Four players were present:
- Mortos,
Male Tiefling Druid - Lupin Damakos,
Female Tiefling Rogue +
Willow, Cat Animal Companion - Ffion Tanwen,
Female Dragonborn Cleric - Garrus Ironside,
Male Dwarf Cleric
Ffion steps forward and begins to treat with him in Draconic. The Dragon’s name is Dracos and he wishes to know why they are in his woods. Ffion proclaims that they are seeking another red dragon. She asks if he knows of the Crimson Empire. Dracos states that since they are undead, he certainly knows about them. He then proclaims that he knows The Heroes are with the United. Ffion defiantly states that it is presumptuous to think that all living beings are with the United. Dracos hisses: “We are here to gather other Dragons to join our ranks, and all living beings are our enemies”. Garrus asks the Valentines what they think they should do. General Valentine tells them to hold until he attacks. Captain Valentine points out that he keeps saying “we”.
Mortos bravely runs in front of the dragon and attacks with druidic spells. Captain Valentine flanks from the side but is unable to penetrate his leathery hide. General Valentine remains with the clerics and bludgeons the beast with a barrage of bolts of frost from her sword. Dracos continues to pummel The Heroes with his nasty necrotic breath. The Heroes steadily strike with spells and swords, until the great beast is bloodied.
With jagged jaws and cutting claws, the Undead Dragons are able to inflect massive amounts of damage, but between Ffion and Garrus’ overlapping auras, The Heroes are automatically healed and are able to strike at the stunned beasts with impunity. (Note: When battling an army of undead Dragons, it is always beneficial to have a Cleric in your band. Two Clerics are highly recommended.)
A ghastly visage lands before The Heroes, causing the very earth to shake. A gigantic five headed behemoth appears, each cranium bearing the colors of the five Chromatic Dragons; red, green, blue, black, and white. From the many legends, The Heroes immediately recognize this monster as Tiamat: the mother of all Dragons; the Demon God and ruler of one of the nine hells. And then, a laughing voice rings out from behind her heads. “You suckers still following us?” A mocking Cornelius bellows as he and Rose hop off her back.
Lupin wants to know why Cornelius and Rose are with her. Tiamat proclaims that Cornelius is a man of great skills and that they have reached a mutual understanding with each other. He has agreed to complete a mission for her. General Valentine is overjoyed the Dragons are rejoining the United and invites Cornelius and Rose to join as well, stating that: “We can use a fighter like him to lead the push into the Crimson Empire”. Cornelius is amused and laughingly accepts. A giddy Rose tells Lupin that it is so exciting that now they both work for the United. Lupin is less than thrilled.
The Red Dragon volunteers to let them ride to the United Center on his back. Lupin agrees, but refuses to sit next to Rose. Garrus is leery of flying on the back of a Dragon and offers to sit between the feuding females.
Garrus happily greets Aunt Lilly with a hug. She tells him that he is a hero for returning the artifact (see Life and Death). She informs him that the artifact has emboldened their clan, Stromh Gahund, and they will now be joining the United for the big push into the Crimson Empire.
She scolds him for not letting her know where he vanished to. Garrus claims he wrote her several letters, but doesn’t know why she never received them. Lilly blames snail mail for the delay, as they use actual snails. She says it should be faster once they switch to turtles.
Garrus mood turns somber when he reveals his deceased brother Garrud’s shield and hammer (see Fratricide & Fortunes). He asks if she is sending anything back to Stromh Gahund, he would like to return these back to his family. She promises to deliver them herself, and proclaims that Garrud was a good man. She then states that this corruption of the deceased is precisely why the Crimson Empire must be stopped. The two then make plans to meet for drinks later. It is two-for one night at the gallon stein pub (see Family Reunion).
Mortos becomes upset, since extremist murdered his Tiefling father, sister and Human mother. Mortos wants to know if Veratu still espouses those extreme views. Damocles assures him that he will not tolerate “pure-blood” racism, as he and his niece, Lupin, also possess human lineage. Damocles says they should give him a chance, since rejection may tempt other Tieflings to join the Crimson Empire. Veratu will arrive at the United Center in a few days. Mortos grudgingly agrees.
The Three Heroes are shocked, they thought he died years ago. Lupin informs them that Cornelius thought Epiphany was still dead, and had a bad reaction when Conrad was mentioned. The Heroes ponder what to do next while Lupin returns to the war chambers.
General Sterling then proceeds to tell them their next assignment. The Heroes are needed to escort Zanna to be the maid of honor at Queen Sapphire’s wedding. He informs them that Sapphire severed the Insectoids alliance with the Crimson Empire after the conference at the Village of Supermodels (see Deadly Persuasion). Insectavania has now declared itself a neutral country. The only trouble now is that Sapphire is marring someone The Heroes had run into before: the Larva Mage (see No Small Feat). The United doesn’t trust him. He has already insinuated many of his most trusted minions throughout Insectavania's palace.
The Heroes are given three objectives: 1. Deliver Zanna to the wedding; 2. Make sure Queen Sapphire is safe; 3. Find out what the Larva Mage’s intentions are. The Heroes are given two days to rest and prepare before they depart.
Christopher warns her that Cornelius is an extremely dangerous man. Even faster than himself, he is an incredibly strong and cunning opponent despite his brutish façade and mannerisms. As they finish, Lupin realizes that unlike the last time they sparred (see Deadly Persuasion), she was able to hold her own against her father, one of the greatest swordsmen in the United.
The Bard informs him that Insectavania is a large colony with a hive mentality. Various species of insects, invertebrates, and arachnids live there in harmony. Their main export is honey. Usually more humanoid, the queen and royal court command the hive. Workers are subservient, hard-working, loyal, and extremely protective of the queen. The King and Queen are able to summon smaller minions and form a larger Insectoid. The Troubled Tiefling has learned enough and wonders if anyone in the United has ever been there.
