Soar, a few minutes perusing the notes and documents confirms Elspeth's suspicions that the room where you found them was occupied by Frulam Mondath, one of the leaders of the group of cultists, and possibly the woman you saw in Greenest wearing the purple robes you have now collected. (Did anyone collect them? If so, please add them to your equipment if you haven't already.) You don't know what happened to her, though it seems safe to assume that she overheard your earlier battle with the guards, and fled while you were resting. You don't find much useful information beyond what Jalt already noticed (https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/42983-hoard-of-the-dragon-queen-2019-20?comment=1524), though you might learn more with further study.
Did Jalt have any response to what Soar said to him?
Assuming Elspeth relayed what she knew about black dragons, Soar will ask again if it would be okay with Jalt to destroy them. She suggests that they destroy one, and then points out that there is a third hidden over in the corner that they should destroy, and then if Jalt wishes to leave one intact, he can bring it back to Greenest, though she'll ask him why. If he really wants, she will help him try to carry it safely -- he's earned that much. But she's very uneasy about the idea of leaving them intact given what Elspeth knows. Regardless, she's ready to get going.
"Do we want to retrace our steps out of here and not explore further, with the bats in that mushroom room? Or up those stairs past the alter Cyanwrath was guarding? There might still be more dangers, and we've been through a lot, and have accomplished our mission and then some. There might be some valuables too... but this place seems pretty ransacked. I can't believe they left the eggs behind. Maybe Cyanwrath and Mondath were planning to bring them with when they left. What say you, friends?"
(And yes, Soar's out of her meager spell slots! She did get channel divinity back though.)
Soar's also curious about the key they found in the chest in Mondath's chambers. Has there been anything they've passed by that would have been a match for it?
I can not destroy these eggs Jalt says. In my mind and in my heart, they are innocent creatures not born onto this world. I can not pass judgement on them. But I know we can not allow the Cult to make them into evil beings. If you wish to destroy them, I can not be a part of it. I just can not.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Jalt, are you then prepared to care for them, or bring them out of this cave?"
After she asks this, she says a very brief prayer to Kelemvor and tries to remember if any of her teachings covered whether it was Kelemvor's will to protect eggs of this nature, specifically creatures known to become evil and cause wanton destruction and premature deaths of hundreds of beings. From what she can remember, the clerics taught that removing near-certain threats of cruel violence was just, in the zero-sum sort of way of the Lord of Death. But she prays a bit (really just trying to search her memory for anything of this nature) to see if she's right. She asks Elspeth for some guidance.
Nate is really now starting to understand just how shook up Jalt is becoming over the eggs potentially being destroyed, and also about the magnitude of the decision for the party as a whole.
"Ok I changed my mind. Let's just take 'em back. All of 'em. I can make a real soft spiderweb sled, or I could change into something else that might make carrying them easier. Like a Giant Lizard. I'm sure Elspeth could too. And then if we and the government in Greenest think they are too dangerous, then they can destroy them at that point."
"I also think we should just head out the way we came."
If we take the eggs, I could send word to the Platinum Cadre and see if they can pick them up and take care of them. Jalt says to Nate. But I'm not sure how close they are to hatching. I do agree leaving the way we came in would be the best way out.
(Mostly because Jalt wants Cyanwrath's armor lol)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
If Elspeth doesn't disagree, Soar is okay with the plan to take the eggs back, along the way they came in. She's getting tired -- it's been a long, hard day. Before she leaves she'll search the bodies again and help Jalt take Cyanwrath's armor off. She'll probably still take his head in case it's useful scaring any of the hunters away.
"We probably want to at least give Governor Nighthill early word of our status before we enter his town with dragon eggs, so we could stop for a bit outside of it, maybe for some sleep, and send one of us out to deliver the message to him. This, of course, assuming we get out of the camp safely."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Hit die: 6 (Elspeth hasn't yet used a spell slot, but she does regain all wildshape uses)
Elspeth fully communicates all she knows about black dragons to the group, and is evidently a little anxious about bring the eggs along. "I don't mind helping you bring these eggs wherever you want them to be, Jalt, but I don't think we could handle three dragons, no matter how young, if they do decide to be aggressive. Letting the authorities decide on what to do sounds like a plan but if Governor Nighthill wants them crushed then that's that."
