Tyranny of Dragons

"So I think they could have come back if they wanted by now and they haven't. Granted, I'm not sure why they haven't but I don't think they're interested in Greenhill anymore. One of the captives that we rescued might be able to provide some more details but they've had a hard time of it so we didn't really grill them on the run. Why don't we find a more private place to discuss this, I think I'd rather try to keep rumors from spreading. I also need to find someone else that might be interested in joining us."

Unless something happens that changes his mind, Arliden is then going to go tell Leosin that we're going to have a meeting to discuss what is going on, and then go find Kessim and tell him we found Leosin and invite him to the meeting.

“Also, they got the top brass coming to camp pretty regularly. Might mean their planning something, I’d be on guard if I were you. Just thought you might want to know.”

Novot grumbles, "best way I know how to make sure they don't come back is to drive them away. I'm not saying we should definitely do it, but we know the layout of their camp now - weak points, scouting locations. If we get enough good men, we just might be able to keep them away for good." And **** up that five-headed *****'s plan while we're at it. 

"That's exactly what we need to do. We should go."

Governor Nighthill nods and invites you to join him and Escobert in the keep's main meeting room. He waits for Arliden to find Nesim and return with him. Once everyone is gathered, he says, "Thank you again for all you have done for Greenest. I hope it is true that they stay away, for I do not think we can withstand another assault. We will consider ourselves lucky if we can reopen the market by the end of the month. Please. Any information you have that I can pass along to my people to assuage their fears would be most welcome. What were you able to discover out there?"

Fjordix stood back, thinking over what they had learned. He wished he had a nice stiff drink to wash everything away, or twelve. "I'll let the other divulge what we've learned, is there something else useful I could be doing?"

“Well, Mayor, our plan to be captured by the cult went off without a hitch. Io’s power was truly magnificent to behold as he allowed us to break the puny bonds that they tried to bind us with. His shadow shielded us from their eye as we rescued Leosin! Speaking of the man of the hour, I’ll let him explain the information he gleaned from one of the heads of the cult, Rezmir.”

As Rex says, "our plan to be captured" Arliden just begins nodding vigorously.

Leosin coughs a bit as he begins relaying what he knows. "Before these adventurers so...willingly...allowed themselves to be captured so they could free me from my bonds, I was able to learn much of the goings on of this cult. As I'm sure you are aware by now, this was most assuredly the Cult of the Dragon, but what you may not know is that not everyone in that campe is a full-fledged member of the cult. Many are new initiates working toward full acceptance, and many others are simple mercenaries, hired to flesh out the camp’s strength during raids or if it should come under attack. The kobolds are there because their worshipful attitude toward dragons makes them easy for Rezmir and other high-ranking cultists to manipulate, but they are not well liked or trusted by the other races.

The cult has been ranging far and wide on small raids to collect treasure. Greenest was the closest target to the camp, the biggest of all the towns they’ve attacked, and, from what I can tell, the most profitable for them. The cave at the back of the camp is off-limits to all but those who’ve been cleared by Mondath and Rezmir, the leaders of the camp. The plunder from nearby settlements is stored in that cave. I also believe that Rezmir has a clutch of dragon eggs in there that he plans to hatch, but I won't know for sure until I or someone else can get into, and back out of, that cave."

Governor Nighthill takes a few moments to process everything Leosin has said. Finally, he says, "This is quite a lot to take in. That last bit is especially troubling. We will need time to figure out how to deal with this. I know you are not part of this town, but if you are still willing to help, return here in a few hours. In the mean time, I believe I promised you a reward for going on this mission. Escobert, find a squire to send with them to collect their reward. We have much to discuss."

[Everyone gains 575 XP and 250 gold. I'm pretty sure this has all of you gaining a level, so go ahead and make the necessary changes to your characters (ask questions if you have any), and then post in here when you've done so. After that, we'll continue.] 

“Thank you, Mayor. Excuse me, but I need to talk with my god before we continue any further. I have a whole lot to discuss with him...” Rex will find a quiet spot in the room and sit in meditation.

"I need ale, and a place to drink it quietly." Fjordix says to Escobert as they are led away.

"I'm pretty sure I can get into and out of the cave. Probably...but I'm not sure exactly what we would do with that information anyway. Regardless I need to relax for a little while, the last few days have been stressful."

Arliden will find common area that isn't packed, and start playing the lute. While he doesn't care if other people hear, he just closes his eyes and feels the melody, he lets the lute sing its own song, he's just bringing it out.

