Ulder Ravengard: It's possible that the Giant regained control of castle. We shoudn't rule out that possibility.
Dagult Neverember: I can live with Skyreach Castle returned to giants. Sounds like they don't like the Cult either.
Connerad Brawnanvil: Pah! Both outcomes are bad! I find it unconscionable that such a resource would be destroyed, intentionally or otherwise. It would have been better for them to have waited for reinforcements, then attacked to secure the castle.
"I understand how the outcome of securing the Castle can be seen as the best that could have been achieved..." Khessa points out "Yet, we must not forget that when our small group reached Parnast, the castle had already taken off... It was already surprising enough that we managed to reach it - and achieve what we could achieve. There would have been no time to wait even a minute - much less for any reinforcements".
"Forced to act alone and without support, the alliance with the giant Blagothkus was the only possible way to succeed in wresting the Castle from the Cult" the blonde arcane warrior explains. "And, in retrospective, the return of the Castle to Blagothkus can be seen in a more positive light. It does justice to Blagothkus, who was its original owner, and it benefits us, because it secures the gratitude of Blagothkus - whose valor we have seen with our own eyes. As his forces retook the Castle, he faced in single combat a Dragon that could destroy an Army".
"You'll see..." the adventuress smiles encouragingly at everyone "if he, as I think and hope, has survived and owns the Castle again, we won't regret having the mighty Blagothkus on our side".
"Yes, Blagothkus has proven himself a truthful ally and friend of our cause" Eric says, reinforcing Khessa's sentence. "And, although his ultimate fate is unknown to the mortals, Gods know!"
After have said so, Eric waves his hands and whispers a dwarfish pray to Moradin, He presents a bunch of gold pieces in his right hand, that slowly dissolve into golden dust while the dwarf speak. few moment later, the golden dust starts to whirlwind over the heads of the standings, resembling a golden cloud with the appearance of an elder dwarf's face, at which Eric asks in common "Your humble servant begs you, Moradin to illuminate our way to your wisdom. What was the fate of Skyreach castle and Blagothkus?"
OCC: Eric castsDivination as ritual (he consumes 25gp as offering)
'...And where were you when my family was kidnapped by the Drow and needed you?' Khessa is tempted to add, seeing the image of the dwarven deity. She, since that tragic night, has always harbored a certain resentment and distrust towards the gods...
But the blonde arcane warrior holds back and says nothing. Her closeness to Eric has taught her a lot, about how the gods sometimes take inscrutable paths to bring things to their best conclusion... and also about how wisdom is sometimes a better guide than the strength and even than the limited intelligence of mortals.
'...But you at least sent me Eric... After all, maybe I forgive you. All in all, I'll just have to free my family myself' the tall adventuress then jokingly concludes her imaginary dialogue with Moradin - and waits with confidence, next to her beloved dwarf, for the god's response to the cleric's prayer.
Jean returns Khessa's sentiments, taking an immediate liking to the other woman's sincerity, before finding a position out of the way to observe the meeting. She listens to the back-and-forth with evident interest, her chin propped on one hand. Giants, dragons, gods... What hasn't this group encountered?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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"Yes, Blagothkus has proven himself a truthful ally and friend of our cause" Eric says, reinforcing Khessa's sentence. "And, although his ultimate fate is unknown to the mortals, Gods know!"
After have said so, Eric waves his hands and whispers a dwarfish pray to Moradin, He presents a bunch of gold pieces in his right hand, that slowly dissolve into golden dust while the dwarf speak. few moment later, the golden dust starts to whirlwind over the heads of the standings, resembling a golden cloud with the appearance of an elder dwarf's face, at which Eric asks in common "Your humble servant begs you, Moradin to illuminate our way to your wisdom. What was the fate of Skyreach castle and Blagothkus?"
OCC: Eric castsDivination as ritual (he consumes 25gp as offering)
In a deep, resonant voice, like the rumbling of a forge, Moradin answers through Eric's divination spell:
My child, the fate of Skyreach Castle is in safe hands. The Cloud Giant Blagothkus has stood firm against the ferocious power of Glazhael the Cloudchaser. In a battle that shook the heavens themselves, Blagothkus emerged victorious and regained control of the castle. The Cloud Giant is determined to use his fortress for a nobler purpose now, free from the influence of Dragons and dark forces.
