Rise of the Runelords Recap # 89 [RPG]

[25 Calistril 4708 continued]

In their hurry to teleport away from the white dragon they awakened slumbering within Rimeskull, something has clearly gone wrong for the adventurers!  The inn they’ve appeared next to isn’t the Rusty Dragon, but an establishment called “Greediness is Godliness.”  Instead of early morning on a cold winter’s day, it’s twilight on a warm summer’s day.  And although the town poses a passing resemblance to Sandpoint, what explains the massive stone fortress where the modest garrison once stood, the tower glowing with arcane fire at the site of Old Light, and the giants trundling about casually?  The situation becomes even more uncanny when Gorvi, Sandpoint’s janitor, emerges from the tavern wearing a uniform with a badge naming him an “Enforcer Captain.”  The half-orc demands to see the adventurers’ “identity papers,” and when they demur, he starts leading them in the direction of the massive fortress, stating that “District Commander Scarnetti” will enjoy having a word with them.  Just as the massive steel gates of the fortress begin to open, Ava decides it’s time for another quick exit, and she teleports everyone away again!

The effect is wrenching on both the adventurers’ minds and their bodies.  Instead of suddenly reappearing elsewhere, the journey has a sickening, twisting duration—and when they appear outside the Black Shield tavern in Magnimar, Jinkatsyu’s leg is severed!  He passes out from the pain and sudden loss of blood, but the others recover quickly enough to save him (and his leg) by rushing him to a nearby temple of Abadar where the magical rites to reattach the severed limb can be performed.  The kitsune will have a terrible scar around his thigh, but he’ll live. 

With the immediate crisis dealt with, the adventurers imbibe a much needed drink at the Black Shield and  speculate about what they just experienced—Erik says it may have been an illusion, while Kang suspects another plane of existence!  A very professionally-dressed group of “troubleshooters” sits at a nearby table in matching uniforms, leading Ava to opine that maybe the Heroes of Varisia should become more disciplined and organised.  Kang persuades her to wait on such a discussion until Yuzo rejoins the group, which reminds the cleric to send the warrior a magical message saying they’ll be returning to Sandpoint upon the morrow to pick him up.  The reply, however, indicates that Yuzo is mysteriously “indisposed” for the time being.

The adventurers decide to make the most of their time in Magnimar by researching the best way to deal with white dragons.  Ava and Jinkatsyu ask around the neighbourhood to see if there are any adventurers (retired or otherwise) who have had personal experience, but end up having most of their time wasted by a nice, harmless, and quite delusional old lady who tells them a crazy tale about dragons bursting out of privies.  Kang and Erik, however, have much better luck.  The Founder’s Archive in the Capital District specialises in research on magic, and the two are able to find several tomes detailing the magical abilities and weaknesses of white dragons.  When the four adventurers reunite, they discuss tactics but don’t settle on anything definite.

[26 Calistril 4708]

In the morning, the adventurers descend from their rooms on the second floor of the Black Shield to see that the proprietor is under arrest and all of the tavern’s stock is being loaded into crates.  It seems that years of buying smuggled-in casks of ale to avoid paying tariffs finally caught up to the owner.  But it matters little to the adventurers, as they have bigger fish to fry: a dragon! 

Arkrhyst had lived in Rimeskull for centuries, 

and was a legendary foe to the area's Shoanti tribes.

With a shout of “For Varisia!”, the heroes teleport directly back to the dragon’s cave and begin their assault.  They find that the wily creature has frozen its hoard into a thick block of ice and is hiding down one of the side tunnels leading off of the main cavern, but in instants the battle is joined in full.  The adventurers’ first wave of attacks wound the dragon severely, but it has tricks up its sleeve.  It uses magic to disappear down a corridor and then re-emerges surrounded by a moving blizzard that it can see through but that the adventurers cannot!  This time the dragon has the advantage, and it uses its surprise to full effect, catching Kang before the tiefling can escape and nearly killing him with a flurry of vicious attacks!  Only Kang’s mutagenic healing abilities allows him to barely survive.  Erik finds himself the next target of the badly-hurt dragon’s wrath and, unable to escape, the angel-blooded gunslinger decides to go out in a blaze of glory—but his pistol misfires and he gets bitten almost in half!  Somehow Ava is able to save him from dying.  Assuming its point has been made, the dragon is content to let the adventurers teleport away like before—but when they don’t, it continues the assault and finally engages Jinkatsyu in hand-to-hand combat.  The swashbuckling kitsune somehow parries every bite and claw, expertly riposting with his enchanted rapier until the dragon keels over in its death throes.

Through force, fortune, and fate, the way to Runeforge now stands clear . . .

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Director's Commentary

The little side-trek into an alternative (future?) version of Sandpoint was intended to dramatize for the PCs what could happen if they failed to stop Karzoug.  I think it was an interesting idea, but probably not as successful as I hoped.

The battle against the dragon was very exciting!