Sword Coast Rambling

OOC: Haha. Completely worth a try Syna and you had me scratching my head trying to fit it all in. Just not to be this time! Plenty of other chances to try though.

Serak: In need of something in which to hold the poison glands, Serak quickly rummages through the abandon Smithy, looking for valuables, tongs and any metal container. 

He says to the others as he searches, "I say... these Dragon scales would make fine armor and shields... if one were so inclined." Serak tries to recall what other parts of a Dragon could be valuable as spell components or alchemy ingredients.

Arcana: 21

Nature: 20

Perception: 13

Edit: Serak really should have studied more... I've read the rules on harvesting poison from the glands, and it is insane, so we can just sell them. lol

Beetle looks at the dragon, then looks at his companions....."I bet we can harvest a bunch of dragon parts and sell them to fund our base of operations being built...."

with that said he begins to pry any dragon scales he can and also will try to remove as many claws as possible.

Disappearing while the others gather around the dragons corpse, Serak scours the smithy for useful tools. The corners of the room, littered with rusted hammers, nails and scraps of metal, thrown aside Arkhans thunderwave a few minutes earlier. Stuffed into a wide tin can of some sort he finds a pair of rusty tongs, both perfect for the task at hand. Disappointingly though, the smithy is empty of anything of any real value.

A brief spell inside gives the bard ample time to think. Though his experience of dragons has been brief, he is sure he knows more about their anatomy and harvesting. Daydreaming as he heads back outside, he finds himself reminiscing about an exotic goods trader selling his wares in the city of Waterdeep some years ago. True Serak had only been a young boy back then but the artifacts he saw there had clearly stuck in his mind - Dragon Horns, Tongues, Claws, Teeth... even a Skull on display, cleaned, varnished and painted. He ponders more as he approaches the corpse once more, 'Everything has a value to someone'.

With Serak lost in thought Beetle wastes no time in getting stuck in. Borrowing a dagger from Brots he digs into the dragons corpse.

Beetle Dexterity Check: 14
Beetle Strength Check: 18

With Brots still desperately wiping his burnt hand, dousing it in water, Beetle calls Zyltris over to help. With the elf holding a dragons claw tightly, Beetle carefully cuts the long pointed talons loose. Though some are broken, infected or missing, the paladin manages to gather up nine claws before turning his attention to scales.

This task is much trickier. Simple dexterity is unlikely to prize scales away from the beasts body. Gripping a scale tightly in hand Beetle tries his best to pull one free, but despairs as it cracks under the pressure. Several more suffer the same fate until he finally manages to gather three perfect emerald scales - unscratched and unbroken. 

Serak: Returning with his harvesting supplies, Serak notices Brots injury is more severe than he originally thought. He says, "Apologies, friend! Let me take care of that for you! Vitala!

Action: Healing Word Target: Brots HP Healed: 4

Using the tongs to carefully collect the glands, Serak gently places them into the tin while saying, "Excellent idea, Beetle! This beast must be worth a fortune! We should collect as many scales as possible. Horns, teeth, claws, eyes, tongue, even its bloody black heart!" The bard laughes as he begins removing the beasts teeth, waving Brots over to assist him. Careful not to damage them, he first cuts around the creatures gums before removing its teeth with the tongs.

Dexterity(+Jack of All Trades/Help): 18

"I want to make a cowl out of it's head."

Beetle continues working on dragon parts...helping Serak gather all they can to finance their base and missions.

Serak: Nodding to Arkhan, Serak decides against removing the teeth and says, "Might be easier just to take the whole head then... Beetle, I'm sure you and Talon are up to the task! Don't forget the claws and tail!" Serak hands his crowbar to Zyltris and helps him continue to remove scales. 

Excited by the prospect of the fortune hidden in dragon organs, the party busy themselves in harvesting as much as possible. 

Beetle Strength Check: 14 (+help Adv)
Arkhan Strength Check: 12 (+help Adv)
Serak Dexterity: 18  (+help Adv)
Zyltris Strength Check: 22 (+ Crowbar Adv)

Once finished the dragons corpse resembles nothing more than an empty husk. Beside them, a small hoard of various parts -

2 black horns, 9 sharpened claw, 2 beady black eyes, 6 perfect emerald scales, a long slippery tongue and 2 leaky poisonous sacks in a tin can.

Satisfied with their work, Beetle and Serak take a seat beneath a nearby tree to catch their breath. 

Arkhan on the other hand is beside himself, having somehow removed the dragons skull and starting skinning it. Working quietly for several minutes, the dragonborn seems oblivious to the size of the dragons head. Being much larger than his own, it would make it impractical to wear the skull itself without a rethink to the design.

OOC: That was bad timing Serak! Didn't see your post, if I've missed anything let me know but think that was your shopping list. Numbers are based on the rolls so you've done pretty good for yourselves. 

Not sure how Arkhans cowl is going to work! The skull is about 4-5 feet long!

OOC:  Pretty good haul. Serak is ready to explore the tower when everyone else is.

BrownBeard, would you be alright with Serak just applying the poison directly to arrows and bolts by dipping them in the glands? Harvesting rules are for storing it in vials, but I'd just be applying it. Poison rules say 3 pieces of ammunition pure dose of poison. Serak would do an equal number of arrows and bolts if it is possible. 

OOC: Just quickly looking at it, you’d probably have a single dose there in the two sacks - judging by the price of the poison and sacks and given the dragon was out of poison when it died. 

3 dips is all I can give you. But dragon venom is pretty potent stuff

You’ve also got the problem of the poison drying. General ruling is it takes an action to apply poison and it lasts a minute.

