Part 2 - Chapter 5
Dagoth’s raid on the capital seems to have been a mixed success for his dark forces. King Natali survived the attack, and Redharbor remains largely intact. However, many civilians were either killed or dragged away into the underdark by marauding Drider.
The party fought against Dagoth for the second time now, and the cunning Dragonborn seemed more than prepared for this second encounter - he surrounded himself with a troop of Draconian warriors, and utilized a number of very potent spell scrolls to keep the party at bay. The Draconians are a new development - seemingly less civilized than any Dragonborn the party has encountered, and possessing some supernatural traits - such as the petrifying fog released upon their demise.
Jiub - the elven conclave’s eldest member - appeared during the climactic battle in the citadel’s courtyard, and surprised everyone by requesting the emerald phylactery which the group had liberated from Greyfell Manor a week prior. With no time for debating, Charax produced the hand-sized gemstone and tossed it Jiub’s way. As it clinked across the cobble square, the ancient elf produced a slender warhammer from beneath his layered robes and smote the stone asunder. An uncomfortable silence hung over those gathered on the landing, as a slinking, slithering apparition tore itself free of the broken emerald and wriggled right off the edge of the courtyard, into the night.
With this development, Dagoth chose to make a hasty retreat - his Draconians were being overwhelmed by the growing number of combatants arrayed against them, and his primary goal seemed to have been achieved. Utilizing some sort of teleportation spell scroll, the Dragonborn whisked himself away yet again. Natali - exhausted and frustrated - wished to debrief with the group the next day, allowing time for a brief recuperation. Jiub offered little explanation for his actions, but suspected that he may know of a way to reverse the petrification, and would work on gathering the required supplies.
The party didn’t make it out of the courtyard confrontation unscathed - After rushing into the Draconian lines and quickly slaying two of the creatures, Turi found himself slowly succumbing to their petrifying vapors. As his feet and legs turned to stone the Dwarf reached for a javelin to toss, but was fully petrified before the throw could be made. Fargrim had similarly rushed to join the battle, and while he managed to avoid being turned to stone, found himself battered and struck down by a sickening ray of some kind, summoned by one of Dagoth’s spell scrolls. The rest of the party all suffered minor injuries throughout the battle.
Covering the petrified Turi with a simple tent, and working together to carry Fargrim down off of the courtyard landing, the group made their way back to the Boar’s Lodge. Grogen appeared on the street, hauling his rickshaw - which was filled with food and holy water, to be delivered to the market square - and offered to assist the group in hauling Fargrim back to their lodging. Upon their return to the Boar’s Lodge, Charax spies a character from his past sitting at the bar - Torgren, the Dwarven Ranger. As they caught up with each other, Abby and Sindri relocated the still unconscious Fargrim to his private room at the Lodge. Earlier, Abby had removed what seemed to be some sort of poison which was afflicting the fighter - he appeared to have lost weight since being struck by Dagoth’s ray weapon, and there was some concern about the lingering effects of the fell magic. Sindri took a moment to leave a note stuck to the dwarf, explaining what had happened since he fell unconscious at the citadel - this began with a few words written in elven script, which were quickly crossed out and followed by simple pictures describing the events of the last few hours.
The group resolved to get a few hours rest before setting out for a visit to the Elven Conclave - collectively, everyone gained the benefits of a decent nights’ sleep, waking mid-morning the following day. Fargrim remained stable, but bedridden - the doughty dwarf had yet to wake from his pained slumber. After gathering themselves and their gear, the rest of the group - including the newly absorbed Torgren - ambled towards the conclave. The air in the city was thick with the collective trauma of the last nights’ events, but also with a sense of camaraderie - the market plaza and area surrounding the Rock had been turned into a makeshift open-air clinic and triage station, where the wounded were being tended to by priests, and even a handful of sheepish mage-types who felt compelled to reveal their craft and lend what aid they may - regardless of any prejudices still held by the populace at large.
Torgren grumbled a bit at being dragged along toward the Conclave. Elves and dwarves are unlikely allies, and in the aftermath of the raid the rest of the party was left somewhat reeling and short with their words. Arriving at the Conclave, the group found a scene similar to that being played out in the market plaza - folk suffering from Drow or Drider poison were massed in the Conclave’s walled courtyard. After navigating through the rows of suffering citizens, they were greeted by Mirondir, who shuffled them inside to a much more serene atmosphere. Jiub was made aware of the group’s arrival, and Mirondir hurried back to his work tending the wounded.
