you. Paraphrasing a bit.
I want all the players to know what's being said at all times, unless the unknown word would be a puzzle element. For that I wouldn't say it in English at all. Basically jd one PC (or helpful NPC) understands, assum3 you'll all know the information without having to wait for someone to translate. But, for RP purposes, like if they called you warmlings, Sam might not tell you all, and T might not even know that dialect word.
Behind the screen
<If I didn't have multiple PCs who spoke dracinic, I would have just made them speak some common. That'd what I planned to do for conversation with the king, but not the shaman. In part to differentiate but also to characterize them. These guys were more or less a bulletin board with exactly 1 missi9n because I'm trying to get all the new players and the veterans to ine spot.>
The pileboats maneuver theough the marsh well enough. When the reeds give way to the open waters if the lake, the island cones into view. In all it takes four hours to make the full journey to its shore, a distance of 15 miles from the inn at the river. (I have no idea if this is irl realistic, but most movement speed in this game is unrealistic, anyway.)
Approaching the island the devastation is immediately obvious. Huts and other structures made of natural materials have been melted by acid. A score of lozarsfolk lay dead on the sand, their bodies plainly no more than a few days there. The lizard king sees you drawing bear and comes to meet you. "Bogclaw." He says as he places a clawed hand upon his chest. "Warmlings on our island. Desperate times." he says in broken common. "We are small now, but ine. Stronger as one. Dragon stronger still. Some taken. Dragon fly away. Now time get fols.bsck. dragon come back, we ready. Not want fight. Fight to survive."
<Let me.know if thst wad unclear.>
"Hags. Two green women come back ro island with dragon after village destroyed."
From among the ruins of the village emerges Scalesneer, the shaman. In draconic, he chides the lizard king "these warmlings bring risk to our people."
Rhe lozard king communicates to you in common the following: The dragon has taken the hags' friend. They work for him to get her back. The hags live to the east, and rhe dragon lairs farther east, still.
Edited: I was asleep when i wrote this. Just really wanted to post it since I knew I'd be busy today. Hopefully some of it made sense.
“Should we go to meet the hags first? I’d like more information as to how powerful this dragon is, and about its lair. If they are being coerced to help it, perhaps they will be cooperative. Although last time we met hags that wasn’t pleasant!” Tetrevess says, to the lizard folk as well as the group.
“what can you tell us of the size of this dragon?” Tetrevess is attempting to understand the dragon’s age, he gets an idea of its size by their descriptions and also looks at footprints and claws, the damage from the acid. (29 arcana (advantage from class) and 23 history to know about the likely age of this dragon and difficulty we face - if any stories or legends about it exist, etc.
”what did it want with your people- if you know- to eat them, or enslave them?”
(notifications appear broken for me- hope not a broader issue)
Finally Tetrevess asks the King- “We seek allies in this land, Should we prove successful in ridding you of the dragon threat, what can you offer us in exchange?”
Oli says to Tetrevess, "Wow, you guys get around don't you? Already fought with hags and now we're fighting a dragon. It won't get boring being with you." He hops left and right a few times to relieve his pre-mission jitters.
“What true king doesn’t welcome risk to save his people” Sam continues in draconic “I samogri the Primus tryannus shall bend and brake this dragon in the name of the world serpent and help you, blood to blood”
sam then turns back to the rabbit man and says in common “this should be light work for us, this isn’t the least of what I have to do”
"A black dragon you say... well at least there's a silver lining, we have the numbers on our side!"
Chadderlay tries a small smile at his little joke, unable to force even a fake laugh.
"Dragon's are complicated creatures. What drives them is not always clear. But at times they can be very simple, too. Treasure drives all dragons, but this dragon has come recently, and he is removing competition from his territory. Those you see here are all that remains if the three tribes that theived here just five moons ago." The lizard king responds.
Re: all the checks: Tetrevess recalls from the time he spent in the Brotherhood of Cloaks in Mulmaster... there was a (age) black dragon named Throstelgrael in the flooded forest not far from the city. Within the last year he was known to have been driven off, some speculate by a cult.
<Behind the screen: It was written as a young dragon in the original, but this is a large party well overlooked for that. So, I'm keeping everything the same but the one thing you want to know about. I actually think it makes more sense to be an older dragon, given all the things its done.>