Part 2 - Finale Recap
With a clap of his gnarled hands, Turi turned to regard the scene of devastation behind him. Draconians and Kobolds littered the ground in various states of recognition. The long shafts of Sindri’s arrows stood tall like meager grave markers, while other corpses were simply hacked apart by Charax and the dwarves. Still more were unrecognizable, or simply absent from the field - charred into ash by Boot’s shockingly devastating magic.
Ahead lay the bones of their prey, Eshrokk. The remains of the massive beast billowed cold smoke into the surrounding woodland. From atop the wagon Sindri peered over the ballista, sweeping her keen eyes over the scene. It didn’t feel quite finished. The silence was thick and uneasy after such a vicious combat. Nearby, Abby held her charm in a tight grasp and recalled her tiny spectral knife. A subtle pulsing light emanated from between her fingers, radiating out from the holy symbol. She seemed to sense the same thing as Sindri - it couldn’t be over, just like that. But so it was, and nothing more stirred in the clearing, save for the adventurers themselves, and their pack animals. The babbling of the river faded back into clarity, and after a time the lonely hooting of an owl could be heard echoing from out of the woods.
So it was, that Dagoth was defeated, and Eshrokk put to rest. Jiub didn’t seem to have any concrete way to confirm that this was a true death for the evil dragon. As with most things concerning the mysterious elf - dragon? - the party could do not but take him at his word. It couldn’t be denied that he, as well as Morgan and Brutogg had all done their best to contribute to this short, perilous quest into the woods. Jiub was wandering the cemetery, turning over draconian corpses with the head of his elegant warhammer. It was suggested that they remove the bodies from the place, which had already suffered heinous defilement. The dwarves and Brutogg set to the task, hauling the reptilian brutes out of the clearing, while the rest of the party variously inspected the mysterious shaft into the earth, Eshrokk’s bones, and the small chapel.
In a joint effort Abby and Sindri utilized a bit of magic in concert with elven vision and were able to determine that the shaft descended roughly 60 feet before opening into a chamber, which likely connected to the underdark. Sindri spied both bloodmoss and familiar little blue mushrooms growing in the deepest parts of the shaft, and on the bottom of the chamber below.
Eshrokk’s bones were of great interest - Turi had been sizing them up, no doubt imagining the possibilities for a new totem or charm, while Morgan and Jiub studied them with more academic interest. Almost every inch of the skeleton was covered in tiny scrawled writings, in a language which proved difficult to identify. Half of the party stood in study beside the fallen beast’s jaw, before coming to the conclusion that the text was likely an ancient elven script, perhaps interspersed with draconic text. A joint effort between Sindri, Jiub, and Morgan produced a rough translation of what looked to be a frequently repeated block of text:
Eä lembas ídhil othri'alathar -Oialla neuma, línio vi'lassar.
Anar camlann ennas lach - Hain alagos, tûr mûlach.
Thôl vi orómi nín tarnar.
Translated:
"Soul enshrouded, bound to bone - life echoes within this stone
Sunlight fades in patient dark - Death my gift, a final spark
By my will, you shall endure”
At the rear of the cemetery, the chapel seemed a lonely place. The air inside was thick with the scent of burnt incense and dampness from the enveloping fog. Scattered debris littered the once hallowed space - broken pews and other furnishings had been pushed to the sides of the room, making way for the Draconians’ trappings.
A sturdy oak desk now inhabited the center of the room. Stacked gold and silver coins glimmered in the faint candlelight. Scrolls, quills, and scattered parchments lay strewn alongside weapons and gear - this appeared to be a makeshift place of command. Looking about, six black-wax candles cast dancing shadows across the interior, adding an otherworldly air to the room's solemnity. These candles, it was agreed, were likely some sort of aid for the Draconic sorcerer who had been slain outside - or perhaps Eshrokk itself. The candles produced a flickering white flame. Morgan was quick to put them out. Along with the coinage and the candles, the parchments strewn about the desk are of particular interest. Most are mundane - orders being sent between Dagoth and his lieutenants, requests for material, that sort of thing. But one stood out - a parchment addressed to Dagoth, from Isolde Foxglove. (The full text of the parchment can be found below). Underneath that parchment lay an aged gold broach featuring a rampant-wolf icon.
