Cast
Liam Callahan - a 16 year old human farm boy who constantly has his head in the clouds (you guessed it. The Hero!). Liam hails from the "Road's End Villages" the far North Western section of the Kingdom of Cerimea, not that anyone particularly remembers that.
Ilian Holhan - An 18 year old apprentice mage Seraphim who has come down to the surface (accompanied by his mentor and master) to further his studies on the weather as well as several other studies for his magical pursuits.. The Seraphim are a race of winged scholars and magi who live high above the clouds.
Abar Dan Rab Beynonn - An 18 year old Azrian Sword Dancer. The Azrian are a tribe of humans that live in cities in the forests (think Sherwood from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves), they are some of the premiere sword fighters in the land, using a style that emphasizes grace and finesse over power.
Darcy Stanton - A Half-Elf Rogue who has been staying with Rab (Abar) among the Azrian for the last few years. She is as close as a sister to Rab, and helps him on the various jobs he undertakes for the Azrian. Despite her time with the Azrian though, Darcy prefers to fight with her knives rather than use a sword.
Genru Crabshall - A Dwarven caravan guard from the Dwarf's War Caste. Genru hails from the famed floating cities of the Dwarves, though it has been years since he has seen home. Assigned to a guard a caravan heading to the northern provinces of Cerimea.
Ilian Holhan - An 18 year old apprentice mage Seraphim who has come down to the surface (accompanied by his mentor and master) to further his studies on the weather as well as several other studies for his magical pursuits.. The Seraphim are a race of winged scholars and magi who live high above the clouds.
Abar Dan Rab Beynonn - An 18 year old Azrian Sword Dancer. The Azrian are a tribe of humans that live in cities in the forests (think Sherwood from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves), they are some of the premiere sword fighters in the land, using a style that emphasizes grace and finesse over power.
Darcy Stanton - A Half-Elf Rogue who has been staying with Rab (Abar) among the Azrian for the last few years. She is as close as a sister to Rab, and helps him on the various jobs he undertakes for the Azrian. Despite her time with the Azrian though, Darcy prefers to fight with her knives rather than use a sword.
Genru Crabshall - A Dwarven caravan guard from the Dwarf's War Caste. Genru hails from the famed floating cities of the Dwarves, though it has been years since he has seen home. Assigned to a guard a caravan heading to the northern provinces of Cerimea.
Ornu Tana Dar - An experienced Elven Woodsman, Ornu is specifically trained to be able to counter rogues, spies, and assassins, and also in taking out larger groups of opponents as quickly and efficiently possible. One year ago (beginning of the game) he was sent to retrieve Darcy back to the Kingdom so that officials could speak to her on matters of some importance to the Elven kingdom.
The Session
The session started off with Ornu walking through the woods on the rest of the PCs trail. He has been tracking Darcy for the better part of a year, constantly being a few days to a couple weeks behind. Though as he approaches a cave in the mountains, annoyingly close to the Elven kingdom he set off from about a year ago, he is sure he may finally be catching up. A thought that is washed away as he realizes that he of all people is being stalked through the woods. Turning, he spots one of the Cat like humanoids that the other PCs had faced in the previous session. His ears pick up the sound of more of them encircling him. Realizing he may be out matched he runs for the cave where at least he will be harder to surround.
Running down the tunnel, he stops at several points and turns to shoot, keeping the faster running Hunters behind him and approaching cautiously. His sprinting pace races him down faster than he realizes, and before long he bursts into the large open room where the rest of the PCs (save Ilian who is training in the new magic elsewhere) are eating dinner at a table Fatooth has magiced up for them. Startled greetings are put on hold as the PCs realize the elf is being chased, and they turn to face this larger group of creatures they've faced once before.
The fight is not particularly long, Liam and Rab claiming loudly that the cats are here to steal food, a fact that annoys Fatooth enough to simply poke his head out and end it there and then with a controlled burst of flame. It was then that greetings took place, Ornu stating openly that he was here for Darcy (only using her elven name), and Darcy refusing to acknowledge that siad person was her. A compromise on the matter is made however, since the PCs wish to go to the Elven kingdom anyhow, to warn them of the Cimerean king's assassination in their style, and what better way in then to be guided by an Elven woodsman.
Along the way, Darcy and Ornu have a talk in private about what is going on, coming to some form of agreement on the matter. Travel goes remarkably smooth, and a few weeks later the party is approaching one of the four surface cities of the Elven Kingdom. Only, there are no people around. Moving in to the city they find that it is completely abandoned, the gates to the Inner City where only elves are allowed thrown open and that place also abandoned. The city looks fine, perfectly constructed and in good repair, just completely abandoned. The group splits up, Ornu and Grenru going into the inner city, towards the government buildings to see if they can find anyone. Darcy, Liam, and Rab heading into the near by buildings to get some sign of how long the place has been abandoned.
In the inner city, Ornu and Grenru find that the tunnel leading deep into the mountains has been collapsed. Ornu recognizes it as one of the emergency defenses that the kingdom has set up, a hastily written sign above the temple confirming that theory reading "To our brothers and sisters trapped on the surface, we apologize but the needs of the Kingdom must come first at this time". The haste with which the sign was written almost as worrying as the fact that it exists at all. A circling shadow, reminiscent of a bird but definitely not, in the sky catches their attention and worry begins to come to the fore. They head back for the outter city.
