samduke
The Dragonfall War (TM) my own works.

The World as you know it is wrought with danger. But the dragons they are up to something for they have been seen more and more frequently. The Kingdom has put out a call for the finest and bravest amongst it's legendary warriors. You have been in the kingdom of Celene for some time. The kingdom is bordered by some foothills and mountains to the north and north west. to the east are the Silverwoods, to the south plains with a mighty river flowing from the mountains into Safeton bay.

The call to arms has been raised. You have been summoned to the castle to meet with the kings advisors to discuss what is to be done about the influx of evil and the many sightings of dragons. Once you have arrived in the great hall you are greeted by several of the kings men-at-arms, who escort you into the audience chamber. The chamber is well lit with braziers all around. In the center of the area, a large feasting table has been arranged with drink and food abundant upon it, there are exactly nine chairs. One of which is lavishly adorned quite nicely, it sits at one end of the table while the others flank the table with four chairs on each side.

A mystical creature of unknow origins, is the first to appear from another hallway. They look upon those of you whom have gathered and then take the seat that is farthest away from the lavish seat. The Captain of the Guard over the men at arms dismisses the soldiers, after they have left the chamber he takes the other seat farthest away from the lavish seat. Only after sitting does he instruct those gathered to find a seat and remain seated.

Once you have all seated, a young man of not more than 20 dressed in fine regalia enters from yet a different hallway that you did not know existed. He circles the table counter clockwise. stopping at the mystical creature of unknown origins, and then speaks "Well then good sir I have brought them here now tell them what they must do." The mystical creature informs those gathered of the imminent peril to the world as you all know it. Speaking loud enough for all to hear...

The Portents have been read and they say that the mother of dragons is raising an army to overthrow Asgorath and destroy his domain in the outer planes. Certainly Asgorath will have called upon the mighty platinum dragon and his forces to defend the domain. However in their haste they have left the material plane with little to defend itself from the terror that is bound to spring forth.

The mystical creature stops speaking long enough for the true situation to sink in and then continues. We believe that there can be salvation if you the chosen hero's can but succeed at what is certainly a legendary task that could end in death. It is foretold that there are 5 crystals kept by the five greatest calamities known to mankind. Yes I speak of dragons and not just the minor pests that have been causing havoc here and there, but rather these are the ones that quite possibly created each of the chromatic dragons that you all know of. They themselves only being created by the mother of dragons.

You will be left to your own devices, methods and means to complete this quest, what it is that you will need to do with the crystals is unknown but perhaps more information will be learned as they are gathered. Should you win the day and defeat evil the rewards are bound to be legendary, even beyond what the good king here can offer. With that the mystical creature falls silent.

The young man then speaks to all present. I give you this parchment with my seal, show it to the merchants they will see that you are provisioned and outfitted. For those of you who require reagents and components for your magic speak to this fellow here and he may be able to gift you something, but the kingdoms magic provisions are off limits as our magic users requirements force me to keep them in order to keep the kingdom safe. Go now for time is short.

With that the young man returns to the spot where he appeared and then disappears. The Captain of the Guard stands and says if you will follow me, I will see you to the town square, unless you have business with ( pointing to the mystical creature ) That !.


 Link to OOC 
 Link to Recruiting 
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

Moving to sit next to the captain of the god, was what appeared to be a white furred Harengon in more religious robes. She pulled back the chair and set down, looking over the food and drink that was provided, glancing about under the shadows of the headgear at the others who joined. Only appearing to eat and drink some of the food and drink, in moderation, she secretly pocketed what she could, to avoid any of the poisons she suspected could be in the food and drink.
Lioslaith
The paladin sits stoically and has remained quiet throughout the entire introduction.  In full armor including the helmet he could almost be mistaken for a statue were he not seated at the table.    "Perhaps we should start at the archives to see if we can glean any information as to where to begin our search?"    He tosses out casually to the group.  Some may recognize him by reputation as a templar from the Church of Tempus.
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
    "Perhaps we should start at the archives to see if we can glean any information as to where to begin our search?"   
 

The Captain of the Guard upon hearing this, If you wish the Archives I can take you there, after dropping those that need it off in the town square.
redfeline
A spirited looking halfling woman drops out of her chair. " I would also like to check out the local archives. "
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
  "I shall accompany you two."   says the harengon, politely wiping her mouth before standing to join them, unsure of what to make of the mystical creature. She was mildly surprised no assassins' had shown up. At least not yet.
Lioslaith
Raphael stands and nods to the king's advisor and starts to leave the chamber.  As he does he speaks to those accompanying him,   "For those that do not know me by reputation I am Raphael from the Church of Tempus.  If we are to be thrust into this quest together I would know who I am travelling with, ... please?"    The please comes almost as an after thought, he was not used to having to deal with pleasantries nor working with others.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Ah, I am but one of many and many of one. It would be doubtful you'd have heard of me, for I'm naught but a whisper on the wind, but if you wish to call me something, there are those who call me... Anthaasius."  She follows him slowly, keeping her hands together, on in the other, down in front of her.
redfeline
 "Doctor Glimmertoe, I am one of the worlds leading experts on giants. In this case it seems giant lizards, although I guess it is only safe to call them that from a great distance."  The halfling woman moves some of her purple tinted hair out of her eyes and slows her pace to match the others.
samduke
Ooc. Moving on as the concensus is goto the archives...

As you wander through the city streets, you see in the near distance a well made structure you estimate at leat 100 ft high and a full city block wide.

As you approach what can only be described as the entrance it is a single wooden door hung on 12 hinges.

The captain of the guard says to all of you..
This is where we part, good luck...

The captain of the guard then leaves at a rather quickened pace.
Starmage21
A man-sized and lifelike statue hewn from a beautiful dark wood and gilded in metal plates that bear a bronze or silvery tone stands beside the door to the archives. It is only when it moves to greet you that you realize that it is not a statue but some form of being. When it speaks, very humanlike teeth shine with a golden reflection, a stark contrast to the finished wood from which its human-like face is carved.

  "Greetings Adventurers! I am Juste, and I will be joining you on your mission, and I am pleased to meet you."  

