Session 66

=July 1st, 2021 - Demands of Dragons=

Council of Wyrms
The session began the day after the encounter with Vorag. Even though most of the party members had plummeted through the sky from the back of a dragon, they yet again clambered up and held onto Elia’s back. They flew for the majority of the day without any further encounters, but as they passed over the Triboar Valley the party wanted to drop in and visit Rachen’s hometown.

The entire town was abandoned. Fields were scorched, and the buildings that had been burned down by the fire giant attack still were piles of rubble. Cadmus declared they would be the new rulers of bacon-town! Elia said most small towns were like this in the province now. Solemnly, the group set back off towards the Nether Mountains (which formed the northwest side of the Triboar Valley).

The ancient silver dragon let out an echoing roar as she circled down around the meeting location, which sat atop one of the cliff faces high in the mountains. There was a large flat rock that had around it's perimeter a number of stone pillars protruding high into the air. Elia dropped off the party on the flat area and flew atop one of the pillars. Over the next roughly twenty minutes four other large dragons came flying from various directions and landed atop each of the pillars. The only other dragon the party members had seen before, was the smallest, the adult bronze dragon Felgolos "the Clumsy" - who almost slammed into his pillar.

Each of the other metallic representatives were ancient dragons, with the last arriving the gigantic and highly respected gold, Protanther. It was clear the other dragons revered the gold one. Once all were in attendance, Elia laid out the situation: the dragons are mixed in their opinion on if they should work with the ‘smallfolk’ of the region or not. One group, led by Protanther, believes the dragons should not wait for the little ones, and just coordinate their attack on the cultists and their dragons immediately - before the summoning of Tiamat can be enacted. Others, like Elia, think they would stand a better chance of survival, and everyone could reduce their losses, if they worked together.

As the dragons discussed their positions, it was clear that their opinions of the various factions and races of the province were fixed and unwavering. However, Elia had convinced them that the group of Champions truly represent the diverse groups of smallfolk, and had considerable influence over them via their position within the Lord’s Accord council. And thus, the discussions turned to how the party members could convince the individual dragons of their own good will and the willingness of the others in the province, by making concessions or promises that the Champions could enforce.

The only dragon that needed no convincing was Felgolos, the youngest in attendance. He had convinced his brethren to let him represent the bronze brood at this council due to his history with the Champions. Felgolos testified to the good deeds of these smallfolk, mainly from their encounter freeing him from the evil cloud giant Countess Sansuri. He also told of Alburt’s story, turning against the cult.

Demands of Dragons
Elia, while supportive of joining forces, turned out to harbor resentment against the dwarves of Khaz Thorum. For centuries, the dwarves had been engaging in what they called ‘dragonmoots’, crusades against dragons living in the Worldspine Mountains - chromatic or metallic alike. Over a hundred years ago, the dwarves of that Khaz murdered Elia’s niece, and from her harvested skin and scales forged an armor set for a dwarvish lord. She doesn’t know what lord still has it, but is certain such a prize would still be flaunted around. In return for her silvers to join, she wanted the Champions to obtain a formal apology from the dwarvish Ambassador Brawnanvil, and have her niece's body-armor returned.

Lachlan spoke to the dragons in draconic, speaking for the group in most cases as they debated. They had no problem with this request.

Protanther also wanted the party to obtain a formal apology for them, but this one from the king of the wood elves. A few hundred years past, the previous elven king (father to current King Melandrach) had enacted a powerful magic ritual known as the ‘dracorage’. It attempted to induce madness in all of dragonkind within a thousand miles of their city, Caranthya. While the elves may have said this was to drive away evil chromatic dragons, it had an equal effect on the few metallics in the region. There was much suffering and loss for the dragons that came as a result of this event.

This was probably harder to obtain, but the group thought they could manage it. The other two dragon representatives wanted more than words.

The copper representative, Tazmilkella spoke of how she had lived among humans and smallfolk for a long time, and her lairs had been the target of many cunning thieves over the years. Her huge head had moved over the party members, and she stopped over Lachlan, breathing in deep until she proclaimed, “you have one of my prized possessions!”

Tazmikella claimed Lachlan’s magic vorpal sword belonged to her, and had been stolen years ago. For her to be able to support this alliance, the bladesinger would have to be willing to return her stolen property. Needless to say, Lachlan was not supportive of losing his most prized possession that he had recovered from the hoard of Iymrith, Doom of the Desert. The high elf protested, even at one point magically booming his voice in argument, “how will me giving up my weapon help this fight!?” The reaction was not met well by the dragons, the Champions could see the dragon's looks at each other, seemingly reaffirming their beliefs about smallfolk.

Cadmus convinced Lachlan to give up the weapon (the cleric himself was armor-less in tattered rags at this point), anticipating it was more about the show of good faith. The bladesinger unsheathed the blade, reluctantly set it on the ground, and pushed it towards Taz.

The brass representative, Ileuthra focused on Thia and her black dragon. Ileuthra reasoned that smallfolk were the cause of most evil magics in the world, be that lichdom, raising the dead, or the use of powerful artifacts like the dragon masks. Ileuthra chastised Thia, who was wearing the black dragon mask, saying how she was foolish to think she could control her ‘pet’ without it. That the dragon masks were too dangerous to be left in the possession of smallfolk. She demanded that all of the masks be returned to the metallic dragons once they were recovered. Convincing her to let Thia keep her current mask wasn't easy.

In addition, if her pet was ‘good’ as she claimed he was being raised to be, and that it was nurturing that determined his behavior, not the dragon’s nature as she claimed (the metallics were not convinced), then he should be able to rise above his ‘nature’. Ileuthra demanded Maximus show this by giving up his fledgling hoard. His hoard was a few minor items Thia had been collecting in her backpack for him, a broken breastplate, silverware, etc. This caused a ton of debate and consternation, with Lachlan still bitter from giving up his weapon. In the end, Maximus wanted to prove to his mother Thia that he could do better - and he could always gather more treasure later. After pushing the small few items across the ground to the dragons - who clearly did not care about the ‘treasure’, they seemed satisfied.

A few other concessions were discussed, mainly, in addition to giving up all the recovered dragon masks, the collective dragons demanded half of the recovered treasure hoard the cult had amassed. The Champions knew that the vast majority of the cult hoard was taken from smallfolk in the province, and should be returned, but they felt it was a manageable concession.

As was clearly demonstrated, all types of dragons crave treasure.

Finally, once the group had come to an agreement, Taz gave Lachlan back his blade. Saying it was indeed about the willingness, for the elf was correct in that the blade served their goals best in his hands. Elia would return to represent their collective group in Ironbay. Until the Lord’s Accord forces were mustered, the dragons would assign at least two of their kind to safeguard and patrol each of the four major coastal cities.

The Champions then discussed their next objective, which was heading to the small village of Altand in the northwest of the elves Deepwood. Elia had offered to fly them to the edge of the forest, but the group instead decided to teleportation circle to the nearby town of Aramore first. Cadmus wanted to obtain a new set of armor before they embarked deep into the elven woods.

And that is where the short session ended, it was the evening of the two hundred and sixty seventh day since the raid on Greenest.

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