Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 119
Adventurers
| Character | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ajar of the Plan | Dwarf level 2 | Unbelievably strong and dexterous dwarf. |
| Balarus | Fighter level 1 | An ex-woodsman, quite a crackshot with his bow. |
| Gomm | Thief level 6 | Swarthy, good looking, dark-skinned thief. Sweet opium-like aroma is his fragrance of choice. |
| Ambros | Cleric level 5 | Follower of Aniu, Lord of Time. |
| Ignaeus | Elf level 3 | A slightly weathered looking elf with dull blonde hair and chiselled features. Seeks wealth and knowledge. |
| Dalkanarion | Fighter level 2 | A youthful specimen in full strength, full of purpose, bluster, and eagerness to prove himself. |
Goodgrove 20th to Blackmoon 6th
With two new treehouses built it is much more comfortable to sleep and live with Ah'sas the Terrible witch. Alas, the witch had fallen ill and spent most of the time in the hut.
Ignaeus was filled with conflicting emotions. He felt strong longing for the sunken fort; a strong call to return. At the same time he felt doomed; that nothing good would come from return. His shadow was still frail and inconsistent.
Gomm was unable to sleep without light. He always felt like he was watched. He still had three shadows. Whenever it is dark it looks like two shadows are choking or otherwise abusing the middle one. Gomm can feel it. But when he looks all is well. When light is around all is well. Uncanny.
Neither Ambros nor Tarkus had much wisdom to share on their friends' ailments. They might be potent curses, but it is difficult to say.
Dalkanarion became the new wielder of Oathkeeper. Three mighty paladin spirits within welcome the strong warrior. They would grant their power as long as he kept his path a Lawful and Righteous one. In return the Grecian warrior proclaimed his fealty and newfound path to follow.
Gomm was suspicious of Ah'sas. She has been quite vital and virile up to now. What's with the sudden twist? For that reason he spent the week observing her. The witch got worse by the day. She spent her time fully dressed, something quite uncommon for her, and frequently claimed to be cold. Anyone who touched her could confirm that she was in fact boiling hot.
Master Thief also noted that she had private audiences with Bakaru (second day), Balarus (third day), and Beorg (fifth day).
Ah'sas asked Balarus to promise her that he will protect her sister Anit. She then told him a loving story of how she—Ah'sas, not Anit—fornicated with a knight so hard the man perished from exhaustion. She described where she buried him with his equipment. His sword and shield detected as magical, so Balarus might find them useful.
“Well now! Have to dig up the “heavily fornicated” knight!!” Dalkanarion exclaimed excitedly to Balarus sharing the request with other adventurers “I hope the shield doesn’t bear a phallus for heraldry.”
Ah'sas described Beorg in great details how and where she would like to be buried: wrapped in linen, ten feet deep, beneath a flowerbed of wildflowers. If possible something sweet and poisonous, so passer-bys can enjoy while they suffer.
Gomm and Ambros had a secret meeting where they agreed their best course of action is to wait it out.
On morning of Blackmoon 6th, Airday, Bakaru ran out of Ah'sas hut, bawling. The witch has passed away.
Beorg buried her as requested while Ambros held an eye-watering sermon. The gravedigger made sure to wrap Ah'sas in linen, but not in her cloak, that might be magical after all. Then the adventurers spent rest of the day ransacking her belongings.
They were surprised to find out Ah'sas had spent her last moment labelling all the vials—numerous potions—so they can use them. She had also left a special note written in self-erasing runes in her spellbook:
“Ignaeus, only this text is safe to read. I have cast an almighty curse on remaining pages. Gift this spellbook to someone you truly detest.”
Adventurers also exhumed the former lover, finding an obsidian sword with bone hilt and a a round steel shield with three circles in the center. One of the circles was solid stone, while other two were polished steel.
Finally, they counted the total rations.
Enough food for next two weeks.
Gomm grinned.
Bakaru presented the witch's last gift:
A vial of red lotus extract.
A drop can kill a man.
A vial can kill a village.
“It's time to kill the dragon.”
Blackmoon 7th, Waterday
Party of six reached sunken fort by noon. They headed straight to the chapel overlooking the courtyard and the tower. Everybody hid behind broken windows, crouching, waiting for Gomm to complete his daring mission. Hairy midgets were oblivious to adventurers' presence.
Sharper Thief quaffed potion of invisibility, jumped into the courtyard, and then snuck all the way up to the tower. Then he slid all the way east, until he was between tower wall and fortress wall. He slowly scaled the tower. Upon reaching the top crenellations, Gomm gingerly pulled himself up.
There she was in all her glory. Sor'Ves the Magnificent, a blue dragon, basking in the sun. She rolled in her glimmering hoard, half-asleep, belly exposed to the sun. Her head was resting on her belly, her wings tucked to the side, her talons stuck in mounds of gold and silver.