She likes the spider-web plan but reminds them that she can only maintain the shape for an hour or so. She concurs with the plan to go back the way they came - at least they can be sure it's enemy-free.
Soar, there was a chest in the shrine room near the large dragon statue, but it was already open and empty so you didn't try the key on it.
Soar, you think on the teachings of Kelemvor. As a neutral god, he does not direct his followers to intervene in matters of good or evil, and so would neither approve nor disapprove of smashing the eggs in this case. Where the paladins of Kelemvor oppose evil, it is primarily against those who are undead, or who employ undead or demons in their service. However, he would be no friend to Tiamat or the actions of her cultists. In the end, you're not wholly sure what the right course of action would be in this case.
Because of Elspeth's natural 20 on the nature check, she would know that the eggs are maybe a week or two from hatching, if left in the warm, humid cave. If taken out, it won't hurt the creatures inside, but it will halt their development. Anything more than a minor crack would likely kill the baby dragon, though.
WIth care and some of the equipment that has been left around the camp, you could probably fashion some kind of mechanism to carry the eggs, but it will be a slow journey back to Greenest, if that's where you're going. Within the cave, as there are still unexplored areas, you run the risk of random encounters with enemies. Are you therefore moving the eggs out of the cave and then preparing them for the trip back to Greenest? Or something else?
Cyanwrath's armour is splint armour; it's not magical, and as Cyanwrath was quite large, it will need to be adjusted by a smith before being usable. But it may be better than the armour some of you are currently wearing. It's also, like his sword (and his head, I guess) very distinctive, with gold and purple decoration - any cultist might recognise it as belonging to a cult leader, and some might recognise it as specifically belonging to Cyanwrath.
"The spiderweb carrier idea seems like a good idea to at least get out of the camp, Nate, and we can grab anything that might be useful for a longer journey once we're out of the cave, maybe a handcart of some kind. We walked here, and we'll have to walk back. Taking some breaks along the way, you two should be able to swap spider egg-carrying duties until we all need to rest. Maybe we find a handcart, and then spiderweb the three eggs inside the cart, and then that cart can be spiderweb-attached onto a big spider back? If one breaks, I'm not going to cry, I'm sorry to say, Jalt. But it's the best we can do, and it gets them away from the cult."
Nate listens intently to Elspeth's knowledge of these eggs.
"BLACK DRAGONS!?! Yikes...... ok well..... if we aren't going to kill these terrors now, let's get these things back to Greenest and then camp just outside of the town like Soar suggested. I agree we should send one of us in first to tell/warn the governor about what we have."
To Elspeth: "Ahh yes good point about the wildshape... although I think the webbing would still exist after the hour?I don't know for sure."
To Jalt: "I have a bedroll, yes... you want me to wrap it around those evil things? Ughhhh." Nate will hand the bedroll to Jalt, if need be. (Let me know so I can track it!)
OOC: So yeah, I think we are moving the eggs out of the cave and then preparing them for the trip back to Greenest.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's see if we can scavenge a cart of some kind, then move on from there. I'm hoping the webbing will stay longer but if all else fails we still can use bedrolls as a backup plan. We can leave the cart outside of town while we warn Governor Nighthill, leave someone to guard them, although I doubt anyone else would want to steal three dragon eggs." Elspeth will offer to carry one out of the cave until they can something else to carry the eggs.
Soar, a few minutes perusing the notes and documents confirms Elspeth's suspicions that the room where you found them was occupied by Frulam Mondath, one of the leaders of the group of cultists, and possibly the woman you saw in Greenest wearing the purple robes you have now collected. (Did anyone collect them? If so, please add them to your equipment if you haven't already.) You don't know what happened to her, though it seems safe to assume that she overheard your earlier battle with the guards, and fled while you were resting. You don't find much useful information beyond what Jalt already noticed (https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/42983-hoard-of-the-dragon-queen-2019-20?comment=1524), though you might learn more with further study.
