At breakfast, Arisa says “well- we’ve had a useful trip here to waterdeep so far, but I think it is time we get back to our task at hand. We suspect the giants are up to something, perhaps some much larger plot is afoot. We have a lead we’ve yet to follow up on here in town. Shall we go do that next?”
Arisa continues.. “If you rememberNaxene recommended that we speak to an acquaintance of hers — a “dragon expert” in Waterdeep named Chazlauth Yarghorn. She provided directions to his residence in the city’s North Ward- I have it here in my notes”
Belkas also nods as Arisa talks. He had not forgotten the giants, of course, but the name of the person they were supposed to talk to - that had escaped him entirely. He decides that he really should take notes like Arisa does. Besides,m - Chazlauth Yarghorn - Belkas wasn't sure he could pronounce that, much less remember it.
Leaving the Blew Ewe, you set out to meet with Naxene's acquaintance, Chazlauth Yarghorn, the supposed "dragon expert." Following the directions that Naxene provided, you easily find his residence in the city’s North Ward: a tall stone house with a tower on one corner.
Arisa says.. “I can knock, but I’m err.. not the smoothest talker. I do know some about dragons, and I know draconic, if that helps.. hopefully a friend of Naxene will be friendly to us...”. She knocks on the door, or rings a bell, as needed.
Shortly after ringing the bell, a well-dressed servant opens the door, and assuming that you greet him with a request to meet with Chazlauth, he leads you inside the manor and into an entry hall, where he signals to one of the other servants. While you wait, you hear what sound like quite a racket of noise coming from somewhere up inside the tower, as if there were children or animals running around, knocking things over.
A half minute later, a tall human man with Illuskan features greets you.
"Greetings.... folk who I do not know. How may I be of service to you?"
((For reference - From your conversations about this crisis with Naxene, it was clear to you that she is is convinced that now is not the time for half-measures. She has read books about the ancient conflict between dragons and giants, and she urged you to seek out a powerful good dragon, convince it to contact other good dragons, and use them to combat the giants. Naxene is confident that the Lords’ Alliance will support this plan, given the gravity of the situation.))
“It is an honor to meet you, Chazlauth. I am Arisa, Cleric of Mystra, these are my companions, Zyllith, Belkas, Siobhan, and Vernon. We’ve taken to calling ourselves the Dragon’s Aces- why will become more clear in a moment.
We’re here on the advice of Naxene, who recommended we seek your advice as we are very concerned about a coming war, or worse, involving giants. You may have heard of the assault on Nightstone, or the attack on Goldenfields? We witnessed the aftermath of the first, and were present for the second…”.
(she fills in the details of the story, if he’s interested, looking to the others and occasionally consulting her notes). Finally she concludes-
“Can you help us? Any information or advice would be welcome...”. She smiles.
As they are led into the mansion, Belkas keeps his eyes open for the best escape routes in case something should go wrong.
He nods as Arisa talks, remembering the different adventures they have faced together: the bell-ringing goblins in Nightstone, the wargs, the fascinating woman and her thugs from the Black Network, repelling the orc invaders, saving the villagers from the goblin caverns, meeting the dragon, the orc slavers and the halfling village, the massive battle in Goldenfields, and the flying demon.
Chazlauth listens to Arisa as she speaks, even with the occasional commotion that can be heard coming from up in the tower. He seems quite excited to know that you have spoken with Naxene and that you area intent to play a role in this crisis with the giants.
"How wonderful that you spent time with Naxene!! Fine lady she is, so studious and quite serious in her research. I did indeed hear about the giant attack on Goldenfields; what a horrific event, but thankfully, you were there to help thwart it. Naxene clearly trusts your strength and your resolve in helping to fight these renegade giants who are bent on destruction of our lands and people."
"However, Naxene can be a bit... well... idealistic, shall we say. While she often has good ideas, I don't agree with this one... at least not fully. It's crazy to think that allying ourselves with a good dragon will be the right answer... but when you think about it, I don't think it's crazy enough. I propose something even crazier. Thinking completely outside the box. Why go big, when you can go bigger?"
"I know of an ancient green dragon named Old Gnawbone who lives deep in the Kyrptgarden forest. She's very power and quite eccentric, and is rumored to possess a collection of crystal balls that she uses to scry on everyone and everything. That said, she rarely meddles in the affairs of small folk, but I am fairly certain that she allows herself to stay abreast of the events that are happening in the world. She is more than likely to know that the giant are becoming a nuisance once again."
"Based on averaging I know about green dragons, and this one in particular, I don't think that she will harm you... if she knows that you are intent on ending the giant threat."