The thief held his breath and climbed on top of the crenelations. Then he squatted there motionless; waiting for the perfect opportunity. His plan was simple: pour the red lotus poison down the dragon's throat, or if such opportunity does not present itself, down its ear.
Gomm waited and waited.
Sor'Ves kept her mouth shut, rolling over here and there, but otherwise failing to present an attractive opening to the thief.
Gomm could see his fingers and feet beginning to materialise. Invisibility was up!
Sharper Thief jumped on Sor'Ves neck, surprising her. He hugged her tight with his left arm, whilst trying to uncork the poison vial with his right. Alas! The dragon jerked, sending Gomm and red lotus vial flying!
The thief landed safely, as did the vial. But the latter got quickly lost in the massive treasure hoard!
Sor'Ves boomed with rage at the audacity of someone assaulting her right in her home.
“This is my signal...” Dalkanarion thought. He drank the potion of giant strength, drew the massive Oathkeeper, and jumped into the courtyard. He walked wit swagger of conqueror and bellowed out his challenge to the dragon atop the tower. Many foul words were used. They definitely worked.
Gomm exploited the chaos to chug another potion he had with him. Everything became larger as he turned into one foot long flying gecko! He shimmied into the mounds of silver and gold, desperately searching for the vial of red deadly poison.
Dalkanarion's terrible visage broke the morale of pygmy guardians and half of them fled into the tower. Sor'Ves, now standing in all her glory, could see everyone in the courtyard, including those hiding in the chapel.
“I am coming for you!” Dalkanarion boomed as he broke through the tower doors and rushed up.
Ambros, Balarus, Ignaeus, and Ajar all took a shot at the dragon's nose. All missed but Ajar.
Sor'Ves snickered.
Dozens of little sparks snapped around her head. Then she opened her mouth, unleashing a deafening lightning strike.
Ajar was turned into a deformed charcoal hunk; his weapon and armour fused to his lifeless body.
Gecko Gomm, in a stroke of luck, managed to find the poison, but then struggled to handle the vial since he no longer had opposing thumbs.
Dalkanarion chucked aside two pygmies whom had tried to block his advance up the tower stairs. He stopped by the trapdoor, and bellowed out insults and provocations once more.
Ambros, Ignaeus, and Balarus hacked the furry midgets in the courtyard, and then entered the tower to do the same to those inside.
Sor'Ves faced the trapdoor, ready to rend the arrogant warrior to shreds. His suffering will be legendary. She will charm or sleep him, and then force him to watch as she butchers his friends. Then she would cripple him, and leave his mangled corpse hanging on the tree—as a warning for all others whom might have similar stupid ideas.
Dalkanarion, imbued with strength of frost giant, interrupted her daydreaming as he burst through the trapdoor. She turned to bite him, but the warrior was quicker. Sor'Ves was surprised as he held her maw wide open with ease. She tried to bite as hard as she could, but Dalkanarion's mighty thews did not give in.
“GOOOMMMMMM!!!” the warrior roared.
A flying gecko emerged from the coins, vial of red liquid in its tiny jaw. It flew over the struggling duo, and then dropped the vial straight into Sor'Ves open mouth.
Another fail!
He missed her open throat by inches, jamming the vial between the dragon's fangs.
Calling on Zeus, Dalkanarion smashed Sor'Ves mouth shut with all his might. Shards of glass intermingled with red lotus poison flew down the dragon's gullet. Within seconds she was bleeding from her eyes and ears.
Coughing blood, Sor'Ves disengaged and stepped back, intent on flying upwards.
Dalkanarion seized the moment.
He picked up the Oathkeeper that he had to lay down in order to wrestle with Sor'Ves the Magnificent.
Sun reflected off her exposed belly. The sea of coins sung beneath the warriors sandaled feet.
“O Three come sing with me a song not of words but of deed”
Dalkanarion tightened his grip.
“Shine bright strike true.”
He swung with one hand, for the potion had bestowed him strength of frost giants, allowing him to wield the massive slab of steel with great ease.
“The wings of Nike flutter here but for a moment.”
Greatsword imbued with High Paladins of the Phoenix Order, Roan Order, and Dragon Order cut into the Sor'Ves exposed flesh.
“For blind Themis, blood-sacrifice, for he scales of Justice. Drink deep of Glory. Nenikikamen!”
Dragon guts spilled all over the tower floor, gore caking thousands of coins and gems and other valuables. Sor'Ves cried out, flapped impotently, staggered backwards, and fell down.
Dalkanarion faced the sun, bloodied and victorious. He pointed Oathkeeper to the skies and uttered:
“Where once I entered this apocryphal demesne Dalkanarion ó Pelasgos, I now exit Dalkanarion Dracoktonus!”
Adventurers happily shifted through the messy treasure hoard, counting 66 000 silver pieces, 45 000 gold pieces, 200 small gems, and 80 medium gems. They also recovered all their previous “tributes” to Sor'Ves.
All they had to figure out now was how to haul all of this back home.
Dalkanarion's Poem by Theo.
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