(Jalt grabbed the purple robes from the boxes in the room)
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Did Jalt have any response to what Soar said to him?
Assuming Elspeth relayed what she knew about black dragons, Soar will ask again if it would be okay with Jalt to destroy them. She suggests that they destroy one, and then points out that there is a third hidden over in the corner that they should destroy, and then if Jalt wishes to leave one intact, he can bring it back to Greenest, though she'll ask him why. If he really wants, she will help him try to carry it safely -- he's earned that much. But she's very uneasy about the idea of leaving them intact given what Elspeth knows. Regardless, she's ready to get going.
"Do we want to retrace our steps out of here and not explore further, with the bats in that mushroom room? Or up those stairs past the alter Cyanwrath was guarding? There might still be more dangers, and we've been through a lot, and have accomplished our mission and then some. There might be some valuables too... but this place seems pretty ransacked. I can't believe they left the eggs behind. Maybe Cyanwrath and Mondath were planning to bring them with when they left. What say you, friends?"
(And yes, Soar's out of her meager spell slots! She did get channel divinity back though.)
Soar's also curious about the key they found in the chest in Mondath's chambers. Has there been anything they've passed by that would have been a match for it?
I can not destroy these eggs Jalt says. In my mind and in my heart, they are innocent creatures not born onto this world. I can not pass judgement on them. But I know we can not allow the Cult to make them into evil beings. If you wish to destroy them, I can not be a part of it. I just can not.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
"Jalt, are you then prepared to care for them, or bring them out of this cave?"
After she asks this, she says a very brief prayer to Kelemvor and tries to remember if any of her teachings covered whether it was Kelemvor's will to protect eggs of this nature, specifically creatures known to become evil and cause wanton destruction and premature deaths of hundreds of beings. From what she can remember, the clerics taught that removing near-certain threats of cruel violence was just, in the zero-sum sort of way of the Lord of Death. But she prays a bit (really just trying to search her memory for anything of this nature) to see if she's right. She asks Elspeth for some guidance.
Religion: 8 + 2 from guidance
Nate is really now starting to understand just how shook up Jalt is becoming over the eggs potentially being destroyed, and also about the magnitude of the decision for the party as a whole.
"Ok I changed my mind. Let's just take 'em back. All of 'em. I can make a real soft spiderweb sled, or I could change into something else that might make carrying them easier. Like a Giant Lizard. I'm sure Elspeth could too. And then if we and the government in Greenest think they are too dangerous, then they can destroy them at that point."
"I also think we should just head out the way we came."
If we take the eggs, I could send word to the Platinum Cadre and see if they can pick them up and take care of them. Jalt says to Nate. But I'm not sure how close they are to hatching. I do agree leaving the way we came in would be the best way out.
(Mostly because Jalt wants Cyanwrath's armor lol)
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
If Elspeth doesn't disagree, Soar is okay with the plan to take the eggs back, along the way they came in. She's getting tired -- it's been a long, hard day. Before she leaves she'll search the bodies again and help Jalt take Cyanwrath's armor off. She'll probably still take his head in case it's useful scaring any of the hunters away.
"We probably want to at least give Governor Nighthill early word of our status before we enter his town with dragon eggs, so we could stop for a bit outside of it, maybe for some sleep, and send one of us out to deliver the message to him. This, of course, assuming we get out of the camp safely."
Hit die: 6
(Elspeth hasn't yet used a spell slot, but she does regain all wildshape uses)
Elspeth fully communicates all she knows about black dragons to the group, and is evidently a little anxious about bring the eggs along. "I don't mind helping you bring these eggs wherever you want them to be, Jalt, but I don't think we could handle three dragons, no matter how young, if they do decide to be aggressive. Letting the authorities decide on what to do sounds like a plan but if Governor Nighthill wants them crushed then that's that."