"I propose that you travel to the Kryptgarden Forest and seek her out, as I feel she can be a powerful ally to us in this fight."
“Oh.. wow. A Green. And ancient. From what I know of dragons, We would be definitely taking a risk, but if she has been following what’s going on in the world, it might just be what we need to do. Do you have a map or anything to her lair? Any other help or advice you can provide would be.. umm.. Helpful..”. Arisa says. She jots down notes, and pretends to be oblivious to the noise from the tower.
"If you do not already know, the Kyrptgarden Forest is a wooded region near Westbridge, just south of the Sword Mountains. There are many old dwarven ruins there, including an extensive underground city known as Southkrypt, just for history's sake. Follow The Long Road north out of Waterdeep, past Red Larch, and once you reach Westbridge, head straight East into the forest."
"And I do not believe that you will need a map. She will know that you are coming, and she will find you. And you need not worry about encountering other dragons within the forest, for there will be none. She has driven them all out. There may be other denizens in the forest, but if you area who you say you are, and you helped defeat the giants at Goldenfields, then I'm confident you'll be able to handle whatever you find in there."
"Oh, and one more thing... Claugiyliamater... that's her real name, apparently idolizes strong women, being one herself. Make what you will with that information, but I gather that she will like you, Arisa, Cleric of Mystra. Your companions... maybe not so much. They should be on their best behavior."
Arisa blushes at the praise and thanks him (21 history check in the log) “Thank you very much. I’ve read of that area and the dwarves that used to live there. Will be interesting to see- of course not more interesting than meeting a … hopefully friendly ancient dragon! We probably should go quickly- we’ve already tarried too long in waterdeep I fear. Thanks again, we hope to bring you good news in the near future if our quest brings us back this way ” She is ready to go, if the others don’t have more questions.
"Oh, I would never refer to Old Jawbone as friendly, but she can be agreeable in the right circumstances, and with the right people. At any rate, I wish you luck with your task. And yes, if you do make it back this way... alive... then I should certainly like to hear news of your quest and with your encounter with the large green lady."
"Oh, and one more thing, these may come in handy."
As you leave, Chazlauth plucks a handful of potions from a shelf at the edge of the room and gives one to each of you. They are all labeled “Potion of Poison Resistance.”
'Boss, don't tell me you're actually considering this. They're both out of their minds. It's an ancient EVIL green dragon. Nothing friendly about it. If it likes strong women, that's probably with a hint of garlic and onion. If it doesn't eat you right away, it will enslave you and then eat you later when it gets bored. Evil dragons don't do anything unless they directly benefit from it.'
Belkas thinks at Crowley, 'You know that most people consider devils to be the epitome of evil. And you happen to be a devil.'
'Of course I am. But devils are in it for the long game; immortality and rigid social structure do that to you. We are out for personal power and collective domination of the multiverse. It's an enormous chess game against other immortals at a scale you can't even begin to imagine. We all enjoy a little torment and torture, and a bit of mass destruction when we can slip it in, but we have GOALS and PRINCIPLES. And that's what makes us different from those giant flying balls of hatred you call dragons. That, and the fact they're actually strong enough to get away with it.'
Belkas smiles at Chazlauth, "Thank you for all your help. Do you think Claugiyliamater will really help us just because we are trying to stop the giants? I don't know much about dragons, but shouldn't we bring her some sort of gift or tribute?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Siobhan says nothing. She watches and listens. Does she think this Chazlauth is being honest? Telling them something that is in their best interest? In her limited experience, folk who ask you to take a dangerous course of action do not always include all the details.
Chaslauth replies to Belkas. "It is well known to most who are learned in these matters that dragons and giants are ancient enemies. Thousands of years ago, the last great empire of giants — Ostoria — fell after a long and brutal conflict with dragons. Little of Ostoria remains in what is now called the Savage Frontier. The civilizations of small folk have taken over the land once ruled by giants."
"Although evil giants will often make occasional forays into territory settled by small folk, their ambitions have long been curtailed by their lack of cohesion and the imposition of good-aligned storm giants and cloud giants whose memories of ancient, glorious Ostoria have faded over time."
"However, something seems to have caused a great upheaval in the long established hierarchy of the giants, and now they fiercely compete against one another, striving to create a new ordning through their own reckless deeds and accomplishments. These calamitous endeavors have not only put the settlements of humans and other small folk in jeopardy, but also attracted the attention of the giants’ ancient enemies — the dragons."
