Quinn will say, “The mighty land has not found favor for us, we should move quickly.” Quinn will lift he shield and make a dodge action making sure the others get to safety.
Dev’s stance hasn’t changed. If the creature is obviously attacking, he’ll snap out of it and dive for cover. But until that happens, he’s just watching, wide-eyed and too interested to be afraid.
The scintillating white shape glided down out of the storm tossed sky, its head cocked to one side as it regarded the four humanoids, there was a brief moment when a puff of icy cloud huffed from its nostrils but nothing further eventuated as it set down, suprisingly lightly on the edge of the outlook and regarded them curiously.
The almost iridescent white scales glistened in the intermittent flashes of light from far off lightning, its eyes sparkled ice blue as it opened long jaws filled with dagger like blue-black teeth....now that it was close the companions could see that despite being most definitely a dragon in size it was somewhat smaller than most of the fishing boats in Drynna....though its wingspan dwarfed their sails by some.
It hissed raspily, then words came...stilted as if unused to speaking, " What you do here? My lands! Why stone tree hot? Hot bad.....was you?"
"Hot bad?" Lokilia asks the white scaled creature. "It was us. Did you like the stone tree? We are sorry, but there were awful things inside." She glances to the others, seeing what they might say. She hopes the talk of being 'tasty' might be ignored.
Dev is transfixed by the dragon’s physical details. He fumbles to reinforce Lokilia.
“Oh, s-s-stone tree, great winged Hunter of the mountain snows? Yes, but… it’s a tower with terrible creatures inside. Other people would have come from far away to it. Lots of people on your lands, with… spells and swords. We… broke the tree. No one will come now. We will leave you in peace, oh great beauty of the clouds and ice!”
Dev didn’t know what he was saying, the words just tumbled out. He looks to Normont and Quinn for backup. Everything he said feels insignificant in the face (pointy-toothed as it is) of such legendary grandeur.
Normont had started to run but when he realised Dev had stood transfixed. He then decided to follow Quinn's lead and simply equipped his shield, which needed to be cooled by snow, and stood ready for what was to come. Death he was sure.
Having been pleasantly surprised that it had chosen to speak to them rather than tear them limb from limb and freeze their corpses, he stands a little shell shocked.
"We didn't mean to make the whole structure hot", he mumbles, having not actually considered that repercussion at all.
Amber for her part just buries herself in snow behind the party, and peaks out to watch.
The scintillating white shape glided down out of the storm tossed sky, its head cocked to one side as it regarded the four humanoids, there was a brief moment when a puff of icy cloud huffed from its nostrils but nothing further eventuated as it set down, suprisingly lightly on the edge of the outlook and regarded them curiously.
The almost iridescent white scales glistened in the intermittent flashes of light from far off lightning, its eyes sparkled ice blue as it opened long jaws filled with dagger like blue-black teeth....now that it was close the companions could see that despite being most definitely a dragon in size it was somewhat smaller than most of the fishing boats in Drynna....though its wingspan dwarfed their sails by some.
It hissed raspily, then words came...stilted as if unused to speaking, " What you do here? My lands! Why stone tree hot? Hot bad.....was you?"
"Hot bad?" Lokilia asks the white scaled creature. "It was us. Did you like the stone tree? We are sorry, but there were awful things inside." She glances to the others, seeing what they might say. She hopes the talk of being 'tasty' might be ignored.
The scaled brow furrowed, " Was you? Brought hot to my land?", the glittering eyes began to spark...and then it was distracted....
Dev is transfixed by the dragon’s physical details. He fumbles to reinforce Lokilia.
“Oh, s-s-stone tree, great winged Hunter of the mountain snows? Yes, but… it’s a tower with terrible creatures inside. Other people would have come from far away to it. Lots of people on your lands, with… spells and swords. We… broke the tree. No one will come now. We will leave you in peace, oh great beauty of the clouds and ice!”
Dev didn’t know what he was saying, the words just tumbled out. He looks to Normont and Quinn for backup. Everything he said feels insignificant in the face (pointy-toothed as it is) of such legendary grandeur.
The saurian head swung round to regard Dev, it nodded slightly as he spoke....its lips curled back...and then at his finally statement it lowered its head slightly and looked back along its flanks....seemingly pleased.
As much as Dev was amazed to be in the presence of such a creature.....he was also feeling a certain familiarity from his childhood and the other boys of Drynna that had made a target of him...he knew this creature.....or at least he had familiarity with it of a kind....
Normont had started to run but when he realised Dev had stood transfixed. He then decided to follow Quinn's lead and simply equipped his shield, which needed to be cooled by snow, and stood ready for what was to come. Death he was sure.
Having been pleasantly surprised that it had chosen to speak to them rather than tear them limb from limb and freeze their corpses, he stands a little shell shocked.
