Sir Beauregard steps beneath the cover of a tree and waves to Lord Silver to join him.

Morlock gets back into his sneak mode and nearly disappears.  (NAT 20 for stealth - 27)

From the creature's distance in the sky, impossible to tell whether or not it saw you... but it makes no deviation from its course.

You all watch with bated breath as the dragon approaches a distant rocky spire near the coast and disappears around a corner... After taking a moment to calm your nerves and collect yourselves you spend a moment orienting and realize that spire is exactly where the clifftop observatory is, based on the directions you were given.

A careful approach confirms this. A broken and overgrown path winds to the edge of the cliff. The overlook is marked by two marble statues veined with gold, each carved in the shape of a dragon with its mouth open in a silent roar.

Clifftop Observatory

Afternoon

Your path emerges at the southeastern shore of the island. Just off the coast, a large rocky platform rises from the waves. Upon it sits the ruins of some once great structure with a collapsed dome. This must be the observatory. It is flanked by three other rocky platforms, each carrying crumbling ruins of their own. A rickety wooden bridge connects one such structure to the main observatory.

An uncanny wind kicks up small, whirling dust clouds all around you. The overcast sky seems to crackle with distant storms. The ground underfoot seems tenuous, as if it were anticipating some great cataclysm to come.

A broken and overgrown path winds to the edge of the cliff across from the ruins. The overlook is marked by two marble statues veined with gold, each carved in the shape of a dragon with its mouth open in a silent roar. At the base of each statue is a small hexagonal indentation, about 1 inch wide and 2 inches deep—perfectly sized to accommodate the moonstone key given to you by Runara.

Z cautiously approaches the statues, keeping a wary eye to the sky, He inspects one of the statues (investigation check: 16), then will move onto the other statue to see if they are similar.

Both statues seem to have the same indentation. Nothing else seems out of place about them.

Sir Beauregard keeps watch for trouble while the others puzzle over the statues.

Morlock also keeps an eye out for any trouble. 

Observing the two marbled statues and their indentations, Vinn excitedly pulls out the crystal. With an intense expression, Vinn holds it up to each statue.

"... We only have one," he remarks. "Should we choose a statue? Left or right? Morlock, you're almost a dragon—what do your dragon instincts tell you?"

Vinn then glances towards the distant island and its bridges. "Maybe placing two crystals will open a secret entrance, and we need to find the other one. Should we hold onto this one until we find the second?"

His mind buzzes with excitement. This was exactly what he'd hoped for—what the young druid had fantasized about while reading his novels during the ship's voyage. "This is so cool!" Vinn whispers loudly to himself.

Z stifles a chuckle at Vinn, mostly because he understands the excitement.
"As long as it doesn't call that...dragon, " Z says aloud.

Morlock studies the crystal, then each of the two statues to see what he can learn and if there is any indication or directions on use. 

Investigation: 23

Arcana: 25 (NAT 20)

History: 22

With the Nat 20 in Arcana...

You realize that the alignment of the crystals seem to serve the same function on both statues, like a light that has two switches that serve the same function...

But, more than that, you have this strange moment where you can almost gaze beyond the weave itself... 

You have visions of a group of wizards... on a coast... authors of all existence... fabricating this very moment in time. 

One of them writes a few words on a scroll. The other watches him and interjects "Wait... There's a keyhole in both statues?"

The writing wizard nods.

"I see... Is it some kind of puzzle? Do the two keyholes do different things? Is one of them trapped or something?"

The writing wizard shakes his head, "no"

The other looks confused.

"So... Why would there even need to be two keyholes then? The statues are right next to each other. Kinda makes it seem like it's a thing when it's not."

The writing wizard shrugs.

"I think players are going to assume it's a puzzle."

The writing wizard shrugs again.

"Okay, whatever. Seems weird to me, but I don't really care. Send it off to print."

...and then the vision fades and you are back outside the observatory.

He shakes his head and rubs his eyes coming out of his trance. He shares what he learned. 

Vinn stares. "Players? Like a game?"

He tries to process more of what was shared by Morlock, before deiciding that it must actually be a dragon thing.

The genasi shrugs, follows his heart, and pops the crystal into the left statue. "I hope this is our winner then."