"If there's one thing that's for certain, it's that the dragons will not abide the rise of another giant empire. So to answer your question as to whether Claugiyliamater will be including to help you, the answer is most certainly no. She will see this as an opportunity to use you, and that is precisely what we are counting on. She wants nothing more than to see this giant incursion crushed, and she will use whatever means she can muster to help make that happen."
"Green dragons are by nature, cunning and treacherous, and they will often use misdirection, manipulation and trickery to get the upper hand agains their enemies, and so by going into her domain, you will be "letting" her manipulate you to be the means to her end. However, never forget that green dragons can be aggressive and extremely dangerous. I would urge you to use the utmost caution when approaching her, for she may be as likely to eat you as to help you, or at least toy with you."'
"As to whether you should bring a gift... well, it certainly would not hurt. As to what kind of gift to bring, it is known that green dragons favor emeralds, wood carvings and musical instruments."
"I hope this is of help to you. Again, I wish you the best of luck on this errand."
Siobhan
Listening to Chazlauth, it's apparent that he is a man who possesses a great deal of knowledge and intelligence. Based on the amount of detailed information he has provided, and what little you know about dragons, you have no reason to doubt his intentions, or the straightforward nature of this plan... even as utterly crazy as this whole idea would sound to any reasonable person.
Zyllith, who didn't know anything about dragons outside of the stories told by pirates, opted to listen to the conversation and overall wasn't terribly pleased with what she was hearing. "Bloody 'ells, this sounds like a rioght terrible idea. Might as much be jumpin' inta shark's gullet with two loaves o' bread an' callin' it a sandwich. This Claugi-whatever's 'most certain-like gonna be the death o' us one way or another. Perhaps it'd be safer finding another, more amenable-like dragon folk ta parley wit'? Already spoke ta' one o' them, after all."
Chazlauth responds to Zyllith with a grin. "It sounds like you have some decision to make amongst yourselves. Take my advice or not, but either way, you may take theses potions as help on your journey, wherever it may lead."
With that, he bids you farewell, and you are escorted back out of the villa, where you find yourselves once again on the streets in the North Ward of Waterdeep.
At breakfast, Arisa says “well- we’ve had a useful trip here to waterdeep so far, but I think it is time we get back to our task at hand. We suspect the giants are up to something, perhaps some much larger plot is afoot. We have a lead we’ve yet to follow up on here in town. Shall we go do that next?”
Arisa continues.. “If you rememberNaxene recommended that we speak to an acquaintance of hers — a “dragon expert” in Waterdeep named Chazlauth Yarghorn. She provided directions to his residence in the city’s North Ward- I have it here in my notes”
Siobhan, a firbolg once again, nods in agreement to Arisa's words. She is devouring a large bowl of porridge and her mouth is full.
Belkas also nods as Arisa talks. He had not forgotten the giants, of course, but the name of the person they were supposed to talk to - that had escaped him entirely. He decides that he really should take notes like Arisa does. Besides,m - Chazlauth Yarghorn - Belkas wasn't sure he could pronounce that, much less remember it.
"That sounds like a good next step to me."
"Oh yea, we'd best get ta' business then." Zyllith agrees, "If nothin' more strikes yer fancy, we'd might best served by headin there now."
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Leaving the Blew Ewe, you set out to meet with Naxene's acquaintance, Chazlauth Yarghorn, the supposed "dragon expert." Following the directions that Naxene provided, you easily find his residence in the city’s North Ward: a tall stone house with a tower on one corner.
Arisa says.. “I can knock, but I’m err.. not the smoothest talker. I do know some about dragons, and I know draconic, if that helps.. hopefully a friend of Naxene will be friendly to us...”. She knocks on the door, or rings a bell, as needed.
Shortly after ringing the bell, a well-dressed servant opens the door, and assuming that you greet him with a request to meet with Chazlauth, he leads you inside the manor and into an entry hall, where he signals to one of the other servants. While you wait, you hear what sound like quite a racket of noise coming from somewhere up inside the tower, as if there were children or animals running around, knocking things over.
A half minute later, a tall human man with Illuskan features greets you.
"Greetings.... folk who I do not know. How may I be of service to you?"
((For reference - From your conversations about this crisis with Naxene, it was clear to you that she is is convinced that now is not the time for half-measures. She has read books about the ancient conflict between dragons and giants, and she urged you to seek out a powerful good dragon, convince it to contact other good dragons, and use them to combat the giants. Naxene is confident that the Lords’ Alliance will support this plan, given the gravity of the situation.))