"We didn't mean to make the whole structure hot", he mumbles, having not actually considered that repercussion at all.
Amber for her part just buries herself in snow behind the party, and peaks out to watch.
The dragon lowered its head almost to the ground as it regarded Normont and opened its jaws as if measuring how wide a gape would be needed to snatch him up.
" Stone tree.....tower.......stay hot? If so I eat..."
It furrowed its brow and its tail lashed suddenly in excitement, " No.....give me things. Give things to not eat. "
“What… things…, oh scaled legend?,” Dev stutters. Then his eyes pop in horror as he guesses at the saurian’s meaning. He tries not to look at his own feet. His voice strains like a gate being pushed in by a giant. “Do you mean, your majesty, treasure?? If we give you treasure, you will not eat us??”
Lokilia gets a bit nervous when the dragon says to give it things then Dev mentions treasure. 'I don't have any treasure!' she thinks. 'Or what about the things they pulled out of the tower?' She looks from Dev then to Normont before turning to the dragon. Having caught on to how the creature responded to Dev's comment, she continues, "We should know your name, oh great one. I would expect the hot to go away in a bit. And the creatures inside did not seem tasty to me. I wouldn't dare to think I could understand all that you might enjoy. But perhaps there is some way we could help you out."
At this point she is stalling, though she tries to think of whether they had seen anything that would be good food for this creature. Perhaps some game that was noticed along the way here. (Nature: 19)
“What… things…, oh scaled legend?,” Dev stutters. Then his eyes pop in horror as he guesses at the saurian’s meaning. He tries not to look at his own feet. His voice strains like a gate being pushed in by a giant. “Do you mean, your majesty, treasure?? If we give you treasure, you will not eat us??”
" Trea-shah.....treasure....yes! Want! You give!"
The dragon seemed extraordinarily pleased with itself that it had thought of this.
Lokilia gets a bit nervous when the dragon says to give it things then Dev mentions treasure. 'I don't have any treasure!' she thinks. 'Or what about the things they pulled out of the tower?' She looks from Dev then to Normont before turning to the dragon. Having caught on to how the creature responded to Dev's comment, she continues, "We should know your name, oh great one. I would expect the hot to go away in a bit. And the creatures inside did not seem tasty to me. I wouldn't dare to think I could understand all that you might enjoy. But perhaps there is some way we could help you out."
At this point she is stalling, though she tries to think of whether they had seen anything that would be good food for this creature. Perhaps some game that was noticed along the way here. (Nature: 19)
" Name? My name? Can call me.....Sleetwing. Yes!"
" Hot will go? This is good.....maybe not eat. Give shiny thing?"
Lokilia is beginning to get the impression that not only is this dragon not the sharpest of its kind mentally, but she's almost positive it has never done this before and is basically making things up as it goes.
Shiny thing?? No! Dev takes an involuntary step back. He knows what the saurian wants, but he can’t face it. I won’t! But despite himself, his eyes drift away from the dragon’s huge form and its enormous teeth. His glance traverses the ledge he stands upon and lingers on each of his compatriots. His dependable and generous friends, these last weeks and months. And, his eye falls on an empty spot where the missing friend, Magnus, might have stood. The pain of that loss gives him strength. I won’t lose anyone else.
“All right.” He hears the words coming out, almost of their own volition. “All right, you can have them. If you will leave us in peace…”
As if in a dream, he removes his heavy winter boots. Under them, his magic shoes. Faded red satin, their sequins shining in the sunlight. He removes them, sadly, with exaggerated slowness. But there is no duplicitousness in his expression or movements. These are the greatest treasures he has ever known.
They are in his hands, a large toe hole worn through each of them following his final growth spurt.
“These are magic shoes. I… I offer them to you, Fell Sleetwing, master of these mountains, though the sacrifice is more than I can bear.”
But he is unable to take the final step to lay them on the ground before the dragon. His astonished glance flashes to the others. Do it for me. Please!
"Are you sure Dev? Hold on", Normont says as his brain works overtime. He puts away his pistol and digs into his pack.
"We could give Sleetwing the special coin", he says and hidden within his pack he takes one of his tinker's tools and a gold coin. He quickly applies some phosphorescence to the gold coin, making it glow a shiny gold colour.
Once done, he removes it from the pack and holds it out for Dev, the gold coin literally shining and lighting up a small area.
"Give Sleetwing this, not your shoes", he says seriously, knowing how much Dev relies on his magic shoes.
Action: Magical Tinkering - The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
Dev's strength of purpose is wavering, and if he doesn't give up his shoes now, he'll never be able to. He looks at Normont, the coin, his shoes, the dragon. Normont, the coin, his shoes, the dragon. Waiting for a response from the saurian.