Juste leans a very well-crafted spear into his left hand from where he held it upright in his right hand, and then outstretches it to the group lead here by The Captain.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The harengon pauses for a moment as the statue approaches and begins talking, taking a moment to blink... teeth. She moves to stand to position Raphael between her and the teeth.. err. golem. Even in her terms of being an assassin for hire Athanasius found something unnerving with just how human like the teeth were. At least they did match the rest of human looking statue, rather than being individually carved human teeth on a more animalistic statue. A thought hit her as she began to wonder the construction of a golem.. Could the teeth had been trophies?
Lioslaith
  "Well met Juste and Doctor Glimmertoe, I look forward to trying to complete this quest with you all."  
Lioslaith
Raphael will stride up to the door and attempt to knock on it.
Benoojian
Wendell follows the group to the archives,  "Name's Wendell Frank, and I'm not the researcher type normally. I'm not that type of holy man. I suppose I'd better make an exception for a threat this big. I still would love to get down to the market and replenish spell components after."  He is a heavily armored Tortle with a deadly looking sickle strapped to his back.
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
 Raphael will stride up to the door and attempt to knock on it. 
 

Thump, thump, thump the door reverberstes as you knock. Several minutes later, you see the massive door swing open , a tiny creature that looks like a cat with wings, is looking in your direction then in common speaks... are you here to buy sell or trade?
Lioslaith
  ”Actually we are here to research something.”  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
   ”Actually we are here to research something.”   
 

Reasearch, so you want to look at our material, then ... i shall summon my mistress...
Shouting into the archives
 MASTER !!  , you are all temporarially deafened 2 rounds

...

Time passes, A short human female with long flowing blonde hair and green eyes, walks into view, speaks to the winged cat in an unfamiliar language, then addresses the party.

So she tells me you wish to research something,  I would have you tell me what it is you wish  to research and please be specific.
Benoojian
Wendell gives a small bow to the Librarian, as any keeper of knowledge deserves.  "We would like to research the locations, allies, protections and weaknesses of the 5 Great Calamities, such that we might strike down the great wyrms and prevent a great evil. I would also like to purchase a few books of general knowledge for my spellwork." 
samduke
She makes a swift motion with her left hand a rather large tome appears out of thin air. then she begins to look through it. Then as if in a trance...

Dragons: row 14, shelf 4, book 17
Locations of dragons row 29, shelf 8, book 2
Allies of dragons row 9 shelf 1, book 99
Weaknesses of dragons row 35 shelf 19, book 33
Protections of dragons row 10 shelf 2 book 44

.. you may look but you may not take, you may read but you may not copy, touch a single book that you do not have permission and you will sort my books for a month.

then as if coming out of the trance

Oh my has it become that time already? , I am sorry I do not sell my books

taking a step inside you will find immediately to your right is the exterior wall north south, and the exterior wall east west to your left - each row segment runs north south, separated by 5ft from the exterior walls and 5ft from each other row segment , and each north south row segment has shelves that are 100 ft long, each north south row segment is separated by 5 ft then the next row segment begins. Each north south row segment of shelfs consists of 50 shelves floor to ceiling each 2ft apart from each other, there is a mobile ladder on each segment
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The Harengon frowned slightly at this turn of events as she looked over all the books.  "I fear that it will be an impossible task to not touch a single book beyond the ones she named. Such a task would take a long number of moments to plan the proper route, investigate detection methods, and more. It is isn't going to be simple waltz through a library. Not much of an achieves if getting access is so dreadfully dreadful. More of a vault of secrets." 
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Triskavanski 
       
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The Harengon frowned slightly at this turn of events as she looked over all the books.  "I fear that it will be an impossible task to not touch a single book beyond the ones she named. Such a task would take a long number of moments to plan the proper route, investigate detection methods, and more. It is isn't going to be simple waltz through a library. Not much of an achieves if getting access is so dreadfully dreadful. More of a vault of secrets."  
 

With those comments

Oh please firgive me, where are my mannors my name is Serenity, and this is my archive and the books within are my treasures, for a small fee or an gift if you prefer I can have Minx get the books you wish to read and you may do so in the reading area near the center of my archive
redfeline
The halfling woman came forward.  "Doctor Harmony Glimmertoe, it is a pleasure to meet you Serenity. I imagine we both value our time almost as much as we value knowledge. Would a gift of my thesis on the shared divine origins and storm and cloud giants suffice as a gift? I spent a great deal of effort breaking down the contemporary theories as cloud giants tend more to selfish desires compared to the larger storm giants which often are more altruistic in their actions."

"That said, what sort of fee are we talking about?" 
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by redfeline 
 The halfling woman came forward.  "Doctor Harmony Glimmertoe, it is a pleasure to meet you Serenity. I imagine we both value our time almost as much as we value knowledge. Would a gift of my thesis on the shared divine origins and storm and cloud giants suffice as a gift? I spent a great deal of effort breaking down the contemporary theories as cloud giants tend more to selfish desires compared to the larger storm giants which often are more altruistic in their actions."

"That said, what sort of fee are we talking about?"  
 

A thesis while I am sure it may contain a unique insight into some of the giants, it certainly is not a book. I value books, like most value gold. The fee I speak of is that of a very particular book. One that is within your groups power to obtain if I am surmising your reasons for wanting to read the books correctly.

Within the hall of the mountain lord, in the mountains that bleed fire, there is a book that I would have as my fee. You would know this is the book I seek when you see it. When you see it you will understand why I want it.

Do we have a deal ?
redfeline
 "So to summarize, Serenity, you will give us access to the research we need, or at least the books that contain that research, in exchange for us retrieving a book that you currently will not tell us the name of or why you want it?"    The halfling rubbed her chin.

"I am worried about the nebulous terms of the deal, I for myself can only accept them if you can accept our timeline and one other condition. That condition being that once we find said book, we would only bring it here if it will not cause harm to others and you cause no harm to others with that book. As for the timeline, we have just now made a significant engagement. That quest must come first, if going to the hall of the mountain king, in the mountains that bleed fire is doable while perusing our current goal, we will do so, if it is not we will only do so after completing the task we are currently charged with."

Harmony looks at the rest of the group. "Does this sound like a reasonable offer?"
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

Athanasius keeps an impassive expression, yet there was a slight aura of annoyance from the Harengon.  "In order to save time planning the proper path of attempting find the books to read, we are to spend more time in a completely alternate task in which we are given no information about either. If this task is to be done, then we ask for one addition thing. The ability to copy notes into a blank book of our own."   but she was starting to get a feeling that what they were dealing with was the very thing that threatened the kingdom.
Lioslaith
  ”I have no qualms completing a task for a task. This is ever the life of an adventurer. We do not know what sort of urgency is placed on confronting the calamities other that that of who set us on the path. I have never known a king to not need whatever it is they want yesterday. Also these are dragons, time moves slower for them than even elves. I say we get this book so we can get our answers.”  
samduke
Serenity , asks that you follow her, she leads you to the center of her archive, as you travel you will notice that a great many shelves are empty in the center you find a large desk where a book resides open roughly 1/3 of the way. around the desk there are enough sitting places for herself and the entire party plus an additional 5 chairs.