Augustus has been little help for most of the time traveling up here, constantly checking over his shoulder and white-knuckling his spear. As they stand at the cliff face, he works his way through a series of calming exercises and mumbles to himself. "Of course it's dragons, couldn't be anything else! Show me a giant lizard that remains on the ground like it should and I'll stand before it unwavered! But those cursed wings..." He puffs on his minty pipe for a bit, looking out over the waves as Morlock and Vinn look into the statues. He manages to calm his nerves a bit.

When the key is inserted into the base of either statue, magical light sparks to life in both statues’ open mouths, and a shimmering bridge made of iridescent magical energy extends from the overlook to the observatory ruins.

The bridge feels solid enough to bare your weight, and you carefully make your across into the rotunda of the ruins...

Broken stone lines this plaza—fragments of elegant statues, once-magnificent pillars, and shining marble walls. At the center, a tall sculpture of rusted planets and gilded stars spins idly in a jerky mimicry of celestial motion.

Positioned around the sculpture, five chunks of rubble have been chiseled into vaguely draconic shapes and splashed with different colored paint...

A gargled screech suddenly rises from across the plaza. A half-dozen batlike creatures are swarming around two winged kobolds with blue paint smeared across their long snouts. The kobolds are fighting fiercely, but they seem close to being overwhelmed... but the moment you arrive, a number of the batlike creatures turn their attention toward you!

To be continued via Discord...

The party makes quick work of the blood-sucking stirges...

The two kobolds turn their heads, taking a look at each of you. They seem to recognize Vinn and Sir Beauregard....

"Thank yous..." The taller of the two says. "Ugly pestsisses...." He says with a hiss, tapping the other kobold on the chest... "Wanted to take me and me brotherssess bloods all out but we needs them insides us we does...."

The shorter one has kept his eyes focused on Vinn and Beauregard the whole time, regarding them with a look of curious cautious longing. "You come from the cloister, dontcha?" He says. "I remembers you." 

The other raises his eyebrow ridges at the mention of the cloister. "You should be going away right now." He looks to Vinn. "You probly wakes him up with your big boomsound."

The shorter one nods in agreement. "He's not gonna likes you coming to visit in hereses. Get real mad. Gonna tell us to make you dead if he doesn't make you dead first."

The taller one bounces on his his toes anxiously. "Yeah get going away now. Tell Myla we's is okay. Work for new boss. Safe and sound."

The shorter stands up straight and adds, "Yeah we's is important koboldses now. Help boss do big magicks." He gestures vaguely toward the crude draconic effigies, as if that explains everything.

"But he won't like you here." The taller brother quickly interjects. "It's okay though. You's was nice peoples. Make blood suckers dead. Big help. We wont tell boss you came.

The shorter brother nods in agreement and gestures with his hand, shooing you all away.

Sir Beauregard stands calmly.  “Myla will be glad for news of you, Mek and Min.  I wonder what he will think of your new wings and the blue paint.  Shall I tell him what you did to earn the wings and why the paint is blue?”

The two brothers look at each other.

The taller speaks."Boss said paint rocks. We paint rocks." He points to the each of the various effigies in turn. "Bronzes. Goldses. Redses. Brassesses... and blue." He takes his index finger, wipes some blue paint from his body and lifts it up to display with a smile. "Blue just like boss. All for ritual. Big magics." Then continues. "The wings is ourses. Has them always. After being borned."

The shorter one adds, "Myla hads wingses too long time ago but she got hurts real bad..." He hisses at one of the stirge corpses. “From hungry, icky, blood-sucking, bat-things...”

The taller continues, "But Miss Runara found her. Fixed her nice. Made her all better but no wingses. Wingeses would be even better better but no wingses."

The shorter looks off towards the tower that stands in the northeastern corner. You see that a pully-driven lift was built to allow access to the tower. "But you should go though." He looks at Vinn. "Boss probly heard your big boom. Gonna come looking, ask whats that? He won't like you here. Big mad."

The taller nods in agreement. "Big big mad."

“So you have not forgotten how Runara healed Myla and gave you a home.  Myla will be glad to hear that…Runara too.”  Sir Beauregard makes no move to leave.  “But I am curious.  I thought a bronze dragon lived here and yet your boss is blue, a sort of dragon known more for evil than the good of bronze dragons.  What name does your boss use?”

Vinn gives Sir Beauregard a nervous look as the conversation continues and searches the skies for a dragon. "Yeah, whose your boss? Wouldn't he be happy that we helped you out-- that's what the boom was for. Maybe we can help paint too or whatever else he needs; you've seen all the  different sorts of chores we've done at the temple. You know that we are very nice people who like you all and can do a lot."