There was little else to do, or to be found. The party loaded their wagons, and began the journey back to Redharbor. Abby made a point to tend to the gnome they’d rescued, who remained stable but unconscious. The return trip was largely uneventful - the Deeping Woods remain a treacherous and difficult place to travel, but nothing challenged the party. They even heard, far off the path, the sound of a chickadee’s wintry song. Jiub remained somewhat introspective during the trek - his mood lay somewhere between melancholy and and consternation.
As Redharbor came into view on the second day of travel, Morgan made it known that she’d be giving a full report of the adventure to the Harpel clan - as well as providing them with a yard’s worth of dragonhide, and one of the beasts’ finger bones to study.
Returning from their sojourn in the Deeping Woods, the party finds the political climate in the capital even more fraught with discontent and blame, the bitter aftermath of recent calamities casting a dark pall over the city. Despite the passing weeks, the populace's ire remains fixed on King Natali, her name a target for accusations amid the city's lingering chaos. The wounds inflicted by Dagoth's malevolent attack and the terror wrought by the Green Devil before that linger on, their scars etched deep within the city's psyche.
Graffiti and posters have sprung up, defiling stone walls, decrying Natali's leadership and painting her as a betrayer of human interests. Her policy of friendship with the dwarves and elves, once seen as a beacon of hope for unity, is now twisted against her, used as ammunition by dissenters. The city's faith in its leadership seems fractured, leaving Redharbor teetering on the edge of unrest as societal tensions simmer towards a boiling point.
In stark contrast to the atmosphere on the streets, the Boar’s Lodge offers the adventurers a warm welcome. Erin gives the crew a nod as they tumble into the common room just before sundown, and lets them know that their rooms have been kept safe. She swats at one of her new employees, herding them out of the kitchen with a hot pot of stew and a reminder to fetch some fresh bread for the evening to come.
The injured gnome is sent with Jiub to be tended by the elves, who can offer the best (and most private) care in the city. While the party gathers, one by one, around the great hearth in the Lodge’s common room, Torgren sits quietly puffing on a simple wooden pipe. Turi seats himself nearby and produces his own pipe, while Fargrim, Abby, Sindri, Charax and Boot variously occupy the plush high-back seats and cushioned floor mats near the large fire. To be surrounded by civilization, with a solid roof overhead and the promise of a hearty dinner is a welcome change, even for the most rugged of the group. A collectively held breath seems to be released, and for a long while, no one speaks.
But not all are so contented. Finishing his meal and taking another puff of his pipe, Torgren stands from his seat with a creak of protest from his wooden seat. Without ceremony, the dwarf announces that he’ll be taking his leave of Redharbor by dawn the next day. He’d come to find Ulli, and he’s done just that. Unfinished business needs attending back in the hinterlands surrounding Linden’s Field and beyond, and the city bustle just doesn’t suit him. The dwarves offer similarly curt nods of understanding and approval, while Charax and the others stand to give the departing ranger their farewells. With a nod to his now friends, he pulls his cloak about him and takes his leave.
After a short while, Erin appears to the group with a small letter that had arrived before the party’s return that day - sealed with the characteristic fish-scale motif of the Citadel. Abby opens the note, and reads aloud:
Your return is eagerly awaited. Visit the keep at your earliest convenience ~ news of your trek into the Deeping Woods is sought. We have begun seeking recruits for the Watchful Order over the past few days, and would like your final thoughts on membership - new terms will be shared upon our next meeting.
~ Naia
Defeated: Eshrokk, Dagoth, Draconian Warband, Kobolds, Green Stirge
Characters met: Gnome from Hardbuckle (unconscious)
Acquired: 27 gold pieces, 9 silver pieces, 12 copper pieces, 6 candles of Invocation, Letter from Isolde Foxglove, Dragonbones and Dragonhide (players decide how much they wish to have taken - TBD in session).
Quests: Track and dispatch of Dagoth and Eshrokk - Complete
The note found in the Chapel