As she sits behind the desk she touches the book in front of her it glows a bright but soft orange glow and begins to flip pages on its own.

The Portents have been read, and I presume that bumbling child king of ours has sent you here to gain the location and information of the five great dragons.
The least of your worries will be the pest white wyrm while its breath of cold is certainly painful, it is not deadly to a well equipped group.  Once you have it defeated reach into its gullet and extract the white gem.

The Green and Blue are equal in power and both can be defeated using tactics to your advantage, do not fall into their traps or you will die. once you have found their lairs sneak in and steal their gems.

Black is a true menace and will have to be delt with the upmost of cunning , and should you find its lair sneaking in will not be enough, but in its lair lies its gem that you seek

and last the greatest among them Red the mountain lord,
Within the hall of the mountain lord, in the mountains that bleed fire, lies its lair but I fear that you may need to slay the mighty wyrm to get anywhere near its lair to gain its gem.

once you have their gems, travel to Limbo or Celestia or the Abyss and sacrifice the gems in their rightful place upon the alter of the dragon. But you must choose before traveling as each offer its own rewards.

-
Serenity stops reading from the glowing book which has now stopped glowing, if you attempt to look at the book you will find no words appear on any page.

and the books you have requested have appeared upon the desk , Serenity speaks again I give permission to read, but no you may not copy these works.
If your memory is great then once you leave my archives, anything you remember you may place as a note in your books.

Now time is short and I must get on with my work here.
Lioslaith
  "I appreciate the information but through all that I did not hear a location for any of them mentioned, did I miss something?"  
samduke
black are typically in or near swamps, You should check to the east of Ravensburg

red are typically in or near hills or mountains, there is only one mountain that bleeds fire, go west of this place for 2 moons

green are typically in or near hill forests or mountain forests, you should check the evergreens that are to 3 weeks south

blue are typically in or near large bodies of water, the azur ocean is where I would look for this guy

white are typically in or near icy,snow covered plains or mountains, there are two areas with snow and icy conditions, 1 moon north or 4 moons south
Lioslaith
Turning to the others assembled there,   "Do we have any means of traveling these great distances quickly?  If not I believe the question of urgency has been answered for us."  
Benoojian
Wendell does some quick calculations in his head, furrowing his reptilian brow,   "I think with Wind Walk, I could get us to all these places in about a month total, a bit faster if we could get our hands on some teleport circle addresses nearby. Did the King say how urgent this task was? Also not super important but is she some kind of Oracle, the glowing is slightly off-putting."  
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Only means of traveling short distances instantly and quickly. But nothing in the distance we'd need to cover." 
samduke
(ooc: because starmage has not been on for a tad)

Juste Arobe Ott offers up the use of spells they have available but cautions that they can only be used 1 time a day

"Teleportation Circle will also require a destination circle , which the only known other than here is in Ravensburg

Teleport I would like to keep in reserve for the really long distance travel.

We must choose where we want to go first"
Lioslaith
  ”My suggestion would be that we try and take the white first.  Perhaps there are more known teleportation circles at least somewhat closer to our intended destinations.  Serenity do you know of any?  If we can get close we can wind walk to the final point.”  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
   ”My suggestion would be that we try and take the white first.  Perhaps there are more known teleportation circles at least somewhat closer to our intended destinations.  Serenity do you know of any?  If we can get close we can wind walk to the final point.”   
 

She consults her book , trance, glowing, talking (see ooc) and then back to normal, and then she provides a map to the party
Lioslaith
Raphael taps the map on the northern island,  Elphenheim &amp; Ukarei,   ”I say we try this one first once we are supplied and ready to go.  Unless anyone has a better idea I say prepare for a white dragon battle.”  
redfeline
Harmony nods  "Think we can pick up some potions of cold resistance?" 
Lioslaith
  ”I think as long as we have the funds we can. We should take a little time to re-prepare spells more appropriate to the fight.  . He pauses for a moment, the helmeted head tilting a bit to the side,   “I can speak to my temple and see if they would have a space to inscribe a teleportation circle that would be protected if everyone is okay with that?”  
Starmage21
Juste interjects at the mention of  Teleportation Circle 
  "Actually, such inscriptions take a full year to implement, and they represent a cost far in excess of the reagents used for the spell casting and inscription. Such circles are usually kept secret, and publicly known destinations would be heavily fortified. You can use  Teleportation Circles  to move an army in an instant."  

He pauses for a moment, rubbing his chin

  "I would take what the King said with a grain of salt. 'Urgency' to you or I would mean in the coming days, but to a king might mean months or years. These are the scales they must consider, for no great work is done fast, and we have far to travel. We should move with enough hustle to get the job done without lollygagging, but I do not believe we will fail if we suffer diversion."

"The one thing I know about dragons is that they can sleep for a very long time. Longer than human life spans and sometimes longer than elven ones. And they sleep more the older and bigger they get. We will actually be lucky if we stumble across the big ones we're looking for while theyre still awake, moving around, and making enough of a mess of things that we can track them down. I'll use a  Legend Lore  spell to see what I can discover once we know their names."  
Lioslaith
  ”So then we need other means of traveling to the nearest circle to then travel to a circle closer to our chosen destination?”  
samduke
[Begin OOC]


 
 Originally Posted by Starmage21 
 Juste interjects at the mention of  Teleportation Circle 
  "I would take what the King said with a grain of salt.   
 

*
it was actually the Mystical Creature that did all the talking, the king just introduced allowed the creature to speak and basically left. leaving the rest up to you guys
[End OOC]

Raphael speaks
 ”So then we need other means of traveling to the nearest circle to then travel to a circle closer to our chosen destination?” 

Serenity then speaks up in her own voice, if you require a means of travel that is not a spell to travel to or from a circle I would suggest going to the stables and acquiring a mount.
Lioslaith
Raphael’s helmeted head swivels towards Juste,   ”Are the circles large enough to transport horses?”  
samduke
Serenity thinks on that for a moment, well it will be up to you to decide the type of mount you take through any teleport circle, but yes I think a horse and rider would work
Starmage21
Juste nods to Raphael.

  "Anything smaller than the portal boundaries, which is to say slightly wider than a human arm span. You've got to be quick about it though. The portal stays open for about six seconds."  

He then looks to Serenity

  "As for a mount, I have a solution to that for myself. The rest of you may seek to find horses or other means of travel that can survive the cold."  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Looks like I'll be changing my Ring of Free Action infusion over to Boots of The Winterlands tomorrow morning.