You are glad that your deity does not speak in riddles as others so often do.
Thereafter he rises again and meets the eyes of the delegates again. "You have heard about the fate of Skyreach, and I think we couldn't hope for a better outcome" he pause looking at the reaction of the council "Now I believe we need a more practical approach for now on. My personal belief is that what the Cult cares most about are the five dragon masks and so we should find a way to take those artifacts away from them. Do you share my thoughts, or do you believe our focus should be different?"
Khessa would like to embrace there, in the midst of everyone, her beloved dwarf, that dispenser of Moradin's wisdom who is doing his best to unite the heterogeneous and recalcitrant forces against the terrible threat.
The blonde arcane warrior, also satisfied with the divine confirmation of the fate of Blagothkus and Skyreach Castle, limits herself to waiting for the reaction of the noble assembly of the powerful... hoping that they will begin to demonstrate greater reasonableness - and to focus more on the actions to be undertaken, rather than sterile examinations of past ones.
Actually Brawnanvil responds Lady Silmerhelve was about to tell us about that strange phenomenon from just a moment ago. But if you want to about dusty old...
Ontharr Frume interrupts him. Tell us about the Dragon Masks.
"I was wondering about the nature of that event myself and would much like to hear from Lady Silmerhelve. Gods may grant us with their voice in the moment of confusion and dismay, but they are not something that we can dispose at will, and abusing of their wisdom, would be foolish and pretentious" he says and watching Ontarr he ads "I also think we should gather the more informations we can about Dragon Masks, I think they are somehow a milestones of the Cult highest ritual, Also I'm sure they are necessary but not sufficient to free the Dragon Queen from her prison; but what the Cult still need to do so, I do not know".
Khessa would like to be able to provide further input... but she knows nothing more! She first heard of the Dragon Masks from Hazirawn... so I believe she has nothing more to add on the subject.
Khessa would like to be able to provide further input... but she knows nothing more! She first heard of the Dragon Masks from Hazirawn... so I believe she has nothing more to add on the subject.
"I was wondering about the nature of that event myself and would much like to hear from Lady Silmerhelve. Gods may grant us with their voice in the moment of confusion and dismay, but they are not something that we can dispose at will, and abusing of their wisdom, would be foolish and pretentious" he says and watching Ontarr he ads "I also think we should gather the more informations we can about Dragon Masks, I think they are somehow a milestones of the Cult highest ritual, Also I'm sure they are necessary but not sufficient to free the Dragon Queen from her prison; but what the Cult still need to do so, I do not know".
I agree. Comes the reply from Dagult. We should find ou more about them, but is seems we don't have any direct leads... Lady Silmerhelve, you said you knew more about that strange phenomenon. Is it related to the Dragon Masks?
Dala Silmerhelve answers: I don't think so... at least not directly. The disturbance that’s been sensed across the Sword Coast is the Draakhorn—an ancient device whose sounding alerts Dragons across Faerûn that great events are unfolding. It’s impossible to say what the sounding means, but the Dragons hear it clearly and will eventually answer its call.
"It must be the Cult - if not Tiamat herself - who is preparing the Dragons to unleash themselves as soon as she is freed from the Nine Hells!" Khessa angrily slams her right fist into her left palm. "It seems that despite all our efforts to thwart the Cult, they still feel close to their goal!"
"We must use the time and information we have!" the blonde arcane warrior exclaims. "Now, we don't know much about the Dragon Masks, but we do know that they are used to free Tiamat, and we know that Talis the White, a powerful member of the Cult, regretted that the White Dragon Mask was given to a Dwarf named Varram. If it were possible," her blue eyes search the room for help "with magic or espionage, to find out where this Varram is quickly enough, we could then try to capture him and take at least that Mask from him".
"And perhaps after we capture him, we could also force him to reveal information about the other Dragon Masks," the tall adventuress speculates. "If we could get them away from the Cult, the immediate threat would be averted... and we could then buy ourselves the time to wipe the Cult off the face of the world".
"Obviously, given the serious threat and potentially tight timeframe, it's critical that we are on the same page and that we support each other" Khessa concludes. "Now... by joining forces, resources and knowledge... do you think we can get the information we need to strike in a reasonable timeframe? Or do we need to come up with a different plan?"