The Suave Scalawag tells Lupin he has an assignment if she wishes to accept. The Daring Demoness tells him she owes him a favor, so she will take it. The Cunning Criminal knows Lupin is going to Insectavania and wants her to retrieve a rare honey for him. “Filtered through a mile of natural pumice and sandstone, it takes a year to process the most refined honey on earth: Ambrosia. The huge drop is scheduled to fall the night of the wedding. Highly addictive, clients will pay large sums for a fraction of an ounce.” The Handsome Heister warns her not to sample the honey or she may become addicted herself.
Quagmire then offers Lupin 10,000 gp to retrieve it. Agreeing to the deal, The Terrific Tiefling asks if he can provide any intelligence on the Ambrosia’s location. The Boastful Burglar tells her that he once stole a drop years ago. “Located in the deepest catacombs, invisible spider web alarms and traps line the corridors, as well as savage beast.” The Tricky Thief also warns her that the legendary rouge, Vixen, is also rumored to be after it. Lupin is stunned, she thought that Vixen was only a myth. He assures her that she is not, and, with all due modesty, that Vixen’s talents equal his own. Their business concluded, the Sneaky Scoundrel bids her adieu and casually opens and closes the door without setting any traps off.
The proud proprietor proposes purchasing 10 potions of healing and 2 potions of anti-venom. He throws in a tube of topical anti-rash cream for free. The Pious Priest purchases the potions, picks-up the package, and proceeds to the pub.
The Pilfering Prowler purchases a potion of invisibility that lasts up to an hour. A pair of goggles with infra-red lenses that can detect hidden traps and provide night vision. Since she already possess natural dark vision, the Cost Conscious Cat Burglar barters the price down. And finally, a pair of spider boots for climbing. Satisfied with her new purchases, the Lady Larcenist retires for the night.
Aunt Lilly informs them that the code name for the invasion into the Crimson Empire is called “The Renascence”. Garrus thinks it has a nice ring to it. She then divulges that many of the human kingdoms are pushing for this attack. General Sterling is against it, that’s why they want a new general to take command.
Mortos relates what he learned from the bard about Insectavania, including how royalty can merge with their subjects to form a larger Insectoid. Ffion sarcastically states: “That doesn’t sound too scary”. The Reptile Reverend then brings up the Waters of Restoration. The Lady Lizard wants to know if they will try to locate the remaining waters from Pyter Pyrite (see Sleeping with the Enemy), as it may provide the cure for her clan. The others are unsure when they will be able to resume the search.
She seems surprised and claims to have only known Egnarts as a powerful mage accompanied by his pretty bride, Clea. When Garrus enquires what powers the Larva Mage possesses, Lilly says the Larva Mage knows many powerful spells like fire balls, frost rays, necrotic touch, and powerful illusions. She reiterates that they need to be wary around this sinister being.
As they prepare to leave, they decide to meet before they depart for the wedding to see if they need any more information or supplies. Suddenly, the crystal balls on all the tables in the pub go off. It is Horrible pun night. The Heroes are challenged to solve a series of puns about Winter.
1: Frosty Foot Coverings.*
2: Frozen Water Blades.**
3: Frosty Spirit.***
4: Dairy Queen Treat.****
5: Frosty Wheel.*****
6: What Three Little Kittens Lost.******
7: Frosty Orb Battle.*******
8: English Spy’s Flame.********
9: Sexy Cocoa.*********
10: Frozen Water to the Third Power.**********
Solving the horrible puns, The Heroes go to their respective quarters and take a long deserved rest.
To be continued? ? ?
Lupin was her usual daring self, scampering under the Vampire Dragon in a deadly game of peek-a-boo. She didn’t try to hide her contempt for Rose and was quick to warn her new family of Cornelius’ return. Though they are close in age, she seems to be warming up to her father, Christopher. Prepping for her mission, Lupin acquired some new toys. Let’s hope they are enough if Vixen shows up. Garrus' powerful spells insured his comrades hit points were never diminished. His wish to return his brother’s remains home showcased his softer side. His trip to the apothecary showed foresight in case he needs his spells for battle rather than healing. Ffion was an aggressive negotiator with Dracos; bravely standing her ground to the huge undead beast. Overlapping her aura of attack and defense with Garrus’ healing aura made The Heroes neigh invincible. Her concern for recovering the Waters of Restoration showed that the health of her clan is still her primary motivation. Mortos showed great bravery, facing off against Dracos Demono-to-Dragono. His anger over hearing that a pure-blood order is uniting the Tieflings was quite justified, seeing as how his family was murdered by such an order. His conversation with the Bard about Insectavania was humorous and showed that Mortos likes to do his homework before entering an assignment. Bravo to all!!!
* Frosty Foot Coverings: Frosty=snow; foot coverings=boots—Snow Boots.
** Frozen Water Blades: Frozen water=ice; blades=skates—Ice Skates.
*** Frosty Spirit: Frosty=snow; spirit=angel—Snow Angel.
**** Dairy Queen Treat: Blizzard.
***** Frosty Wheel: Frosty=snow; wheel=tire—Snow Tire.
****** What Three Little Kittens Lost: Mittens.
******* Frosty Orb Battle: Frosty=snow; orb=ball; battle=fight—Snow Ball Fight.
******** English Spy’s Flame: English spy=Bond; flame=fire—Bonfire.
********* Sexy Cocoa: Sexy=hot; cocoa=chocolate—Hot Chocolate.
********** Frozen Water to the Third Power: Frozen water=ice; third power=cube—Ice Cube.
Next: Chapter 50 - Hive Mentality
Previous: Chapter 48 - Fratricide & Fortunes