Also I have a Broom of Flying which is my "mount"
 
Lioslaith
  "Sounds good to me, let us gather whatever components we need.  Are we going to wait a day so that we can prepare spells accordingly?  If so let us gather at the local tavern and get to know one another better."  
samduke
Time will pass for spells, mundane gear can be gotten, horses can be gotten if you want one. You meet back at the teleport circle which is exactly 10ft across
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

Joining the group at the teleportation circle after collecting his gear for surviving the cold weather was a snow leopard tabaxi, rather than the previous harengon. He casts prestidigitation warming up his under clothing.  "I trust we are ready? Truthfully I'm not much of one for riding horses though. I find it hard to keep them alive in this line of work."  his voice started off as the Harengon's voice from previously, but slowly adjusted to being something more whispery and growly.
Lioslaith
  "Well, if we are ready to go then?"  
samduke
The party activates the runes for elphenheim &amp; ukarei's Teleportation Circle, then step through.

Once on the other side of the portal, after a few moments the portal deactivates. Off to the north you will see the towering snow and ice covered mountain range, based on the information you gained from the books that Serenity provided you feel that one of three possible area warrant searching for a white dragon lair.

north and far to the west, north or north and far to the east.

Looking closer at the mountain you see that there is a clear tree line roughly about half way up, the trees while not sparse are definitely not thick. as there are spots that the ground can be seen.
the area to the east , west , and south are grassland plains with trees abound.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Well now from here, which direction where we wanting to go?"  the snow leopard asks, starting to take a few stretches, looking around.
Benoojian
 "Who would create a permanent teleportation circle in the middle of nowhere?" 
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Likely someone who wanted to be able to teleport out here, but didn't want it in a town. It was likely a secret. Or.."  He says digging around a little.  "No where used to be somewhere, but now its gone and all that remains is a circle." 
samduke
Ooc you remember from the books that the residents decided to pool resources and intentionally placed the circle between both cities
Benoojian
Wendell eyes the mountain,   "If the dragon is here it's probably near the cold peak. How far would you say that is? Should we fly up or take the scenic and sneakier route?"  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Benoojian 
 Wendell eyes the mountain,   "If the dragon is here it's probably near the cold peak. How far would you say that is? Should we fly up or take the scenic and sneakier route?"   
 

You would know that east and north will take you near elphenhiem but to the mountsin at normal foot speeds irs about 4 days, and west and north roughly the same about 4 days but to get to the other town its west and south

Stright up the middle to the mountain is about 2 days
redfeline
"Are we ready and prepared for a white dragon? The item is in its lair, so we need to find the lair right? I just assume fight the dragon on the ground in a cave then the air. I am not much of a flier."
Benoojian
 
 Originally Posted by redfeline 
 "Are we ready and prepared for a white dragon? The item is in its lair, so we need to find the lair right? I just assume fight the dragon on the ground in a cave then the air. I am not much of a flier." 
 

     Wendell begins to pace as he thinks, then casually walks up the side of a tree and delivers his musings whilst sideways, "  Perhaps one of the two nearby settlements could shed some light on where the lair is. A quick  wind walk  would have us there and back in a matter of hours.  ” The tortle is as used to flying as he is to swimming, so he doesn’t understand the discomfort with flying.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  


Athanasius gave a small shrug, turning his palms up to the sky and shook his head.  "Well whichever course of action the rest of you would want. The whole group politics is something I'm not so much of an accustomed to,  but even I don't think I could take down a dragon on my own." 
Lioslaith
  ”I say we head to a village to inquire about the dragon. We could guess right and pick the correct mountain or we could guess wrong and waste several days mountain hopping.  Let’s go to Elphenhiem.”  
Benoojian
“ Elphenheim it is.”  Wendell begins casting  wind walk  on the party. “ Is anyone particularly good at gathering information in small towns?” 
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Excellent suggestion. Lets go to the one to the north. They'll likely have heard something."  The feline said starting to walk away now from the group, expecting them to start following.
samduke
With Windwalk, the journey towards Elphenhiem takes several hours, as you approach the town, while roughly 2,000ft away still you can see the town has been blanketed in ice and snow. You see flying away a large white dragon, it is headed almost due north. (Ooc perception roll passed)
Lioslaith
  "We should see if there is anyone left alive in the town before we pursue the dragon."  
redfeline
 "Won't that just give the dragon a chance to destroy another town? We can see it and kill it now, especially if some of its magic has been used to destroy the town. I may be heartless here but I say we give chase.   Harmony says to the group.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Well that is simply fortuitous, we simply just need to follow the dragon."  the feline says starting to give chase.
Lioslaith
Raphael sighs and follows the others as they give chase.
samduke
While the thought of the town and it's inhabitants and their unknown condition lay heavily in your hearts you decide to give chase to the mighty beast.

After about 18 minutes Legendary Action  (1d20+13)[ 25 ] 
  Party:  
Frightful Presence DC 20 Wisdom saving throw , or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

The great White Beast has turned and is coming strait at you


Initiative ( Party ) then Dragon, which is still about 2 minutes away )
redfeline
 (2d20b1)[ 13 ]  vs fear, halfling adv. (Yeah I didn't expect to get that.)

IC: Doctor Glimmertoe finds herself frozen in air, unable to bring herself foreword any more.  "That is one very big dragon,"  she whimpers. She starts to hyperventilate for a moment before she begins to control her breath, building into some preprogramed routine of hers.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The cat pulls out his crossbow and takes aim the moment the dragon was in his longest distance to fire a shot, staying in the paladin's protective aura
Benoojian
Wendell is near enough to the paladin not to be affected by the dragon's first roar. He lowers to the ground and casts Protection From Energy(cold) on Athanasius once they are both fully solid again.   "That's a great idea Raphael, I'll protect the rest of the party likewise."   Then he casts Death Ward first on himself then on Athanasius and Doctor Glimmertoe. Finally he activates his Starry Form in the constellation of the Archer and readies Guiding Bolt to fire as soon as the dragon reaches 120 feet.
redfeline
Harmony takes a few more deep breaths and establishes control over her fears. She lets out a primal scream channeling her aggression into ancient giant magics, transforming herself into a 16ft tall giant. She pulls back her, (now,) flaming spear ready to toss it at the dragon as soon as it enters range.   "Come on then, none of us are getting any younger." 
Lioslaith
When the dragon gets within 60 feet Raphael will cast flame strike on it.