Connerad Brawnanvil: I will not leave my homeland defenseless! The Dwarven kingdoms in the North have lost many people in recent years, and our people that remain are struggling to retain ancient lands only recently reclaimed!
Dagult Neverember: Calm down ambassador. It's too early to forge a joint army, we don't even know where to strike. We need more intel... a small group could find out more about the Dragon Masks or the Draakhoorn. The Human lord turns to Zale (whom he regards as the leader of the group), Queen Zale, obvious to all that you and your friends have taken a firm hand in addressing this crisis, and that you have proven your worth. He turns back to the others at the council: I suggest deputizing the queen's group with emergency investigative powers and a writ demonstrating such. This grants them access to resources and sites they deem necessary for their investigation, but carries with it the burden of oversight from the council.
Marshal Ulder Ravengard: Can I assume that if they abuse their powers, their actions will be reviewed and the writ will be revoked?
*Dugult nods*
There's some discussion about this topic. The Lords' Alliance would like a representative in your group and Jean is pushed forward. Zeminny insist that Kni is allowed to protect the queen. It would be a non-negotiable condition from king Eek. Once everything has been arranged, you're presented with your options:
Dala Silmerhelve tells you about the Draakhoorn: The Sea of Moving Ice was the last known location of the Draakhorn. No one can pinpoint its present location from the sound, or even verify with certainty that the relic is still in the northern sea, but the search must start there. The one person who could tell us more is a tiefling sorcerer called Maccath the Crimson. No one alive knows more about the Draakhorn than her, but the Arcane Brotherhood, of which she is also a member, hasn’t seen her for three years. She was investigating the Sea of Moving Ice when she disappeared.
The white Dragon Arauthator haunts the Sea of Moving Ice like an avenging wind. Personifying the brutality and savagery of his kind, Arauthator is probably a solid ally of the Cult of the Dragon.
Maccath reported her progress to the Hosttower by way of sending spells. Her last report spoke of seeing Ice Hunters paddling their sealskin boats toward a huge iceberg, flattened like a plateau across its surface, but ringed by icy peaks. She had intended to follow the Ice Hunters and investigate the iceberg. After that, no more reports came. Attempts to find Maccath using scrying and other magical means located only her ship, adrift and heavily damaged. Some of the ship’s crew were seen dead, but no sign of the tiefling sorcerer was ever found. However, the lair of a dragon as powerful as Arauthator is no doubt protected against scrying magic. If Maccath is alive, in addition to the lore she can share regarding the Draakhorn, the Arcane Brotherhood would be most grateful to get her back.
Remallia Haventree tells you that Leosin has more information about a Dwarven adventurer named Varram. He seems to be doing heroic things in the Serpent Hills, but he does wear purple robes. She advises you to seek out Leosin.
Khessa is baffled and tries to put her thoughts and notions in order to understand the logic that the council members are following. 1) The sound of the Draakhorn has been heard. No one knows what it is for or what it means; all that is known is that the Dragons 'hear it clearly and will eventually answer its call'. 2) It is known that the Dragon Masks are used to free Tiamat from the Nine Hells - which should be considered by everyone a catastrophe similar to an apocalypse. 3) Leosin has information about Varram, the keeper of one of the Dragon Masks. 4) But the council is instead focused on investigating the Sea of Moving Ice and wants to send the party in search of: 4.1) The famous Draakhorn. 4.2) A tiefling sorceress named Maccath, an esteemed member of the Arcane Brotherhood (who should know something about this Draakhorn).
After racking her brains for a while, the blonde arcane warrior can't find a good reason to give priority to the Draakhorn and poor Maccath over Varram and the Dragon Masks; however, she understands that it would be difficult to change the minds of the entire council... and so she prepares herself spiritually for a trip to the ice, thinking to herself: 'Let's hope at least to be quick... and that after this cheerful outing - which at least will perhaps serve to save a life in danger, that of the poor tiefling, everyone agrees to focus on the recovery of the Dragon Masks. Plus, who knows? Maybe the Draakhorn also has a role in Tiamat's plans - although it is not this object that I would have given priority to'.