"Sleetwing! A pleasure to meet you. Such a wonderous name!" she says enthusiastically. She had been a bit concerned as Dev offered up his shoes - the very shoes he attributed all his abilities to. It was an immense relief when Normont offered up an alternative. "Normont! Can we really give up the special coin?" she asks, trying her best to sound unwilling. She looks to the gnome then back to the dragon. "Well, I suppose that is just the sort of fine treasure a dragon ought to have."
The young drake leaned forward to inspect the shoes and was about to snatch them up in dextrous jaws before Normont produced the coin, its eyes focused intently on it and its long purple tongue flickered out and snatched the coin from Normonts fingers swallowing it......
" Is good. More? Is good to not eat..........two. "
"Oh, yes. Of course, more. There might be one more buried in the bottom of the bag here", Normont says and once again reaches into his pack with one of his tinker's tools and a gold coin. He quickly applies some more phosphorescence to the gold coin and withdraws the now glowing coin.
"You are right, Sleetwing. Best keep this one for your subjects to gaze upon and envy", he says, holding it out.
Action: Magical Tinkering - The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
Dev is so overwhelmed that he hardly notices his bare feet in the cold snow turning purple as the dragon’s tongue. As if in a dream, he watches the proceedings, only his eyes moving from speaker to speaker. His sequined shoes are still held in front of him, though now drooping. The others notice an odor like charcoal combined with gym socks.
Quinn will say, “The mighty land has not found favor for us, we should move quickly.” Quinn will lift he shield and make a dodge action making sure the others get to safety.
Dev’s stance hasn’t changed. If the creature is obviously attacking, he’ll snap out of it and dive for cover. But until that happens, he’s just watching, wide-eyed and too interested to be afraid.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
The scintillating white shape glided down out of the storm tossed sky, its head cocked to one side as it regarded the four humanoids, there was a brief moment when a puff of icy cloud huffed from its nostrils but nothing further eventuated as it set down, suprisingly lightly on the edge of the outlook and regarded them curiously.
The almost iridescent white scales glistened in the intermittent flashes of light from far off lightning, its eyes sparkled ice blue as it opened long jaws filled with dagger like blue-black teeth....now that it was close the companions could see that despite being most definitely a dragon in size it was somewhat smaller than most of the fishing boats in Drynna....though its wingspan dwarfed their sails by some.
It hissed raspily, then words came...stilted as if unused to speaking, " What you do here? My lands! Why stone tree hot? Hot bad.....was you?"
" You tasty?"
"Hot bad?" Lokilia asks the white scaled creature. "It was us. Did you like the stone tree? We are sorry, but there were awful things inside." She glances to the others, seeing what they might say. She hopes the talk of being 'tasty' might be ignored.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Dev is transfixed by the dragon’s physical details. He fumbles to reinforce Lokilia.
“Oh, s-s-stone tree, great winged Hunter of the mountain snows? Yes, but… it’s a tower with terrible creatures inside. Other people would have come from far away to it. Lots of people on your lands, with… spells and swords. We… broke the tree. No one will come now. We will leave you in peace, oh great beauty of the clouds and ice!”
Dev didn’t know what he was saying, the words just tumbled out. He looks to Normont and Quinn for backup. Everything he said feels insignificant in the face (pointy-toothed as it is) of such legendary grandeur.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Normont had started to run but when he realised Dev had stood transfixed. He then decided to follow Quinn's lead and simply equipped his shield, which needed to be cooled by snow, and stood ready for what was to come. Death he was sure.
Having been pleasantly surprised that it had chosen to speak to them rather than tear them limb from limb and freeze their corpses, he stands a little shell shocked.
"We didn't mean to make the whole structure hot", he mumbles, having not actually considered that repercussion at all.
Amber for her part just buries herself in snow behind the party, and peaks out to watch.
The scaled brow furrowed, " Was you? Brought hot to my land?", the glittering eyes began to spark...and then it was distracted....
" Awful things? Tasty things?"
The saurian head swung round to regard Dev, it nodded slightly as he spoke....its lips curled back...and then at his finally statement it lowered its head slightly and looked back along its flanks....seemingly pleased.
As much as Dev was amazed to be in the presence of such a creature.....he was also feeling a certain familiarity from his childhood and the other boys of Drynna that had made a target of him...he knew this creature.....or at least he had familiarity with it of a kind....
The dragon lowered its head almost to the ground as it regarded Normont and opened its jaws as if measuring how wide a gape would be needed to snatch him up.
" Stone tree.....tower.......stay hot? If so I eat..."
It furrowed its brow and its tail lashed suddenly in excitement, " No.....give me things. Give things to not eat. "
"Yes. Is good."
“What… things…, oh scaled legend?,” Dev stutters. Then his eyes pop in horror as he guesses at the saurian’s meaning. He tries not to look at his own feet. His voice strains like a gate being pushed in by a giant. “Do you mean, your majesty, treasure?? If we give you treasure, you will not eat us??”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Quinn stands there mouth a gap, “What do we have, that such a might lord of the skies like yourself would want?”