 
 Spoiler: Flame Strike 

 (4d6)[ 10 ]  Fire damage
 (4d6)[ 12 ]  Radiant Damage
Half damage on a save DC18
 
samduke
As the gargantuan white beast fly's in closer it is struck several times by various forms of magic and weaponry alike. The beast flying across the sky almost effortlessly roaring as it crosses overhead. then it circles around behind flying back as it strikes with it's icy blast in a 90-foot cone covering the party. Spotting the largest and what it thinks is the most dangerous target it swoops in biting, clawing and smacking the giant with it's tail as it fly's away as fast as it possibly can. ( it is headed North )

* it will be out of reach of any ranged weapon noted in OOC on the parties turn.
Lioslaith
  ”Best we can do at this point is try and follow it to its lair.”  

Raphael will take a moment before it gets out of range and cast Hunters Mark on the dragon at 5th level.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The catman lets out a sigh,  "Yeah seems to be the way. Its afraid now. Course if it gets back to its lair defeating it is going to increase dramatically in difference now. Can any of you wrestle the dragon to the ground if you where really really close to it?"  
Lioslaith
  ”Unless you are talking about making us as big as it is I can’t see me being more than a spec on its back. I doubt it would even known I’m there.”  
Starmage21
Juste's metal fingertips glow with a blue fire as he traces several arcane sigils which seem to hang about in the air for a moment.

  "Worry not, my compatriots. The runes of ancient giants will protect us from this dragon's frightful glare."  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Juste casts  Heroism  on one of the frightened party members.

He takes 19 damage from the dragon's breath (Made save plus Cold Resistance)
 HP:  133/152
 AC:  26
 
Lioslaith
  "That's it, run you filthy worm!  Show us the coward you truly are!!"  
samduke
The dragons ears perk up, its scales bristle and it turns around ( no check needed ) its coming back this time with purpose
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "I dare say you've made it angry, your wit knows no bounds. I suggest that people get ready..." 
 
 Spoiler 

Shooting with advantage.
 (1d20+8)[ 13 ] 
 (1d20+8)[ 22 ] 
 (1d8+3)[ 4 ] 
 (7d6)[ 21 ]  sneak attack

Will use whispers if I get a nat20
 
Lioslaith
  "Well, it was either that or chase the damn thing to it's lair."  
redfeline
The huge halfling glares at the dragon ready to tackle it to the ground. However in the amount of time the dragon takes to turn around She shrinks from over 10 feet tall to her normal just under 3 foot height. Clarity returning to her mind along with a bit of exhaustion.  "I don't really like our odds right now." 
Lioslaith
  ”When the dragon kills me, and you it, be sure and take the shard.”  .
redfeline
 "Spread out, we don't want to be caught in the space of one breath attack!"  The doctor moves north while also moving up.  On the second round she rages as the dragon charges.
Starmage21
Juste positions himself along the expected flight path of the dragon moving to attack his friend. Planting his feet, he begins focusing his gaze on the dragon as it returns.

  "I'll do my best to bring him down for a moment, then you lot can go to work!"  
samduke
Round 2 &amp; 3
As the great white beast fly's in towards Raphael, it gets pelted by weapon and spell alike until it realizes that it has become Incapacitated and instead of flying it is falling  (3d6)[ 12 ]  and skidding to a stop a mere 5 feet in front of Raphael

Round 4 Actions for the party
Lioslaith
Under the metal helmet Raphael’s face takes on a grim expression as he attacks the dragon.

 
 Spoiler: Att &amp; Dam 

 (1d20+10)[ 21 ] 
 (1d20+10)[ 13 ]  advantage

 (3d8+5)[ 20 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 5 ]  fire plus  (8d8)[ 40 ]  smite if it hits

 (1d20+10)[ 16 ] 
 (1d20+10)[ 11 ]  advantage

 (3d8+5)[ 22 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 6 ]  fire plus  (7d8)[ 29 ]  smite if it hits

 (1d20+10)[ 23 ] 
 (1d20+10)[ 14 ]  advantage

 (3d8+5)[ 17 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 3 ]  fire plus  (6d8)[ 27 ]  smite if it hits

Plus hunters mark  (1d6)[ 6 ]  ;  (1d6)[ 6 ]  ;  (1d6)[ 4 ] 

Also, I have lost track, I think that’s everything…
 


If I use guided strike on the second roll I think I killed it. +10 to the roll.
samduke
Raphael strikes the great beast with a vengeance. The great beast lets out its last breath as it dies.

*it will take time to harvest components ( scales, teeth, claws ) and some time to open the beast up and eventually find the only thing that comes close. "a great pure white clear diamond" roughly 2ft in diameter

you can travel back to the town that you left, it is only a few hours, or minutes if in cloud form, away.

once there you can rest, heal and regain spells and  ** LEVEL UP **
samduke
With the battle still fresh in your minds you approach the town of Elphenhiem.

*
Nestled near the majestic mountain range, the picturesque town of Elphenhiem emerges like a winter wonderland, its charming houses and structures blanketed in a pristine layer of glistening snow and ice. The town, with its quaint architecture, exudes a timeless charm that seems perfectly in harmony with the surrounding natural beauty. As you approach Elphenhiem, the crisp mountain air fills your lungs, and the scent of pine trees mingles with the subtle aroma of wood smoke from chimneys.

The towering peaks of the mountains cast long shadows near Elphenhiem, creating a sense of both awe and intimacy. The town's proximity to the mountains provides a stunning backdrop, with snow-capped peaks that seem to touch the sky. Jagged cliffs and frozen waterfalls add to the grandeur, while the icy landscape sparkles like a diamond in the sunlight, creating a serene and magical atmosphere.

The residents of Elphenhiem have adapted to the challenges of living in such a winter wonderland, with houses designed to withstand the heavy snowfall and chilly temperatures. Streets wind through the town like meandering pathways, flanked by quaint shops adorned with icicles, and the soft crunch of snow beneath your feet creates a soothing melody as you explore the charming streets. Townsfolk can be seen going about their daily routines, bundled up in cozy winter attire, exchanging warm greetings with rosy cheeks and cheerful smiles.

In Elphenhiem, the winter season is not just a time of cold and darkness; it is a celebration of nature's beauty and a testament to the resilience and warmth of the community that calls this enchanting town home. The mountains stand as silent sentinels, guarding over Elphenhiem and its inhabitants, creating a captivating and serene backdrop to a town that embodies the magic of winter.
*

You enter town in physical form, there are several residents moving about none of them look overly important.
Lioslaith
Raphael shrugs under the weight of the sack of dragon parts and pieces as he looks over the townsfolk.  In particular he is looking for an inn or pub or anything that might indicate people gathering.  He is also looking to see if anyone is paying the group any interest or simply ignoring them.