When Jean is urged to join the group, the tall adventuress smiles in relief and pats her on the shoulder: "Welcome among us, then! It seems you will have much more time than I thought to listen to the account of what we have done and to make friends with us!"
"And welcome to you, Kni!" Khessa gives the Kobold Knight the same treatment: "We will all be more relieved now that we know you will watch over the safety of our Pirate-Queen".
Ulder Ravengard: It's possible that the Giant regained control of castle. We shoudn't rule out that possibility.
Dagult Neverember: I can live with Skyreach Castle returned to giants. Sounds like they don't like the Cult either.
Connerad Brawnanvil: Pah! Both outcomes are bad! I find it unconscionable that such a resource would be destroyed, intentionally or otherwise. It would have been better for them to have waited for reinforcements, then attacked to secure the castle.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
"I understand how the outcome of securing the Castle can be seen as the best that could have been achieved..." Khessa points out "Yet, we must not forget that when our small group reached Parnast, the castle had already taken off... It was already surprising enough that we managed to reach it - and achieve what we could achieve. There would have been no time to wait even a minute - much less for any reinforcements".
"Forced to act alone and without support, the alliance with the giant Blagothkus was the only possible way to succeed in wresting the Castle from the Cult" the blonde arcane warrior explains. "And, in retrospective, the return of the Castle to Blagothkus can be seen in a more positive light. It does justice to Blagothkus, who was its original owner, and it benefits us, because it secures the gratitude of Blagothkus - whose valor we have seen with our own eyes. As his forces retook the Castle, he faced in single combat a Dragon that could destroy an Army".
"You'll see..." the adventuress smiles encouragingly at everyone "if he, as I think and hope, has survived and owns the Castle again, we won't regret having the mighty Blagothkus on our side".
"Yes, Blagothkus has proven himself a truthful ally and friend of our cause" Eric says, reinforcing Khessa's sentence. "And, although his ultimate fate is unknown to the mortals, Gods know!"
After have said so, Eric waves his hands and whispers a dwarfish pray to Moradin, He presents a bunch of gold pieces in his right hand, that slowly dissolve into golden dust while the dwarf speak. few moment later, the golden dust starts to whirlwind over the heads of the standings, resembling a golden cloud with the appearance of an elder dwarf's face, at which Eric asks in common "Your humble servant begs you, Moradin to illuminate our way to your wisdom. What was the fate of Skyreach castle and Blagothkus?"
OCC: Eric casts Divination as ritual (he consumes 25gp as offering)
'...And where were you when my family was kidnapped by the Drow and needed you?' Khessa is tempted to add, seeing the image of the dwarven deity. She, since that tragic night, has always harbored a certain resentment and distrust towards the gods...
But the blonde arcane warrior holds back and says nothing. Her closeness to Eric has taught her a lot, about how the gods sometimes take inscrutable paths to bring things to their best conclusion... and also about how wisdom is sometimes a better guide than the strength and even than the limited intelligence of mortals.
'...But you at least sent me Eric... After all, maybe I forgive you. All in all, I'll just have to free my family myself' the tall adventuress then jokingly concludes her imaginary dialogue with Moradin - and waits with confidence, next to her beloved dwarf, for the god's response to the cleric's prayer.
Jean returns Khessa's sentiments, taking an immediate liking to the other woman's sincerity, before finding a position out of the way to observe the meeting. She listens to the back-and-forth with evident interest, her chin propped on one hand. Giants, dragons, gods... What hasn't this group encountered?
I do both party and individual character commissions. PM me for info.
Corti- Warforged bard of lore (Union!)
Tyr Sepcairn - Elven abjuration wizard (7th Sojourn)
Jean CamGaret - Half-elven draconic sorcerer (Acjots' Rise of Tiamat)
In a deep, resonant voice, like the rumbling of a forge, Moradin answers through Eric's divination spell:
My child, the fate of Skyreach Castle is in safe hands. The Cloud Giant Blagothkus has stood firm against the ferocious power of Glazhael the Cloudchaser. In a battle that shook the heavens themselves, Blagothkus emerged victorious and regained control of the castle. The Cloud Giant is determined to use his fortress for a nobler purpose now, free from the influence of Dragons and dark forces.