Jiub invited the party into his private sanctum - a large, warmly accoutred study boasting a small library and multiple desks piled with books, scrolls, and all manner of other esoteric baubles. To enter the room however, the group had to first pass through a magnificent golden-hued portal. The face of the door itself was covered with the scene of a tree, sculpted in relief; replete with leaves of many hues, and roots descending into the earth below - these roots transformed into reptilian forms, bringing to mind the tail of a dragon. All of this is carved in relief, and small birds situated amongst the tree branches sported gems for eyes. Upon passing through the portal, individuals felt a sense of scrutiny - brief, but powerful. All but Charax made it through easily - the Bard felt the same sensation, but was almost immediately rebuffed - gently pushed back into the hallway from which he’d stepped. Removing his pack (and the wrapped wooden blade contained within), he was then able to enter the room proper.
The conversation that followed was enlightening and bewildering in equal measure. In summation, it was learned that Eshrokk is in fact the name of an ancient Green Dragon - a creature truly unmatched in its malice. Some 600 years past the beast had siphoned the life and magical energy out of most magic-wielders in the land by means of a necromantic ritual, the specifics of which have been lost to time. The goal of this ritual was to harness that combined energy and allow Eshrokk to exist in multiple planes of existence. Whether or not that happened in exactitude is unclear, but it has been confirmed that between then and now, Eshrokk’s soul left his physical body and became entombed within the phylactery (which the party retrieved, and Jiub subsequently destroyed). Jiub explained that to end Eshrokk and his influence permanently, his soul must be returned to his body, and only then must a death-blow be delivered; a blow powerful enough to kill body and spirit at once. Jiub himself has some personal stake in this endeavor, as he claims to have been a victim of Eshrokk’s fell ritual so long ago; at the time it was performed, Jiub had taken the form of a golden elf, and once robbed of almost all magical power found himself unable to revert back to his true draconic form. Jiub’s research seems to indicate that Eshrokk’s body is likely to be found somewhere in the Deeping Woods north of Redharbor. Additionally, he estimated that it may take a week, perhaps two weeks at the most, for Eshrokk to regain functional use of his age-wracked body. Clearly, it would be best to strike before the old beast is fully acquainted with it’s physical form.
As the party concluded their meeting with Jiub, Mirondir was summoned yet again and escorted the group back to where Turi stood petrified on the palace grounds. Jiub had taught Mirondir the spell required to reverse the petrification which had befallen not only Turi, but many townsfolk as well. Unfortunately, the equivalent of 100 gold pieces - roughly a standard bars’ worth of gold - are required to enact the magic. This represents a dire circumstance, as much of Redharbor’s financial reserve will likely be drained to save those citizens so petrified. The elves themselves donated the bar required for Turi’s revivification. While Mirondir did his work, slowly returning Turi to his curmudgeonly self, Naia appeared in the courtyard seeking word with the adventurers. She informed them that Natali would like to speak with them the following day regarding both the attack and its aftermath, as well as the formation of the Watchful Order - more concrete terms and context would be forthcoming, and it is expected that the group have some idea as to their interest in joining the resurrected order.
At that, Naia returned to her work tending wounded and advising Natali as nobles and merchants from across Redharbor air their grievances - Mirondir similarly makes his way back to the Conclave, and the party contents themselves with thoughts of the Boar’s Lodge and a warm fire. Not long after returning to the Lodge, a runner from the Citadel finds them, delivering the following missive and explaining that Natali would like them to read and consider the document in preparation for their meeting tomorrow - she expects to see them at Midday for a meal, and hopefully constructive conversation.
The missive sent by Natali, providing some context as to what life in the Watchful Order may look like
Defeated: Roughly a dozen Draconians, the Phylactery harboring Eshrokk’s soul (thanks Jiub?)
Characters met: Potentially Dragon-Jiub, Torgren the brooding Dwarven Ranger
Acquired: … Mostly losses recently
Quests: Stop Dagoth’s attack on Redharbor (mixed success), Hunt and destroy Eshrokk (preparatory stages), Weigh in on the Watchful Order’s second founding