 
 Spoiler: Perception? 

 (1d20+3)[ 16 ] 
 (1d20+3)[ 9 ]  advantage
 
samduke
Buildings/Business's in town
Blacksmith, inn &amp; tavern, apothecary, town hall &amp; jail, peoples homes
*
No one seems to pay you much attention
Lioslaith
  "Does anyone want anything made?  I am going to head to the tavern and see if we can get any information.  Maybe have a drink or two to celebrate surviving the dragon."    With that said he heads off towards the tavern.
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
   "Does anyone want anything made?  I am going to head to the tavern and see if we can get any information.  Maybe have a drink or two to celebrate surviving the dragon."    With that said he heads off towards the tavern. 
 

it does not take long to reach the tavern/inn, you walk in and there are 6 others at various tables enjoying a meal or a drink, there is an elf maid scurrying about delivering food and such to a rather large dwarf.
There is an older human behind the counter looking at the maid as she moves about.
Lioslaith
Raphael sets his sack of stuff on the porch outside the tavern and continues in to the bar.  Taking a seat at the bar so he can observe the room he nods to the man behind it and orders a mead.    "Mead, or whatever you have that is close to it."  
samduke
the older man behind the counter does not seem to pay you any attention. as the elf maid wanders back and heads into the back where food is prepared. You notice the fireplace seems to be long since extinguished, the inside of the tavern is only slightly warmer than that of the outdoors, yet the patrons all seem to be dressed as if it were warm weather.

You study them, for a short time and you come to the realization they are not fully here almost as if Ethereal or possibly Ghosts.
Lioslaith
Raphael peers over the counter to see if there is any bottles within reach to get himself a drink.  If not he will get up and go behind the counter and get himself something.
samduke
Behind the counter: you will find 3 unlabeled bottles that have not been broken, each contain a liquid of unknown origin and age.
There is also a small box (6 inches long x 4 inches wide x 2 inches high), like one would keep coins and the like in. It is secured with an old and very odd looking lock.
Lioslaith
I will cast detect magic on the lot to see if anything shows up.
samduke
All 3 bottle detect magic

bottle 1 &amp; 3
Abjuration
Conjuration
Enchantment
Evocation
Transmutation

bottle 2 unidentifiable with this spell
Lioslaith
I will set the bottles on the counter,   "These are magical."   And then I will look inside the coin/pencil box.
samduke
Voin box, you find exactly 3 coin   the coin is slightly larger than a platinum peice oddly colored and each weigh slightly more than a gold piece, on  obe side is a dragon, on the other a castle
Lioslaith
 
 Originally Posted by samduke 
 Voin box, you find exactly 3 coin   the coin is slightly larger than a platinum peice oddly colored and each weigh slightly more than a gold piece, on  obe side is a dragon, on the other a castle 
 

I assume the coins do not show as magic.  Are they all the same color?  I will take one out of the box and examine it further.
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
 I assume the coins do not show as magic.  Are they all the same color?  I will take one out of the box and examine it further. 
 

if you are familiar with the color of Electrum pieces - its that color - but your characters have no knowledge of nor have seen an electrum piece.

but they are not electrum pieces value wise

no magic at all
Lioslaith
I'll hold one up to the rest of the group,   "Anyone ever seen one of these?"  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
 I'll hold one up to the rest of the group,   "Anyone ever seen one of these?"   
 

everyone replies "nope"
Lioslaith
I will set the potions on the counter and bring the tokens near them to see if anything changes before the detect magic runs out.
samduke
I need information 2 bottles detected 1 did not!, so with the coins i give you 1 shot at this each token drago up or castle up near what bottle
Lioslaith
Well I would set the potions far enough apart that I didn't get a false trigger.  Lets set them as a, b and c.  A and C show magic, coins the same way, 1, 2, 3.  So just the combinations of A1 front and back, A2 front and back, etc.  If that makes sense.

Basically seeing if the coins presence changes the potions or vice versa.

A potion and coin 1 dragon up, B potion and coin 2 castle up and C potion and coin 3 dragon up.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The cat man looks around for a moment.  "Well, I've got an idea."  he says before casting Etheralness to see if he can interact with the ethereal beings that way.
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Triskavanski 
       
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The cat man looks around for a moment.  "Well, I've got an idea."  he says before casting Etheralness to see if he can interact with the ethereal beings that way. 
 

You may interact with them as if normal now  they are very surprised to see you, and in this state you can not see or interact with the party normally
Starmage21
Juste frowns, his eyebrows reflecting the inn's firelight with the sheen of fresh linseed oil

  "I'm concerned that was not the dragon we were looking for, but rather one that decided that it was worth terrorizing the town for what it wanted. Moreover, we should search for its lair. Dragons are known collectors of magical artifice and wealth."  
Benoojian
  "Well that gem we found did match the description of the things we were looking for so I'd give it better than even odds that it was the right dragon. Now should we be concerned that the cat man seems to have joined the villagers in being some kind of ghost?"   Wendell puts his hand through the Ethereal Athanasius before drawing it back.   "You did do that on purpose, right?"  
Lioslaith
  "I don't think they can interact with us being ethereal.  Let's give them a bit to discover anything useful.  We can plane shift over to their world if it takes too long."  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
 Well I would set the potions far enough apart that I didn't get a false trigger.  Lets set them as a, b and c.  A and C show magic, coins the same way, 1, 2, 3.  So just the combinations of A1 front and back, A2 front and back, etc.  If that makes sense.

Basically seeing if the coins presence changes the potions or vice versa.

A potion and coin 1 dragon up, B potion and coin 2 castle up and C potion and coin 3 dragon up. 
 

a and c show detect magic
b not

a drago , b castle , c drago


***
Party IC inbound
samduke
All party members, - Fail save automatically

you are all now standing in a meadow, unknown location. the sun is out and just about to reach mid day.
you look north you see forest, you look east &amp; south you see water, you look west you see plains and in the distance a town.

the 3 bottles and 3 coins are gone.
Lioslaith
  "Well that was certainly ... unexpected.  I suppose we need to head to the town and see where we ended up.  My apologies everyone."    Raphael looks around, trying to get his bearings and taking account of how many of the group made the trip.
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
   "Well that was certainly ... unexpected.  I suppose we need to head to the town and see where we ended up.  My apologies everyone."    Raphael looks around, trying to get his bearings and taking account of how many of the group made the trip. 
 


all party members are here  and in their normal solid forms
Lioslaith
I will head towards the town.
samduke
(Presume the party all walks to town)

You all enter this town it is of a decent size (Population 500) various shops and homes scattered about.
the main industry of business seems to be at the Port and Ship builders.