[helloooooooo Level 2!]

Watching her companions go their separate ways, Novot asks the Governor, "How are the injured doing? Could you use an extra pair of hands to help out, or have they all been seen to?"

You all go your separate ways for a few hours. Rex does some meditation, Fjordix finds a place to have a few pints of ale and sit quietly, Novot assists with healing those who were injured in the raid and the prisoners who were brought back, and Arliden softly plays his lute. A few hours pass and everyone, now feeling well rested, returns to the meeting room. Governor Nighthill says, "Thank you all for coming back. In the time you've been away, Escobert, a few other advisers and I have come to the conclusion that Greenest needs time to rebuild. Despite the fact that Leosin feels otherwise, we cannot afford to focus on anything else at this time. Too much was lost in that raid, and it will take us a long time to get back on our feet even with us throwing everything we have into rebuilding."

At this point, Leosin jumps in, "We cannot ignore the cult!" Looking to the rest of you he says, "After all you’ve done already for me personally and for the people of Greenest, I hate to ask anything more from you. But the need is great, and I dare to hope that you can aid me one time more. I need you to return to the cultists’ camp. You know your way around it now. If the cultists are preparing to conduct another raid, or a large body of them marches away, or if anything substantial is carried into or out of that cave, I need to know. If you have a chance to get into the camp and look around again, that would be the ideal way to spot anything that’s changed. I would go with you, but I fear that, in my current condition, I would only slow you down. If you will do this for me, I will give you each 150 gp.  As soon as I am well enough, I intend to travel north to Elturel. If you accept, you can find me there when you return.

"Oh, and I don’t recommend letting yourselves get captured...again” he adds with a wry smile.

"So, I don't know exactly what we would be looking for but I can make two us of invisible for an hour. Or I could probably just be invisible for one hour. That should give us plenty of time to look around and report back. Though," and he turns to look at Leosin, "are you aware of anything that could see invisible things in the camp? That would go real poorly I imagine. Alternatively Rex could try and disguise his way back in but they may be a bit wary at this point."

“Oh don’t worry, I have some new tricks. Watch and learn.” Rex cracks his knuckles, lays out some expensive spices, and focuses while speaking in Draconic. A dull light resonants as the spices catch flame. As the spices reduce to ash, they seem to draw close to each other like magnets. Eventually, they form what seems to be a snake-like shape, seemingly made from pottery. However, as Rex finishes the spell, the smoke from the flames is forcibly pulled into the statuette, and it opens its eyes. Where once was a statue is now a small, serpentine dragon. Rex extends his hand, and it curles up along his arm, resting on his neck. Rex raises a scaled brow, pleaded with himself, “Ta-da. We have a scout.” Rex has cast, Find Familiar.

”But anyway, thank you, Leosin. You’ve been a big help. We’ll put what you’ve learned to good use. I don’t intend to allow Rezmir to continue as she likes. I’m sure that my angry friend here feels the same way about Langdedrosa.”

Tattoos, on his hands, on his neck, going up his arms on his shoulders, Tattoos now adorn Fjoridix's body where there were none before. They are of a runic language, long lost to this world, and only known instinctively to Fjordix. A gift from his people's ancestors no doubt as it would be impossible for a person to receive this many, of this detail, in such a short amount of time. 

"Great, another dragon" Fjordix grumbles upon looking at Rex's familiar, "I too have been gifted with the art, and it seems just in time as we are thinking of getting ourselves caught once more as we send a dragon undercover into a camp obsessed with Dragons." he chuckles and leans on his glaive. "No matter though, I am here to slay dragons and dragon lovers, so I'll take your gold Leosin the Wealthy." a thick alcohol smell can be smelled...maybe even felt as thick as it is, coming from Fjordix's mouth as he speaks. 

The small dragon coils tighter, but Rex pats its head, while waving his hand in front of his snout, “Did you go and drink some paint cleaner, or something? Terrak, man, I might breathe acid, but I think you got me beat here.”

Novot checks her arms. Nope... no new gifts or dragon statues. Looks like Torm wasn't particularly  impressed with her exploits over the past several days.

Shrug. Can't change that. "I'm all about taking out those cultists." Soves would engulf her in flames if she thought otherwise. "We'll have to be smarter about it this time. Maybe loop around back? Take out the watchers in the tower? Then climb down at night and duck into the cave? I'm just spitballin' here."

“Could work. We could have that be our base of operations. Arliden could turn Hatchling here invisible, then we don’t have to worry about him getting caught.”