“It is an honor to meet you, Chazlauth. I am Arisa, Cleric of Mystra, these are my companions, Zyllith, Belkas, Siobhan, and Vernon. We’ve taken to calling ourselves the Dragon’s Aces- why will become more clear in a moment.
We’re here on the advice of Naxene, who recommended we seek your advice as we are very concerned about a coming war, or worse, involving giants. You may have heard of the assault on Nightstone, or the attack on Goldenfields? We witnessed the aftermath of the first, and were present for the second…”.
(she fills in the details of the story, if he’s interested, looking to the others and occasionally consulting her notes). Finally she concludes-
“Can you help us? Any information or advice would be welcome...”. She smiles.
As they are led into the mansion, Belkas keeps his eyes open for the best escape routes in case something should go wrong.
He nods as Arisa talks, remembering the different adventures they have faced together: the bell-ringing goblins in Nightstone, the wargs, the fascinating woman and her thugs from the Black Network, repelling the orc invaders, saving the villagers from the goblin caverns, meeting the dragon, the orc slavers and the halfling village, the massive battle in Goldenfields, and the flying demon.
Chazlauth listens to Arisa as she speaks, even with the occasional commotion that can be heard coming from up in the tower. He seems quite excited to know that you have spoken with Naxene and that you area intent to play a role in this crisis with the giants.
"How wonderful that you spent time with Naxene!! Fine lady she is, so studious and quite serious in her research. I did indeed hear about the giant attack on Goldenfields; what a horrific event, but thankfully, you were there to help thwart it. Naxene clearly trusts your strength and your resolve in helping to fight these renegade giants who are bent on destruction of our lands and people."
"However, Naxene can be a bit... well... idealistic, shall we say. While she often has good ideas, I don't agree with this one... at least not fully. It's crazy to think that allying ourselves with a good dragon will be the right answer... but when you think about it, I don't think it's crazy enough. I propose something even crazier. Thinking completely outside the box. Why go big, when you can go bigger?"
"I know of an ancient green dragon named Old Gnawbone who lives deep in the Kyrptgarden forest. She's very power and quite eccentric, and is rumored to possess a collection of crystal balls that she uses to scry on everyone and everything. That said, she rarely meddles in the affairs of small folk, but I am fairly certain that she allows herself to stay abreast of the events that are happening in the world. She is more than likely to know that the giant are becoming a nuisance once again."
"Based on averaging I know about green dragons, and this one in particular, I don't think that she will harm you... if she knows that you are intent on ending the giant threat."
"I propose that you travel to the Kryptgarden Forest and seek her out, as I feel she can be a powerful ally to us in this fight."
“Oh.. wow. A Green. And ancient. From what I know of dragons, We would be definitely taking a risk, but if she has been following what’s going on in the world, it might just be what we need to do. Do you have a map or anything to her lair? Any other help or advice you can provide would be.. umm.. Helpful..”. Arisa says. She jots down notes, and pretends to be oblivious to the noise from the tower.
"If you do not already know, the Kyrptgarden Forest is a wooded region near Westbridge, just south of the Sword Mountains. There are many old dwarven ruins there, including an extensive underground city known as Southkrypt, just for history's sake. Follow The Long Road north out of Waterdeep, past Red Larch, and once you reach Westbridge, head straight East into the forest."
"And I do not believe that you will need a map. She will know that you are coming, and she will find you. And you need not worry about encountering other dragons within the forest, for there will be none. She has driven them all out. There may be other denizens in the forest, but if you area who you say you are, and you helped defeat the giants at Goldenfields, then I'm confident you'll be able to handle whatever you find in there."
"Oh, and one more thing... Claugiyliamater... that's her real name, apparently idolizes strong women, being one herself. Make what you will with that information, but I gather that she will like you, Arisa, Cleric of Mystra. Your companions... maybe not so much. They should be on their best behavior."
Arisa blushes at the praise and thanks him (21 history check in the log) “Thank you very much. I’ve read of that area and the dwarves that used to live there. Will be interesting to see- of course not more interesting than meeting a … hopefully friendly ancient dragon! We probably should go quickly- we’ve already tarried too long in waterdeep I fear. Thanks again, we hope to bring you good news in the near future if our quest brings us back this way ” She is ready to go, if the others don’t have more questions.
"Oh, I would never refer to Old Jawbone as friendly, but she can be agreeable in the right circumstances, and with the right people. At any rate, I wish you luck with your task. And yes, if you do make it back this way... alive... then I should certainly like to hear news of your quest and with your encounter with the large green lady."
"Oh, and one more thing, these may come in handy."