Populace by race (humans 75%, elves 10%, dwarves 10%, others 5%)

*Places of interest*
town hall, jail, mercantile, guild hall, port, ship construction, blacksmith
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Well hello there. That did work.. Though the others.. Hmm. Well you there sir, Can you tell me about this place. Why are you all ethereal over here? We've slain the dra...  the cat man is cut off as he is suddenly somewhere else.  "I don't like this place."  he remarks flatly.
Benoojian
Wendell heads for the nearest shop to ask about the town and try to figure out where they are...and why.
samduke
Wendel enters the guild hall as that is the first builing he comes to that looks like a shop, inside are membets of different guilds but a you human male stops and tends to your requests.
 When you ask where you are, he indicates that you are in the village of greyhawk near castle greyhawk

As to why you are here he say only you can answer that
Lioslaith
Raphael will make his way to the town hall and see if he can get an audience with the mayor or whatever the figurehead of the local bureaucracy is called here.
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
 Raphael will make his way to the town hall and see if he can get an audience with the mayor or whatever the figurehead of the local bureaucracy is called here. 
 

Town hall much like any. Inside there are a couple of offices in the back, but up where you are near the entrance there are chairs for 30, a central podium, a smalll child running about with an unhinged parent giving chase. A tall human walks over asks your business, finding you are asking for the woman in charge he directs you to the back right office where silvia greets you as you enter. How may I be of assistance to you?
Starmage21
Juste goes to see the Blacksmith. Upon arrival to the smith's shop, he immediately takes out his favorite hammer and begins hammering out nails for the smith, his hammer ringing out in rhythm. He converses with the smith as he works.

  "It doesnt matter where you go. Nails are valuable. In some places, they use them like money. They take no skills to make, and everyone needs them."  

He shifts some material in the forge, stopping for a moment.

  "I may look strange to you, or I might not. Juste is my name. Artisan of The Royal Guild of Smiths and Artisans of Celyne by trade. Some friends and I are looking for a particularly ancient dragon who might be marauding these parts."  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Starmage21 
 Juste goes to see the Blacksmith. Upon arrival to the smith's shop, he immediately takes out his favorite hammer and begins hammering out nails for the smith, his hammer ringing out in rhythm. He converses with the smith as he works.

  "It doesnt matter where you go. Nails are valuable. In some places, they use them like money. They take no skills to make, and everyone needs them."  

He shifts some material in the forge, stopping for a moment.

  "I may look strange to you, or I might not. Juste is my name. Artisan of The Royal Guild of Smiths and Artisans of Celyne by trade. Some friends and I are looking for a particularly ancient dragon who might be marauding these parts."   
 

At the blacksmith.
it is usually customary to ask to use another smiths equipment yes?! exclaims the blacksmith

you are looking for a What? , after repeating yourself
you mean you are intentionally looking for a dragon and not just any but rather the meanest of the bunch.

look yonder towards the west you see those mountains just there about 2 days travel by horse I would guess.
follow that south and west to the mountain that never sleeps, you will find your fire breather there.
it does not bother us or the castle near here, it knows better than to try that again after the beating we gave it last time.

but if you be serious about going off after the bloody beast, I should measure you and your friends for a box I do not think you will be coming back.
Lioslaith
 
 Originally Posted by samduke 
 Town hall much like any. Inside there are a couple of offices in the back, but up where you are near the entrance there are chairs for 30, a central podium, a smalll child running about with an unhinged parent giving chase. A tall human walks over asks your business, finding you are asking for the woman in charge he directs you to the back right office where silvia greets you as you enter. How may I be of assistance to you? 
 

Raphael removes his helmet,   "Greeting Silvia, I am Raphael, my friends and I recently encountered an ancient white dragon then due to my bumbling have ended up here.  I am not certain where here is."    He nods and then takes a seat as he explains the task they were set to with collecting the dragon shards and asks,   "Would there happen to be a particular dragon plaguing the area?  I believe we should probably look for a black one if we can find it."  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
 Raphael removes his helmet,   "Greeting Silvia, I am Raphael, my friends and I recently encountered an ancient white dragon then due to my bumbling have ended up here.  I am not certain where here is."    He nods and then takes a seat as he explains the task they were set to with collecting the dragon shards and asks,   "Would there happen to be a particular dragon plaguing the area?  I believe we should probably look for a black one if we can find it."   
 

You are in the villiage of greyhawk, near castle greyhawk.
An anciant white dragon you claim i did not know such a beast existed. I dont know of these shards you speak.
I know a few years back it is told the castle garrison set one fire breather packing back to its mountain there off to our west.
 I have no idea of color i am afraid that is not something shared with us common folk
Lioslaith
  ”Perhaps a dragon that tends to wash its victims down with acid might make a more suitable descriptor?”  
samduke
I do not know about some dragon or any creature that has acid like that
Starmage21
Juste looks at the blacksmith quizzically without ever stopping working.

  "The hammer and the work belongs to me. This pig iron thats suddenly become nails for you to sell never stopped being yours. The information you've given me is valuable, and the work to make the nails is payment. Seems a fair trade for an honest tradesman like yourself, dont you think? If you disagree I can stop working right now and we can discuss other forms of payment."  

He chuckles

  "You might be right about the boxes. I dont expect to return from this trip. Such is the nature of quests given by divine beings. They test you to your limits."  

Juste works for 1 hour, fashioning as many nails as he can in that time. Then he goes to the inn to wait for his compatriots and share information about the red dragon. He will order food and drink, though he cannot eat it. Its just not right to occupy tablespace and not patronize the establishment.


 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Smith's Tools  (1d20+15)[ 24 ]  (+5 Strength, +5 Proficiency, +5 Expertise)
 
Lioslaith
Nodding his dismissal, Raphael will put his helmet back on and leave the building. Once he decides where the Inn is located he will head there to await the others.

Coming inside he see Juste and takes a seat at his table.   ”I have managed to gather very little helpful information, apparently the town guard drove off a fire breathing dragon a few years ago. Somehow I doubt that is our quarry since a town guard managed to drive it off.  Also if it’s breathing fire it could be a red or possibly a more benign metallic one. That would explain its willingness to leave. But that is only speculation “  
samduke
Wendel eventually arrives at the inn, meeting up with his comrades they begin to discuss what they have learned.

a while back a dragon that breathed fire menaced the town and castle, the castle garrison drove it away, it flew back towards the mountains to the west and has not returned.

the port has ships coming and going on a daily basis those ships travel to the outer islands and back with various goods.