Lokilia gets a bit nervous when the dragon says to give it things then Dev mentions treasure. 'I don't have any treasure!' she thinks. 'Or what about the things they pulled out of the tower?' She looks from Dev then to Normont before turning to the dragon. Having caught on to how the creature responded to Dev's comment, she continues, "We should know your name, oh great one. I would expect the hot to go away in a bit. And the creatures inside did not seem tasty to me. I wouldn't dare to think I could understand all that you might enjoy. But perhaps there is some way we could help you out."
At this point she is stalling, though she tries to think of whether they had seen anything that would be good food for this creature. Perhaps some game that was noticed along the way here. (Nature: 19)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Normont’s eyes go wide as the dragon regards him closely, and he freezes in place.
He tightens his grip on his pistol as he tries to think what might placate this creature.
He says nothing more at the moment, waiting for the answers to the others questions.
" Trea-shah.....treasure....yes! Want! You give!"
The dragon seemed extraordinarily pleased with itself that it had thought of this.
" Not have treasure...what you have? I take it."
" Name? My name? Can call me.....Sleetwing. Yes!"
" Hot will go? This is good.....maybe not eat. Give shiny thing?"
Lokilia is beginning to get the impression that not only is this dragon not the sharpest of its kind mentally, but she's almost positive it has never done this before and is basically making things up as it goes.
Shiny thing?? No! Dev takes an involuntary step back. He knows what the saurian wants, but he can’t face it. I won’t! But despite himself, his eyes drift away from the dragon’s huge form and its enormous teeth. His glance traverses the ledge he stands upon and lingers on each of his compatriots. His dependable and generous friends, these last weeks and months. And, his eye falls on an empty spot where the missing friend, Magnus, might have stood. The pain of that loss gives him strength. I won’t lose anyone else.
“All right.” He hears the words coming out, almost of their own volition. “All right, you can have them. If you will leave us in peace…”
As if in a dream, he removes his heavy winter boots. Under them, his magic shoes. Faded red satin, their sequins shining in the sunlight. He removes them, sadly, with exaggerated slowness. But there is no duplicitousness in his expression or movements. These are the greatest treasures he has ever known.
They are in his hands, a large toe hole worn through each of them following his final growth spurt.
“These are magic shoes. I… I offer them to you, Fell Sleetwing, master of these mountains, though the sacrifice is more than I can bear.”
But he is unable to take the final step to lay them on the ground before the dragon. His astonished glance flashes to the others. Do it for me. Please!
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Are you sure Dev? Hold on", Normont says as his brain works overtime. He puts away his pistol and digs into his pack.
"We could give Sleetwing the special coin", he says and hidden within his pack he takes one of his tinker's tools and a gold coin. He quickly applies some phosphorescence to the gold coin, making it glow a shiny gold colour.
Once done, he removes it from the pack and holds it out for Dev, the gold coin literally shining and lighting up a small area.
"Give Sleetwing this, not your shoes", he says seriously, knowing how much Dev relies on his magic shoes.
Action: Magical Tinkering - The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
Dev's strength of purpose is wavering, and if he doesn't give up his shoes now, he'll never be able to. He looks at Normont, the coin, his shoes, the dragon. Normont, the coin, his shoes, the dragon. Waiting for a response from the saurian.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Sleetwing! A pleasure to meet you. Such a wonderous name!" she says enthusiastically. She had been a bit concerned as Dev offered up his shoes - the very shoes he attributed all his abilities to. It was an immense relief when Normont offered up an alternative. "Normont! Can we really give up the special coin?" she asks, trying her best to sound unwilling. She looks to the gnome then back to the dragon. "Well, I suppose that is just the sort of fine treasure a dragon ought to have."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
The young drake leaned forward to inspect the shoes and was about to snatch them up in dextrous jaws before Normont produced the coin, its eyes focused intently on it and its long purple tongue flickered out and snatched the coin from Normonts fingers swallowing it......
" Is good. More? Is good to not eat..........two. "
" More."
Quinn will add "Do we have any more amazing coins like that? I know how hard it was to get such a thing in the first place."
"Oh, yes. Of course, more. There might be one more buried in the bottom of the bag here", Normont says and once again reaches into his pack with one of his tinker's tools and a gold coin. He quickly applies some more phosphorescence to the gold coin and withdraws the now glowing coin.
"You are right, Sleetwing. Best keep this one for your subjects to gaze upon and envy", he says, holding it out.
Action: Magical Tinkering - The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
Dev is so overwhelmed that he hardly notices his bare feet in the cold snow turning purple as the dragon’s tongue. As if in a dream, he watches the proceedings, only his eyes moving from speaker to speaker. His sequined shoes are still held in front of him, though now drooping. The others notice an odor like charcoal combined with gym socks.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer