16 Jan 2020 21:46
Setting
The adventurers were on their way to deal with the dragon, having obtained the loan of magical arms and armour from the ghost of a King.
Plot is from the Chaosium Game Master Adventure Book from the screen pack.
IC Play
The game opened with the adventurers on the road to the Thunder Hills, on their way to fight a dragon. Ahead of them on the path Saronil noticed fighting. Up ahead was a spearman backed up against a rock by a trio of rough-looking men, obviously bandits. They rode up to help, making enough noise that the spearman at least noticed them. Saronil dismounted at speed but could not get the bandits to take notice of him until he finally tapped one and got his attention, meaning that the fight was honourable. Shortly thereafter, with the spearman bloodied and the bandits outnumbered, they fled. Varaema bandaged the man, and he introduced himself as Androuranos, or Hawk-eye. Rather surprising Varaema, he was from the Praxian Sun County temple, but did not speak Praxian, nor did he look blond-haired. Nevetheless he made it known who he was and they introduced themselves.
As they had saved him, it was clear he owed them a life debt, and they found themselves with a spearman, while in possession of a magical dragon-killing spear.1 They repaired to the hills, interrupted on the way only by a strange meeting.
Coming along a path they encountered some dragonnewts. Several were dancing. One was sitting, crosslegged and in a meditational posture, on a bird at least six feet tall, with thick, strong legs and a sharp beak. The dancing dragonnewts froze save for one who made his way towards them with elegant and sacred but above all very strange steps, and introduced himself to the here-and-now-meat-things as the Mouthpiece of Yanah Yaqal. Every time he mentioned his master's name the other dragonnewts took up a different tableau pose and waited again. He told them a dragon was imprisoned and asked them to help free it, offering a sword made of what he haltingly translated as 'flint' and the adventurers failed to recognise as obsidian. However, they had heard stories of enchanted flint, and decided this was the black blade stuff. The dragonnewt told them to cut off the imprisoned thing's head and take it to the place of holy travel, or as they called it, 'plinth'.
They went on to the tomb, while making plans. Soon, they found the place, a carved cave in a hillside.2 They went in, and the Yelmalian spotted tracks in the floor like a huge long weight had been dragged, and claws a half cubit long had scratched the ground. Cautiously, they advanced, with Varaema and Ethrava going first and supporting the great shield, and Ethrava also holding the bag of winds given to them by Dunorl.
They advanced into a chamber which had a sacrifice pit, and discussed fishing out the klanth and the gold they could see there, but decided against it. Then, in the next room, Androus3 (and then others) spotted the dragon they were after, wrapped around a cuboid altar there. On noticing that it had been spotted, it raised itself and with the logic of dreams became a woman who commanded them to worship their once and future goddess. After a resounding round of 'no', she took on her draconic form once more and attacked, and they attacked her. Yerezum Storn breathed toxic fumes, but the air elemental that Ethrava let out of the bag was enough to keep the air clean. Androus was able to stab her in the tail, crippling it, as she concentrated on Saronil initially. He overcame his fear of Dragons to step up to her, only to be met with the Demoralise spell. He ran to hide behind the shield. Seeing him run towards her, Varaema got the wrong idea and cowered away, leaving Ethrava in an exposed position as she had just cast Earth Shield for Androus, and was in the middle of casting Befuddle. Amazingly, this made the dragon pull up, confused. Yerezum Storm failed to cast a spell at the Yelmalian, who stabbed her through a wing, breaking the spell. She ran for it, trampling over the shield and flattening the three under it. Varaema, unarmoured, was hurt - the others were protected by their armour.
Androus was falling behind the dragon but she stopped to breathe fire at him, killing the air elemental but failing to make contact with him fully - the gouts of flame splashed off his shield. He managed to bring his spear to bear and struck his third, killing blow. Yerezum Storn died blocking a doorway.
They soon found a treasure room, where Androus claimed the many golden goblets there in the name of Yelmalio, despite the calls of others. However, as they came out of the room the goddess statue on the cubic altar woke, and declared she was free, and this was her Temple. Her name was Orgovale Summer. For their help she gave Androus a golden amphora, but not the goblets - he relinquished his claim on them. Varaema was given some earrings that were a spell matrix, and Ethrava was given an arm ring and the offer of establishing a Temple. Saronil was given a flat look.
They went out, having cut off the dragon's head and squeezed past its corpse, and soon found a plinth where dragonnewts were waiting, dancing an entirely different dance. This time they were all painted half black and half white, save one who was painted half green and half a slightly different green, and the one on the demi-bird, who was not painted.
The same one as before approached them, and said that Sanah Yaqal was in their debt and would come if they placed purple nardus flowers on the plinth. This was not the same name as it had used before, but it seemed to be the same dragonnewt being indicated.
The news was taken to Queen Leika, who celebrated by giving them land, a hide each, and twenty cattle from her royal herd for Ethrava to divide. Ethrava asked Kalis to provide a new priestess for the Temple, and asked her mother to help oversee it, effectively sharing out her pat on the head from the Queen.
The weapons and armour were returned to King Berenvenos4 and all was well.
Other Things
There was some magical loot. which should probably be recorded. There was some Temple and Magical training, then it was the end of Fire Season. While Saronil was training at the Temple of Humakt in Boldhome, he was challenged for his sword, and won, and his opponent's sword was almost broken in trying. Later, Saronil learned that Eril had personally noted he would be displeased if anyone more tried to challenge that season. Saronil also found out that the Boldhome Humakti had a blacksmith.