You are glad that your deity does not speak in riddles as others so often do.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
Eric bends, until the golden cloud dissipates.
Thereafter he rises again and meets the eyes of the delegates again. "You have heard about the fate of Skyreach, and I think we couldn't hope for a better outcome" he pause looking at the reaction of the council "Now I believe we need a more practical approach for now on. My personal belief is that what the Cult cares most about are the five dragon masks and so we should find a way to take those artifacts away from them. Do you share my thoughts, or do you believe our focus should be different?"
Khessa would like to embrace there, in the midst of everyone, her beloved dwarf, that dispenser of Moradin's wisdom who is doing his best to unite the heterogeneous and recalcitrant forces against the terrible threat.
The blonde arcane warrior, also satisfied with the divine confirmation of the fate of Blagothkus and Skyreach Castle, limits herself to waiting for the reaction of the noble assembly of the powerful... hoping that they will begin to demonstrate greater reasonableness - and to focus more on the actions to be undertaken, rather than sterile examinations of past ones.
Actually Brawnanvil responds Lady Silmerhelve was about to tell us about that strange phenomenon from just a moment ago. But if you want to about dusty old...
Ontharr Frume interrupts him. Tell us about the Dragon Masks.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
"I was wondering about the nature of that event myself and would much like to hear from Lady Silmerhelve. Gods may grant us with their voice in the moment of confusion and dismay, but they are not something that we can dispose at will, and abusing of their wisdom, would be foolish and pretentious" he says and watching Ontarr he ads "I also think we should gather the more informations we can about Dragon Masks, I think they are somehow a milestones of the Cult highest ritual, Also I'm sure they are necessary but not sufficient to free the Dragon Queen from her prison; but what the Cult still need to do so, I do not know".
[Doe anyone else want to give some input about the Dragon Masks?]
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
Khessa would like to be able to provide further input... but she knows nothing more! She first heard of the Dragon Masks from Hazirawn... so I believe she has nothing more to add on the subject.
Make a History check.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
Khessa's History check: 11
You don't recall anything about Dragon Masks. Only that it seems appropriate to you that Rezmir the Black ended up with the Black Dragon Mask.
I agree. Comes the reply from Dagult. We should find ou more about them, but is seems we don't have any direct leads... Lady Silmerhelve, you said you knew more about that strange phenomenon. Is it related to the Dragon Masks?
Dala Silmerhelve answers: I don't think so... at least not directly. The disturbance that’s been sensed across the Sword Coast is the Draakhorn—an ancient device whose sounding alerts Dragons across Faerûn that great events are unfolding. It’s impossible to say what the sounding means, but the Dragons hear it clearly and will eventually answer its call.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
"It must be the Cult - if not Tiamat herself - who is preparing the Dragons to unleash themselves as soon as she is freed from the Nine Hells!" Khessa angrily slams her right fist into her left palm. "It seems that despite all our efforts to thwart the Cult, they still feel close to their goal!"
"We must use the time and information we have!" the blonde arcane warrior exclaims. "Now, we don't know much about the Dragon Masks, but we do know that they are used to free Tiamat, and we know that Talis the White, a powerful member of the Cult, regretted that the White Dragon Mask was given to a Dwarf named Varram. If it were possible," her blue eyes search the room for help "with magic or espionage, to find out where this Varram is quickly enough, we could then try to capture him and take at least that Mask from him".
"And perhaps after we capture him, we could also force him to reveal information about the other Dragon Masks," the tall adventuress speculates. "If we could get them away from the Cult, the immediate threat would be averted... and we could then buy ourselves the time to wipe the Cult off the face of the world".
"Obviously, given the serious threat and potentially tight timeframe, it's critical that we are on the same page and that we support each other" Khessa concludes. "Now... by joining forces, resources and knowledge... do you think we can get the information we need to strike in a reasonable timeframe? Or do we need to come up with a different plan?"
Connerad Brawnanvil: I will not leave my homeland defenseless! The Dwarven kingdoms in the North have lost many people in recent years, and our people that remain are struggling to retain ancient lands only recently reclaimed!