In the outter city, Darcy, Liam, and Rab's investigation has turned up more troubling information. Moving into a building, once a few feet past the threshold the vision of what is going on changes completely. The city is destroyed, scorch and burn marks everywhere, items crystalized from the heat, puddles of steel lying on the ground where weapons, shields, and ornamentation have melted. Moving back out of the building, everything returns to how it once looked. They also notice the circling shadow, and rush for where cover would be best. The inner city.
The two groups meet up just inside the gates to the inner city. The shadow descends upon them, landing heavily on a nearby building. A dragon, not near as big as Fatooth, but far more fit looking. Its scales are a deep dark red, its eyes are pitch black, and it looks angry. An inhale from the Dragon is followed by a cone of fire straight at the group. The PCs scatter, barely avoiding being lit on fire by the dragon's breath weapon. Everyone runs for cover, with Rab choosing to take cover in the building under the dragon - hoping to be able to get on the dragon when it goes after someone else - Darcy follows him. Well, almost everyone runs for cover. Liam, caught in the moment calls out a challenge to the dragon. Grenru hearing the boys call turns back immediately to try and help, or save him. Ornu finds a perch to shoot from so he can contribute to the fight as well.
The dragon lunges for Liam who manages to jump out of the way, cutting it back on the neck. Ornu's arrow glances off the armored snout, and Grenru is still running back to the fray when Rab tries to attack the dragon's swishing tail in front of him. His sword bites deep but gets stuck, a pull on the tail threatening to send him flying but Darcy tackles him to the ground, and instead only his sword goes sailing out of sight. As Rab and Darcy retreat back into the building, Rab refusing to abandon their comrades and wanting to try to get onto the dragon via the second floor, the Dragon attacks Liam. Sending the boy sailing through a third story window.
Thinking Liam dead, Grenru stands his ground, striking with his axe at the dragon as hard as he can, only to have the blow turned aside by the dragon's scales. In the building, Darcy and Rab prepare for their jump onto the dragon's back. The dragon attacks Grenru, only to have the dwarf block its claw swipe with his axe. Ornu fires another arrow, grazing the dragon and Darcy and Rab make the leap onto the creatures back. Darcy's knives bite deep into the dragon's flank, causing it to rear up in pain. The movement makes Rab's jump harder, and the dragon's thick scales deflect his knives. The sword dancer is unable to get a hold other wise, and begins to fall into the path of the snapping tail. Darcy seeing Rab's plight, jumps into the way shielding him with her body as the tail smacks them both and sends them flying. Knocking Darcy out, almost killing her, and leaving Rab severely injured.
Liam, landing heavily in the room he was launched into, finds he has once again narrowly escaped death. A voice, somewhat familiar, asking if that is all he has. He answers no, he's not done and takes the offered spear haft. Feeling completely refreshed, he stands up, he feels stronger than ever and looks down at the Dragon, seeing Darcy collapsed atop Rab as he drops to the ground level. "If you killed her I'll destroy you" escapes his lips, and he charges at the dragon, sword and eyes both glowing white and the pendant around his neck showing a dragon instead of its normal plain attire.
The Dragon, while Liam is getting up, has unleashed it's breath weapon on Grenru. The dwarf, standing his ground, takes cover under his shield, watching as the shield melts under the intense heat. He does manage to outlast the flame though, responding by slamming the shield into the side of the dragon's face. The molten shield sticks to the Dragon's scales, and Grenru releases it as the dragon once more rears up in pain. As the dragon's head snaps back, the shield goes flying ripping some of the Dragon's scales with it. Seeing an opening, Ornu looses an arrow. The arrow finds the exposed area the scale had just been removed from and bites into one of the Dragon's eyes. Liam's charge ends with him letting loose a powerful slash into the Dragon's chest, the wound drops the dragon's head and his second strike takes the dragon's other eye.
The dragon has had enough, severely injured and blind it takes to the sky and limps off into the distance. The energy leaves LIam, and he collapses to the ground dreaming he is in a med tent after an army, a pretty armored female soldier saying that that would do for now. Liam responds that he will do better next time, she says she will hold him to it. The next night, Liam has another dream. In a clearing, three trees standing before him each with a sword sticking out of it. A voice asks him which one is his. When he chooses, he is standing in front of the Titan Wall, the knowledge that his sword is on the other side clear in his head.
Back in reality, Ornu gives what aid he can to Grenru, Liam, Rab, and Darcy. The group takes stock of their situation, and after a rest decide where they will go next. They choose to check another elven city, before heading south towards the Titan Wall. They plan to stop in the Azrian village to pick up a non-damaged sword for Rab, and then in Bastion to check on Malik, Elise, and Jasa before heading through Tamera to the Titan Wall.
The other elven city is the same as the first, only not under a spell to look perfectly fine. They find the print of a significantly larger dragon in the city, a track that Ornu identifies as being nearly a year old. Having probably happened just shortly after he left to collect Darcy. Not wishing to fight another, larger, Dragon the party heads south.
Several months of smooth travel later finds them entering the Azrian village, which is where the session ended.
Thoughts
The dragon fight I think went well, though for adult dragons they may need to be stronger. At the same time, so does the group to fight one. In general though this group is hard to plan fights for as it tends to roll either really well, or really poorly depending on the session.
Other than that, Ornu integrated with the group well, and I think the story is progressing a long nicely. I do need to however work up the side stuff for more of the characters and get them into the game. Especially as the story is starting to take a life of its own in my head.
No comments:
Post a Comment