Im fine with you doing it but you’ll be carrying your tin can around til you find something worth using the poison on, until you find someone who can extract it into a vial for you (which is pretty risky in itself) or until the sacks themselves start to rot, they’re fresh organs after all. 

"Yes" Beetle agrees with Serak "lets check out the tower then head toa city to unload this dragon stuff for money while it is still fresh and we can get the best prices for it.  I think we will have to head to the bigger city as no one in Phandalan will probably buy most of this stuff,let alone at the prices we would want."

OOC: One dose works for me. I found this about Injury poison. Serak would fashion leather covers for the arrow tips.

Injury: Injury poison can be applied to Weapons, Ammunition, trap Components, and other Objects that deal piercing or slashing damage and remains potent until delivered through a wound or washed off. A creature that takes piercing or slashing damage from an object coated with the poison is exposed to its Effects.

Serak: Satisfied they've picked the beast clean, Serak remembers that Dragons sometimes like to eat magical items. Reaching up his sleeve, he retrieves his wand and casts Detect Magic. 

If he finds nothing, he'll keep the spell active, fall into formation and head to the tower with the party.

OOC: Hmm ok. I was working off the plates hand book guide on basic poisons

 But changing the DC and damage for dragon poison. 

I guess it makes no real difference in the long term. Only real difference is in combat where the basic poison arrow requires an action to ready. 

Given the strength of the dragon venom, I’d have to keep the action required to ready each arrow. 

As a trade off, I’ll let you prepare the arrows early, but reduce the damage by half? Happy to negotiate if you think it’s unfair. 

OOC: The Player's Handbook was written before the DMG, back when poison just gave you Disadvantage. The DMG updated the poison rules and added more poisons. I'd say it is a stronger version of the Serpent's Venom in the DMG.

Edit: So looking at it's bite damage, it did 2d6 Poison Damage. A little weaker than the Serpents Venom, but I didn't realize it comes from a Giant Snake. lol I think the Dragon's DC was higher though. I'm cool with however you want to do it. Oh, and I read that you only get one dose per kill, so good call on that. Let's get this tower explored so we can rest after that. lol

OOC: Yeah poisonous snake has 3d6 poison on a failed CON save of 11 (half on a fail). The dragon had no CON save at all but added 2d6. From that I'm taking that the dragons venom is more potent but generally less harmful than the snakes.

Honestly I was getting confused with the poisoned breath damage, which wouldn't really be relevant in the way your using it. It would have drastically raised your damage roll though which is why I was a bit resistant to it. 

3 Arrows or Bolts with 2d6 poison damage ( no CONS save) is fine with me if that suits?

Now where were we?

Wand in hand Serak scours through what little remains of the dragons corpse. Tatters of flesh, broken bones but no sign of any magic items anywhere to be seen. Perhaps the tower would be more promising? 

Dividing the spoils between them, the party group together, making their way northwards along the road. Beetle, Zyltris and Arkhan take the lead, weapons drawn, silently keeping watch. To the rear, Dayereth warms the ears of Serak and Syna, “You know... you made hard work of that dragon! Should have fetched me sooner. Bloody brute, would have shown him a thing or two I tell you....” Red faced, Jelenneth keeps her eye on the sky above, Lucas circles high above the tower in the distance. 

Serak: As the party approaches the Tower, Serak moves 20ft ahead and slowly creeps up to the door. If he hears nothing, he'll test the door handle. If it's locked, he'll attempt to pick the lock.

Perception: 23

Stealth: 14

Thieves' Tools: 21

Assuming the Tower empty, Serak takes no chances anyway. He'll slowly enter and have a look around, cautious of any possible traps.

Quietly and carefully Serak creeps ahead of the party, sticking close to the tree line as it snakes its way upwards towards the foreboding tower. 

Ahead in the clearing, the bard spots two large creatures lying apparently dead in a heap. A pair of giant spiders, bloated and blistered in the sun. At first glance they appear to have been mauled and dragged here by a large animal.

Lucas shrieks high above him as it lands on the towers roof. Half of the towers roof has been removed, broken tiles lie scattered in all directions. The towers walls are dotted with several arrow slit windows beyond which is darkness. The clearing is eerily quiet. 

Attached to the tower is a small once well kept cottage. It’s flowered window boxes now overgrown with weeds. A door leads inside, though it has no obvious handle or lock. A strange acrid smell invades Seraks nose as he steps up to the door. 

Made of stone and laid flush into the wall the door appears to be firmly locked. At the bards touch, a message begins to inscribe itself into the stone.

”To friends my door is always open....”

After a few seconds the message continues,

“... but if you’re selling something I’m not interested. GO AWAY.”

Wand in hand Serak gives the door a quick check. Though message appears strongly glowing, possibly conjuration, the door itself is apparently entirely non magical.

Serak: Stowing his tools, Serak thinks a moment and says, "Why yes, we're good friends! Not a salesman among us, either!" He pushes on the door with all his strength. If this fails, he'll look for another entrance.

A few moments pass after Serak speaks. The stone door stays firmly shut. The words disappear.

Serak strength Check: 9

Though he pushes with all his might, the door doesn’t budge an inch. Frustrated, Serak leaves the door, circling the building as he looks for another entrance. 

Picking a route through the overgrown weeds and thorns, Serak finds his way to the rear of the cottage. Flower pots and ornaments lie scattered around the once a well kept garden, now engulfed by nature. Set into the wall of the cottage is a quaint little doorway. A plain wooden door coloured with peeling red paint.