She likes the spider-web plan but reminds them that she can only maintain the shape for an hour or so. She concurs with the plan to go back the way they came - at least they can be sure it's enemy-free.
Soar, there was a chest in the shrine room near the large dragon statue, but it was already open and empty so you didn't try the key on it.
Soar, you think on the teachings of Kelemvor. As a neutral god, he does not direct his followers to intervene in matters of good or evil, and so would neither approve nor disapprove of smashing the eggs in this case. Where the paladins of Kelemvor oppose evil, it is primarily against those who are undead, or who employ undead or demons in their service. However, he would be no friend to Tiamat or the actions of her cultists. In the end, you're not wholly sure what the right course of action would be in this case.
Because of Elspeth's natural 20 on the nature check, she would know that the eggs are maybe a week or two from hatching, if left in the warm, humid cave. If taken out, it won't hurt the creatures inside, but it will halt their development. Anything more than a minor crack would likely kill the baby dragon, though.
WIth care and some of the equipment that has been left around the camp, you could probably fashion some kind of mechanism to carry the eggs, but it will be a slow journey back to Greenest, if that's where you're going. Within the cave, as there are still unexplored areas, you run the risk of random encounters with enemies. Are you therefore moving the eggs out of the cave and then preparing them for the trip back to Greenest? Or something else?
Cyanwrath's armour is splint armour; it's not magical, and as Cyanwrath was quite large, it will need to be adjusted by a smith before being usable. But it may be better than the armour some of you are currently wearing. It's also, like his sword (and his head, I guess) very distinctive, with gold and purple decoration - any cultist might recognise it as belonging to a cult leader, and some might recognise it as specifically belonging to Cyanwrath.
(Ive added the splint, sword and robes to Jalt's inventory.... seeing as he only "loots" specific enemies)
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Do any of you have bedrolls? Jalt asks. Perhaps we can use some rope and the bedrolls to use them like a sled that perhaps one of you can pull.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
"The spiderweb carrier idea seems like a good idea to at least get out of the camp, Nate, and we can grab anything that might be useful for a longer journey once we're out of the cave, maybe a handcart of some kind. We walked here, and we'll have to walk back. Taking some breaks along the way, you two should be able to swap spider egg-carrying duties until we all need to rest. Maybe we find a handcart, and then spiderweb the three eggs inside the cart, and then that cart can be spiderweb-attached onto a big spider back? If one breaks, I'm not going to cry, I'm sorry to say, Jalt. But it's the best we can do, and it gets them away from the cult."
Nate listens intently to Elspeth's knowledge of these eggs.
"BLACK DRAGONS!?! Yikes...... ok well..... if we aren't going to kill these terrors now, let's get these things back to Greenest and then camp just outside of the town like Soar suggested. I agree we should send one of us in first to tell/warn the governor about what we have."
To Elspeth: "Ahh yes good point about the wildshape... although I think the webbing would still exist after the hour?I don't know for sure."
To Jalt: "I have a bedroll, yes... you want me to wrap it around those evil things? Ughhhh." Nate will hand the bedroll to Jalt, if need be. (Let me know so I can track it!)
OOC: So yeah, I think we are moving the eggs out of the cave and then preparing them for the trip back to Greenest.
"Perfect!!" Nate's happy with that plan vs. wrapping those disgusting nasty evil Black Dragon eggs with his bedroll. Honestly. :)
Nate won't morph into a Wolf Spider until they make it out of this cave and are safe outside, and have agreed on the final plan, etc.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's see if we can scavenge a cart of some kind, then move on from there. I'm hoping the webbing will stay longer but if all else fails we still can use bedrolls as a backup plan. We can leave the cart outside of town while we warn Governor Nighthill, leave someone to guard them, although I doubt anyone else would want to steal three dragon eggs." Elspeth will offer to carry one out of the cave until they can something else to carry the eggs.
Nate would also offer to try and carry an egg out.
Soar is good with this plan!