Dagult Neverember: Calm down ambassador. It's too early to forge a joint army, we don't even know where to strike. We need more intel... a small group could find out more about the Dragon Masks or the Draakhoorn. The Human lord turns to Zale (whom he regards as the leader of the group), Queen Zale, obvious to all that you and your friends have taken a firm hand in addressing this crisis, and that you have proven your worth. He turns back to the others at the council: I suggest deputizing the queen's group with emergency investigative powers and a writ demonstrating such. This grants them access to resources and sites they deem necessary for their investigation, but carries with it the burden of oversight from the council.
Marshal Ulder Ravengard: Can I assume that if they abuse their powers, their actions will be reviewed and the writ will be revoked?
*Dugult nods*
There's some discussion about this topic. The Lords' Alliance would like a representative in your group and Jean is pushed forward. Zeminny insist that Kni is allowed to protect the queen. It would be a non-negotiable condition from king Eek. Once everything has been arranged, you're presented with your options:
Dala Silmerhelve tells you about the Draakhoorn: The Sea of Moving Ice was the last known location of the Draakhorn. No one can pinpoint its present location from the sound, or even verify with certainty that the relic is still in the northern sea, but the search must start there. The one person who could tell us more is a tiefling sorcerer called Maccath the Crimson. No one alive knows more about the Draakhorn than her, but the Arcane Brotherhood, of which she is also a member, hasn’t seen her for three years. She was investigating the Sea of Moving Ice when she disappeared.
The white Dragon Arauthator haunts the Sea of Moving Ice like an avenging wind. Personifying the brutality and savagery of his kind, Arauthator is probably a solid ally of the Cult of the Dragon.
Maccath reported her progress to the Hosttower by way of sending spells. Her last report spoke of seeing Ice Hunters paddling their sealskin boats toward a huge iceberg, flattened like a plateau across its surface, but ringed by icy peaks. She had intended to follow the Ice Hunters and investigate the iceberg. After that, no more reports came. Attempts to find Maccath using scrying and other magical means located only her ship, adrift and heavily damaged. Some of the ship’s crew were seen dead, but no sign of the tiefling sorcerer was ever found. However, the lair of a dragon as powerful as Arauthator is no doubt protected against scrying magic. If Maccath is alive, in addition to the lore she can share regarding the Draakhorn, the Arcane Brotherhood would be most grateful to get her back.
Remallia Haventree tells you that Leosin has more information about a Dwarven adventurer named Varram. He seems to be doing heroic things in the Serpent Hills, but he does wear purple robes. She advises you to seek out Leosin.
Player: Any Good Alignment // DM: Lawful Evil
Khessa is baffled and tries to put her thoughts and notions in order to understand the logic that the council members are following.
1) The sound of the Draakhorn has been heard. No one knows what it is for or what it means; all that is known is that the Dragons 'hear it clearly and will eventually answer its call'.
2) It is known that the Dragon Masks are used to free Tiamat from the Nine Hells - which should be considered by everyone a catastrophe similar to an apocalypse.
3) Leosin has information about Varram, the keeper of one of the Dragon Masks.
4) But the council is instead focused on investigating the Sea of Moving Ice and wants to send the party in search of:
4.1) The famous Draakhorn.
4.2) A tiefling sorceress named Maccath, an esteemed member of the Arcane Brotherhood (who should know something about this Draakhorn).
Khessa's Intelligence roll: 6
After racking her brains for a while, the blonde arcane warrior can't find a good reason to give priority to the Draakhorn and poor Maccath over Varram and the Dragon Masks; however, she understands that it would be difficult to change the minds of the entire council... and so she prepares herself spiritually for a trip to the ice, thinking to herself: 'Let's hope at least to be quick... and that after this cheerful outing - which at least will perhaps serve to save a life in danger, that of the poor tiefling, everyone agrees to focus on the recovery of the Dragon Masks. Plus, who knows? Maybe the Draakhorn also has a role in Tiamat's plans - although it is not this object that I would have given priority to'.
When Jean is urged to join the group, the tall adventuress smiles in relief and pats her on the shoulder: "Welcome among us, then! It seems you will have much more time than I thought to listen to the account of what we have done and to make friends with us!"
"And welcome to you, Kni!" Khessa gives the Kobold Knight the same treatment: "We will all be more relieved now that we know you will watch over the safety of our Pirate-Queen".