09: The Cult Of The Dragon

The group continues clearing the ruins of Thundertree and arrive at the cabin of the druid Reidoth, who warns them of another group within the town: the Cult of the Dragon.  Davron recognizes the group as fanatics who assist dying dragons in living on as undead Dracolyches.  Embra mentions the slaying of King Groll and Gundren’s curse and Reidoth agrees he will cure the petrification on the condition that the group kills the young green dragon within the tower on the hill.  Reidoth mentions that the cult typically seeks the dead, but in this case they have begun currying favor with a living dragon for reasons he cannot fathom.  He also warns them of a nest of giant spiders in the farmhouse at the central road passing through town.  The group rests that night in Reidoth’s cabin.

Reidoth reaffirms his promise to assist the group after they kill the dragon and gifts them a few items for their task.  The group continues into town and proceeds clearing out the ruined town of Twig Blights.  They make their way towards the center of town and are confronted by giant spiders, which they destroy with some effort.  They find the dessicated corpse of an elven ranger within a cocoon and resolve to bury him after they’ve cleared the town.

The group surrounds the abandoned herbalist’s shop and Shiv climbs the roof for a better vantage; Embra leads the team into the building, where they confront six undead.  Embra orders the team to reverse and she raises her shield, unhooks a flask of lantern oil and hurls it into the center of the room.  Davron hurls his torch and the room is engulfed in flames; Embra shuts the door.  Three more undead arise from the surrounding area and close in on the group outside.  The roof upon which Shiv is standing caves in and she falls, barely catching herself one-handed on a load-bearing beam.  As the group engages in the surrounding zombies the undead inside the structure push their way out and stumble into the night, bodies ablaze, and shamble towards the group.  The combat is pitched around the burning building and Shiv manages to climb back atop the roof and scramble to safety.  In moments the undead lay smoldering and unmoving while the group recollects itself and pushes towards the building occupied by the cult.

The group hides in an abandoned house across from the occupied building and Shiv projects an image of a lost traveler with a great deal of kit.  A voice calls out for the apparition to halt and two arrows are fired from a window slot in the building and four guards exit and give chase.  The group moves to the back door of the building and realize it is barricaded.  Shiv’s Mage Hand spell swings open one of the wooden shutters of the building and Davron peeks into the buidling, seeing two archers are approaching the room.  Davron casts his Spiritual Weapon inside the room and Karendil fires spells at the men.  Embra shoots and kills one of the soldiers chasing the apparition; the other two flee out of sight around the corner of the house.  Karendil fires two missles at the archers within and kills them both.

Embra runs out of view of the group and takes a shot at one of the cultists and misses.  The cultist hits her with a scimitar and the other runs at her but his strike clanks off her armor.  The group rounds the corner and kills one of the cultists and savages the other but leaves him alive.  They realize there is one person unaccounted for; possibly a person named Favrik who is recipient of a letter found among the belongings of the cultists.  Embra and Davron drag the surviving cultist inside the building, fortify it, search it and set up a watch for the evening.

• MIA: Jeffrey

• 8 Twig Blights
• 6 Giant Spiders
• 6 Undead
• 6 Cultists

• +4 Healing Potions from Reidoth
• Poison Resistance powder from Reidoth
• Body of Elven Ranger: Leather Armor, Shortsword, 1 Potion of Healing, 23gp, 35sp
• Cultist belongings: 24gp
• 1 Small Chest with 3 large diamonds set in the case (worth 300gp) in the Cultist compound containing:
• Letter written in Draconic addressed to someone named Favrik instructing him on operations in Thundertree and urging him to gain the confidence of the green dragon.

245 XP (3025 XP total)

• Cameo: Vesuvius the Volcano
• First Appearance: The Talking Die
• Handle Yo Business
  Group: *taunts NPC Reidoth out-of-character about handling the minor side-quest for him (killing a dragon) while he goes on his own quest (collecting herbs)*
  DM: He turns into an eagle and craps on your head.
• Fuck That Hippo
  DM: Shares the epic Vampire: The Masquerade Hippo Story.
• Back Door
  DM: Where are you two?
  Shiv: I guess we’re bringing up the rear
  Steve: We’re in the rear.
  DM: You wanna go through…the back door?
  Shiv: The back door.
  Davron: Is it green?
  Embra: It’s brown.  Unless it’s bleached.
  Shiv: Make your stinkhole you’re pinkhole.
  Embra: That’s the title of this chapter.
• Pooh At Rabbit’s
  Jory: Can I climb in [the window to a room containing two armed enemies]?
  DM: It’s not a picture window; it’s a window big enough for just a little ventilation and to fire arrows through.  It will require pulling yourself up and wriggling through a small window.
  Jory: Oh no, I don’t think I’ll be able to—
  Embra: You can do it.  You’ve got Strength.  Go for it.
  Jory: Is it a Strength thing?  I thought it was a Dex thing.
  DM: It’s a Dex thing.
  Jory: Well, will I have to take off my armor?
  Embra: Yeah…take off your armor.
  DM: No, you wouldn’t have to take off your armor.
  Jory: Alright, I need to get in there an open that door—
  DM: You want my advice?
  Embra: No, he’s gotta roll IQ!
  DM: Okay, roll your Intelligence.
  Jory: 17.
  DM: Okay, you think your best bet would be to help Davron and Steve pry open the door.  Embra, it’s your turn—what else are you doing besides plotting Jory’s demise?