As you leave, Chazlauth plucks a handful of potions from a shelf at the edge of the room and gives one to each of you. They are all labeled “Potion of Poison Resistance.”
'Boss, don't tell me you're actually considering this. They're both out of their minds. It's an ancient EVIL green dragon. Nothing friendly about it. If it likes strong women, that's probably with a hint of garlic and onion. If it doesn't eat you right away, it will enslave you and then eat you later when it gets bored. Evil dragons don't do anything unless they directly benefit from it.'
Belkas thinks at Crowley, 'You know that most people consider devils to be the epitome of evil. And you happen to be a devil.'
'Of course I am. But devils are in it for the long game; immortality and rigid social structure do that to you. We are out for personal power and collective domination of the multiverse. It's an enormous chess game against other immortals at a scale you can't even begin to imagine. We all enjoy a little torment and torture, and a bit of mass destruction when we can slip it in, but we have GOALS and PRINCIPLES. And that's what makes us different from those giant flying balls of hatred you call dragons. That, and the fact they're actually strong enough to get away with it.'
Belkas smiles at Chazlauth, "Thank you for all your help. Do you think Claugiyliamater will really help us just because we are trying to stop the giants? I don't know much about dragons, but shouldn't we bring her some sort of gift or tribute?"
Siobhan says nothing. She watches and listens. Does she think this Chazlauth is being honest? Telling them something that is in their best interest? In her limited experience, folk who ask you to take a dangerous course of action do not always include all the details.
Insight 24
Chaslauth replies to Belkas. "It is well known to most who are learned in these matters that dragons and giants are ancient enemies. Thousands of years ago, the last great empire of giants — Ostoria — fell after a long and brutal conflict with dragons. Little of Ostoria remains in what is now called the Savage Frontier. The civilizations of small folk have taken over the land once ruled by giants."
"Although evil giants will often make occasional forays into territory settled by small folk, their ambitions have long been curtailed by their lack of cohesion and the imposition of good-aligned storm giants and cloud giants whose memories of ancient, glorious Ostoria have faded over time."
"However, something seems to have caused a great upheaval in the long established hierarchy of the giants, and now they fiercely compete against one another, striving to create a new ordning through their own reckless deeds and accomplishments. These calamitous endeavors have not only put the settlements of humans and other small folk in jeopardy, but also attracted the attention of the giants’ ancient enemies — the dragons."
"If there's one thing that's for certain, it's that the dragons will not abide the rise of another giant empire. So to answer your question as to whether Claugiyliamater will be including to help you, the answer is most certainly no. She will see this as an opportunity to use you, and that is precisely what we are counting on. She wants nothing more than to see this giant incursion crushed, and she will use whatever means she can muster to help make that happen."
"Green dragons are by nature, cunning and treacherous, and they will often use misdirection, manipulation and trickery to get the upper hand agains their enemies, and so by going into her domain, you will be "letting" her manipulate you to be the means to her end. However, never forget that green dragons can be aggressive and extremely dangerous. I would urge you to use the utmost caution when approaching her, for she may be as likely to eat you as to help you, or at least toy with you."'
"As to whether you should bring a gift... well, it certainly would not hurt. As to what kind of gift to bring, it is known that green dragons favor emeralds, wood carvings and musical instruments."
"I hope this is of help to you. Again, I wish you the best of luck on this errand."
Siobhan
Listening to Chazlauth, it's apparent that he is a man who possesses a great deal of knowledge and intelligence. Based on the amount of detailed information he has provided, and what little you know about dragons, you have no reason to doubt his intentions, or the straightforward nature of this plan... even as utterly crazy as this whole idea would sound to any reasonable person.
Zyllith, who didn't know anything about dragons outside of the stories told by pirates, opted to listen to the conversation and overall wasn't terribly pleased with what she was hearing. "Bloody 'ells, this sounds like a rioght terrible idea. Might as much be jumpin' inta shark's gullet with two loaves o' bread an' callin' it a sandwich. This Claugi-whatever's 'most certain-like gonna be the death o' us one way or another. Perhaps it'd be safer finding another, more amenable-like dragon folk ta parley wit'? Already spoke ta' one o' them, after all."
Sylnache Ashrain - 7th Sojourn
Chazlauth responds to Zyllith with a grin. "It sounds like you have some decision to make amongst yourselves. Take my advice or not, but either way, you may take theses potions as help on your journey, wherever it may lead."
With that, he bids you farewell, and you are escorted back out of the villa, where you find yourselves once again on the streets in the North Ward of Waterdeep.