One of the ships captains tells a tale of a watery flying beast that menaces ships from time to time off the azure coast where the ocean turns deep.
Lioslaith
  "Perhaps we should try and find the watery flying beast.  If we manage to slay it we could endear ourselves to the ships captains and then have passage to other places."  
Benoojian
  "I feel investigating that teleport might be more important. Sure it seems to have brought us in the right direction this time but it could have just as easily dropped us in an active volcano. It's not natural, being able to dispel a high level spell at the same time as it moved us, without even touching our defenses. Could it have something to do with that gem we took off the white dragon?"  
Lioslaith
  "It seemed to be triggered by how I arranged the coins and bottles.  There were both dragons and castles on either side of the coins.  I believe I just happened to get the castle combination rather than a dragon one."    Pausing for a moment he continues,   "Likely it was some artifact with a one time use?  I have seen no trace of it since we arrived here.  We do need to get back at some point and find the dragon lair to loot it."    Raphael is not talking in hushed tones, anyone can hear him speak.
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  
 "Well the question there is why was there such a powerful artifact just sitting in a bar with people there. When I went ethereal they could see me, but we and only we were teleported before I could ask them anything." 
samduke
Night falls as the party, eats and settles in for the night, Wendel decides to wander off in the night , when morning comes and he is not located the party learns Wendel was last seen traveling west towards the mountains...
Lioslaith
Raphael comes down to the bar/eating area and orders himself some breakfast while musing to himself,   I wonder which direction we should go, hopefully we can decide on a direction this morning and be off.  
Starmage21
Juste does not order food or water, but pays for a meal anyway. He sits, listening to the explanations of the others, and noting his missing compatriot.

  "We have two choices. We pursue the azure beast into the sea, or we head west into the mountains to find the Red. Given that one of us has already headed West, I think we should follow. While I think it was folly for them to go ahead of us, perhaps this will allow them to blaze a trail they could not with the rest of us in tow."  
Lioslaith
  "Personally I do not think we are ready to take on the Red.  They will be the worst.  Since we don't really know where the others are I would suggest the one at sea."  
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

Time passed and things happened, an here was Athanasius  "Can either of you swim?" 
Lioslaith
  "I can, I can also fly.  I assume we have the arcane means for us all to fly as well as to breath underwater."  
samduke
After some lengthy discussions the party has decided to bid a fond farewell to one of their party whom has wandered off to the west. While in town enjoying the things it has to offer you learn of a ship that is heading out into the Azure Sea, the captain is willing to take you on as passengers as he does not need more crew. In exchange for this passage he does ask that you freely defend his ship from an aquatic threats that would menace his ship. The Party agrees to this as it seems reasonable and the following high tide the captain and the crew of the Golden Lion set sail. The ship is roughly 40ft wide at its widest point and from bow tip to stern is about 160ft long it has two main masts, the taller of the two hosts a crows nest capable of holding three brave sailors currently there are only two sailors keeping watch. The next few days and nights that pass are uneventful. The fourth morning the captain requests your presence in his quarters as he claims you are about to enter the Azure Sea.

Good Day, I am glad you are all well rested it has been an easy voyage up until now. A few hours sailing from hear and we will be in the Azure Sea proper. I would like you spread out fore, starboard and port sides for the threats I expect to come. These threats have been known to be but not always occurring.  Sharks, Octopus, Squid, Whale, and that damned flying menace!  I hope you can fly, swim or hold your breath underwater if needed. Any Questions ?
Lioslaith
  "Could you possibly elaborate a bit on the damned flying menace?"  
samduke
Well I have heard tale, the beast is gargantuan nearly impossible to see if it is in the water. and when it comes near there are always thunderstorms that precede it. A few survivors of a supposed attack have told the tale that it can call lightning from the very skies.
Lioslaith
  "Sounds like the blue, we will keep watch, captain."  
Triskavanski
      
    Athanasius   
Tabaxi Assassin Rogue | Collage of Whisper's Bard
 HP:  82/129  AC: 15  Init: 10  
Bardic Inspiration:  4 
Voice:   "Now that... Is a secret."   
 
  

The catman bites his lip. He could not fly, nor breath water. He was unsure if he could swim all that well either.
samduke
8 Hours go by and you stand your stations ...  (1d100)[ 54 ] 
*
16 Hours go by and you stand your stations ...  (1d100)[ 46 ] 
*
24 Hours go by and you stand your stations ...  (1d100)[ 87 ] 
*
nothing has occurred, you begin to wonder if the captain was justified in his worry about the area of the sea that you are in.

(OOC Party Please identify where you are on the ship at midday of day 2. and do any RP you feel like)
Lioslaith
Raphael is hanging out at the stern near the helm making casual conversation with the helmsman and/or the Captain if they are there.

  ”It seems we have been blessed with quiet these past couple of days. I assume these trips are typically more fraught with danger?”  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Lioslaith 
   ”It seems we have been blessed with quiet these past couple of days. I assume these trips are typically more fraught with danger?”   
 

The deckhand at the helm: Yes and that is what troubles me even more.
Starmage21
Juste is occupying his time aboard the ship serving as crew. When ropes snap, he repairs them with  Mending . Anyone who needs to work up high in the rigging or over the rails of the ship gets  Water Walk  ritual cast on them. When planks need replacing he handles that literally himself. He's heading down to slide down a rope with an armful of timbers mid-ship when the conversation gets going.

  "I'd say that is par for the course then. We're currently in the calm before the storm. It is like when you're in the forest and the birds go quiet and you can hear a pin drop or a syndicate moves into town and suddenly the local crime rates fall through the floor. Something big and scary is making the little things hide. I'd wager we've been followed by that dragon since we set sail and things went all quiet like."  
samduke
 
 Originally Posted by Starmage21 
 Juste is occupying his time aboard the ship serving as crew. When ropes snap, he repairs them with  Mending . Anyone who needs to work up high in the rigging or over the rails of the ship gets  Water Walk  ritual cast on them. When planks need replacing he handles that literally himself. He's heading down to slide down a rope with an armful of timbers mid-ship when the conversation gets going.

  "I'd say that is par for the course then. We're currently in the calm before the storm. It is like when you're in the forest and the birds go quiet and you can hear a pin drop or a syndicate moves into town and suddenly the local crime rates fall through the floor. Something big and scary is making the little things hide. I'd wager we've been followed by that dragon since we set sail and things went all quiet like."   
 

The Deckhand at the wheel:
I know that if the weather turns foul usually that is a bad sign. I know not about this.
Lioslaith
  "We will try and be ready if they come."  